Unattractive Slurs

Altotonga, Mexico -- So the highlight of the day has been the two hours sitting in the dentist's chair. Amid all the other aspects of "closing up" also comes visits to all the doctors.

Because, after all, it is cheaper to get it done here.

Way cheaper.

Anywho, as it's been at least several years since I've seen a dentist (hey, I haven't felt any pain, so it can't be tooo bad, right?), I figured I'd get it done now.

And I have a few cavities. So, I got some done today, have to go back tomorrow and Friday too. It's still going to be expensive, but cheaper than the States, certainly. And I figure, I'd like to grow old and have teeth.

Next week, I'll go to get all my blood work done and make sure all my levels of everything are fine. Get this: I don't have to go with any paperwork, any doctor's notes... anything. I just go in and tell them what I want done.It's the same way at the pharmacies. You can go in and prescribe yourself. Have a cold and need an antibiotic? No problem! It's amazing, all that... but I have to admit that it works for me. I only go in for the same medication I've taken all my life, and I don't usually have colds that get too bad that I would consider myself as needing medicine.

Oh, and: in about a week and a half: I'm going to de-parasite myself. Just in case.

And so, I should make it back to the states cavity-free, with blood work done indicating that all is good to go, and sans parasite buddies.

Well, I'm still all anesthesia-ed up, as it takes apparently a LOT to get me feeling-free (no pun intended), and it takes me many hours to get rid of it. I'm a little hungry, but as I sat there with my mouth stretched wide open, I considered, I'm never eating anything with sugar AGAIN. AND I'm going to brush my teeth like 10 times a day... and I brush my teeth 3-4 times a day (sometimes up to 5)... but like I said, it'd been a few years.

Going to a dentist here is about the same as going to a dentist in the States... except that everything isn't tucked neatly into cabinets and everything blindingly white. And the dentist mumbles in Spanish, instead of English... which can, indeed, sometimes be tricky. And I think he had some type of "jaw-jack" or something that he stuck in my mouth, which I don't remember state-side dentists having. Do they?

Ok, on to another subject beside my teeth. I'm still trying to get stuff sold... like my sofa set, bookcase, stove, etc. And I'm not getting much of a response. So... I'm just praying God will send someone soon. As the peso rate has changed from 9 pesos to 14 pesos per US dollar, I'm losing out on this end. But in other aspects of the conversion rate, I'm winning. So, you win, you lose, you get over it.

The kids are on their vacation time for spring break... 2 weeks. So, we're trying to get together very often and do stuff... spend time together. We were going to go up to the river on Monday morning, but there was a "norte" that came through-- a cold front from the north... Those always bring rain and fog and coldness.

There was an incredibly amount of whining last Saturday when I announced the official date of the move. And more talk of kidnapping, or forced marriage. And all the other things they still had to do to me before I left. Can you feel the love?

Other than that, the Saturday meeting was pretty good... with the Briles having left that morning, and an early morning (5am) drive out to the rancho to wake up one of the girls for her birthday with firecrackers, I figured they'd be a little down or tired and without energy. But they weren't, and they shared a lot. It was a good time.

Well, I'm going to wait off this anesthesia thing... It's so hard to talk with it!