Ow.

I've this pain in jaw for a couple weeks. I figured it was a gland or allergies or something. Then it went to my tooth, and then to my ear. Uh oh.

I have a crown on that tooth, which means the underlying tooth is just a post and already compromised.

Uh oh.

I had an appointment with the dentist today, anyway.

When I left the house at about 8 am, it was very foggy out.



It was beautiful. Silent. Drippy. Green. Just a tinge of color in the leaves with the white blanket of jungle mist on everything.

So I drove out. I know the way to Dr. Hurley's in White Pine on School Street, across from the fire station. Done it a million times. I get to the intersection of Highway 341 and Interstate 81 and I follow this very slow moving semi onto I81 south toward Knoxville, sort of mumbling to myself, "Should I blow by this guy on the ramp and get ahead of him? Nobody would know."

No, I was a good boy and just went slow until I merged into traffic southbound. Then it hit me:

I was supposed to stay on 341 toward White Pine. I was not going to Knoxville. I was headed the wrong direction. I had left in plenty of time to take the scenic route, but still.

So I took Interstate 40 toward Asheville and was about to use the "Authorized Vehicles Only" cut off, and then claim a medical emergency if the state patrol stopped me. Then I found the exit for Highway 113 toward White Pine and took it.

One of the nice things about living here is that every road leads everywhere. So I was able to get back to White Pine and the dentist by 8:55 am.

When I told them about my toothache, they nodded knowingly and empathetically, never a good sign. Usually, it means, "You need a root canal. Glad it's you. Please pay up front."

I discovered nitrous oxide several years ago. It is wonderful to get it before the two foot long needle they use to numb your teeth roots. I do like Dr. Hurley because he gets down to the bottom of the root and boy are your nerves numb. But it hurts. So the gas works wonders. They have these little tv screens with CMT showing music videos. I know the gas is working when I start wondering whether should I download videos onto my ipod. I'm high, when I start liking county music.

I even have my own pig nose for my dental trips.



So he drilled a hole in the crown, dug down to the root and ground up the dead parts and swished them out, along with the infected tissue, and then filled the hole with temporary cement and "bug killer" and sent me home with penicillin and pain killer and told me not to chew anything for a week. I come back Monday the 27th to finish up. After my last midnight shift. I'll get another round of laughing gas after my last midnight. WOO HOO!

They give you oxygen to sober you up. I drove home and turned on my ipod loud and tried to sing (coincidentally to a song by "The Cure"), but the right side of my mouth would not work. I could not form words and kept lisping and listing to starboard. Plus, I was worried I'd gnaw my right cheek and tongue to meat and not know it. Like Agrajag for those of you who know who he is.

So I thought, "Maybe I can whistle." Turns out I am so good at whistling, one of the few things I am very good at, that I can still whistle well out of the left side of my mouth with my tongue half dead.



So even driving, taking a picture, listening to music, just off NO2, numb, and sore, I can whistle better than some of you...