Friday, December 21, 2007

Bleeding teeth and cold bones

Bloody hell, great title for a novel. I suspect I might use that someday. But don't talk to me about teeth. Double groan ... Lord H & I had our regular tooth doctor appointment today, and this time I have to have four fillings done and they're worried about my bleeding gums. This after having no fillings last time and perfect gums. I am doing nothing differently!!! They think it might be to do with the HRT I'm on - even though I've only been on it five minutes and, really m'dears, one's boobs are no bigger than they were before. Sadly. Good to know that in the future, when I'm a hundred-and-bleeding-twenty, I shall be able to have a baby (God forbid!) but won't be able to converse with it as I shall have no teeth. Bloody big sigh, eh. Honestly, I really wish I'd booked the appointment earlier in the month, so I wouldn't have the prospect hanging over me during Christmas of having to go and have great pain inflicted on me on 4 January. It's seriously pissing me off. Really, I'm feeling quite tearful. God, I hate dentists. Big time.

Anyway, after that debacle (sorry, can't be arsed with funny accents and stuff - besides of which I won't be able to say any accents soon as my mouth will be jammed tight with cotton wool, pathetic sigh ...), Lord H and I went to look at birds in Ash (that's a place, not a concept). Lucky birds. They have no teeth. Soon we will have so much in common (am I swooning too much at this point?...). It was a pretty little place, if bloody chilly. Still, we managed to see lots of tits (of the feathered variety), 101 robins - or one very speedy robin - plus a grey wagtail (my first, hurrah!) and yet another heron in flight. Why are there so many flying herons at the moment? Is someone doing something nasty to their legs so they can't land anywhere? Seems unnecessarily cruel to me.

This afternoon, I have been typing up more of The Bones of Summer. Poor Craig - he's having a very difficult time at the moment. It would be so much better for him if it wasn't winter and he knew where his clothes were but, alas, his author won't allow him that small comfort. What a cow, eh. Lord knows why he puts up with me. He's probably sorry for my teeth (did I mention my teeth?).

However, there is surprising news for today - I've just finished reading the latest "Poetry Review" magazine and it's the first time I've closed the final pages and haven't wondered what on earth all the fuss was about. Not a bad edition really - an undercurrent of pretention here and there of course, but at that level you probably have to expect it. There were some poems I even enjoyed (Good God, Carruthers, pass me the smellings salts: the words "enjoy" and "Poetry Review" have never been in the same paragraph before). I will even go so far as to say I noted some poets and their collections down on my buying list. Particular favourites were Siriol Troup for being charmingly Japanese about WH Auden (ah, the story is in the spaces, m'dear ...), Hugo Williams for being charmingly Victorian, Nii Ayikwei Parkes for putting the people back into politics, and Jane Draycott for a wonderful scene of miscommunication. Also nice to see my old favourite, Neil Rollinson, in there. Though they were rather snippety about his latest collection, Demolition. Hey, I didn't think it was that bad. Not vintage Rollinson for sure, but not terrible!

Tonight, I shall do some cleaning and stare at my teeth in the mirror for a while. As you do. And I really must wrap up Lord H's Christmas presents or the day will come upon me unwrapped before I know it. Hmm, The Unwrapped Day - another interesting title ...

Today's nice things:

1. Birds in Ash
2. Writing
3. Reading some rather good poetry.

Anne Brooke
Anne's website
Goldenford Publishers

10 comments:

Lover of Books, Films and Good Coffee Shops Everywhere! said...

Oh Anne, poor you about your teeth and gums. Sounds like your body needs pepping up with something but it's finding out what that's the problem of course.

It seems that the Oldings and their partners are having a bad teeth year. Peter had another 3 out this week, thankfully that's the last of the extractions and now he needs some fillings.

I've got my appointment on the 10 January and after the bad lack of you two, I'm now just a tad apprehensive!

Anne Brooke said...

Oh, no - the Curse of the Oldings!! It's obviously affecting us too, Sue! Glad Peter okay now, though I sympathise with the fillings thing. And I'm sure you'll come through on 10th with flying colours. We've had all the bad luck now ...

A
xxx

Jan said...

Heavens, I have a dental appt early January with both hygienist and dentist so I sympathise in full as he always discovers work he needs to do...

Anne Brooke said...

Oh no - must be the season for it!! I'm sure it will be fine, Jan!

Hugs

A
xxx

Lexi said...

Do you floss? Flossing is good.

On the other hand, I have dark suspicions that dentists are bad for your teeth. Too drill-happy.

Obviously, if you seldom see a dentist, it's extra important to use an excellent electric toothbrush thoroughly, and floss. And eat carrots and apples every day.

I didn't take my daughter to the dentist till she was nine, and then only because we needed a referral to the orthodontist. I did watch her clean her teeth till she was fifteen, though, and hardly ever gave her sweets or fizzy drinks.

She has no fillings at all.

Jilly said...

I think you must have had a telepathic effect on my teeth - one of my crowns fell out as I was eating a sausage roll!

Jackie Luben said...

This is all too terrible. You know how I hate teeth problems, Anne. And M has problems too and is even planning to go to Spain to have it sorted in view of the quote he's received here.

But be careful with flossing. Lexi, I broke two teeth with some over-enthusiastic flossing.

Anne Brooke said...

Many thanks for your suggestions, all! I floss every day - though from now on, I will attempt to do so wisely! And as I grew up on an apple farm, I do eat a heck of a lot of apples ...

Sorry to hear about your crown, Jilly - I shall blog about something undamaging tonight. I hope!

==:O

A
xxx

PS I am happy to go with M to Spain if he needs support!

:))

Jackie Luben said...

That would be exciting for him.

Anne Brooke said...

Actually, I was thinking he might be terrified and even now heading in the opposite direction, Jackie!!

:))

A
xxx