just me and my girls...

 dental appointment took some time.  i'm moved over to a new clinic.  they didn't see anything that needed addressing immediately which may just mean they want to wait until my insurance flips over.  my last dentist wanted to do a crown and a filling...so who does one trust.  these guys are syrupy sweet and are totally open to the gas for any and all appointments...i'd say i've transferred to heaven.  i wanted my dental appointments to  be more of a spa session and less of a scary session...so i think i will get that here.

 Rio had once again insisted on joining us so in the end with little time after the appointment we just went back to the ponds of Bivouac.  easy and flat walk for the most part.

 i find myself feeling pretty good walking flat stuff and my joint is better overall so then i start to wonder if i should be having surgery...then i try to bend my leg or climb and i realize that it's the best thing to do.  hopefully, this will feel much better when all is done.  i don't think i could run right now to save my life and trying to bend at the knees to empty foley's or climb stairs is quite uncomfortable.  someone noticed at the coffee shop that i went off the curb by putting my bad foot down first.  as i went down the stairs tonight i realized i do that on purpose.  the down first leg stays straight that way.  only the good knee has to bend. i still feel a catch with every step as i bend my knee mid stride.  i try to walk as normal as possible though.  keeps the muscles around my knee happier and the worst pain is sometimes the muscles tweaking from walking weird i find.

 here are my girls.  a dark day.  a few flakes/rain drops fell through the day but still not enough snow out there.  the ski resort is closed and will remain so...

 while we were out there a guy rode his bike to the edge of the pond then put on skates.

 looks like fun.  Rio is sore i think.  tried to snuggle with her on the couch and she jumped off and went to the dog bed on the floor...she never does that.  she was walking gingerly tonight.  i'll have to make sure she does couch time tomorrow.  great to have her along, but not worth it if it makes her hurt. it's ok if i hurt...but not the dogs!!

 the sunset did look like it got pink and pretty but i was never at the right place for photo's.  probably should have just stayed out here longer but i figured it would just be grey.

 at one point on the second pond i looked over and there was a area of open water...eek...it was along the edge but it does remind you that you are walking on water.

 watching, "stigmata".  i like a good religion/demon flick.

 no good shots today, sorry.  still enjoyed my walk though.  the dogs don't care where they go, just that they get out there.  if they are happy, i'm happy.

 can people be possessed?  sure. i'm open to everything.  there are some things that can't be explained so why not.  the stigmata?  crazy idea and would be pretty scary, but great idea for a movie.

 haven't really figured out that Thanksgiving is in a few days and that Christmas will follow soon after.  i'll have to get on it and get some stuff done before i go in for that surgery.  won't be up for standing in line at the post office after.  should get the tree up early too, at least i can enjoy it while i recover.  not sure where to put the thing since i bought the new lazy boy chair.  hmm.  could move table out and put it there i guess.  that would freak poor Rio out though..moving stuff on a blind dog.

 one big crack, other places will have way more cracks.  i had thought my dental appointment was at like 10:30 and so that drive seemed possible, but it wasn't til 12:30...

 it was just a meet the doc/exam and xray day.

 eating a variety of snacks and drinking a little glass of wine.  what is on the menu?  cheese, chocolate and red vines.

 figured the bottle was open anyway, so better have another glass.  hate to waste it.  for me, the wine makes you feel a bit like  the gas does at the dentist.  got to relive my dental tales of woe with new people and entertain them.  show them my tiny retained baby tooth that lies under my front lower teeth.  never knew it was there until they got those panoramic xrays.  it's never bothered me.

 had a root canal at age 16 i think it was.  that lady must have been meticulous as that gold tooth is doing well still.  my memory is of it taking many visits to complete.  now i find myself wondering if she didn't break it up to a weekly session just so my mom would pay her weekly.  we rarely went to a doctor growing up but the dentist was a regular thing.

 i was in college when i got my wisdoms out.  no money so my friends cousin did it for like $300 with one valium tab and local.  after that 2 + hour torture session nearly all 4 of my wisdom teeth were out.  one root remained in place though as he was unable to remove it.  after he stopped he told me that had been the first time he'd done that procedure since he'd left dental school. i had sq air all across my face and neck.  took weeks to go away.

 while i was living in Ketchikan that little bit of root decided to get infected.  i remember going to the ER trying to get some AB's as the oral surgeon only comes to the island once every 3 months.  the ER wouldn't give me AB's but did give me percocet, which i hadn't asked for.  ibuprofen works better for dental pain i think anyway.  a dentist the next day got me the AB's.  i was lucky in that he oral surgeon was making his rounds a few weeks later.  iv drugs were used this time along with the locals but this time my chin never woke up.

 for the first 6 months+ my chin had that prickly feeling you get when your leg is waking up and you move it.  i got that anytime my chin moved so talking, eating or even a stiff wind . that eventually subsided and now it's just numb.

 everyone has a good wisdom tooth story though.  it's a right of passage!! it would be wrong to have a boring tale of this.  went in, got drugs, teeth removed, healed.  boring!!  i was happy i didn't get that dry socket as i hear that is pretty miserable.

 lots of cavities filled but overall my teeth are hanging in there. i do the basics.  at my job i see many toothless folks my age so i know i'm lucky that way..thanks mom!

 maybe we went to the dentists more because there were dentists in our ward?  don't remember any doctors being in the ward.  hmm? it's another possible theory.

 ice...i always love how it builds up on the plants.

 enough dental tales of woe for the evening.

grateful for today... A.  a new dentist that is generous with the gas!!  :-)  B.  cat snuggles from Pogi (miss breezy chatterbug only snuggles with the dogs) C.  winter...with or without snow, the ice is cool and i know the snow will come (i hope so anyway)