THE TOOTH FAIRY

My dentist (Dr. Leon Wachtel) is an artiste.  I went to see him today because I (thought I) had broken off a crown Saturday night biting through some very tough crust on a microwaved leftover pizza.  At least that's what it looked like to me when I gazed in the mirror at the scrubby little stub where my tooth had once been.  

I called his office first thing this morning and asked for an ASAP appointment.  I was told he could see me at 2:20 this afternoon.  So I went, with some misgivings.  Those concerned the price of a new crown.  (I apparently had swallowed and  . . . digested . . . the old one and it was nowhere . . . to . . . be . . . found.)

After some chat he looked in my mouth and said "Oh, that wasn't a crown, it was just a composite.  I'm going to just build you a new tooth."  

I said "you mean I don't need a crown?"  (Idiot!)

He said "well, you can have one if you want one."

I quickly said "no, no, no, that's okay."

I had told him I needed it quickly because I was expecting a call any time from Michael McConaughey's people asking me to double for him in his next movie.  I tried out my "all right . . . all right . . . all right" line but no one seemed impressed.

To make a long story short, he built me a composite tooth which looks and feels just like the old one and I am good to go.

It's great to have a good dentist, even if he doesn't get my humor sometimes.

Oh, he said my mouth is full of tartar and I need to schedule a cleaning.  That's now set for September.

Rain update: it's been raining hard all around us today but only a few light sprinkles here.

SUNDAY SERMON

I'll be glad when tomorrow comes.  Last night I nuked a few pieces of leftover pizza from Friday night and in the process of biting through a very hard crust edge I apparently broke off a cap on one of my teeth. One of those unimportant ones.  Right in front.  So I've left a message on my dentist's answering machine and hopefully I'll be able to get in tomorrow for at least a temporary fix.  This is probably the second time this has happened since I got the cap 29 years ago so it's not too bad a history.  I figure this fix will set me up for the rest of my life.

So my Sunday has been spent idly running my tongue over what's left of my tooth and counting the hours.  And reading the Times. Just finished that.

We haven't been visited by bunnies lately and Judy has just put out some carrot scraps and some miniature Brussel sprouts.  I thought Brussel sprouts, especially the small ones, were a little gourmet for some random cottontails.  But the boss said "they like cabbage" and I guess that means Brussel sprouts are just an upgraded cabbage.  

I've been watching.

No bunnies yet.

Lessee, what else is new.  Oh, towering clouds again but no rain. Guess that's not new.

The Diamondbacks lost to the Phillies today.  Guess that's not new either.

I guess nothing much is new.

Wish me luck with the tooth fairy tomorrow.

I'll keep an eye out for bunnies.

CLOSE BUT NO CIGAR

Yesterday we had three hard rains.  Today we had lots of thunder but no precipitation.

SWMBO and I did have a nice lunch at a relatively new fine dining spot in Prescott Valley, Cork & Cuisine.  It is in the Entertainment District and features a different menu and a different wine list each month.  Very nice setting with a lounge area, seating at a small bar, tables for dining and a couple of nights a week Chef's Table seating, where you can watch your meal being prepared in an open kitchen and converse with the chef.  Good food, good wine.  We spoke with the aptly-named owner, Sherri Cook, who said they have clientele from Prescott but so far the Prescott Valley crowd is not supporting them.  Give it a try, folks.  It's leisurely dining, not fast food, but a comfortable place to take your time over a good meal and libations.

FRIDAY FUNNIES

As the late Bill Thompson ("Wallace" of Wallace and Ladmo) might have said "always leave 'em laughing."

For those who aren't familiar with Wallace, he was the originator of a children's television show in Phoenix, Arizona on which he starred for 35 years.  He died this week at the age of 82.

Now . . on to the funnies . . .

And finally . . . (as one of my colleagues/bosses used to say) . . .

Have a fab weekend, folks, and keep in mind these words from the Wallace and Ladmo theme song:  "ho-ho-ha-ha-hee-hee-ha-ha"

THROWBACK THURSDAY

When I was a much younger man, one of my "stunts" was to climb up on a roof.  I'm not really sure why.  Maybe the view was better. Maybe because my wife (to be) hated when I did it.  Maybe because ("why do you climb Mt. Everest?") it was there.  At any rate . . .

The urge is still there but I don't do this anymore.

WEDNESDAY AT THE BALL PARK

I'm back home after traveling to Phoenix for a game at the old ball park today.  My buddy Steve did well by me, snaring a couple of seats on the first level.

The result on the field was not nearly as pleasurable.  After 3 and a half innings, the Diamondbacks were behind 7 to nothing.  But they kept fighting back and after 7 innings were only trailing by two runs, 7 to 5.  But that was as close as they would get as the Tigers' eighth inning netted them 4 more runs, 3 coming on a towering home run by superstar Miguel Cabrera.

But we had a great time at the game.  Which reminds me.  What kind of food do you eat at baseball games?  Hot dogs, popcorn, peanuts and nowadays in Phoenix anyway such things as pizza and Mexican food.  But salad?  Who eats salad at a baseball game?

Well at least this trim young woman, diving into a fresh green salad.

Speaking of tradition, there's another one, as shown in this picture.

Did you get it?  It's the three men in the lower right, taking a selfie!

Speaking of photographs, I had to get one more.  There was a pretty girl who kept holding up a homemade sign, hoping the cameras would spot her and put her picture up on the jumbotron.  A couple of times, between innings, she went down closer to the field and held up the sign, waving it back and forth.  Alas!  She didn't make it to her personal 10 seconds of fame.  So I went down to her row after the game and told her I'd take her picture and put it on the Internet. Here she is.

Now I ask you.  How could those cynical cameramen have resisted that beautiful smile?  I hope this pleases her.

OFF TO SEE THE LIZARD

As I said yesterday, my pal Steve called me yesterday and invited me down for a Diamondbacks' baseball game today.

A little background here.  Steve was born in Tucson and has lived in Phoenix for more than 40 years.  He was a television photographer when I met him and has worked as a self-employed videographer for many years now.  In both occupations he spent a lot of time outdoors working in Arizona's hot sun.  So, he's got a pretty darned good tan.

I, on the other hand, only worked outdoors for a few years and then spent the bulk of my career at an inside desk job, from which I've been retired for many, many years.  I don't play golf or anything else that takes me outside a lot and that coupled with my Norwegian/English heritage has left me with a pasty white complexion which Steve always teases me about when we get together.  Especially if we're both wearing shorts and my glaring white legs are next to his mahogany ones.

But I can take it and I still accept his baseball invitations.

So today, I'm off to see the lizard.