I went to the dentist-- my regular 6-month checkup. Nothing exciting happened. She suggested that I get braces. She always does. My teeth are slightly crooked, but not completely out of whack. I’m almost tempted to get some, however once I knew a dentist as a friend. He told me to not bother with it. He said my mouth wasn’t ugly, and that straightening my teeth would just remove some of the character of my face.

My dentist is the world’s gentlest dentist. She does everything without pain. This is a big change from my last dentist who believed that you were not flossing thoroughly enough unless your gums were bleeding.

When I left I got a new toothbrush, and mint floss. Now, a new toothbrush is good, but I really like the mint floss. I think that mint floss is one of the few aspects of dentistry that I actually look forward to. Let me elaborate. At home, I have this mile long bale of plain floss that I’ve been using for years. (I think I bought it before 1994) Now, the little box of mint floss that my dentist gives me only lasts a couple of months. This means that after I visit the dentist, I get to floss with mint for a little while, yet not so often that I’m always flossing with mint. Eventually I ran out, and revert to the plain bail of floss. After a few months of flossing with plain floss, I look forward to the mint floss I know I’ll get after my next visit to the dentist.

What other aspects of dentistry are pleasant? Funky toothbrushes are good. So is that ultra clean feeling your teeth have after you leave the dentist, but that’s a bit like saying “It feels good when I stop banging my head.” Orange flavored tooth polish is also not without it’s charm. New toothpaste is ok. Especially if you change to a variety you haven’t used before, say Colgate tarter control to Crest with baking soda.

I haven’t flossed since my visit to the dentist. My mint floss sits unopened in my truck.

Last night I went out with Ryan and Jen from my hockey team. They invited a few friends along, and we went to the Eating Factory, and later to Rock Bottom Bar and Grill. It was fun. We told each other gross and demeaning stories, and talked a bit about work.

Ryan and Jen are having an Iron Chef party on Sunday. I’m invited.

Now, Harry and I, we are getting together on Sunday. For a while, I wanted to call him up, and visit him tonight. Then talking to Jen last night, I remember some of the reasons I stopped seeing Harry. I want to travel around and see the country. Maybe move to a different city. Harry is a native of Washington. He’s always lived here, and never really got around. He didn’t visit Portland until he was 31. He never went to downtown Seattle until he was 27. Can we work out some kind of life together? I want to right now. But I seem to be kind of bi-polar. Will I still want to in a week?