Dental Dilemma

Sometimes your tooth hurts.
Especially when you get really old.
Like about...almost 60.

Things seem to be falling apart.
Actually, except my back.
It's stronger and feels better due to riding lessons.
When riding, you have to hang on with your legs,
upper AND lower,
and that makes for a strong core.
(the latest slang for "back")

I've been hanging on with my thighs.
(yow, that gets achy over an hour's lesson!)

The problem is this.
If your lower legs and boots are hangin' out there like a greenhorn, the horse can't tell what you want. Then, to signal the horse to move it, you need to swing in those lower legs with a good kick! Then you'll see a well trained animal jump in discomfort and/or pull ears back in anger. This results in a baaaaaaad reputation.

And those horses know who you are!
They can see you coming!

As my riding gets better, I get more instructions:
"Sit up straight, relax your back, arms to your sides, get your legs back, keep the reins even, softer hands on the bit, head up, sit down, squeeze with your legs, don't kick, you're gonna make him mad. He's not listening to you! Press your lower legs around him, legs back, heels down, no don't kick, Make him keep trotting, slow him down, arms to you sides, head up...."
You get the picture?

I can't do anything right, but I guess I am learning.
She says I am.
A posting trot...
(up and down, up and down on the correct lead)
...it HURTS without feet in the stirrups! It takes a lot of leg strength, to grip while pushing up off the seat, but no standing straight in the stirrups!
That would be cheating.
(Is this making any sense?)
(I can find a video of posting if you'd like.)

"I can't do it any longer!"
My legs can't take it!
I'm getting a spasm!"

"Quit whining and keep posting!"
"That's it, you did it, you look good!"

Whining is the theme of the week at school.

This is how it works for the students:
Whine when it's time to read,
whine when it's time to write,
whine when it's time for art,
whine when it's time for math.

Don't whine when it's recess,
don't whine when it's free time,
don't whine when it's P.E.
...no, wait, there is whining at P.E.
...and plenty of tattling, too..
And at recess, also, come to think of it.

What does all this have to do with my dental dilemma?

I'm whining!

It feels sooooooo ooooooooold to be having tooth problems.
First a root canal, which exposes major decay.
(OW!)
Then lots of drilling. A lot!
(but you're used to it after the root canal).
And lo and behold...

...they send me to a tooth-yanking dentist who snaps and cracks that crappy tooth until it comes out!
In pieces!
I wanted to plug my ears, but realized that wouldn't help.

Well now.
Done is done and it's on to the easier step...
(HA!)
...slap on the crown.
But nooooooooooooo, there is NO TOOTH to crown!
No.
Now it's time for the BRIDGE!

I'm sick of this blog post so I'm ending here and you can check out the images below if you are itching to know more details about a bridge.

I hate that word.
The Golden Gate Bridge, now THAT is a bridge.

This foreign thing that's gonna be in my mouth is just a nuisance!
The flossing is almost as revolting as the procedure itself.

See:

Go HERE to see the video:
"What happens during a root canal?"
It's got cool graphics.
Tasteful.
Artsy.

Disgusting.

The dentist's receptionist called me.
The tooth puller dentist called them.
It's time for the bridge.

I'm whining and I don't care what anyone says!

As Sally of the "Peanut's" gang put it so succinctly
in her oral report.

"If I had a Pony."

"If I had a pony,
I'd ride outta here so fast
it'd make your head spin!"