Recovery time...

Sorry for the long break between posts. I've been busy recovering from my wisdom teeth surgery.

You might remember me mentioning that I was having my wisdom teeth pulled. Well, on Monday, it happened. Fortunately I was knocked out for the procedure, so i have no memory of it. I remember the events beforehand, but not the actual procedure. I'm glad, because when I'm awake for these kinds of things, I get all panicky.

I'm feeling a lot better than I did Monday afternoon. The swelling in my face has gone down a lot, I can open my mouth enough to chew soft foods, and I can talk somewhat normally. I'm still sore, but not as sore. And I reserved a bunch of manga from the library to keep me occupied while I heal up, and I started a simple garter stitch scarf out of Bernat Boa to keep me from getting too bored. I have called the scarf 'Goldfish scarf' on Ravelry, because I'm knitting it on a larger gauge than what the yarn label calls for, and it looks lacy and fish-scale-like. I also found out that, when I was swatching for this scarf, my 5.5mm circular needle is actually a 7mm (?!). I was surprised and kind of bummed out. But the needle was on sale, so it might've been a mistake in the packaging.

In other news, I had to take Hereafter back without finishing it. I'm disappointed, but I can always get it out of the library another time. I started reading a Tamora Pierce book, though - Tris's Book, the second in the Circle of Magic quartet. I didn't feel much like reading any of my other books, because they were all either very big, or urban fantasy books, or dystopians. And I didn't feel like reading dystopia or urban fantasy. I'm only a page and a bit into the book, because I was quite tired yesterday - when I was watching Lorna Doone, I'd lost the energy to knit. Can you believe that?! But anyway, back to the book. I've been meaning to read a Tamora Pierce book for a while, so it's kind of refreshing to read one of her books after so long - I think the last one I read all the way through was Emperor Mage, and that was at least a year ago, if not two.

I should probably get off the computer and eat soon :p I'll post pictures of the scarf when it's finished, I hope!

Maybe I'll be a pirate.

I don't have a proper Halloween costume, but I do have a hand-knit eyepatch that I made for a House Cup assignment. I think I'll wear it tomorrow.

I wore it for a bit when I went to see Grandma at the nursing home today. We went downstairs for their Halloween happy hour, and I drank 'Pumpkin Guts' (a non-alcoholic peach drink) and snacked on cheese puffs.

I went to the periodontist's yesterday, because he has me coming in to get my teeth cleaned between my usual cleanings at the family dentist's since my dead tooth was removed. The hygienist told me to remember to floss, and we had a small conversation about Lady Gaga's meat dress and George Michael. It was interesting. I couldn't really say much in reply, considering that I was having my teeth scraped with metal instruments, but it was still interesting.

So tomorrow I'm going to the local NaNoWriMo kick-off party, and I think I'll wear my eyepatch. It shall be rockin' :) I'll probably post some Halloween videos tomorrow.

Happy Friday!

Fridays are awesome whether you have plans or not. I don't think I have any plans for the weekend, except that Mom said we should go visit Grandma.

My appointment wasn't as stressful as I'd predicted. When Dr. G came in to talk about my options for an implant, he thought that me wearing the flipper for now would be fine. When my dad mentioned a dental bridge, Dr. G actually winced and said he'd hate to grind down the adjacent teeth for a bridge because they were well-shaped, and a bridge requires maintenance after ten or fifteen years. And I said I didn't want the surgery where they take a piece of bone from the chin and put it in my mouth, because I'm really sick of dental procedures :p So I'm going to keep wearing the flipper for the time being.

And then after Dad's appointment at the family dentist's, we went to the library to pick up me and Mom's stuff and pay our fines. Then Mom and Dad went to Costco, and I started Howl's Moving Castle over again, because I took a break from reading it and lost track of the story.

And today I ate a croissant (Mom and Dad bought a pack of them at Costco) and put towels in the washing machine. I'll try to get some GED work done today.

On Glee and teeth

So tomorrow I have my appointment at the periodontist's. I have to decide if I want to have a bridge put in, or if I want to keep wearing the flipper. Right now I'm leaning towards the flipper.

Glee was pretty awesome last night. It was Madonna-themed, and even though I'm not a huge Madonna fan, I really liked it. I like some Madonna songs - 'Like a Virgin', 'Music', and 'Like a Prayer' - but I wouldn't buy her albums. I really liked what they did with 'Like a Virgin' - it was very tasteful, and the voices of all the characters (Rachel, Jesse, Finn, Santana, Will and Emma) all blended so well in the sequence.

Mom's cooking, and the smoke detector keeps going off. lol. Well, at least we know it works!

Dental woes and TWLOHA

I went to the dentist's. They told me I have mini-cavities in my upper molars, and the hygienist put some fluoride on them to stall them. I feel sorry for her, because I was in such a panic over the mini-cavities. She told me they're really small, and they have a numbing gel to use instead of freezing injections, which is good news. I'm hoping the problem will fix itself, but I'm not counting on it. Thus, I am thoroughly depressed.

I wrote 'love' on my wrists after my shower this morning - I wanted to make sure they wouldn't rinse off in the shower, so I did them after. I wrote 'love' in handwriting and 'TWLOHA '10 ' below that in capital letters in a black Papermate Uni-Ball pen, and on the other arm I just wrote 'LOVE' and a couple of hearts, which was tricky because I'm right-handed. The left hand smudged badly, so I had to redo it.

I'm getting tired of this.

So I went to Dr. G's for a cleaning and to see how my bone graft is holding up. He referred me to another dental surgeon to have a look at the bone graft, because he isn't sure how to successfully pull it off. Joy.

My left eye hurts. Damn weather.

Did I mention that ladybugs are hanging around the house? I guess it's warm enough for them to stay around. They keep making me jump whenever they fly close to a surface that crinkles. And Mouse keeps watching them. Not pawing at them, like the dogs would do, just watching them. She's odd like that.

I started my wrap the other day, and it looks great. I was worried that it would be too narrow (I had to cast on extra stitches because we don't have a pair of size 17 needles), but I think it'll turn out good.

Oh yeah, and my mom knit a hat in a day, except for the ties. I kid you not.

Hmm, what else... I might try making cover art in Photoshop for my NaNoWriMo story. A lot of people on the forums have cover art that they put in their signatures, and it would be neat if I could do that. I wanted to take a landscape shot this morning, but forgot. I'm going to experiment a little...

I also want to finish a poem or two and send them to a magazine. I also have to finish Grandma's Clapotis in time for Christmas, and I want to knit a hat for myself. Go me ;P

I forgot-!

I totally forgot to blog about the prize yarn from the 600 party!

I won some Peaches & Creme cotton in two colours (black and red), two of each colour, from Juli. I love it. It's much softer than Bernat Handicrafter. It's such a pity that I can't get Peaches & Creme here, though.

I went to Dr. G's today to have the stitches taken out of my mouth. It didn't take as long as I'd thought - I think it took longer the first time, though. Maybe I had more stitches the first time. Anyways, I tried putting the flipper in, and he tried, but no luck. It won't fit. So, he told me to wait until the rest of the swelling has gone down before I try putting it in again.

Dad put the swap package for the Valentine's swap in the mail for me. I don't think it'll get to my swap partner by Valentine's Day. God/Goddess, I hate Canada Post.

Another semi-productive day.

I didn't do any algebra, but I did work on my shawl, and I started the Clapotis for Grandma. I didn't read today, really - I might've tried reading a bit of The Complete Idiot's Guide to World Mythology, but I can't remember.

While I was knitting, I was watching TV. I watched The Ellen Degeneres Show at 10:00 after Maury. Then I watched The View at 11:00, then the 12:00 news, then Rosanne at 12:30, then an old episode of Gilmore Girls at 1:00. I think I started the day's knitting at 1:00. Then I put on Galaxie GoldRock, but it was boring me, so I put in season one of Black Books and continued knitting. And eating.

Speaking of eating, I ate a sandwich. Two, actually. Mom had brought up some buns that are like miniature sub buns, so I sliced one and put smoked salmon cream cheese on it and ate it by tearing chunks off and chewing. Yay! The second was one with processed cheese slices.

I think I started the Clapotis this afternoon, while I watched Black Books. So far it's going good. I like the feel of the yarn - it kinds feels like cotton, but.... stretchy.

So, I'm not even sure if I'm visiting Grandma tomorrow, because when Mom and Dad were talking about going down to the hospital tomorrow, she said something about picking her and Katie up at the hospital when they were finished visiting. Or something like that. She didn't mention me at all. I'm kinda ticked, because I feel I should visit her. Now, I'm prepared for it. I know her face may look different from the stroke. I know she might be a bit gloomy. But I think I can handle it.

I finally got to the library today. It turns out that I returned that U2 CD just in the nick of time, because I didn't have to pay a fine for it. Sweet! I picked up...

The Encyclopedia of Punk
Whole Lotta Led Zeppelin
David Gilmour: About Face (a CD)
A knitting book called Color Style
A teen book called Drop. It's about these teenagers who get involved in gambling. Looks interesting.

Howdy

I stayed in my PJ's all day :p

I got some stuff done, though - I worked on my kerchief scarf/shawl and did some laundry. In fact, I should probably check on my laundry soon, so that I remember to put my pillow in the wash.

Why does my pillow need to be washed? Well, thanks to my healing mouth, I tend to bleed a little on my pillow. It looks so gross, but it looks worse than it actually is.

Mom and Dad went to visit Grandma today. Mom decided that I shouldn't visit her right away, because she'd be tired, so I stayed home. I watched Coronation Street (it was a pretty exciting episode... one of the characters got arrested! :D), worked on my shawl (I should've cast on for Grandma's Clapotis, but I felt like working on my shawl), and did laundry. After Coronation Street and Jeopardy!, there wasn't much on TV except for The Week the Women Went on CBC, so I flipped between Galaxie music channels and listened to music while knitting and doing laundry.

Mom and Dad had left at around 6:00, and got home at around 8. Mom says that Grandpa... well, he made it sound like Grandma is doing better than she really is - sugar-coated it, I guess. Mom says I can go visit her on Friday, when Katie's here.

So we put on The Week the Women Went until Coronation Street came on a later feed, because Mom had missed it. I folded the towels that were brought up earlier, because Mom needed the hamper for her stuff - she wound up putting her stuff in the green rocking chair, though.

...There. Now my pillow's in the wash.

So, I've been a lot perkier today, which is good. I might be able to focus on my algebra tomorrow. Speaking of tomorrow, I have to get to the library, because one of the CDs I have out was due today. I managed to renew the two books that were also due today, though. I also have to try reinstalling Human 3D, and I have to muck around with Media Player so that I can put all of my music on that as well as iTunes. That way, I can use all of my music with Windows Movie Maker.

Today has been a better day.

More info on the tooth.

I was very upset when I posted about my tooth, so I'll try again.

When Dr. G started drilling the hole into the bone graft, a piece came out. This was because the bone graft was too thin. So, he put another, larger piece of cow bone in my mouth. It hasn't completely healed up yet, so I can't wear my flipper yet.

Because I'm on a diet of liquid and semisolid foods, I've been eating Kozy Shack rice pudding and chocolate pudding. We got it when we went to Metro, because Mom thought I'd be on soft foods after the post went in. Good thing she got it, because I'm on soft food due to a second bone graft. Yay me :p We got ginger ale recently, too - probably when Dad went to Shoppers Drug Mart to buy pop. It's a pleasant change from water, I must say - my stomach's been a bit off today, probably because I was swallowing my own blood in my sleep, as gross as that sounds.

I might go visit Grandma today, and if we have time, Mom wants the two of us to go to Second Cup to knit with the other gals. I don't have a problem with going to visit Grandma, I'm just not sure if I should go to Second Cup - I guess it would be all right, as long as I get an Italian soda and keep my mouth closed so that I don't gross people out with my awesome new bone graft. But I can't get a warm drink like white hot chocolate, because I've been trying to drink through the side of my mouth, and... well, it would be difficult. Best stick to cold drinks, since I can probably use a straw without poking my stitches.

GTNRJKHETHEJKGNJSKHTRUTHWUOHGJSKHGN

A PIECE CAME OUT OF THE BONE GRAFT, SO NOW I HAVE TO DO ALL THIS SHIT OVER AGAIN!!!!! THE BONE GRAFT, THE FLIPPER, EVERYTHING!!!!!!

You have no idea how upset I am. I'm sick of this. It's really depressing me now. I wanted the post in today, but the stupid bone graft wouldn't allow it!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My back is sore

I think I slept funny last night, because my back and neck are sore.

Mom made butter chicken last night. She didn't make the sauce from scratch - we bought a jar of butter chicken sauce a little while ago, so Mom used that. It was still pretty darn yummy. I think I'll have some for lunch.

So last night Mom and Dad watched the Sons of Anarchy marathon on Super Channel. I think it's still going tonight, which means I'll miss the inaugural concert thingy, but it's being replayed tomorrow and Tuesday, so that's awesome :) I can watch it after my dental appointment, if I'm home in time.

Ah yes. My dental appointment. The appointment in which I get the metal post for my fake tooth put in. Should be fun.... NOT. I'm not looking forward to being poked and prodded with pointy metal instruments while my father tells me to relax. Luckily, we got some chocolate pudding and rice pudding for after the 'big show', as Juno might put it.

I have to go get food now.

Been a little while since I've posted...

So, here's a recap.

Friday

We went out to Michaels, thinking that their sale had already started. Turns out it didn't start until today (Saturday), so I got scolded for not reading the flyer properly, and then Mom made it sound like she wasn't going to let me go back the next sale for when the sale started, like some form of punishment. I freaked out in the store, and embarassed Mom. I also tried to refuse a coupon from someone, and Mom later told me off for 'being rude'.

I wound up getting two skeins of Phentex Worsted in a pretty yellow-green colourway. It literally looks like budgie feathers. I'm going to use that to make Grandma a Clapotis.

After that, we went to PetSmart to get breath-freshening dog treats (while walking the short distance to PetSmart, Mom told me off once more for my 'defeatist attitude'). We got these treats called Blue Chews for the dogs, and while we waited in line, Mom told me that the reason why I forgot to check the Michaels flyer was because I'm under stress, and that it was 'all right'. Huh.

When we got home, Mom checked the answering machine, and there was a message from Grandpa saying that Grandma's coming back here Monday. From what I've heard, they're taking her to a hospital downtown.

Saturday

I'm in bed, and Mom asks me if I want oatmeal. I say no. Then a few minutes later, she tells me that she's printing off a Michaels coupon. Then, she asks me if I'm dressed and if I've eaten, because we're going to Michaels in, like, 15 minutes!!! I needed a shower, too, but I didn't have enough time, so I had to have a very rushed wash. Meanwhile, I was screaming at my mother, who told me to act my age or she'd leave me at home.

SHE DIDN'T EVEN TELL ME THAT WE WERE GOING RIGHT AWAY!!!!! I WAS UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT WE WOULDN'T GO UNTIL THAT AFTERNOON!!!! IF SHE'D TOLD ME THAT WE WERE GOING, I WOULD HAVE HAD A SHOWER RIGHT AWAY!!!!!

I feel better now. Almost.

So I got six skeins of Patons Decor in a pretty blue. While I was looking at the Decor, Mom asked me how much yarn I needed for the Mrs. Darcy cardigan, and I told her that I was going to use my green superwash for that. So she told me in a snarky tone, "Do you want your sweater to be Christmas green?"

I can't believe her sometimes.

We went to Giant Tiger next, where my mother actually bought these Texas Toast things. She never buys that kind of thing - jalapeno pepper poppers, yes. Pop Tarts, sometimes. But never something like frozen Texas Toast things. She also got her favourite chips while Dad kinda wandered off, and she told me to go with him and wait for her while she got them. I told Dad that she was getting her chips, and he got ticked that she wasn't getting his chips. And when he told her that much, she got pissed off. Long story short, he got a bag of barbecue, a bag of salt and vinegar and a bag of plain. Halle-frickin'-lujah.

Then it was off to Metro to buy more groceries, and where Mom got pissed off again. Grocery shopping with her can be so fun.

When we got home, I ate a sandwich, then I dried dishes for Dad while we complained about Mom. You know, some days I'm mad at my dad and complain about him with my mom, other days it's vice versa. This was one of the vice versa days.

I get the metal post for my tooth put in on Monday. Whoo-hoo. I hope Dr. G has me hopped up on plenty of drugs.

The blood work is DONE!

At first, I thought we wouldn't get down to the lab, because Dad got dizzy in the shower. He thinks it may have been from lack of caffeine, because he always has a coffee in the morning. It's his fuel. But we did get to do our blood work.

Normally I don't get dizzy from blood work, but this time I did. So when the woman who took the blood sample asked me if I was dizzy, and I said yes, she told me to go lay down for a bit. When she came back, I sat up and felt better, so she handed me the bottle for the urine sample and said to go do that. Afterwards we went to the Golden Griddle in that same plaza, where I devoured a waffle and four breakfast sausages.

Then it was back home to let the dogs out, then off to the dentist's. We were early, so we stopped at the Bulk Barn in that plaza because Mom needed to get dried cherries, then we went in for our appointment. And, of course, I was the last of us three to go in. On the upside, though, I didn't have to have fluoride! YES! Also, they cleaned my flipper (my fake tooth), because it was so stained from drinking stuff like tea, hot chocolate and Pepsi. The hygienist who cleaned my teeth gave me more floss, and she said that I have a small mouth and that it was difficult for her to floss the back teeth, and told me that if I feel any pain back there that I should call them. Mom said that my wisdom teeth may not give me trouble. Well, my main concern is getting the post for my fake tooth in my mouth and getting the gum grafting on the bottom teeth done, then if my wisdom teeth start paining me, I'll take care of them after.

Now all I have to do is finish Justin's scarf and wrap presents. And help Mom with the holiday baking if she needs any help.

ETA: Just so you know, my dad is alright. I think he was just tired from not having his usual intake of caffeine, but afterwards he said he was feeling okay.

Dental crap

Why oh why did I have to get the cursed teeth???

It all began when I was about five or six, and I had to have a baby tooth taken out because it was absessed. And then I had to start seeing my orthodontist when I was eight or so. First I had a palette (pallate?) spreader. I think headgear came after that. The same time I had headgear I also had a lip bumper, which I think was supposed to keep the pressure of my bottom lip off my bottom teeth. Braces came next, and I can't remember when I was taken off headgear and the lip bumper. Braces came off, to be replaced by retainers.

Sometime during the 'Headgear and Limp Bumper but no braces yet' days, I fell down the stairs. This was shortly before my tenth birthday. One of my adult front teeth came out, and it got put back in the same night, and the dentist who put the tooth back in glued a piece of wire on my teeth to protect the tooth that was put back in. And then I had to have a root canal done on that tooth by one of the nastiest endodontists EVER. I think he was an 'endodontist' or something like that. Braces went on my teeth (which Dr Grumpy wasn't happy about). Braces came off and the retainers came on. Fun, fun, fun. Fast-forward a few years and I'm visiting Dr G, because I told our family dentist, Dr B, that the tooth was turning a strange colour at the base. Dr G told me that the tooth had to be removed, and an implat would have to be put it. In January of this year, the tooth was removed, and I'm currently wearing a fake, removable tooth called a flipper. And now the post for my permanent fake tooth is going in this coming January, the beginning of 2009.

They give me a sedative to take an hour before each procedure.

I hope they give me a lot of drugs. As many and as much as legally possible.

...I sound like the main character from Waitress.

I hate my orthodontist.

I had an orthodontist appointment today. Jolly good fun. Not.

First of all, thanks to a former mayor, two-way streets became one-way, and vice versa. And one woman was blocking a lane by sitting there, in her car, with her right-turn signal on, even though there was a line of parked cars at her right. Dad swerved around her, and she gave us the finger. Nice lady.

At the ortho office, I saw a pretty hot-looking guy, pardon my language. Normally, bling turns me off pronto, but this guy looked cool. There was another guy who was nice-looking (I think his name was Kyle, actually), with long reddish-blondish hair.

So, at my appointment, I told my orthodontist that my bottom retainer was wrecked. It was cracked on one side and had a hole in the other side. So instead of having a full bottom retainer made, he gets someone to make a partial one that fits over my bottom-front teeth! He said that a full bottom retainer would just pop up in the back, but this partial one pops up, too! And I've already managed to crack it - I think I was feeling around my mouth with my tongue and it cracked and made the underside of my tongue bleed! Vicious little thing!

And Dad yelled at me to stop complaining. Uh, Dad, shut up.

I really should've been doing more schoolwork this week, but with the roof being fixed up, it was too noisy to concentrate. And now I have a headache. I might brush up on my algebra today, but I'm not promising 100% correct answers.

The GED book has been found!

I guess it was in a box of books. But seriously... was it there the whole time???

In other news:

1. Mom and Dad are cleaning like crazy. I've tried to help, but I think it's best if I just stay far, far away right now
2. I can't find my favourite SNL skits from the 70's on YouTube. Except for a really crappy video where someone is holding a video camera up to a TV. Gah. I just can't win.
3. The dogs are driving me crazy.
4. I'm not looking forward to my upcoming dental appointments.