In the last year, I turned 40, got a new job, bought a motorcycle, paid off the note on the cafe, and took another trip to Hawaii. Oh, yeah, and got some dental work done.
Pretty Blondes with Sharp Tools
Normally dentistry isn't something that people like to talk about much, which is understandable due to the amount of discomfort and the horrible invasion of privacy involved. I mean, really, having someone stick their hands and a set of sharp tools into the largest, most important orifice in your body* is terribly invasive on both a physical and emotional level. It's no wonder that dentists rank right up there with politicians as most reviled for their professions. But I digress...
The new job brought new dental insurance and the need to find a new dentist. Since she's really good at this sort of thing, I asked my wife to find a dentist for me. She recommended one based on their office's proximity to mine and that "the receptionist sounded cute." I made an appointment for what would be my first cleaning in sixteen months.
As a side note, I'll tell you that, not only is the receptionist cute, the office is veritably swarming with beautiful women, the preponderance of them being blonde haired and blue eyed. This includes one of the two dentists at the office. I predict more regularity in my adherence to the cleaning schedule for my teeth. But, as I said, that was just a side note.
I've been surviving, as it were, for years with cracked metal fillings in my mouth, something I had waved my previous dentist off from, as the insurance I had at my last job wasn't good enough to cover the lion's share of the costs to repair them. The new insurance is much better, though, and it seemed like a good time to get them fixed.
The latest technology for doing this sort of thing is fascinating, at least to me. It's called Cerec, and is a wonder of modern system integration. The dentist (or her assistant) took pictures of my teeth with some special kind of camera that got right up against each tooth. Multiple images from several angles were captured and then fed into a computer that proceeded to make a 3-D model of my teeth from the photos. With the "original state" captured, they numbed me up and carved out the metal amalgam from four of my teeth (there are many more; I had a terrible time with cavities as a kid). Following that, more photos created another 3-D model of my teeth without the fillings. Subtraction of the second model from the first left the computer with a model of the missing pieces from the teeth. These "missing piece" models were sent to a bench-top CNC mill that proceeded to carve fillings out of small blocks of porcelain. A little bit of cement and some fine-tuning of fit later, I had brand-new non-metallic fillings in my teeth. At a quick glance, you can't tell that they aren't natural. The whole process took about two and a half hours for the four teeth. I, for one, was amazed.
* Yes, level of importance for bodily orifices is subjective. YMMV.
Getting Things Straight
I never had braces as a kid, even though I had among the crookedest teeth in my school. As an adult, I've attempted to embark on the journey of straightening my teeth on several occasions, but, for a variety of reasons or excuses, hadn't actually gotten under way. During my first visit to my new dentist, I was given information on Invisalign, an alternative to traditional wire braces. They seemed a good fit for my needs, and so I chose to pursue that option. One huge advantage: everything would be done at the dentist office, with no referrals out to orthodontists.
After installing the porcelain fillings, silicone-like castings were taken of my teeth and sent off to the Invisalign mothership where more 3-D models were created, this time of all my teeth. A few weeks later, a set of plastic trays arrived at the dentist's office along with a nifty animation of how my teeth would progress over the forty weeks it will take to straighten my teeth. Yes, forty weeks, not three years that wire braces were going to take (three years is 156 weeks, if you want direct comparison, nearly four times as long). A few little buttons were glued to the sides of four of my teeth to act as handles for the trays to grip while doing their work. I wear the trays at all times except when I'm eating or drinking anything but water, and change traysets every two weeks. Each progressive tray set is slightly different than the last, and the change from the first to the last goes from the crooked teeth I have now to the straight teeth I'll have in nine months.
As for discomfort, the worst part is taking the trays out so I can eat. I expect it to get better over time, but right now it really wrenches at my teeth to remove the trays. Wearing them is only slightly uncomfortable. If you push on one of your teeth with your finger, you will feel what I feel in all my teeth while wearing the trays. Not too bad overall. I've had the trays just over a week, and so far am really happy with the product. I can brush and floss normally, and when the trays are in, people don't even know I'm wearing them unless I point them out. If you're in need of braces, I'd ask your dentist about them. The cost is about the same, and the results, assuming they work as advertised, are the same as well.
I Caught Me a Hog
Every day since I sold my last motorcycle twenty years ago I've wanted another motorcycle. This year, I finally bought one. It's a 1995 Harley Davidson FXDL Dyna Lowrider with around 46K miles on it. At this point I don't need to worry a lot about depreciation, as it will be worth what I paid for it for many years if I take good care of it. Of course, I have the bug now. I put running boards on to replace the passenger pegs and a backrest pad so Jen could ride in comfort (she loves the bike, by the way), a different set of highway pegs to accommodate my size twelve feet, and switched the shocks out from the cushy ones the previous owner had to the stock ones, which they provided in the sale. It's not going to stop there, I can tell you. A better seat will be the next upgrade, and eventually forward controls so I can shift and brake with my feet on the highway pegs. I've been thinking of going to a two-into-one tailpipe setup so that I can put larger bags on for travel, and going from the fixed small plexiglass windshield to a removable larger fairing with a radio. Before 1995, the Dyna Lowrider was called a "convertible" because it could easily switch from being a road bike to a street cruiser. I like that concept and will try to expand on it as I modify the bike. The one downside to this being a long-term bike for me is that the frame is a little short. If I can't adjust the fit by modding the seat, I may need to trade it for a Softtail or Road Glide. Of course, Jen wants me to get a Road King, which she has fallen for. Time will tell. It's good to have a bike again.
DKM Writes Again!
Every year or so, I do a Google search on Daniel Keys Moran, my all-time favorite science fiction author (his rank as my favorite was arrived at in a complicated fashion, and there are a lot of authors that I like for a variety of reasons. Some have a better command of language, but DKM has a great sense of story). Mr. Moran, for a variety of reasons, was away from the world for several years. This fall, I did a search and found him again. And guess what! He's writing! I'm all a-twitter about it, really, and I'm not the only one. If you want evidence, read the comments attached to his blog posts. If you just want to read his writing, go here. I suggest starting with the novel Emerald Eyes. For an easily-digestable sample, check out the short story Realtime. It's not in The Continuing Time universe like the trilogy of Emerald Eyes, The Long Run and The Last Dancer, but it's closely related and in the same voice.
I've had the privilege in the last few weeks to proofread one of his novels, Devlin's Razor, soon to be published. It's written in conjunction with his sister, Jodi Moran. I'll post a review of it as soon as I finish with this update.
New Job
Last June would have marked my eighth anniversary working for Portland General Electric, our local electric utility, which rose to some level of national recognition as one of Enron's holdings. I say "would have," because in May, while on vacation, I interviewed for a job with a wind power company also headquartered in downtown Portland. I hadn't even been looking for a job, which is, I suppose, when opportunities are most likely to come along. Things went fast, and before I was finished with vacation, I had accepted the position I interviewed for. IT people experienced in energy are somewhat rare, particularly in Portland, and I'm certain that helped solidify their desire to employ me.
I've always been a proponent of renewable energy resources, and with our declining supply of natural gas, we've got to figure something out. I still hold out hope that nuclear will make a comeback, and think that helium-cooled pebble-bed reactors are the next big thing in that arena. Until then, expect to see wind farms cropping up in your neighborhood. If you want electricity to remain affordable, support their construction.
Anyhow, after about six months at the new job, I'm really liking it. The company is dynamic and fast growing, and we're part of something larger, having recently been purchased by Iberdrola, one of the world's largest providers of renewable energy.
The Gladiator Project
Just over a year ago, I bought and drove home a 1965 Jeep Gladiator pickup for $500. I say, "drove home," because it's significant that it was drivable. The margin was slim, to be sure. I've been working on it with the help of friends for some time, and much progress is being made. Pictures are available in my photo archive. New gauges are in, as well as a replacement steering column, a rebuilt carburetor, and a new distributor with electronic ignition. By the time I'm done, I should have around $3,000 in a solid work truck with a classy look to it.
That's it for this update. Hopefully the next won't take a year to put in place. No promises, though.
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