My life has been in transition since my wife left me over seven years ago now. It’s about to take another shift…sort of. Yeah, nothing is clear and concise in my life. Let me explain.
I’ve been driving for a temp agency for the past five years with the hope that the writing will take off and I can step away from driving as a career. Well, so far that hasn’t happened.
I didn’t want to leave a big hole for a small company to fill when I leave them after a successful transition into writing or internet marketing, which is another avenue I could take…or new career path to follow.
But, the temp agency was bought out this past year. That means they’re in transition, too. At first there were no major changes, new insurance was the biggest one.
A few months ago people began disappearing…first the manger, then the second dispatcher…then the first dispatcher. The staff inside the office is down to 2 folks and one of them is planning on retiring in about a year.
I’m seeing hand writing on the wall. How much longer is this ship going to float? These two ladies are going to burn out too soon.
Then the dispatcher at the company I’ve been driving for tells me that company wants to move away from using temps if possible. I told him all along I was only filling in until they found a permanent replacement for me.
Well…it looks like my permanent replacement for me is going to me ME. Ugh! Yeah, I’m going to officially become a professional wrestler. I get to wrestle mattresses for the mattress company instead of the temp agency.
That’s right. The more things change the more they stay the same in my life.
So I have this really good insurance I’ve been paying for that I haven’t used. It sounds like the next insurance will be lesser so I knew I had to use what I’ve invested in or be out all that money for nothing.
So what do I do? I go out and have my head examined.
First I had my eyes looked at and got new glasses. This was a good thing because the last pair I got have been the worst ones I’ve ever had. That became obvious when I put on my new pair last week.
I can see clearly now the haze is gone. I can see all obstacles in my way.
Oh, come on now. That’s not such a bad song to have stuck in your head.
Then I opened wide and had my pearly whites peeked at…or my dingy yellows at least. I ended up at the same dentist Chuck Norris uses. At least that’s the impression I got from seeing his picture in every other room I went into…and I went into a lot of rooms in four and a half hours.
Yeah, I was there a long time…mostly because I hate having folks fingers in my mouth. I wanted to get this over with as soon as possible without going back for more.
This was the most thorough tooth exam I have ever experienced. The x-rays were something I had before. The picture of each tooth was new to me. Fortunately they didn’t use one of those cameras they use to take full face portraits with. I can’t open THAT wide!
The photos showed more surface damage than the old fashioned zapper does. Doctor Dentist saw exactly what needed to be fixed. So did I.
The dental hygienist was a petite talkative lady. Why do they ask people questions with their fingers and other things in your mouth. Do they teach that in dental college? Just wondering out loud here.
Up to this point everything was covered by insurance, even the pictures of each pearl. There was one guy who kept poking his head in the room as he checked on what all needed to be done and how much insurance was going to help out. He was a nice fella.
By the time I had swallowed some of the gum numbing agent and what the lady called medicine I had it set up for fillings to be added to some pearls.
Oh, and I discovered that I’ve apparently been grinding my teeth while I sleep. I say it’s just from chewing food with the same teeth for about half a century. But what do I know?
One phrase I heard from people there was “you have beautiful teeth.” So why did they say I had to buy a bite guard? I discovered that in the next room.
After a potty stop I got to see the other Doctor Dentist in that office. It was the only way I could get this all done before I had to go to work in the afternoon.
Mr Nice Guy came in and showed me how much everything was not being covered by insurance that they were about to do in my mouth.
The sticker shock must have shown on my face because he began discounting some of the fees. That bite guard my beautiful yellow teeth “needed” was reduced to $500. The laughing gas was no joke at more than $100. He gave me that for free because I never experienced it before.
Free fits my budget so we remained friends.
By the time the guy who was going to be grinding on my teeth came in I was half out of it. Bruno Mars was singing about being happy in the background. I was digging that.
I closed my eyes to protect them from the UV rays that were being forced into them by the bright light they had on my face. The dentist kept asking me if I was doing all right.
I wanted to tell him to just shut that light off and wake me up when he was done. All I could get to come out of my voice box was “uh-huh.” What else did he expect with a two by four holding my mouth open so he could play with Dremmel tools on my teeth?
After the grinding and filling was done came the gooey part…making forms for the bite guard. Before I knew it the lady who took the pictures of my teeth was pumping caulk in my mouth with a small caulk gun.
I use caulk guns while painting. She was pumping caulk in my mouth. Who do I report her to anyway?
Fortunately I didn’t swallow any of it like I did the gum numbing stuff. Now I have to wait a few weeks before the anti-grinding protector arrives. That’s what they told me anyway. I hope my teeth don’t grind away into oblivion before then.
I doubt I used as much of the insurance as I paid into it but at least I did have my head examined at their expense…I think.
I hope to find out for sure in a few weeks.
Why does life have to be so difficult anyway?
If only Eve hadn’t bit into that pesky apple with her pearly whites.
I’ll see you later. Wade
