The answer is simple. Just step to the center of the room, then when the rubble is in place, step over it and continue on with your day. Of course, the next step is to seize the metaphor, as a large wild animal would a small wild animal, and shake it hard, until it dies.

The metaphor. Right now, I am totally overwhelmed by all that’s going on in my life. Totally. Overwhelmed. I have had times in the past when I have been partially overwhelmed. But this is an extreme.

Petting zoo

And so I went to the dentist today. I was ushered into what I call the bad news room, a windowless room with pictures of moose on the wall. There the dental assistant took x-rays of my teeth. I was then left to sit in the chair for 45 minutes. I read a photo journalist’s account of his career with the Anchorage Daily News. The grim and gory photos came first. Why, I wondered, did he choose to take them? Sometime I will ask him.

The dentist appeared – he didn’t say hello and we didn’t exchange niceties. He looked at the x-ray of my front teeth and poked around some, then said that the tooth holding my front bridge had drifted outward, and that it was a small portion of a tooth with a short root.

He was convinced that somehow, I had suffered some form of trauma.

I said no. He then gave me two options. I could either get implants or a more extensive bridge. The conversation about this went on for a while because I was stressed, and for this reason I did not understand what he was getting at.

In the midst of all this, a woman walked in with a 6-month-old baby in her arms. I was supposed to stop and (I guess) admire it. I tried because, after all, I was in a dental chair, which is very vulnerable place to be.

The dentist, who by now was done with his explanation, left the room. I then left the room and went to check out, in the billing area. I was scheduled to come in tomorrow at 10:45 a.m. Okay. So he will pull off the bridge, extract the short root/tooth. I will, if all goes right, leave with a plastic retainer in my mouth.

I’m not happy about this. I am happy about the fact that the implant infection seems to have cleared up. I still have pain in the side of my head, but I will take care of this in time.

The overwhelmed part: Pete’s home. We are now making plans for the upcoming fair – checking on volunteers, cleaning up the cabin we will be occupying, and setting out the newspaper boxes. This is a lot to do.

It all, really, is no big deal. The day will be a bit tougher to get through because I supposedly will be at the dentist’s office for some time. Then I will be at the hotel.

Eh, I have had enough of dental issues.

Next: 221. 8/18/26: Lost and Found