I certainly hope the first nineteen days of this year are no indication of how the rest of the year is going to go.

Infected throat ulcer.

Mom in hospital.

Computer died.

Perhaps it is looking up. My root canal and crown turned out to be only a crown. I'm still pretty much in the post-traumatic stress zone though. All that drilling! Damn, my muscles are sore already from the one big knot I was. Two doses of novacaine. Two hours in the chair. And one big fat hefty bill for the pleasure.

Sigh.

Good news. I have officially changed my name back to my maiden name which is six letters shorter, able to be pronounced by even SC public education graduates, and much less ethnic. I'm happy.

And now that most of the novacaine has worn off and I'm not in agonizing pain, I'm happier even still. Perhaps the luck tide is changing.