I was so jazzed last post I didn’t say anything about having a tooth yanked out last weekend. It was proactive dental work on a demon tooth, pulled before the thing had me so miserable I couldn’t stand myself.
Except I’ve been miserable ever since, anyway.
Oh, don’t get me wrong. I’m not sorry I got it pulled. It was a ticking time bomb, and I knew it. But my dentist can skip the gym for a few weeks from the workout it took to get that thing out and gone. There was a legit concern he might break my jaw before he was done.
I didn’t feel it then (heavy-duty drugs for the win!) but boy oh boy, I’ve felt it ever since.
Then yesterday, since I’m trying to cut down on caffeine, I guzzled down some sugar-free orange Powerade.
You know, the stuff that’s supposed to be good for you?
Yeah, about that… I’m allergic to oranges and pineapple, but don’t usually have any problems with artificial flavoring. I figured anything ending in “-ade” is about as far removed from natural as you can get. I might have been wrong. If you guessed I had an allergic reaction, you’re absolutely right. A humdinger of a reaction: mouth, throat, lips, and about half my face were on fire and swollen bigger than a stripper’s implants. It was a stronger and more immediate reaction than if I’d drank straight OJ. This was all compounded by the fact my mouth was already an unholy mess of stitches and other fun.
I’ve never had a reaction from Powerade before (including the orange stuff), by the way, so this is new and exciting territory. All I can say is, thank heavens for Benadryl.
Okay, whining and wheezing aside, I figured I’ll pull out more photos. I’ve gotten a few critter snaps lately, and it’s time for a more somber mood, so I pulled out a little black… bird. Well, actually a big black bird, one with an attitude and a march.
This guy was in one of the parks where we stopped during our trip-a-palooza last month. He was somewhere along the Painted Desert/Petrified Forest drive.
I’m jumping out of chronological order on this post but this one’s still a sort of logical follow up, on theme, with the mural of birds. The painting adorns the side of an otherwise bland building in Flagstaff.
This less-colorful view – in every sense of the word – is of a nearby structure that’s similarly made. But I liked it precisely because of its stark lines.
This blue door unquestionably hides secrets behind it. It deserved to be recognized as the holder of things no one else can see.
A slatted-wood bench stood as a simple contrast to the elaborate work crowning the doorway behind it. That the tree partly obscured the ornate workmanship adds to its allure, to me.
All the architectural shots were taken in Flagstaff. I went to college there back in the stone ages, when I hadn’t yet discovered photography. (Northern Arizona University, if you’re wondering.) Probably just as well. My abbreviated college days predated digital photography. I couldn’t have afforded the film and developing for every picture I’d have wanted to capture.
And I’m still a sucker for an old sign, or even a modern neon with a nod to art-deco design.
The Babbitt name was around when I was in college. At the time, the Babbitt family owned nearly the whole town. Bruce Babbitt was the state governor back then. He certainly had the money to buy the office, if his name on businesses was any indication.
And we’ve come full circle. The picture of the crow was taken along the road in the Petrified Forest/Painted Desert National Park. This is the Blue Mesa area of the park. If you ever get a chance to visit, definitely take the side road to Blue Mesa. In my opinion it’s the most beautiful part of the entire park.
Tomorrow is my Saturday and another garage-sale day. We’re hoping there’s still another community sale or two left to go. They’re always clumped together in October and November, and usually overlap – but there’s also usually a straggler or two that run later. Fingers crossed.
I’m maybe going to throw some cubed beast into the crock pot so it’s mushy enough for me to eat. I’m thinking stroganoff, substitute zucchini for the pasta. I think zucchini rounds would actually be an EXCELLENT Atkins-friendly option.
I’m not doing the first two weeks’ worth of extreme-restricted regimen Atkins recommends. I did it before – and lost 30+ pounds in two weeks. I’ll be thrilled to lose weight, but that’s entirely too much too fast.
Another project: I want to make this cheese recipe. I gotta get some cheesecloth, though.
Hate dentistry issues, youngest grand likes the mural; good for you on adjusting food and oooohhh, cheese. Speedy note, cuz morning after sleepover.
Happy Weekend, good luck treasure hunting!
Thanks, Anne! I’m with your grand. I loved the murals. Didn’t capture some of them because I couldn’t get a good angle, unfortunately. But it’s a perk of being a college town, I think. Tempe (home of ASU) is the same – artworks everywhere.
It was a slow day for treasures today but there’s hope for tomorrow.
sure hope your allergic reaction made you forget a bit about the painful tooth/gum aches. And also hope the food being made mushy will help.
Nah, the allergic reaction merely inflamed the other. But I got over it and I’m VASTLY better today.
Whenever a tale of toothy woe is told, I always think of the old Woody Allen line: “I once had a cavity so deep my dentist sent me to a podiatrist.” I’m glad you got it taken care of, but…damn. Enjoy the mush.
LOVE the pics, as usual. My favorite overall is the very first one, up top. But they’re all wonderful. As usual 🙂
I can relate to the Woody Allen joke. They had three people supporting my jaw while the dentist worked, precisely to try and prevent it from breaking. The roots of the tooth were literally wrapped around the bone. The dentist said so and I could see on the x-ray.
Thanks for the compliments on the photos – and I agree with you on the leading photo, on the fourth look. I initially debated including it, wondering if it was too plain. But I think the simplicity of it lets it shine.