A couple from column A and one or two from columns B and C. Take your pick.

Personal:
- I went to the dentist the other day for the first time in fifteen-or-so years. Coincidentally, I also have dental coverage for the first time in fifteen-or-so years. It wasn’t particularly taxing (aside from riding public transit to Richmond) but the bad news was two cavities (which apparently can be fixed in a 1/2 hour) and all four of my wisdom teeth (which will require general anaesthetic and more than a 1/2 hour). Bah. I’m more upset about the wisdom teeth than anything else, mostly because they’re not (and haven’t been) bothering me. Yes yes, better that they take them out before they do start causing me grief, but still. The one awesome part about the clinic, though, are the TVs. Ceiling-mounted TVs to which they give you headphones and a remote while they dig around in your mouth. Hell, I got to watch nearly an entire episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation while I was getting cleaned, but since they finished quickly I don’t know how it ends. Will Picard and Dr. Crusher die in the strange alien arms-dealer cave? I’ll never knownow. *sigh*
- Anxious to rekindle and old friendship, a week or so ago I emailed my friend Sue (to whom I haven’t spoken in several years now–stupid time flying by) and she emailed me back today from a prolonged vacation somewhere next to a river in Thailand saying how glad she is to hear from me. I love global communications. That is all so incredibly awesome.

Oscars:
- I’m glad Marty finally won one. I know it’s all politics and they just chose The Departed because of the very real possibility he could kick off before they slid him a Best Director nod, but honestly–it’s about fuckin’ time.
- Also, I’ve been saying Helen Mirren is hot for over a decade now. Is everyone else just catching on?

Shopping:
- Let’s face it–having something electronic wake you up sucks. It doesn’t matter what exactly the alarm is or what it says or does, the fact is it’s jarring you awake against your will. The only product I’ve seen that mitigates this torment with something rather soothing and refreshing is this new alarm clock that wakes you up with eleoquently announced Stephen Fry compliments, in the tradition of his role as Jeeves on Jeeves & Wooster. Perversely, this clock is so cool I could see myself setting the alarm on my days off just to hear it. I could also see myself fully ignoring it, but that’s prerogative of the master of the house.

Art:
- Black metal photographs. I tried to figure out something clever to say, but words fail. Totally brutal.