Toothless

I've lost a tooth.

I'm embarrassed to tell the world of this. It implies self-neglect in one so young (?!); alternatively, it speaks of age, of physical decay. It stuns me actually, because I've always had pretty nice teeth.

While having a perfectly ordinary lunch yesterday, I felt something hard and unusual rolling about in my mouth and extracted a large piece of tooth.

Fortune would have it that this is the same tooth for which I had a root canal last year, so at least it doesn't hurt. Am a little pissed off about all the time and money spent on the root canal.

I blame Helena. I'm certain it was her swift kick to my face that precipitated the root canal. I'm equally certain it was her sudden standing up as I leaned over her, the slamming into my chin that clanked my jaw together and threw my head back, that cracked the already weakened tooth. Accidents, of course.

Up: Had a lovely walk to the dentist this morning. For the first time walked more or less in a straight line from current address to immediate vicinity of old address.

Down: Dentist previously 3 blocks away, now a 20- to 25-minute walk away.

Up: Discovered that there's a patisserie around the corner from here, not yet having walked around that particular corner.

Up: Found a fantastic second-hand bookshop featuring in its window the likes of Calvino, Gombrowicz (!), Kundera, Pirandello — for all your used 20th century European (and other) literature needs.

Down: All the books were in French translation.

Up: Two and a half hours with my feet up, sinking into a very comfortable chair, and because of the circumstances not feeling a shred of guilt for not working.

Down: Actually not getting any work done.

Up: Most of the two and a half hours was spent waiting. I read. Am about halfway through Saramago's The Double.

Down: It's not one of his stronger works.

Up: Have been meaning to get 'round to scheduling a cleaning. Done.

Down: The noise! Oh, the unbearable noise noise noise noise of dental instruments! It's never really bothered me before today.

Down: There's a cut at the corner of my mouth, courtesy of noisy dental instruments.

Down: The tooth in question is not salvageable.

Down: Dental work is expensive.

Up: On my way home purchased a small jasmine tree to lift my spirits. I've wanted one for years. I'd let all houseplants die a miserable death this winter, and this tree with its evocative scent feels appropriately inaugural in our new home.