Yesterday, I Tell You

Let me go over how yesterday went.
(Advance warning for some dental squickiness.)

In the morning, I wrapped up work on an awful report I was doing, then went to the dermatologist to have something treated on my foot. It's been a few months of that, and this is the last round, which was the good news, but it still hurt to have it done.

Back to work, and started a "this should be better than that one, at least" report that turned out to be only a tiny bit better.

Worked on it for a few hours, then my boss did a sudden oh-wait, and had me switch to reviewing a report that a new editor worked on, so I was supposed to edit it, while also looking at her edits, so I could give her feedback on it. I try to be flexible at work, but this gear-shift to something I haven't done before came out of the blue on a bad day in a bad week, and I found it more upsetting than I should have.

Started on that, and an hour later a massive* thunderstorm came along, and we lost power. Except, very weirdly and unusually, instead of just going out, it kept fading out and back on, the lights would dim and then brighten--very unusual and highly disturbing. 

*The local weather guy later said that we measured a wind gust of 52 miles per hour, and I believe it. At times it sounded like someone with a sledgehammer was banging on the shutters.

Plus, something in my office gave a loud pop and smelled a little like burning, and I couldn't figure out what--all the computer things still worked (except for the not having wifi part, and the monitor not staying on between power surges), and the lamp still worked but I unplugged it just in case, but it was really worrying. 

The power didn't come back on fully for two hours, which is much longer than usual (it went out twice today--which really made me twitch--but both times it was back on immediately, which is how it usually does). My work computer battery lasted, but it got close.

I called the dentist's office to make sure they had power ahead of my after-work appointment, and eventually got through and found that (sadly) they did. So I headed up there, and had an absolutely awful time. This is a new office to me, as my previous dentist stopped taking my insurance, and when I went in on Monday, they assessed me as having possible gingivitis. I say possible because they told me that I would come in for a treatment, then come back in three weeks after using a special toothpaste and mouthwash, and possibly I would be fine after that. I sure hope so, because that treatment was terribly painful, and not quick either. 

Also, the hygienist apparently never listed to the part of the hold messaging that said the office was "a judgement-free zone," as she was a little, I don't know, snippy about the situation. Like, ma'am, you don't have to show me the cotton you've used to clean up the blood on my gums. I can feel that. I know it's bleeding. My whole mouth hurts like hell.

One funny note: Apparently most people just say 'fine' when asked how their day has been going so far. She was not expecting it when I said "pretty miserable, actually." Her expression!

After she finished torturing me, I had to get a cavity filled, too. That, at least, was pretty minor; the dentist said it was a small one and should be straightforward, and it was, especially in comparison to what I'd just been through. The dentist was very nice, and so was the tech assisting her, who was the same one who did my X-rays on Monday, and was very patient with my sensitive gag reflex.

Please cross fingers and light candles that when I go back in August, I get the all-clear, or I may turn into one of those people who stops going to the dentist. (Probably not really, I've always been really good about forcing myself into the torture chamber on a regular basis, but that was BAD.)

I picked up a pizza on the way home, and was able to eat it with only mild caution. I had more trouble drinking, as the numbing wasn't completely worn off--you can eat with one side of your mouth, but good luck drinking that way.

The whole day was exhausting, and I was in bed early. And my mouth still felt funny today, not exactly painful, but like it wasn't fully recovered from the beating. I mean, not "like" that, but exactly that. Bad day in a bad week.