I spent most of the weekend curled up in a ball praying for death or at least a hatchet to my face. I have an abscessed tooth. I came back to Ruth’s last night after spending the weekend housesitting for Ms. J. I was clutching the right side of my face in pain.

“What’s wrong” asked Ruth

“Abscessed tooth. I think my cheekbone is going to break”

“I’ll take you to the emergency room”

“Don’t bother till I’m near death. They won’t do anything if I’m just in excruciating pain. I have to be nearly dead.”

“What about those low income dental clinics?”

“Oh they can get me in in like 6 months or so. Long after I’m actually dead. But if you’ve got an exacto knife, I’m up for some AT-Home dentistry!”

Ruth did not have an exacto knife. Instead I’ve spent a lot of time holding scalding salt water in my mouth and then spitting it out again. This seems to be working to draw the infection out some.

Now when we take over the world, dental is definitely going to be in the universal health care package.