i went to the implant dentist today. the implants have integrated well with the bone, and so in a few weeks he will take off the tops, put on the fittings, and then i go straight down to my regular guy who will take an impression and make me temporary teeth.

soon i will have bottom molars again

i can't wait to stop eating what is, basically, pre-chewed food.

does anyone have a copy of margaret drabble's the garrick year that i can borrow? it appears to be OP, it's not lendable at the library, and used copies are going for, as one says, stupid money.

thank you in advance.

edited to add: i think this is a solved problem, but will keep you posted.

i am back from san jose. it was very nice. (congratulations to all winners.)

how was your weekend? if you also went to world fantasy, did you have a good con?

happy early thanksgiving to all canadians. perhaps you would enjoy a film.

dental update
swelling is almost gone. still aching a bit. stitches come out on tuesday.

poll
world fantasy is in less than three weeks. thus, a poll:

Poll #1469351 world fantasy
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 44

are you going to world fantasy?

i am healing well, although i still look as if i have been socked in the face.

one of my colleagues said something interesting today: "everyone has one bad part of his or her body." mine is clearly my teeth. what is yours? elaborate as necessary.

edited to add: your comments here and on facebook have made me feel less alone.

a very exciting update. turns out that number 30, which had been root canaled and crowned five years ago, had cracked in two. since getting it redone would be more expensive than getting an implant, i went uptown to the implant dentist, and he yanked it. "put it on my tab," i told them.

i am now on vicodin and am feeling no pain a great deal of pain, because i have basically just been punched in the face. ice packs are helping.

i'm in pain again. this time, it's number 30, which has a crown on it. since this tooth was (most likely) root canaled, i suspect some wacky infection. am now taking antibiotics and otc painkillers, and will call the dentist tomorrow.

at least it's never boring.

folks, if you are posting long and/or image-heavy entries, PLEASE USE FRIGGIN' CUT TAGS.

how does one cut-tag a livejournal entry? instructions here.

those of you who do this already: thank you.

those who need to do this: please. please. please. i do not want to mutter oh shit not again, what a dunce when i see your name.

edited to add: includes people who post long twitter feeds to lj.

i spoke to her earlier today, after her first post-surgery follow-up ... and she is going to be fine. they got it all. no radiation! no chemo! just periodic checkups.

she also loved your notes and comments. thanks so much.

this is the BEST DAY EVER.

(crossposted to dianawynnejones)

tomorrow is diana wynne jones's birthday. it's a big one -- she is 75 this year. and it's a hard one -- she is recovering from major lung cancer surgery. (they got it all.)

i know she would love best wishes and cheering messages. comments about what her work has meant to you are also welcome. post here, and i'll send them all to her. i might even read some of them over the phone. you never know.

thanks in advance. edited to add: i read a number to her and she was very appreciative.

p.s. my teeth are fine.

(crossposted to dianawynnejones, sans dental update)

i feel sure you have all been waiting eagerly to hear how my teeth are.

one i am back in the office. able to focus, but still in some pain. i have ice packs and motrin and still only am eating soft food. stitches come out on thursday.

two still no home phone/internet service. everyone is blaming everyone else. i pray to god expect that it will be back tomorrow night.

three since i have not had internet service and have been in pain (see above), i haven't been keeping up. what's happened over the past five days?

remember last week, when i said i wasn't in pain?

well, since then i have been in so much pain that i've moved my first extraction/implant appointment up to ... this afternoon. send good thoughts and hold all candy in reserve.

yours from the dental front.

one dental update: there will be three extractions (teeth numbers 2, 3, and 17) and three implants (teeth numbers 3, 18, and 19). because i am in no real pain at the moment, the first installment (extraction of 17, placement of implants 18 and 19) will take place in late august. (here is a chart for those playing along at home.) i would love to hear about the process of getting implants and anything else you think i might want to know. be as graphic as you need to be. i dislike surprises.

two contrary to what the internet seems to think (over and over and over), editors and publishers actually want their authors to succeed. no, really! i'm serious!

three today is national cheesecake day.

four nothing is "made of awesome." "awesome" is not an ingredient.

i am sure you are all delighted to hear that number 17 is broken and i am in minor agony. i suspect that root canal 15 is nigh.

edited to add: actually, more like an extraction of 17 and implants for 18 and 19. AWESOME. I CAN'T WAIT

i am spending this glorious holiday weekend here. yay bristol! the moon is huge outside.

what have you been up to?

file this one under "i don't get it." maybe you can explain it to me.

why do people like to give others unsolicited advice about how to think, what to do, how to live?

i cannot imagine anyone who likes being on the receiving end. then again, i am pretty oppositional (and i am sure you are reeling in shock, hearing this). thus i am genuinely curious.

actually, recommendations.

one i would like to try some new and different kinds of candy (that are good, not evil joke candies). thoughts? i do not mind ordering them online from a faraway place.

two what is a good book for the layperson (i.e., me) who would like to learn about a child's psychological development from birth onward?

thanks in advance.

here's my question of the moment, sparked by a weekend of online reading:

do you blog/twitter/facebook the various daily details of your life? how about promoting yourself and your work? how often? if you do, why? if you don't, why not? have you ever considered going "off the grid," so to speak?

i posted this one on facebook and decided to crosspost here.

what do you consider your personal super power?

you can answer here or there.

edited to add: mine is asking questions people want to answer. also, directness.

the only thought i have about "racefail '09" is this, and i'm really interested in your answers:

what would "racewin" look like? can you point to any specific examples that currently exist?

edited to add: i meant books in particular. but this other stuff is good to see also.