Muddling through a bad day

Yesterday - it is such a beautiful word now that I know that it is behind me. It started with lunch - that most innocent of all meals - modestly living a cozy life between breakfast and dinner. We placed a few innocent potato pancakes in the microwave - no metal attached - and suddenly a raging kitchen fire within the machine. I managed to shut the machine's door and contain it - Within minutes the fire was out but the smoke permeated the apartment and that screaming fire alarm would not stop until I asked a janitor to come up, climb a ladder to its place on the ceiling and silence it.

Then on to a minor decision. To toss the microwave or give it a second chance. But there was nothing repentant looking about that machine - a once loyal and dependable Toshiba. And the decision was made to toss it. So bye bye Toshiba - and gone with it was as close to a trip to beautiful Japan as I would ever take. But I did see the flames of the volcanic Mt. Fuji in my own kitchen..

Then my brilliant, charming 16year old granddaughter Z picked me up for the dreaded dentist visit - No gruesome details offered. Enough to say it took nearly two hours to extract two teeth - these stubborn fellows had decided that they had lived for over eighty years rooted to my mouth - I am counting the years from the appearance of adult teeth - and they were damned if they were going to vacate the premises. They had served me well, and to these two stubborn molars it must have seemed ingratitude to get that eviction notice - but they had to go - and they left kicking and screaming. Because my granddaughter was with me I wanted to present a picture of unfailing courage - and grace under fire. I managed to fake it, but I was pretty beat up and eventually the teeth joined the microwave in the trash heap of my life history.

I left that excellent dentist's office with a sheet of instructions that had to do with no hot foods, no straws, no mouth wash, until all was settled. My granddaughter called for a magnificent Uber to take me home - and I retired to my bed to rest and complain - complaining is a great form of resting.

Feeling much better today. But the ugliest words in my world are no longer Donald Trump is President - the words are "Open wider and turn a bit more towards me." Let me repeat, I feel fine, if feeling like a lightweight boxer who had gone ten rounds in a heavyweight championship bout can ever be called fine. But I do - and I am pleased to see another sunrise - eating a cup of yogurt, and grateful that I survived the microwave fires and my dentists pliers.

I do know that many people have a lot of pain in their lives - but I am one of the few who is able to comfort others for their pains but hate ever pinch, pierce and pull in my own life. But that adventure is behind me for awhile. Having survived a host of serious illnesses, I should be grateful for minor stuff, but human nature treats each of life's misadventures as the serious one. I will try to grow up, but that is hard having grown old before I ever grew up. Have a splendid day.