I have a What-ity?

When most people are looking for a new doctor or dentist, they simply ask their friends for a recommendation. While I acknowledge that this is a horrible way to pick a dentist, it did not help me at all. All of my friends are either in the DHMO (different network of dentists), or they travel out to the 'burbs to see the family dentist.

I decided to do the next best thing. Knowing that Penn has a good dental school, I searched our dental provider network for a dentist who is in Center City with a degree from Penn Dental School sometime between 1980 and 1990. Bonus points to anyone with a Jewish name. I'm horrible.

I found a dentist that fit the bill. I called the office to schedule my six-monthly cleaning in March. Unfortunately, they require that I come in for a 90-minute appointment for a comprehensive dental examination with the dentist before they will take me as a patient.

I thought this was a great, albeit inconvenient idea. Since I have such great teeth, I never spend more than about 2 minutes with the dentist every six months. This was a good opportunity for a thorough exam.

I went in for this comprehensive exam. I was surprised to see that there were three people in the office. The dentist, one hygienist, and one technician. The hygienist was doubling as the receptionist. However, I was very impressed with the dentist. He even had these nifty cameras that he used to take close up pictures of my teeth and show them to me on the television in the exam room.

The dentist said I had a very boring mouth, which is a good thing. He complimented my x-rays. Then he looked closely at one of the pictures of a molar on the television. Then he started probing around that tooth. Then he had me look at the picture. I HAD A CAVITY!!!! The dentist said on a scale of 1-10 where 1 is the least severe and 10 is the most severe cavity, this one registered a 0.5. It didn't even show up on the x-ray. He said that he could probably even fill the cavity without Novocaine since it was such a small hole and such a quick job, though I have no intention of letting a dentist drill my tooth without drugs.

I still don't understand. I saw the little hole on the television, but I have not had a cavity since 1988. It just was not possible. My teeth are great. Should I believe this guy? It's not like he can put a hole in my tooth and 'create a cavity'.

I asked how long he thought that cavity was there. The dentist said that it was so small that it probably formed recently, but it was also so discreet and tiny that it could have been missed in the past if it had been around for a while.

I'm always skeptical about a dentist that tells you that you need work done the first time you see them. However, if this guy is scamming me, he fooled me good today. Not that I think he would really scam me for ~$100.

Despite the horrific outcome, it was the most thorough dental exam I've ever had. Now I'm scheduled for a cleaning and a filling next month.

So sad :(

I've Converted

Ok - so the subject line is somewhat misleading. It's not what you think.

My brother and his family visited me in Philadelphia this past weekend. I wanted them to have a true Philadelphia experience while they were here. On Sunday morning, we walked over to the Italian Market at 9th and Washington. For those of you who don't know the Italian Market, Rocky ran through there during the big training scene in the first Rocky movie.

While we were all the way down there in South Philly, we decided to go get cheesesteaks. Not only did I want to share this true Philly experience, but I had yet to have a cheesesteak since I moved here in December. PhillyPhanatic always talked up Pat's as the best cheesesteak place in town. Based on his guidance, I had never ordered a cheesesteak from any other one of the major places in the city. Pat's was indeed 'king'.

Well, the doorman at my apartment complex is a huge fan of Geno's. He explained to all of us what he thought of each of the places (Pat's, Geno's, Jim's, and Tony Luke's)

Given the doorman's strong endorsement for Geno's, we decided to have a taste test. We ordered two cheesesteaks from Geno's and two from Pat's for the four of us to split (baby Eli was unable to participate yet, so we didn't need to worry about a fifth cheesesteak).

The difference was easy to recognize. Geno's puts less meat on the cheesesteak, but the meat is so much tastier. Pat's loads on the beef, but it's dry and tougher to chew, and it was also cut in smaller pieces. I prefer tasty beef over more beef, so Geno's was the winner. The more surprising result from the taste test was that I prefer my steak with cheese whiz. I wasn't a fan of it in the past, but there is no other way to order a cheesesteak.

Still need to try Jim's and Tony Luke's sometime (maybe when Mouse visits this month????). For now, I'm a Geno's fan.

When Facebook Goes Too Far

I think Facebook is a wonderful website. It's a great way to keep in touch with friends without having to find the time to call or write as often. Of course it's also a way to 'stalk' those people that you knew from a long time ago, but don't talk to anymore.

Well, I think Facebook is starting to become too mainstream. Just recently, the mothers of two of my good friends in high school joined Facebook and friended me. Of course I'm going to accept the friend request, but it's days like today when I am incredibly relieved that my mom uses dial up internet and would never think of joining Facebook. Unfortunately, the mothers of said friends might convince her to try anyway. I'm apprehensive of being Facebook friends with the mothers of friends, even though one of the mothers is referenced in item #5 of my most recent post.

If I had not been so neurotic about what I allowed on my Facebook site, I would probably have considered saying no to those friendship requests!

In summary, parents do not belong on Facebook! The end. :)

Those 25 Things

I was a little bored over the last few nights and started reading the lame '25 Things' notes on facebook that my friends created.

Slowly, I made the transition from 'Those idiots', to 'I would never do that', to 'I wonder what 25 random facts I could come up with', to typing out those 25 random facts as they came to me. About a week later, I had 25 facts.

However, I don't think I'll put this up in a public place such as Facebook. Instead, I leave them here for the 5 of you that still read this. Enjoy!

1) My mom made me take tap dance when I was six years old. I may never forgive her for it, but for some reason I have not destroyed the evidence.

2) Whatever dance moves I learned at age six have long since gone away.

3) I saw people playing street hockey in a Washington DC park a couple weeks ago and was reminded about how much I miss the daily after school street hockey game with the kids on Litchfield Drive.

4) Because of our unique method for taking attendance in sixth grade homeroom, I can still recite the last name of all thirty people in the class in alphabetical order in about ten seconds.

5) In high school I used to lecture my friend’s parents about how they were too strict with their son. Now I try to visit those same parents whenever I find myself back in Plymouth.

6) I once got pulled over for speeding with my mom, dad, and grandfather in the car. Thankfully, the cop let my terrified 17-year-old self off with a warning. Despite my persistent lead-foot issues (and no radar detector), I still have never received a speeding ticket.

7) I think video games went downhill after Tecmo Super Bowl, with the possible exception of Mario Kart.

8) I gave up playing Tetris cold turkey because I kept seeing rotating Tetris pieces and had trouble sleeping.

9) I am proud of my band geekiness. My time with the Michigan Marching Band was unforgettable and I would do it again in an instant if I wouldn’t be that creepy 28-year old guy in the band.

10) I’ve only played the trumpet once since college, yet I think that’s one more time than most others.

11) I was once joking with a friend from Michigan about the “wall space” story from college when I decided to google stalk the girl involved. I was humbled when I found out that she passed away.

12) While I might not have been the only one to do so, I found the article in the St. Cloud, MN newspaper on the internet where the infamous Molly called Michigan fans ‘horrible people’ and sent it to the sports staff at the Michigan Daily the day before the infamous ‘Molly’ NCAA regional hockey game at Yost Arena in 2002. When I saw the quotes from that article printed in the Daily the morning of the big game, I knew that night was going to be special.

13) I can quote almost any episode from the Simpsons until the show and I grew apart in the 2000s.

14) One of the worst traits I picked up from one of my parents was the tendency to be ridiculously frugal. I have been battling this ‘demon’ ever since I graduated from college and got a real job.

15) I hate to think what would have happened if I wasn’t accepted at Michigan. I never bothered to apply anywhere else.

16) I will never drink coffee. It’s not a matter of health or because I have a lot of energy in the morning. It’s my stubbornness and desire to be unique.

17) Speaking of unique, I bought a Subaru Impreza back in 2002 because I didn’t want to be another person in CT driving a Honda or Toyota.

18) I felt like I let my hometown down when I bought that foreign car. However, Ford and GM make horrible small cars, so I’m over the guilt.

19) I read the Detroit News and Detroit Free Press online every day, yet I have never read the Philadelphia Inquirer.

20) I miss Hockey Night in Canada and think that CBC should expand into US markets.

21) I wish I did a better job keeping in touch with my closest friends from high school and college.

22) I adapt to my surroundings. It’s called soda.

23) If I had to take any of the actuarial exams over again tomorrow, I would fail.

24) I want to travel to Israel within the next five years.

25) I have very good instincts. I just don’t act on them well.

Another One Bites the Dust

So yet another MLB superstar was caught using steroids. Alex Rodriguez was busted for being a fraud in addition to a narcissistic choker over the weekend when he was exposed for failing a drug test.

That A-Rod was busted does not surprise me. What is driving me crazy today is listening to A-Rod confess his sins. He wants us to believe that he has finally grown up and feels sorry for his stupid, childish, and naive past.

Bullshit. Does he really think we are all so gullible? A-Rod is desperately trying to play this story in such a way that he does not damage his own legacy. It's too late for that.

I don't believe a word A-Rod says about his actions (limited to 2001-03) and his intentions (live up to his contract). I turned off his interview on Sportscenter this evening after only two minutes. I think I would have thrown up if I had to listen to any more of this crap.

While I am not a huge baseball fan, I am going to enjoy watching A-Rod get abused and heckled at home and on the road.

Don't Let the Door Hit you on the Way Out

For those of you that want one last dose of 'W' bashing even though he has left the White House, enjoy this article. It's quite long!