3/4 Crowns and other notes from Banalia

A few minutes to post on my blog and then bedtime.

Trying to gear up for another week in Book Hell. I called around to different tutoring centers today and no one is hiring (yea recession!). Then I went to the dentist, where I was confronted with a $1500 estimate for the work that needs to be done on my old fillings. Did you know that silver fillings are 70% mercury? Jesus. So of course they have to come out and be replaced by porcelain crowns or some such, for about $450 a pop. Hey, isn't each tooth worth a month's rent?

Life is so absurd. The day was marginally saved from being utterly dismal by the amazingly delicious butternut squash and Parmesan gratin I made for lunch, and by my students' spirited discussion of the rhetorical gaffs and triumphs of the third presidential debate. Oh, and Kate sent me a birthday present that I really like. It's a seasonal cookbook with all sorts of recipes for cheap, local produce. And then, the kitty is especially cuddly today and it's always pleasant to have a warm, soft purring machine parked next to you on the couch. So in retrospect, aside from being depressed about my career and lack of considerable capital, it was a good day.

I'm a bit too tired for sharp political commentary tonight; hence, the diary-like aspect of tonight's post. I'm sorry, dear readers. Sometimes it feels good to write things down even when they are globally insignificant.