Hey folks, just giving you a quick heads up as to the current state of play.
I got back from the excellent Adelaide Film Festival on Monday morning (8am flight, man – fuck that) quite hung over (to be expected) and in pain (not so much).
Monday was spent couchbound in the recovery position, because two weeks at a festival can really put you through the ringer. Plus there’s always a comedown after a good festival; returning to reality after a good time like that is always disillusioning, much like returning to work after a great vacation.
Tuesday was a writing day, while Wednesday morning was an unexpectedly early start to do a Zoom interview that tech issues had interrupted on Tuesday morning.
Wednesday afternoon, however? That was spent at the dentist.
Now, I’m not gonna spend too much time on the failures of the Australian dental system and the travesty that is tooth care not being covered by Medicare, because I assume anyone with half a brain is on the same page here. What I will say, however, is that while my teeth aren’t quite at Shane McGowan levels, I’m basically fighting a rearguard action against ongoing issues founded by familial and early adulthood poverty. I don’t recall ever seeing a dentist through high school, once dental care became an actual expense, and in my 20s I carried on in much the same manner, because a) I didn’t know any better, and b) it was the ’90s and I was flat broke.
Now I’m in my 40s, and while I’ve taken better care of my pearlies as an actual semi-functional adult, a lot of early neglect has led to ongoing problems. The phrase “full mouth rehabilitation” has been uttered more than once. So has the figure “thirty thousand fucking dollars”, but only as an estimate – and while we’re here, it should be criminal not to have to state a fixed price before dental procedures. We’ve all been stung by dental x-ray bills that were just kind of slide into the deck while we were already in the chair and being told what was needed, yeah? Imagine that, but for several grand worth of teeth reconstruction. I swear to Christ, when Doc Holliday dropped dentistry for gambling and freelance murder, he became a more honest man.
Point being, I’m full of painkillers and antibiotics right now and that, coupled with two weeks in Radelaide, has meant my productivity is down this month, but perhaps not so much that you’d notice. I’ve noticed, however, and wanted to drop a quick note to say don’t sweat it, we’re on track to resume regular service, and hopefully a few more ADFF reviews to boot. In the meantime, I have interviews to transcribe and reviews to write, because the paid gig deadlines are pretty inflexible, and this current narcotic haze should make that real interesting.
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