Song: Paramore – Crush Crush Crush

I’ve never needed braces, my teeth have always grown in perfectly. However, I’ve been grinding my teeth for decades. I’ve ground my front teeth noticeably, and while they’re harder to see, I’ve also ground my back ones as well. When I was around 15 (maybe a little younger, maybe a little older) I got a mouthguard to protect against the grinding I do at night. I’m positive this slowed things down tremendously but I’ve finally reached the point where I need to do some repair work.

After a few years of not going (I know!), I scheduled an appointment to a dentist mainly because one of my back teeth had a concave cavity that was bothering me (not in a painful way – food would just get stuck there.) The dentist said it was probably a filling that had popped out from my grinding and that I definitely needed to cap it, because I was dangerously close to the nerve. But he also said I would need to cap my front four teeth because of the same reason. I’ve gotten so used to my small front teeth that I haven’t really figured I needed to do something, but once he showed me the x-rays, it was conclusive. I had to act sooner than later, or my repairs would just continue to increase!

My back tooth has gone through the process of a temporary and now a permanent cap. The pain was very mild because of the Novocaine and the new tooth cap feels comfortable, real, and strong. I just recently went in to get my front four teeth shaved down to nubs, and that was a whole different experience. Because of their placement and the fact that I was doing 4 instead of 1, the pain was much more. Not to mention, Novocaine lasts about 3 hours, and I was at the Dentist’s place for 3 hours. So by the end, I was starting to feel things. I also bled a lot (I had to change shirts before work!), and while I’m not tremendously comfortable with the sight of blood, I was more angry at the waiting time I had to endure while in that dental chair, that I was able to overcome this fear during the process.

They put on a temporary tooth that looks like four front teeth, but is completely connected. It’s a very weird feeling. When I drink something cold, the entire “tooth” contracts against my real teeth and while not painful, it is always an annoying reaction. Also, I have to be careful what I chew into, so as not to disrupt or dislodge the temporary. Meaning: I ate McNuggets with the side of my mouth last night! I’m going back in next Thursday to have my new front teeth put on, so I’m excited about that. If they’re anything like my new back one they’re going to work out great.

The procedure is costing me a small fortune, but now is the time. I have insurance that, while not much, is somewhat helping, and I figure I should do the repair now while I still have teeth to repair!

Updates:

Removed Doh Drop from the Quick Links
Added Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter to What I’m Reading

Song: Ringo Starr – No No Song

This weekend was a big one. It was the memorial for Pop Pop up in Cumberland, Maryland. Almost the entire Syckes crew was there as well, it was a very nice and at times funny and other times sad event.

I took Friday off and met Dad over at his place. Mom Mom was there and it was the first time I got to see her since Pop Pop died back in February. Being that his passing was almost 2 months ago, she was in pretty good spirits. She, Dad and Karen packed into the new Lexus while Shannon and I loaded up in my car and took the 2 and a half hour drive up to Cumberland. The hotel we stayed at, called Rocky Gap, had an awesome view of a man-made lake, but it looked as if the weather wasn’t going to be on our side: dark clouds loomed.

At the hotel I got to spend some time with relatives I barely know, like Mom Mom’s brother George and my Dad’s cousin Lesle, her husband Loel, and her mother Shelly (I might have misspelled all of those names – apologies!) Some other relatives I am more familiar with were there as well including aunts, unclues, cousins and their respective families. We headed down to the bar and had a cocktail hour (where I, like most of the rest of the weekend, almost exclusively drank vodka tonics, Pop Pop’s drink of choice.) People started loosening up and everyone was having a good time. We just walked a bit over to the next room and had a great dinner. My rip-eye steak (suggested by Karen) was excellent, if not exactly on time. But it was free! After dinner I crashed at around 10 pm.

The next morning everyone was up early and I met the crew over at the church. We set up the memorial section but the first event was actually what is usually last. Just the family met over at the cemetery where we Pop Pop’s ashes were to be interred. When we arrived there was a pedestal and a package, like something you’d get in the mail. It was Pop Pop. It was humorous and very much in the Syckes tradition. We all gathered around the pedestal and the Pastor said some words. Right at the end, and without anyone knowing he was going to do this, Dad got out his iPhone and started up The U.S. Air Force song, often remembered by it’s beginning phrase “Off we go into the wild blue yonder.” It lifted everyone’s spirits and was completely appropriate (Pop Pop and Dad were servicemen in the Air Force, Shannon, who was decked in uniform, is currently in.)

Then it was back to the church for the ceremony as most people know funerals. There was a giant picture of Pop Pop during his years as “Mr. Music” – Allegany High School’s music director. To the left and right were pictures of him throughout his life: one of him as a young, high school trumpeter in his marching band uniform; one of him in his Air Force uniform while on active duty during WWII; one of him in front of the family car in the late 50′s/early 60′s, and one of him on his 91st birthday, 2 weeks before he died. And right out in front, was his trumpet. Aunt Bobbi and Betsy did some readings, Uncle Dave played a (very moving) flute solo and then Dad got up to do the eulogy. It was the single most moving event of the entire weekend full of moving events. I don’t know how he made it through, I wouldn’t have even been able to start. He struggled a little, as we all were, but he managed to encapsulate the life of Pop Pop in such a heartfelt way. As Dad mentioned, no matter how hard Pop Pop worked (and he did) you always remember him as at play. And always smiling.

After the ceremony we went next door where there was a great photo montage presentation by Dad, food, and of course, alcohol. After the get together I went back to the hotel, ran 2 miles and then crashed for an hour. When I woke up I was a bit of a zombie, but went downstairs for the last dinner. It was a whole range of great food, and everyone had a blast. There was a toast that was made by Dad’s cousin Bill, who is the son of Wilton, Pop Pop’s younger brother. Wilton was not able to make it out there because of health, but he sent Bill a message to convey during the toast. If it wasn’t for Dad’s eulogy, this would have been the most moving event for me – Wilton is known for not being a sentimental man. Wilton and Pop Pop were life-long musicians, so we all toasted to them as “the boys in the band” and raised our glasses of champagne.

The next morning we all left very early. Stan, Cassie and I stopped by the Arby’s that used to be Pop Pop’s Tastee Freez and drove back home. The rest of my Sunday was super busy: took Mom out to lunch for her birthday, returned Rob’s drums, saw Elise, had band practice. Whew… I told you: a big weekend!

Updates:

Removed The Red House Mystery from What I’m Reading

Song: Jimi Hendrix Experience – Voodoo Chile (Slight Return)

This summer is going to be a weird one! I signed up for 2 more “on-the-way-to-CPA” classes today. Government/Not-for-Profit Accounting and Intermediate Accounting 1.

I know this sounds very exciting doesn’t it? Well the Goverment/Not-for-Profit Accounting class is located in Loudon, which is 45 minutes away. Ugh, that’s not going to be fun going to right after work. But I cleared it with my boss in case I need to leave early on Tuesday nights. But the real interesting thing is this Intermediate Accounting class. I’m guessing because it’s the summer, a lot of the teachers aren’t sticking around to teach, so many classes are online. This is an online class, but I’ve never taken one before so I’m both excited and worried. Excited that I get to do everything on my own time and that it’s something I’m very familiar and comfortable with: the computer. But I’m also worried that there won’t be an immediate interaction with a professor (although I could always email one) and that there won’t be any filtering of the book through their own language. I appreciate when a professor sticks very close to the material in the book, but also goes into greater depth using an easy-to-understand explanation. Oh well, here goes. I’m jumping off the cliff!

Updates:

Removed Ozzy Osbourne Discography and Added Bones: Season 1 to Current Interests
Added two new photos
Removed Beatles Gear and added The Red House Mystery and Enjoy Your Money! to What I’m Reading

Song: Lady GaGa – Bad Romance

It’s gettin’ – it’s gettin’ – it’s gettin’ kinda hectic!

Days are just flying by with me. I can’t believe it’s already Thursday, it feels like this week just began! I took the 3rd of 4 tests for one of my classes, so that means this semester is winding down. I’m glad about that, but at the same time I’m going to start some more classes when it’s through, so it’s just a big cycle.

Elise has been locked in study-mode so to spend time with each other last weekend we studied outside together! It was actually a lot of fun as it was a beautiful day, and we took breaks to walk around the block. I also was able to witness her first viewing of Who Framed Roger Rabbit which was great. She really enjoyed it (and why not, it’s a 5-star movie in my book) and that actually made me enjoy it more. It was like watching it for the first time, all over again (even though I know a lot of this movie by heart.) She’s going to visit her friend Jill this weekend with some other friends, so it’s going to be Bachelor-Steve time! And you know what that means = playing guitar, computer-ing, and watching horrible Family Matters and Full House episodes NON-STOP!

There is some big news happening with Elementary too. Last night we just played the first acoustic show we have done since our very first performing night as a band. Back on March 1, 2009, we played two open mic’s in one night as a three-piece (interestingly, as last night we also played acoustic as a three-piece.) I think it went down really well, although The Velvet Lounge is probably my least favorite place we play at. It’s just so small and not a place people want to show up at. Anyways, the audience, all 10 of them that were left, seemed to enjoy us. We ended with our own rendition of Lady GaGa‘s “Bad Romance” which everyone liked. I bootlegged the show, straight from the soundboard and it’s easily the cleanest recording I’ve done of us yet!

But the really big Elementary news is that we’ve finally decided on a new drummer. His name is Mike and, yes, he plays the electronic drums. He’s extremely solid and I think he’s going to kick our game up a notch. We will probably debut the new line-up on our Cinco De Mayo show at Wonderland Ballroom – it’s a really fun venue and I’m super excited to have people hear our songs with Mike.

Updates:

Added Linda Sundblad’s “2 All My Girls” and “Making Out” as well as Five Star Nation / Unsung Hero’s “Get It Over With” to the Max Martin section
Added Saved By the Bell – Hawaiian Style / Wedding In Las Vegas to My DVD section
Rated “The Poisoned Chocolates Case” and “Behind The Bell” and marked “Eat, Drink And Be Healthy” as Abandoned in the Book Section
Removed The Velvet Lounge 4/14 show from the Elementary sidebar section