Gospel of Karin

My sweetheart left his coffee cup in the microwave this morning. This is not unusual. He has a funny habit of leaving it in different places around the house, then forgetting where he put it.

Often, he comes into the kitchen, refills his cup, nukes it, then leaves the room. Hours later, it’s still in the microwave. It was particularly poignant this morning because he had just left for a trip. When I found the cup half filled (half, never full — another idiosyncrasy) with stone-cold coffee, I was reminded of how much I love him. These little goofy things make him him. They and he make me very happy.

I went to the dentist today and a remarkable thing happened: my teeth went with me. I was relieved to discover them in my mouth when I arrived at the dentist because, given how little my former insurance company covered for dental care, I had begun to think my teeth were quite independent of me. And, following my insurer’s lead, it also seemed that I didn’t need my teeth either. So there. I can gum my food. People have done it for centuries.

So why was it then, that I was paying $300 per month for medical and dental when my insurance company would pay only a fraction of the cost for restorative dental work? Good question. I dumped the plan, and today, went to a dental school in Boston to see if they could offer me a reduced price on a crown. Sure, they may screw up and extract the tooth instead, but at least I’ll have further proof that my teeth are actually affixed to my body and that I need them more than they need me.