Got out of work early due to a periodontal appointment with density, not destiny. Teeth that I’ve had pulled back in the day, back in the eighties have come back to haunt me much like the dentists said as they were yanking out corroded molars. Unlike then, I have insurance now and the periodontist, Dr. Fine tells me I need extractions and implant. I sort of knew about the extractions and though I wasn’t looking forward to it, I knew it would have to be done. And implants would be needed to replace on the lower right and upper left. And the cost for each action? About $3000 or so. And the insurance will only cover the extractions, at 136.00 per extraction, 80% would be covered.

So I have that to look forward to. Tonight’s visit was all about filling out forms and hearing Dr. Fine tell me his suggestions after looking at my x-rays. His assistant got on the phone afterwards with an outsourced person in India reading from a script and a ‘tree’ of sorts. The ‘tree’ was if the answer is yes, then go to this section. If the answer is no, go to that section. So tree-like. Down the line there will be decisions to be made and big money to be spent.

So I’m feeling rather blasé. At least I don’t look like Shane MacGowan from the Pogues. I work with quite a few Brits, and they have rotten teeth or in need of major work so teeth talk goes on from time to time. The insurance plan covers $1000 a year, which I’m sure they can afford, but with me in the lower caste I don’t think it’s feasible. My mother had not so good teeth and had removable bridges I’m sure. I remember them moving about sometimes in her mouth. Perhaps Annemarie could clarify with a comment, that is if her computer is working again.

Tonight I go see the Slits at McSwells. I plan on seeing some old friends there, Charlie, who I used to DJ with, Stan, the Susan Sher and possibly Rand. Rand is not going for the show, just for a pint. I had the Slit’s album for a long time. A friend of Stan’s and mine, Dave Bell turned me onto the Slits. I knew Dave through my brother Brian and it was through Dave that I met Stan. I haven’t heard from Dave in quite a long time and it would be nice to see him if he shows up. Last I heard about Dave, was that he was coaching wrestling at Bergen Catholic and it being a school night I wouldn’t hold my breath on Dave showing up.

I have a memory of coming back from New Hampshire with Annemarie ages ago, me with a boom box playing ‘Typical Girls’ from the Slits album, ‘Cut’. Annemarie wasn’t, and still isn’t a typical girl. Hooray for Annemarie! Now about Mom’s teeth….

Work was ok yet again. Felicia ruffling Linda’s feathers. Somehow she was able to leave work even earlier than me and told, not ask, Linda to watch the phones after I leave at 4:30. Linda of course ran up to me complaining about this. I was planning on playing hooky due to the visit to the periodontist. I was going to play the swollen gums/intense pain card but as of right now, not going to. I will go in tomorrow. Save hooky for another time.

I do plan on having a good time tonight, illegal dress. Song is back in Sydney, totally missed him while he was here. I’m glad he made it back safely. Juan’s birthday is tomorrow. I’m glad he’s making it to nineteen safely.

Wednesday. Hump day again. Got over the hump and I coast to the weekend, but with a stop off at a periodontist tomorrow afternoon and seeing the Slits at McSwells. Breaking my personal boycott of McSwells, after over a year of avoiding the place. That came into effect after breaking my boycott of Tunes, a record store in Hoboken where I bought my ticket for the Slits. I started my boycott of Tunes in June of 2005, McSwells boycott started in September of the same year. My vindictiveness is courtesy of my father. He was quite a vindictive chap in his day.

The boycott with Tunes started last year when I bought ‘The Name of this Band is Talking Heads’ a double cd of Talking Heads live for Julio’s birthday. I got it home and found there was no seal on the jewel box and the jewel box itself was broken. I turned around and went back to the store and complained saying they sold me a used product at full price. They insisted they didn’t, that the cd was actually in a listening post. I explained to them if the disc was played once, it was used. They were quite snotty and I swore never to go there again.

I called the store the next day and asked for the owner who was out so I left my number. The owner called back a few hours later and he seemed like a nice guy. I explained that I support independent record stores and was surprised at the attitude I was given. He said he was surprised that they didn’t give me my money back. I told him that they told me that they weren’t allowed to. Store credit only. Nice operation. The staff isn’t trusted to make judgment calls that the owner thinks they should have made. Of course when I gave the disc to Julio for his birthday, he didn’t notice the broken jewel box or the missing seal.

The McSwells boycott comes from seeing the dB’s last September. The band who had broken up back in the eighties had gotten back together. I had never seen them live and enjoyed their first two cd’s immensely. The dB’s were playing two nights and I bought tickets for both nights. It was a fun night, ran into old friends like Rita and a few others. My brother Frank was there and it was a good time. The band sounded just like their records, and that was a problem. I found myself bored standing in the crowded backroom with many balding, paunchy rock critics or wannabees listening to music that sounded just like the records.

What was I doing there?, I asked myself and decided the next night to sell my ticket back to McSwells. It was a sold out show and I didn’t think there would be a problem since when I used to work the door at McSwells we used to do that thing all the time, buy the ticket back and resell it to someone that wants it. No harm no foul and incredibly easy. But incredibly easy isn’t in the nature of the little Hitler that’s running the show now. He was/is an uber nerd, and I was constantly at loggerheads with him before he bought the club with two other partners. So I took it as his exacting revenge on me for all the strife that occurred between us twenty years before.

His excuse for not buying the ticket back was, ‘I can’t do that.’ He’s a friggin owner of the place and he could do anything but decided not to. Little fuck. So if I see him tomorrow, and he usually would ask when the old crowd that used to work or hang out there was coming back, if I see him, I’ll simply look away.