So the guy who hangs out in my dentist's waiting room playing keyboards is not her husband. He's her "crazy brother", as she told me today. She and her husband both grew up in the Philippines, he in the country on a farm and she in the city. She still prefers the city and he likes to garden. They have a home in Queens and a home in Florida. He's retired and spend his time down there, gardening. She thinks retirement is boring and likes her work and mostly stays in New York. Her kids are here too. They both travel frequently to be together.

I arrived at of 10 am for my 10 am appointment and found the lights out and the gate down. I called the office number and got no answer. I stood around for 15 minutes--if I didn't get the fillings today the odds of getting them done in the day and a half I have left of insurance seemed pretty slim. I was getting ready to call it a day when my dentists brother materialized and let me in, explaining that he and his sister had had a late night and were "tired". I was way too relieved and delighted at the thought of my 76 year old dentist and her brother livin' it up 'til the wee hours to feel any annoyance. My dentist was very apologetic. I said I hoped she had had a good time. She said she had a patient who was going away and needed extensive work done now and that she'd been at the office 'til midnight. Jesus.

I got three more fillings and now I am D-O-N-E! I feel like half my mouth collided with a Mack truck. But I'm done!

Plus: Jesus Christ, The Shondes are at #58 in the Lollapalooza contest! Vote today and tomorrow to help keep them there through the end of round one!