Another busy week
Some of you will know I was selling two Dixie Chicks tickets on Thursday. Don’t worry, we’re still going to the concert, it’s just that I got better seats – 4th row from the front! We’ve sold the original tickets to friends of ours who as it happens are fans and stoked to have them. It’s worked out brilliantly. I was excited about the concert before, and now I am even more excited!
Here’s a photo of Tuesday’s lunch at uni. Char kway teow (as you know, one of my favourites) with lots of yummy chicken, fish cake and chinese sausage.
On Wednesday evening we went along to Songlines, a concert at the Burswood Theatre featuring Daryl Somers, The West Australian Youth Jazz Orchestra (known as WAYJO), James Morrison (the trumpeter) and Joe Chindamo (the pianist). Yes, that Daryl Somers of Hey Hey It’s Saturday. Yeah yeah, I know what some of you are thinking! I was thinking it too. We didn’t buy the tickets – I won them on the radio – I rang up to answer a question thinking that the prize was dinner for two at Checkers restaurant at the Cannington Greyhounds. We’ve been to Checkers for dinner ages ago and had a great time (buffet dinner and seats that look out onto the dog track, and you can place bets in between stuffing your face – now I wait for someone to bitch at me about dog racing like they did about horse racing last year). When they told me I’d won two tickets to the Daryl Somers thing, I just started laughing, whether in horror or amusement, I’m not quite sure!
When I told Jac, she said, “Oh well, we may as well go since it’s free.” I’m glad we did go – WAYJO was fantastic, the music was wonderful. James Morrison was really funny (he’d be a great MC at a wedding). In addition to his usual trumpet, he also played an electric trumpet and trombone. The electric trumpet was very cool – he played it just like a trumpet but could make it sound like other instruments, like South American pan pipes. The Scotch College/PLC Chamber Orchestra were great, really, all the musicians were brilliant. Daryl sang a number of songs – he’s a great speaker and entertainer, but not really a singer, we thought – his jazzy versions of Kylie Minogue’s On a Night Like This, Air Supply’s Even the Nights are Better and Kermit the Frog’s Rainbow Connection were kind of bizarre. Still, we were tapping our feet and smiling and had a great time. (There was a lot more to the concert , but I’m really no good at writing reviews unless I take notes, which I didn’t.) In the end we were really pleased that we went. A jazz concert isn’t something I would’ve ever thought of buying tickets to go to, so it was sort of serendipitous, really.
We almost had dinner before the concert at Hamburger Hill, but we really felt like Japanese food, sooooo we had dinner at Sapporo again. Jac had the same as she did the first time we dined there, the Bento Box. This time instead of a fried potato cake, it came with two ebi-gyoza (like fried shrimp wantans), as well as the usual sashimi, tempura, rice and teriyaki chicken.
Jac gave me one of her ebi-gyoza. You’ll remember we weren’t all that impressed with them the last time we had them. Just having the one this time was nice. A little extra bit of crunch and chew.
Jac really enjoyed her tempura – I got to try the pumpkin and zucchini- she polished off the eggplant, prawn, potato and asparagus ones.
I ordered the katsudon. The deepfried crumbed chicken cutlet was slathered with lashings of barbecue sauce and mayo and topped with sesame seeds. The chicken was beautifully crisp and juicy. It was served with salad and rice (I didn’t take a photo of the rice).
I could’ve eaten two of these. YUUUUUM. I ended up eating some of Jac’s rice too.
OnThursday, besides the Great Dixie Chicks Tickets Caper, I had an appointment with the dentist. I went to a different dentist this time. The dental clinic I went to recently is conveniently located to our home (I can just walk there), but it isn’t an official provider with my private health insurance, and consequently costs me more. I decided this time I’d catch the bus and go to one of my medical insurance’s providers. I brought along the printout from the first dentist which detailed the work I needed doing. According to her, I needed calculus removal and three fillings done asap (she’d noted which particular teeth).
If you are squeamish or eating or easily grossed out, don’t read the next two paragraphs. If you choose to read them anyway, please don’t complain about how I grossed you out. I’ve warned you!
So… the calculus removal (I think I’ll call it clean and polish, which sounds so much nicer!). Ohhhhhhh, it was painful! And all I could taste was blood. I know I kept cringing at the more painful moments, and I think a little groan of pain escaped underneath all the noise of the equipment and the water. The dentist said it doesn’t hurt if you get it done every six months or so as there’s much less crap to remove off your teeth (my paraphasing, not his words at all). When it was time to rinse my mouth I kept spitting out chunky red bits. Euuuuuuuuuuuuuuugh. It was revolting yet strangely interesting, looking at the red bits in the little round sink.
After much rinsing and spitting from me (I kept thinking “I’ll stop when there are no more red bits”, which I just kept spitting up, to my amazement), the dentist put a fluoride treatment on my teeth. Then, removing his gloves, he started talking to me about the fillings. He reckoned I only needed two fillings, not three. He said we’d just keep an eye on the other teeth. I must say he wasn’t all doom and gloom like the first dentist I went to – she made me feel like I had committed Dental High Treason and my teeth would all fall out. I realised as the dentist was talking to me that he’d removed his mask and gloves and the dental nurse was tidying up. Despite the sore gums and weird-feeling teeth somehow the masochist in me managed to ask calmly, “So can you do my fillings now?” (Call me lazy or busy, I thought it would be good to get it all done in one visit). He said the fillings don’t stay in very well immediately after a clean, soooooooo I have to return in a couple of weeks’ time for those fillings. Interesting. The first dentist who told me I needed the fillings said she would do the clean and the three fillings all on the same visit. (Whatever, I’m not too fussed about having to go back.)
End of potentially gross bits.
My bottom teeth still feel strange and uncomfortable. Hopefully that won’t last too much longer. But of course the important thing is I can eat without any problems.
No one else was in the office today, which I quite enjoyed for a change. Some workmen came in to do something with the cabling in the roof. But then when they were done they didn’t lock the door, and so a couple of lost students wandered in looking for their tutorial rooms, which was mildly amusing. Today’s lunch was another old favourite of combination rice. There was soup too, of course (no photo).
I’m sleepy now. Time to go to bed.