So I was about to sit down yesterday and write a long diatribe about some of my lingering social networking questions, but then I thought, oh what the hell- I'd rather just say it out loud. I know I rambled a little too long (what can I say? I'm a yapper). I'll shoot for no more than 90 seconds next time, and maybe use Seesmic so you guys can comment with video? Thanks in advance for your participation! Oh, and I already know that my nose looks like it's made of silly putty, but I also have an excellent sense of smell, so there.
Thanks so much for all the kind words, everyone! You're all totally right... I'm not going to let my birthday be anything but awesome. All this gloomy talk is for the birds. I'm lucky, dammit! 32 feels great!
I don't know what my problem is, but I have a hard time with birthdays. Especially now that I'm over 30. Yesterday my bikini waxer told me I should just start lying and tell everyone I'm 20 years old, forever. I didn't have the heart to tell her that I have a Wikipedia page, so I just smiled and nodded. Then she gave me a new pair of underwear she procured from a mysterious box under the table, winked at me, and the subject was dropped.
Birthdays are a time of great reflection for me, always have been. What did I accomplish this year? What didn't I accomplish? Do I have regrets? What's next? It's a healthy exercise for anyone... but I'm hard on myself, and I think I just let it get to me.
I've lived in a lot of different places in my short, short 32 years on this great planet. Here they are in Google satellite view, which isn't always 100% accurate, so I gussied them up using Skitch. All photos come complete with fascinating anecdotes if you click through to the original Flickr set. Oh, and my current apartment is not included in this collection. Sorry, but I just don't have enough chips and salsa for all of you to drop by. You know how it is. Can you beat my 17 former places of residence? You may only include those you lived for at least six months. Go ahead....I CHALLENGE YOU!
Earlier this week I tweeted that I had pulled the trigger and signed up for Invisalign. In a nutshell, it's a clear-tray-teeth-straightening system for vain people like myself who don't want traditional braces. Although in my defense I do feel the need to point out that I've already had braces TWICE. Initially they were the basic silver kind and came complete with an ultra-sexy headgear piece, and the next time around, the time I almost strangled my orthodontist right in front of God and everyone, they were those "clear" brackets that turned bright yellow every time I ate mustard, which was every single day at lunch. Some really beautiful photos of me were taken over those four years, as you can imagine. No, you may not view them. I did my time, dammit.
What I didn't do was wear my retainers once the braces came off my then-perfectly straight teeth in 8th grade. My teeth have been gradually crowding in ever since, and worse, screwing up my bite. Everyone I talk to says something to the effect of "You're psycho, your teeth are totally straight. Get a grip, you psychopath." Then I punch them and laugh. The thing is, if I don't straighten my teeth now, I'll be in worse shape down the road and end up having to spend more money in the end. Kinda like debt.
Want to see how they're going to fix me? These are actual 3D models they made of my mouth in its current state - the animation shows how my teeth will move over an estimated 5.5 months. I love technology.
Oh, and if you live in San Francisco and are looking for the most amazing dental experience of your life, go see Dr. Patel. I swear my visits are practically spa-like. But shoppers be warned... her office is right above Tiffany's.
October 15, 2008 in