Virgin Mobile, Dentist Visit, & Christmas Clothes

Would you believe that Virgin Mobile gave me the shaft again several weeks ago? When I tried to add some load or minutes through their website before Christmas, it wouldn’t go through. I called customer service and the woman tried to do it from their side but their system wouldn’t do it either. I suspected that it might be a credit card issue because as I mentioned in November, I had to withhold payment for something I was billed that I didn’t order intentionally (insert link here). In turn, Virgin Mobile blocked future payments using that credit card. When I gave customer service a different credit card, their system finally allowed me to buy more minutes. I hope that will be the last of my problems with that company.

A couple of days before Christmas, I had to go to the dentist for a drill and a fill of the grille. No, I don’t have teeth jewelry like some rappers have been displaying in their mouths lately. My dentist just had some end of the year fillings they had to complete before my insurance renews in the New Year. The following week I had to go back for an emergency check up. My lower right side gums were hurting so much that I had difficulty chewing and eating. It seems like I irritated the gum while flossing. The dentist prescribed antibiotics as a precaution. You would think that since it was difficult to chew, I would have lost some weight, but I didn’t. In fact I gained a little because of the lack of chewing ability. Chewing releases digestive enzymes that break down food better for digestion. My theory is that I didn’t digest well and stored the calories instead. Well, that’s just really a guess.

Other than a few exercise gear, I don’t really shop for clothes anymore. Know why? Because my relatives keep me current in fashion and style. My new clothing needs get taken cared of during Christmas. I show my appreciation to them by wearing those clothes during our family gatherings. That way they know that I like what they’ve given me and that the items were not regifted.

                And a final thought that occurred to me after talking to my mom during the holidays. What if I decide to retire in the Philippines but when I get off the plane the sudden blast of hot air hits me. Will I think I made a mistake?

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Sleep, Run, and Dentist Day

What a cold and windy spring day. I almost wore gloves while I was out for my run. Apparently I recovered pretty well from my “too tired to care” day yesterday (http://noeldlp.blogspot.com/2010/04/too-tired-to-care.html). The lower intensity combination/variable workout yesterday probably helped too since I was able to do some road intervals where I picked up the pace every few minutes. While I thought that the wind was bad at 8:30 a.m. it got worse the rest of the day. Other than having to spend an hour in the dentist chair, I spent the rest of the day home.

The last few times I visited the dentist, I’ve been getting anxious and my blood pressure would rise. I told the dentist that it was not the fear of the needle, drill, or pain that made me anxious. It was having my blood pressure checked that did. When I check it at home, it’s normal and even low at times. Once I think about going to the dentist, it starts rising. It’s almost like performance anxiety and I find it hard to relax when those thoughts pervade my mind.

I’ve been taking my MP3 player to the dentist lately to listen to audio books so I can relax and decrease my anxiety level while they’re doing my treatment. Unfortunately, listening to it is not working very well because when the drill starts whirring, it drowns out whatever I’m listening to. Nevertheless, whatever parts I can hear helps distract me from the procedure the dentist is doing. So I’d say the technique works 50/50. Since I had a good run today, I’m sure that helped keep my serotonin levels high too.

Good sleep last night + a good run + getting a dental treatment out of the way without my BP shooting too far up made for a good day.

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