Friday, July 17, 2015

Dentist, Bowling, Nexen Pipeline Oil Leak.

I ca't remember if I mentioned that I broke a tooth last weekend. I wasn't going to do much about it but then it started to be somewhat sensitive. Our dentist was in the next town so I decided to try and get in to one close by, I did, and they gave me an appointment that morning (Thursday) when they built up my tooth and filled it again as well. Gentle as you can possibly imagine. I was delighted. Of course things have changed a lot in my lifetime. I had been put off, scared, by dentists since I was a teenager and went to a dentist who did 5 fillings at one time without injections, plus he was more interested in my developing figure than in dentistry. Thank God we have health insurance though, the cost was over $385 but I ended up paying $100. That was quite enough thank you very much. Because of my fear of dentistry over the years, I need several things done so I will be going back in a couple of weeks for some estimates. Maybe can't afford it all anyway. We shall see. Wish my teeth looked half as good as those in the picture.

After that we dashed home for lunch and because I was told not to eat for a couple of  hours, I drank some Glucerna which I had left over from when I was so ill a few months ago. Then off to the bowling alley. What a waste of time and money that was. We both bowled appallingly. Just in case, for supper we had some Tuna done Matt's Way so I didn't really have to do much chewing. Not a very exciting day but quite scary enough for me being so petrified of dentistry.

Oh dear, just spotted a headline talking about a leak of 5 million litres of emulsion from a Nexen pipeline in the Alberta oilsands. That is going to put the cat among a lot of pigeons I'm thinking. There has been a lot of fuss about the oilsands in recent years and this won't help calm the issue down. This picture shows the area where the spill has taken place. I haven't read the article properly, getting on for my bed time. But if  you want to follow the link you may do so.

If you live near the sea, this should be a good recipe for you. When we lived in the Carolinas, it would have been great for us too. Makes me hungry just reading it. I love cooking al Cartoccio.

Grilled Shellfish and Vegetables al Cartoccio

Cartoccio means “paper” in Italian, which refers to the wrapping used to make packets for grilling. Here, foil packets preserve every drop of the delicious seafood juices for sopping up with crusty
bread.

Ingredients

  1. 1 bunch Broccolini
  2. 8 fat asparagus spears
  3. 8 small carrots with some stem attached
  4. 8 large red radishes with some stem attached, halved lengthwise
  5. 4 medium tomatoes, halved crosswise
  6. 1 red onion, cut into 1/2-inch-thick wedges through the root end
  7. Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
  8. Salt
  9. 16 small oysters, such as Wellfleet, scrubbed
  10. 16 littleneck clams, scrubbed
  11. 24 large mussels, scrubbed
  12. 4 large basil sprigs
  13. Warm crusty bread, for serving
  1. Light a grill. In a large bowl, toss all of the vegetables with olive oil and season with salt. Pull out the Broccolini and grill over moderately high heat until lightly charred, about 1 minute per side. Transfer to a large plate. Pull out the asparagus and carrots and grill for about 1 minute, until lightly charred; transfer to the plate. Grill the radishes, tomatoes and onion wedges, cut sides down, until lightly charred, about 2 minutes. Add to the other vegetables.
  2. Tear off eight 16-by-18-inch pieces of heavy-duty foil. Layer the sheets in pairs. Divide the oysters, clams and mussels among the four pairs of foil and drizzle with olive oil. Arrange the vegetables over the shellfish and drizzle with more olive oil. Add a pinch of salt, a basil sprig and 1 tablespoon of water to each. Fold the foil tightly into neat rectangular packets.
  3. Arrange the packets on the grill. Cover and cook over moderately high heat, rotating once or twice, until the packets are puffed and sizzling, about 25 minutes. Serve right away with bread.

Have a great day
 

20 comments:

  1. I have never been afraid of dentists even as a kid :)

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    1. As a kid I was OK. My mother used to say "if you are a good girl I will take you to the dentist" and I never minded going until the occasion above.

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  2. Dentists have improved a lot in recent years so I'm not surprised your repair went so smoothly.It's still somewhat of an unnerving experience, though, and I hope with the rest goes as well.

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    1. Haven't they just Helen. I was interested, whilst filling my tooth, they were apparently 'curing' each layer.

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  3. That is sad about the oil spill; never like to read or hear about those things. Glad you had a pleasant experience with the dentist!

    betty

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    1. Isn't it, don't know any details but it sounds serious Betty.

      Well, I guess it was sort of pleasant. It didn't hurt at least.

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  4. I reeeeeeeeally cannot stand what they are doing in Alberta. I'm not a fan of the dentist either. The sound of the polisher on my teeth is like fingernails going down a blackboard. I won't let them use the electric pick either, I ask if they can just do it by hand.

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    1. Not terribly keen on it either JoJo. Luckily dentists have sort of given up fussing too much about my teeth.

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  5. Another toxic spill, oh dear, not good for anyone, anywhere.
    I hate dentists too, I had a masochist for dentist, sounds similar to yours, no numbing before all the drilling and a tooth pulled without it too. But I go regularly because I intend to die with all mine! LOL

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    1. No it isn't Yolanda.

      The trouble with dentistry in the UK when I was younger was they were financially restricted by the government so they saved in areas like freezing.

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  6. I despise going to the dentist. It does help a bit if you take pain killers before you go. It seems to desensitise the nerves in your teeth. But the whole, holding my jaw open while a man sticks his fist in my mouth is off-putting.

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    1. Guess I was lucky Pinky, she was a small Asian woman therefore small hands. Never thought about taking pain killers first. Good idea.

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  7. I hope all of your dental issues are resolved soon. It seems like you found a good one at least.

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  8. 5 fillings without any freezing?? Reading that gives me the shivers. I had such a bad reaction when I was a girl that I didn't go and then in 1993, I came to work with my one side very swollen and I still maintained I was aok. A co-worker gently said to go to the dentist and we picked one out. That whole summer I was in the dentist chair. They had to give me a sedative to calm me down. That tooth? Was so bad that he thought I should have an upset stomach due to the poisons going down my throat. It took several dates with the dentist just for that 1 tooth. Now I go regularly. I hope your teeth will be aok and it sounds like your dentist is as wonderful as mine

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    1. Luckily I never had anything that bad happen. In fact several years later I had a friend who was a dental rep and persuaded me to go. He was certainly gentle so I used to go regularly. Today I have so few teeth I don't worry about it any more.

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  9. Glad the visit was gentle. Hope the estimate is low. Sorry about the bowling.

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    1. I hope the estimate is low too Ivy. I don't suppose it will be though.

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  10. Congrats on being able to get that dental insurance. That must’ve been quite a relief. Getting almost two-thirds of the dental costs covered is definitely most welcome. Anyway, I hope that you are still able to keep your dental plan, or even improve it at some point. Cheers!

    Donnie White @ Good Health Quotes

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    1. Luckily Matt worked for the government and their health insurance plan is excellent and continues into retirement.

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