adult orthodonics: volume II

Back when I wrote volume I of this tome in February of 2014, I left devout readers ABSOLUTELY hanging by concluding that I would write more on the topic in six months. Alas, I never did! I am happy to announce that the opportunities to write more on this topic with all of this gear in my mouth will (should) be short-lived. October 9. That’s the scheduled date for extraction, and I couldn’t be more excited. Looking back on the whole thing – a full two years has come and passed – I realize now that there is really nothing of interest to say about it. Its uncomfortable, its annoying, its slightly embarrassing; that sentiment doesn’t fluctuate in the slightest. Save just one thing. It has been remarkable to watch Young Master Caleb reach milestones – both physical and mental. The advances he has achieved after hitting ten months have especially been impressive and stunning. It feels like an awakening of sorts, starting to get to a place in both mind and body with full realization of self and his environment. Just a handful of weeks ahead of this recent development however, Young MC had reached a point in his progress to recognize that something was peculiar or at least unique regarding the contents of my mouth. He would curiously poke and prod and stare inquisitively. Or we might be playing together. He yields a smile, I smile; he stares and ceases all activity. The prodding commences. It’s time to investigate this familiar man’s teeth again. His eyes basically scream, “WHAT IS THIS?” He will of course not recall any of this in future years. But for the time being, I must appear monstrous. And if not for familiarity, there would be no affection or interaction awarded. I would be like another stranger – accept a grizzly machine-like version. Don’t get me wrong; it feels warm and wonderful when he shoves his index finger into my mouth. Yet it’s a harsh reminder veiled in a cute pudgy finger.  You are different. You are not supposed to have this all over my teeth. All would say the same if not for the niceties demanded by our society. October 9 cannot come soon enough. Thanks for stopping by.

tanoshi - upper east side

The majority of my visits to NYC keep me confined to the midtown / Times Square area. In fact, I’ve had some depressing business trips in which all of my dinner meals are prepared and delivered by hotel staff.  At times it’s unavoidable with the amount of work and people meeting necessary in a condensed amount of time. But it engenders  an unbreakable, unwanted habit. As the kids say, this falls within the range of a “first world problem”. But who cares – I live in the first world. And this is a problem. With Young MC’s arrival, my east coast trips have (fortunately) been less frequent. And those less frequent trips have become shorter as well. Gone are the trips in which I would bridge two weeks’ of meetings with a drunk fest weekend in Washington D.C. So, I should be making the most of these less frequent, shorter trips? Otherwise  I would find myself in a perpetual loop of the worst kind of business travel, the ones in which all of the minor perks you lean on to get you through the week are null and void. A couple of trips ago, I made my first visit to Brooklyn (really, after like 30ish previous travels to NYC). On my most recent jaunt, I made a solo dinner reservation at a place called Tanoshi – an unassuming omakase joint on the upper east side. I am getting adventurous! Tanoshi consistently popped up on high grade sushi establishments I researched in the city. The lone one I’ve previously been to was Sushi Yasuda near Grand Central. The omakase menu by itself is worth a trip. 10-12 pieces plus opportunity to order anything else on the menu a la carte. There are just a few seats in the diminutive, unassuming establishment – all things to help you get into a mode of focusing on nothing but stripped down fish. But when you add the ~$75 cost and bring-your-own-beer/wine/sake, it turns into an incredible deal. And you know that I’m the be-all-end-all authority on raw fish. Remember, I’m the dude who ate here. I will brag about that until I die. Seriously, if I’m talking sushi with anyone, a reference to that leads to wide-eyed bewilderment and awe. It instantaneously provides a legitimacy like few things in my material-driven life. “This guy is SERIOUS about his fish.” Anyway, finding top grade sushi joints on any of our travels is always a priority for me - whether its professional or personal travel. I might as well try to seek them out more frequently to the food mecca I visit more than any other. Thanks for stopping by.