Monday 12 March 2007

Dear Norwich

The dentist spent ten minutes looking at my teeth, my gums and my tongue*. He took two x-rays. He said I have good plaque management, which to me equates with my optician once telling me I've got good eye-muscles as I see surprisingly well for the eyesight I have.

The bill was £50. I took this in good humour. I have made another appointment, for 17th September.

I pottered around Norwich for an hour, for the first time this year. Norwich has made it clear that they do not welcome drivers and coming in by bus is more effort than it's worth. I still come for meetings and such things, but rarely to shop. I had a key cut at the market, visited two bookshops (bookshops, for me, prove to be more expensive than the dentist) and checked out the prices of fruit. Norwich market appears to be dearer than Al's shop. For example, he charges £2.97 per kilo for plums and the stall I looked at charged £3.30. He charges £1.60 for English Cox apples. It charges £1.80. Grapes were more expensive too. Clementines were the same each, at 20p, but he charges £1 for six. I was in danger of having my eye caught by that of the stallholder, so I did not look at the price of vegetables.

I had paid for an hour's on-street parking and trotted back on time, smiling cheerily at the traffic warden as I passed him. He had not a disappointed air nevertheless, as he had just filled out a ticket for another motorist who had overstayed his time.

The sun shines. I checked that the key works and it does. I shall eat lunch, change into gardening clothes and spend the afternoon outside. Maybe, later, the Sage will want me to help with more carpentry.

*I appreciate this. I have, in my time, known three people whose first signs of mouth cancer was observed by their dentist, who advised them to visit the doctor, urgently.

13 comments:

Imperatrix said...

Bookshops prove certainly more expensive than dentists for me, too. And what you get for your money is much more pleasurable, to boot!

Rog said...

Ten Minutes Dentistry = 31.25 kg of Al's Granny Smiths. That would be enough to keep the doctor away all year.

Z said...

It would, too, Murph. Not that he actually did any dentistry. He took photos and looked in my mouth and took hold of my quivering tongue and peered around it.

I could buy 620 kilos of apples for the cost of my Apple. Hm. That reminds me.

Z said...

I've only just got the bill from my last splurge from Amazon, Imperatrix.

Newbie said...

I haven't been to the dentist since getting my tongue pierced. I think he would shout at me...

Z said...

Ow. You're braver than I am.

Younger too, of course. I'd look absurd.

badgerdaddy said...

Oh, I don't know.

Z said...

You are a sweetie, BD. Shall I go for it then?

It would horrify the Sage though. I know the extent of his tolerance.

Liz said...

Hi. I've been reading your blog for a couple of weeks now since 'discovering' it via Battle of the Blogs and I thought it was time I said hello.

I'm envious of your trip to Norwich. I like going there to shop and I'd book a day off and go this week if I wasn't so busy at work. I haven't got a car so I always let the train take the strain. It's only £11 return from Ippy and the train ticket is valid on the city centre buses too.

Z said...

Hello, Liz, welcome, and I've bloglined you too, so I'll be dropping in...

£11 return? That's about the cost of the petrol plus parking for a trip to Norwich for me. I like shopping in Norwich, but I'm miffed at feeling unwanted. I'll get over it...

Newbie said...

Don't do it!!

If I had known how much it would hurt I'd never have done it. It was on a whim and less permanent than a tattoo.

But now I can't take it out because of the palava I went through to get it!

Mind you, people are generally impressed...

Pat said...

Our dentist has a visiting hygienist and I see her regularly and she does keep my dentist's visits short and sweet. £27.50 for whatever it is she does and we always have a gigggle.

Z said...

I don't think I want a tongue stud any more.

My dentist usually packs me off to the hygienist once a year, but her fee is on top of his. So I was glad not to be packed, this time.