A month from today, we’ll have landed in a city far from home and begun exploring. I’ve booked our accommodation there and also booked train tickets for the next three legs of our trip which will take us to a destination where we will play house for six or seven weeks, pretending we live in the neighbourhood and using it as a base for a few day trips, flying off for a week during that time to visit our granddaughter (okay, and her parents, but she’s the main attraction) in Rome.
Meanwhile, I’m trying to keep up with the on-line course. I have French homework for the classes that will finish the week before we fly out. There’s work to be done to organize this place for the various visitors it will host in our absence, and I’ve managed to get all the receipts in order so that we can deliver them to the accountant and get our taxes filed before we leave.
And tomorrow, I’m having Invisalign braces installed . . . (partly for cosmetic reasons, after a lifetime of resisting, but mostly because my crowded teeth have been causing so many problems lately — I wish I’d done this earlier, frankly)
Which is going to interfere considerably with my predilection for tea: The braces must be worn for something like 22 hours a day, apparently, and they have to be removed for eating and drinking anything but clear water. I currently drink three large cups of tea daily, at about 15-20 minutes of sipping per cup. . . I’m doing the math, and it’s not looking good if I hope to have the occasional leisurely dinner with friends, or throw in breakfast or lunch! And stopping for a glass of wine on an afternoon wandering in a French city. . . yikes!
So if you need me today, I’ll be at home, savouring my favourite tea, carefully brewed (in a porcelain teapot, of course!) drunk from my favourite “fine bone china” mug (both teapot and mug scalded first for maximum heat). . .
The food issue was just one reason my teen went for old-fashioned metal-mouth braces. I've read that not an insignificant number of adolescents fail to wear the Invisalign enough hours per day and end up with teeth that aren't yet fixed. Ouch!
But I also understand the benefits for an adult. I would love to be able to do it–a nice smile is such an accessory when the rest of us is falling apart.
Yes, it's my understanding that Invisalign requires a disciplined commitment. The cost will help with that! Three of my four wore braces, not the full-on train-track metal, but some kind of hybrid (20-ish years ago).
And I do hope there will be benefits — the falling-apart might slow down a bit and I might be more willing to have my mouth open when I smile đ
Good luck with your invisaligns! I'm sure that you will get used to them. I considered them but I required jaw surgery first. Somehow getting my jaw broken and reset was not very appealing. Enjoy your new teapot!
I'd need a lot of convincing to ever get my jaw broken and reset!!!
Oh man, I don't think I could survive without my daily tea ration –which is, frankly, a little more excessive than yours. Drinking tea is one of my greatest pleasures (ha! not hard to please). But I wish you luck with the braces. Needs must…
My mugs are very large — 10 ounces, at least. . . so three times a day is more than I should probably have, but as vices go, perhaps not so bad. . . (as you say, a very great pleasure — I'm not so hard to please either đ
I know how you love your tea. Courage! I had old fashioned railroad tracks as a teenager so I know how "braces" restrict your eating and, it appears, drinking.
Your trip sounds wonderful. I am facilitating (read running myself ragged) my mother's decline. She needs people to be with her overnight, and we will soon move her to a more safe and supportive environment.
After I have sorted things out I will be in your home city. I await finding out in which European city you will spend your six weeks.
Your sketching skills are really impressive. Keep with them on your travels. Your use of colour is exciting.
Brenda
Brenda, so sorry your mother is declining, and I hope you can find a good placement for her before you wear yourself out. Sounds as if we may not manage our spring visit, but I'll try to catch up once we're back from Europe. xo
Lovely tea collage!
Invisaligne needs a lot of discipline,but you'll menage it. My son has wear it for some time and it was complicated for him,because of afore mentioned reasons,but an disciplined adult could do it
Some of people I know carry toothbrushes and brush their teeths in the restaurants anyway,so it is possible
Your trip sounds excellent,especially playing house for a couple of weeks (and Rome's main atraction naturally :-))
Dottoressa
Thanks for the encouragement. I think I just need to develop some good habits around them and get used to taking them in and out.
This sounds exciting. Do tell where is home base? Lyon, Bordeaux….
Excited for you.
Ali
You guessed. . .
I look forward to your travel news – always like to see where you are off to – and good luck with the braces. Imagine: a whole new smile! A new way to chew! Modern dentistry is quite wonderful, if a little unnerving at times. After spending most of my young life with my mouth firmly clamped in photos, I got my crooked and damaged front teeth crowned when my son was a baby – it was totally transforming and such a relief. Enjoy the hot cuppas while you can. I shall experiment with scalding the cup next time I brew up.
I should have does this when mine were babies — instead, I spent their teenage years ferrying them back and forth from the orthodontist and now foolishly sport these not-quite-invisible shapers at my old age. But it is a wonderful technology of modern dentistry, I agree.
You never stop surprising me with the number of things you manage to do at any given time. And you did not even mention your online novel-writing course. How is it going?
Good luck with your travel plans. Yes, it is an intriguing idea to put up house in a foreign city and immerse yourself in a new neighbourhood for some time. As for me, I am going to be in Puglia for a week in May. Is there any chance our paths will cross?
We're not likely to get to Puglia, sadly — I have very fond memories of our week there a few years ago. I'm sure you'll have a wonderful time.
I had 'traditional' braces when I was 50…the worst part for me was the sore cheeks. I went through piles of wax. But you won't have that trouble with Invisalign. I have had far fewer dental issues since…so it was well worth it. Good luck today.
I've got the wax ready — just had them installed a few hours ago, and I can see where there might be a sore spot or two on the front inner lips. I'm really hoping the result will be fewer dental issues, so thanks for the encouragement.
I wore Invisalign for the last year and am so glad I got them. They made a huge difference for my migraines. I had to trouble drinking tea or any other beverage with them. Good luck!
Interesting that they helped with migraines — is that because they prevent grinding? Or? I've been given some serious cautions against tea-drinking with them in (although the dental assistant confessed that she occasionally drinks her morning coffee that way). Thanks for the good luck đ
3rd attempt to leave a comment – the spam moderation seems to have an ill will at me – I'm caught in endless clicking on traffic lights and cars!
So in brief: Itching to see where you are going to poser le pied in Europe! A lovely time to year, with spring unfolding.
So envious of your braces. Would love to get my teeth straightened, but house renovation and launching out at self-employed next month mean it's not for now. My children both had train track braces on the good old NHS – thank goodness for socialist medicine.
Off now to spend time with cars and traffic lights.
Linda-in-Scotland
Me too with the multiple efforts to comment. Where is the long stay? Looking forward to more of your descriptive travel notes and of course photos.