Awaiting my coronation

We are at the Elks lodge in Santa Clarita (map).

Unlike the last time we were here two years ago, there was room for us this time in the actual RV parking area, and we have power and water available. In this temperate weather, the power is not really a big issue, but after four full weeks away from an outlet, it was good to finally top off the batteries. At just $12 per night, it's only a tad more expensive than what it was costing us to run the generator every couple days.

We're here a full day early on account of my dentist visit yesterday. We did try to find alternative accommodations, but the Wal-Marts and even the Camping World in this area forbid overnight stays.


Speaking of the dentist, he had good news and bad news. The good news was that there is no actual decay in the tooth that has been bothering me. As I had hoped, the hot and cold sensitivity I am experiencing is due to the gum having receded from the enamel, exposing a section of the dentin. He advised me to simply continue using the Sensodyne toothpaste regimen that I started three weeks ago on my own.

The bad news was that the exterior deterioration I noticed a week or two ago on a gold inlay I had on one of my lower molars was really an indication that the inlay had begun leaking and there was likely decay underneath, even though I was experiencing no pain at all on this tooth. The option was to have the inlay removed and the tooth crowned, and so I spent yesterday afternoon in the chair having the tooth prepped. He did find a good deal of decay under the inlay, so prepping for the crown was the right move. I just hope we got to it in time to avoid a root canal. We'll see if it remains stable for the next few days.

The intervention of the Thanksgiving holiday means that the crown will not be ready until Tuesday, and I have an appointment for that afternoon to have it affixed. That means that the earliest we will leave this area is Wednesday morning, although we are thinking of bailing out of the Elks lodge Saturday, in favor of more rustic environs at Castaic Lake.

Tomorrow my in-laws will arrive by car from Monterey, and we will go out for a nice Thanksgiving dinner with them. (Eating in is out of the question, as my stepmother-in-law is allergic to our pets.) Friday we will all spend the day with Louise's cousins in a big traditional family gathering. By Saturday, I expect we will be tired of eating and ready to fast for a day or two.

In other news, one of our readers commented on the Scooter Dog video:

To get that dog to do that is amazing!!! ... you are animal trainers as well!!...

To which I feel compelled to respond: We did not train Opal to ride the scooter at all. She only had to be coaxed up onto the floorboard once -- she loved it so much, that now when I let her out for a walk, if the scooters are outside, she jumps up on the floorboard spontaneously. I think she really enjoys experiencing all the great smells she encounters while riding around, When we realized she was always going to stick her head out around the fairing knee-guard, we ordered her the goggles, and a little helmet as well.