Numbness, Walgreen's, Overheard Conversations and Paris Hilton

My left face is numb. I was going to say left lip or cheek, but really the strange heavy feeling extends to my nose and almost up to my eye. The reason for this numbness is that I had a cavity filled this morning... only my third cavity ever and the first that I actually had to be numbed for.

I have a great distaste for needles and so, I did my required freak out when I sat in the dentist's chair at 8:30, fresh from my shower and dressed in my "business dress" required at the office for a meeting taking place here today. I think I actually have little panic attacks when faced with being stuck with a needle. It's not pretty. My hands sweat, my toes twitch, I get all hot and sweaty and then cold and my breathing becomes irregular. At least twice I have passed out when confronted with a needle, so now I always warn people of this possibility. Anyways, it's true, the actual injection in my mouth didn't hurt very much and it made it so the drilling didn't' hurt at all, but that doesn't mean I'd like to go back for another one tomorrow -- or ever. Also, despite all logic, if I did have to get another shot in the mouth, I would probably still freak out in the same exact way I freaked out this morning, even though I know it doesn't hurt very much. Clearly this needle problem is a psychological disorder.

Last night at the gym, I overheard a snippet of conversation between songs on my iPod. A guy standing up said to a guy in yellow shorts on an exercise bike, "Do you ever think of doing something else?"

And the yellow shorts guy, with a pained expression on his face, said, "Oh heck yes!"

Then my iPod started playing a Liz Phair song that I haven't heard in at least six years. Even though I only heard two lines of their conversation, I am pretty sure that they were talking about careers and it got me thinking about how many people out there are doing things they don't really want to be doing. They just do it to make money. I bet that goes for the majority of people and that's hugely depressing. We think we're all advanced and civilized, but really, we created a society in which people can't survive without selling their souls to corporations and stuffing themselves into uncomfortable suits and skirts every day. (Yes, I realize that I may be overdramatizing this.) But the fact is, I would have answered that question the same way...

"Hey Jodi, have you ever thought of doing something else?"

"Heck yeah! I think about it every day."

Note to self: Start doing something else soon...

Last night after the gym, Neil and I decided to go to Walgreen's. I wanted mouthwash and those silly nose strips that girls in movies are always being embarrassed by, but actually do a nice job cleaning pores. Neil wanted candy, but ended up getting Gatorade. We got in line and the people two places ahead of us in line were using some coupon and buying the entire stock of some strange Easter candy bar. They had several boxes of the stuff and the cashier was scanning them one at a time and then all the systems crashed. We waited in line for about another 20 minutes only to be told we couldn't pay with debit and would have to produce cash. We, of course, didn't have cash, so Neil paid for his Gatorade and we left. Right before we lift this cute little pregnant girl, who couldn't have been older than 20, had to give up on buying milk and go home too. She was wearing pajamas, slippers and eye glitter and had a name tattooed to the back of her neck with some roses. Despite the fact that we were obviously very different, she seemed like someone I'd like to be friends with. I was behind her in line long enough to determine that.

When we got home, Neil and I both brushed our teeth and then looked for the mouthwash we had wanted to buy. Very strange.

And finally, a confession. I know I am supposed to be cool and intellectual and hate Paris Hilton because she's blonde and vapid, but actually, I am insanely jealous of the girl. First of all, she's incredibly beautiful and I can't stop looking at her. But then, she's just so lucky. I was reading an article in Jane Magazine where Paris said something like, "Last year was my best year ever as far as working goes! I hire people I trust so I have no idea how much I made, they handle it for me."

I am so jealous because I would love, for one day, to feel what it feels like to walk into a Louis Vuitton store, buy a $9,000 purse and not worry at all about where that would leave the balance of my checking account. I know that money is not the answer to life's problems, but I also know that I would have many fewer problems if money wasn't something I had to worry about. Lucky lucky Paris Hilton.