IT'S O-O-OVER

Well, that didn't last long.

Broke up with TJ. It was strange and extremely amicable. At the end of the day, we just weren't that into each other.

Back to the drawing board.

LIME, BASIL AND MANDARIN

I absolutely adore Jo Malone.

I know it's a waste of money. Candles and divine smelling, pretty, shiny things.

I remember going to the Jo Malone counter with Looking-Down, where we saw a candle the size of a bucket. I know it's ridiculous, but it was eerily covetous...

I finally returned the awful, hideous, disgusting, orange bag that I received for Christmas today in Woolhara. I traded it in for a weird kitchen grater set and a red Leatherman. (There was nothing in the shop. It was one of those weird design concept places that sells little other than Alessi homewares.)

While wandering down the street, I saw a Jo Malone shop. A whole shop dedicated to Jo Malone! Not just that pathetic measly counter in the city.

To the disgust of the shop attendant, I sprayed many, many, many fragrances on many, many, many strips of paper.

Now my handbag smells divine.

***********

Went to Tropfest with TJ last night. We brought a picnic rug and he picked a bottle of wine.

The wine was off.

YESTERDAY

First day back at uni teaching nervous 3rd year dental students. It was their first experience with a real, live patient and most of them were quaking with fear. Mind you, all they did was do an exam and take a history, which took all of them over three hours. Oh well, they're here to learn.

TJ took me out for Valentine's day, to Prime in Martin Place, supposedly the best steak in Sydney. He's trying so hard. Bless.

(FYI: The steak? Good, but not "the best steak in Sydney". The mash served with the steak? Faaaaaaabulous.)

PHOTOS ARE DECEPTIVE

Things with TJ are going better than expected. I was pleasantly surprised to find that his oral hygiene was excellent, with hardly any calculus, just some mild toothbrush abrasion. Fair enough, how are the non-dental supposed to know?

However, I was asked out on a date by another guy that I met online and decided to go. Why not?

Online, he was nothing to write home to mother about, but seemed reasonably decent.

In reality, he had large, fleshy, jellyfish-like bags of skin hanging from the inside surface of his upper lip.

Call me shallow, but it just can't be done.

IT'S A BIRD, IT'S A PLANE.....IT'S BEIGE AGAIN

It all seemed so promising until last night when I realised:

• TJ speaks with a baby-like affectation when cuddling
• He got annoyed because he couldn't get me off
• He's a nocturnal bruxer

Anyway, I have descended back into beige-ness and confusion.

I am seeing him this Saturday to check out his teeth. If I can address the bruxism there may still yet be hope.

SHIPROCK, LILLI PILLI

Just got back from diving at Shiprock. It's the first time that I've been there.

It was a great dive, I was actually really surprised at how much stuff there was to see: cuttlefish, leather-jackets (some of them huge!), an octopus, moray eels, a numb ray, loads of hermit crabs and a few purple nudibranchs. Visibility was about 5 metres (which is apparently quite good) and maximum depth about 15m.

The shit thing about the dive is the fact that I'm still not used to shore diving in temperate waters and got myself a big frickin' cut on my palm from a frickin' oyster, and the fact that I hate lugging all my heavy crap up and down. I'm so horribly unco-ordinated (hey, that's why I'm a dentist) that I worry I'll fall flat on my arse and all the cooler, more experienced divers will laugh at me.

But it was a great dive. I'd definitely do it again.

A map of the dive site, courtesy of Michael McFadyen's Scuba Site.

Shiprock dive site, satellite view.

IS THERE A FUNGUS AMONG US?

"Guys grow on you like fungus", the words of wisdom from Dr Mommy.

Well, she's right. TJ has grown on me - I actually like him. It's about freakin' time I met someone who was confident, considerate, intelligent and thoughtful. Better yet, he actually has an opinion and a mind of his very own.

Hurrah!

I can't wait until the day finally comes where I can have my own practice. One of these reasons, is because I work for Dr Evil who is vehemently anti-specialist referral. I mean, they only do an extra 3 or 4 years of full-time study in their selected field. What would they know?

Example:

Me: "Dr Evil? I have this lady I want to refer to an oral surgeon. She has a suspicious looking radiolucent lesion in her right mandibular ramus." I show the radiograph.

Dr Evil: "But look...this patient needs a lot of crown and bridgework...she may even be a candidate for implants..."

Me: "Uh, yes, but she has something growing in her jawbone."

Dr Evil: " This could be a very productive patient. There's the potential for ceramic units here."

Me: "Yes, but that won't be of any use to her if her jaw breaks because she has an ameloblastoma or something. Can I refer her?"

Dr Evil: "..."

I'm still waiting for a response!

*****************

TJ asked me out for Valentine's day. (Ooh-er!)

He lives with a 27-year-old female flatmate who lives like an animal. She leaves bowls and plates with old crusting bits of food all the place and has a cockroach infestation. She seems to be a lovely person but I didn't want to touch anything in the apartment for fear of contracting some weird and exotic disease, or perhaps rabies.

But if I should end up foaming at the mouth, maybe I could get some time off work. Now there's a thought.