The Judge, the Vet and the Widows

My poor little dog went into the veterinary clinic at 8:00 AM for a routine teeth cleaning and came back out at 4:00 PM with nine teeth missing. Several times during that time frame I was on my cell with the vet, going over options and making decisions while Levi was out cold, his tongue pulled over to the side. I know this because the vet sent me pictures of him in that condition and at least twelve x-rays pictures of his teeth and their roots. One time, I was sitting in the waiting of my orthopedic doctor saying things into the phone like, “Gosh, that one is gross, yes, pull it.” “How many teeth will he if left if we pull all nine?” It’s the only time I’ve ever had taken a cell call in public and it left little doubt that I was racking up a big denial bill---I never did explain it was for a dog.  

How on earth his teeth got that bad in one year since his last cleaning is beyond me. He’s only six. They tell me it’s common with schnauzers and nine extractions was bad enough but there is one tooth the vet says may need a root canal in six months. Can you believe that, a root canal for a dog! It’s a tooth dogs really need for chewing and if the treatment they did on it this week doesn’t clear up the puss pocket at the bottom of the root, he’ll be off to a doggie dental specialist forty-five miles away. One thing for sure, he’s not getting his allowance anymore. It can go towards fighting his gingivitis which includes---get this---brushing his teeth with peanut butter! Regular dog tooth paste, I guess, breaks down the cement-like stuff the vet put on his gum line to help with gingivitis. I am not looking forward to learning how to brush Levi’s teeth, which will happen at his two-weeks-out-from-his-dental-surgery appointment.

The next day I went to see The Judge with my Movie and Lunch Club, trying to ignore the guilt that came with leaving Levi alone with his pain pill and pillow. Here’s how IMDb sums up the storyline: “Big city lawyer Hank Palmer returns to his childhood home where his father, the town's judge, is suspected of murder. Hank sets out to discover the truth and, along the way, reconnects with his estranged family.” Robert Downey Jr plays the lawyer and the small town, Indiana judge is played by Robert Duval. They both brought their A-games to the film as did the rest of the cast. Reviews I’ve read after seeing the film were mixed and used phrases like “muddled melodrama” and “steadfastly old-fashioned” and more than one reviewer compared it to Kramer vs. Kramer for reasons I’ve yet to figure out. The seventeen of us in my group, though, all gave it a thumbs up. I felt there was never a moment when I wasn’t engaged in the many sub-plots. Of course, it was all those under currents that caused some reviewers to think the film was too "complicated" and glut with too many scenes---Hank’s marriage falling apart, his high school sweetheart’s daughter who he thinks could be his, his relationships with his two brothers, and the car accident that caused the family estrangement. There was even a tornado thrown in for good measure. How is all that “complicated?” Complicated to who, people under thirty who don’t understand that life gets messy?

What I didn’t like was the place my Movie and Lunch Club went for lunch. The movie was long and we didn’t get out until late afternoon and the restaurant they picked was on the other end of town, making it necessary for all of us to drive home during rush hour. Several times on the drive down I was sorely tempted to skip lunch, find a place to turn around and head back home. I hate rush hour driving! But I didn’t want anyone to worry if I didn’t show up, thinking maybe I’d been in an accident. Oh, well, you can’t win them all and next time when I get the email announcing the movie and lunch locations, I’ll pay closer attention to the route and travel times.

Speaking of rush hour, I’ll have to do it again at the end of the month when my orthopedic doctor has my labrum tear surgery scheduled on my shoulder. It’s only a one hour, out-patient surgery but I’ll be out like a light and will be wearing a sling afterward to remind me to keep my elbow close to my waist at all times---for up to four weeks depending on how much work he has to inside. But, he says, I won’t be able to shovel snow all winter even after the sling is no longer needed. That sure complicates my life! I have a little electric snow blower that I’ve never liked using but I’m going to have to make sure it’s still working and if not, buy a new one before I get cut open and can’t lift a blower down from the car if I need to buy a new one. I like to think I can totally take care of my own needs, but this winter might prove otherwise. ©