Words to live by.

Train tracks

That's actually not the type I am going to talk about, I just like the picture. I'm talking about being a metal mouth. At the age of 21 I got braces. Why so old you ask? Well, you see, the idea only really popped into my head at age 20. Although I hate to admit my shallowness, but I've always been a little self conscious about my teeth. Heck, they weren't even that bad. Well, my bottom ones were quite manky but I made sure they never got exposed. I also had one rogue tooth at the top. Anyway, despite them not looking too bad, turns out I really did need them.

I think like most people I was actually quite excited to get them. It's sort of a novelty, you know. Even since getting them I've had numerous people approach me and say 'Hey, you've got braces!' (thanks, I hadn't noticed) and 'I wish I had braces, they're so cool.' Sorry but I'm pretty sure you won't be thinking that when you awake in the middle of the night with a throbbing face.

I got them on in May this year. A week before, as you ex or current metal mouths will be aware, you have to get these spacers things in. Basically, they are like mini rubber bands and they put them over your teeth so that when you get your braces on there is enough room for the actual metal bands to fit around. In short, they somehow make a gap between your back teeth and hurt like all hell. Note of warning for anyone thinking of getting braces: if you want to have a celebratory feast before you get your braces, do it before you get the spacers instead, as if it was anything like what I experienced, you won't be eating much that week either.

So a week later off I trot to get the real deal. The process actually wasn't as bad as I was expecting. I mean, you have to lie there with your mouth wrenched open by this plastic contraption which restricts you from swallowing and I am sure makes you look like Wallace (as in Gromit's friend) for about an hour. Also, there's one of those machines sucking all your saliva out which is far from pleasant. Aside from that, it wasn't too bad. It didn't actually hurt as such, it was more just uncomfortable. Actually, when I was all done I was actually in less pain than when I was when I went in there, thanks to the spacers.

Needless to say, the pain didn't stay away for long. A few hours later I was munching panadol like it was going out of stock. Coincidentally, or should I say unfortunately, the next day I had go into the recording studio at Uni and pretend to be a newsreader. Seven takes later and many profuse apologies on my behalf ('Thorry itsth my brathes') and I still managed to look supremely awkward in the video. I'm pretty sure I ate soup the entire week. Don't get me wrong, I love soup! Fortunately it was winter time too, so I was able to enjoy it.

Within perhaps two weeks I was back to my relatively normal eating habits. Still, it's not the most pleasant activity for the train tracked. For one, eating hamburgers with a knife and fork is pretty lame. Foods of doom (i.e. bound to get stuck in braces) include parsley, any kind of grain, bread, spinach, lollies etc etc. I mean, if you feel like tasting the food you ate at lunch five hours after ward, it's the way to go. Other unpleasantries (I think I just made that word up) include lips getting stuck on braces mid sentence, receiving cuts on lips and side of cheeks during the night, waking with blood on teeth and the discomfort and pain upon each adjustment. Also, I still haven't managed the art of smiling with my mouth shut.

Have I scared you yet? Let's not be all pessimistic shall we. Hey, you get to pick new colours every six weeks! Next time I am going to get one colour all along the top and one colour all along the bottom. Creative, I know. Plus, I like them because they set me apart (because like, no one else has them and everything....). Whenever I see a fellow brace face I feel like we have some kind of unspoken connection and I immediately want to be their friend. Plus, the most blatantly obvious thing is that I am going to have super fantastic teeth. They already look pretty darn awesome besides me only having them for about seven months. So despite the pain, discomfort, loss of hot factor, I would just like to say: embrace the brace!

Kind over Matter

I stumbled upon this blog this evening and instantly fell in love. Check it out, smiles are guaranteed.

Also, watch this space.

Reminders

In Other News

For my third year Journalism class this semester, we are required to keep a weekly blog. We can write basically anything we want, but it has to have some kind of relevance to what we've been chatting about in class that particular week.

Here is the link to mine if you wish to have a gander. I can't guarantee it will be particularly riveting, but then again, it may just be. Nonetheless, let me know what y'all think. Click me.

In other news, I was lucky enough to score myself a seat at the Opera House this weekend for Ben Folds' second Sydney concert. It was absolutely incredible! I could not wipe the cheesy grin off my face the entire time. What a talented man he is! A lot of his set were new songs which I was unfamiliar with. Still, it was so enjoyable and he is a wonderful entertainer. I was more than pleased to hear 'Landed', 'Rockin' the Suburbs', 'Annie Waits' and his cover of 'Such Great Heights' for the encore.

Life in Technicolour

Because I'm not in much of a writing mood, how bout some pictures? Theme: things making me happy at this moment. Including: Newcastle, my puppy dawg, my sister, my lover boy, my internet buddies and I all being together and hanging with friends in the sunshine.

Winter Song

I ended my holidays with a week away with my family, followed by a weekend visiting a friend in Brisbane. My family and I went to Canberra for three nights and Culburra on the South Coast of NSW for another three nights. My week, including the weekend in Brisbane, can be summed up as follows:

lots of driving with six people in one car, veggie burgers, cute southern towns, bob evans in the cd player, triple j, black trench coat, beanie, cute cousins, pasta, mattress, winter cold, strepsils, cold and flu tablets, tea, markets, parliament house, choc-coated strawberries, thai, lookouts, picnics, museum, catching up with family, lots and lots of tea, chilly nights and warm mornings, tacos, americanisms, packing the trailer, lunch by the water, sea-saws, house on the cliff-side, sleeping in an attic come bedroom, vegan applie pie, vegan ice-cream, sunshine and ocean, gilmore girls, french film, a gorgeous puppy called babe, awkward cousin, more picnicing, kangaroo valley, peanut butter cups, lolly shops, pituresque towns, chai tea at the lookout, cute shops, news of my friend giving birth, comforting a good friend via telephone, whipped cream from a can, flight to brisbane, eclipse mints, party preparation, cupcake baking and decorating, omlettes, birthday picnic in the park, pink and blue balloons, pink champagne, veggie sausages, sponge cake, good company, stiry fry, sleeping on the couch, shopping, homeward bound flight.