It’s been a tough week, and the hits just don’t stop coming. Today, it’s a trip to the dentist for a cleaning and god knows whatever other Torquemadian torture they can devise to foist upon me. Other than having a tooth ripped out a couple weeks back, I haven’t been to the dentist in quite a while (the guy I was going to back then was constantly complaining that my insurance – for which he was an official provider – wasn’t paying him enough, and he might have to charge more). I got tired of hearing him whine, then tried another less-than-impressive guy for a while before changing jobs and just kind of getting out of the habit. Things had been pretty good for quite a while, but, well, after 12 years or so, I guess it’s finally time to be a good boy and suffer whatever pain and indignity the Dental Deities feel obliged to throw at me. So, needless to say, I’m really not looking forward to this. Hopefully I at least won’t have to pay too much for the privilege.

There are a plethora of musician-type birthdays to celebrate today, including John Coltrane, Ray Charles, Julio Iglesias (if you want to include him), Bruce Springsteen, and Harry Connick Jr. And Country singer Loretta Haggers (aka Mary Kay Place). Oh, and Mickey Rooney, too. I guess he sang a song or two in his day.