I Love the Smell of Necrosis in the Morning

There is nothing quite like the smell that permeates the air as the dentist scrapes necrotic tissue out of the roots of a dead tooth. That's what I got to experience yesterday morning, after one of the most excruciatingly painful nights of my life. Let me just say that toothaches suck donkey butts. However, if you have never experienced the joy of someone using a file to scrape the nerve out of the roots of one of your teeth, you should try it. The sound is very unique.

But I'm all better now. And I get to look forward to getting a nifty golden tooth. Which isn't quite as cool as having a golden hand that screws into your arm (see "Time Bandits" if you have no idea what I'm talking about), but it's still up there with an eyepatch or the ability to turn your eyelids inside out.

In other news, several Tufted Ducks have been spotted in the area. These eurasian ducks are very uncommon in North America, so their presence in Seward should cause a local stir in the birding community. I have yet to make the trip to see them, since a boat is sort of required. Hopefully they'll stick around until Sunday when we head into Resurrection Bay for the Birdathon. They'd make a splendid addition to our Big Day list!

Speaking of which, I'm still looking for people to sponsor me for this whole thing. If you're interested in making a fully tax-deductable donation, all of which will benefit the Arctic Audubon Society and Alaska Bird Observatory, email me right away. Remember, not only will you be helping two fantastic non-profit organizations, you'll be helping me to win a pair of Zeiss binoculars! Now, who wouldn't want that?