Week 1 of Invisalign

It doesn't hurt anymore! The first day was the worst. I didn't think it was that bad, but compared to today, it was definitely pretty bad. The first three days were no better. I took Ibuprofen, but that did nothing. I had to eat yogurt, pudding and egg whites. I can eat normally now, but it's still hard for me to open my mouth wide. My teeth also feel sensitive when I bite down, but I think my teeth finished moving, because the aligner doesn't feel like anything.

I just finished 6 motions in limine in less than 24 hours. Practicing law sucks. I'm in the early steps of trial prep, and I've never gone to trial, so I don't know what anything is. I'm learning as I go along. The Rutter Guide was no help in trying to figure out the time limit to file motions in limine, and it seems like most practitioners file their motions before the final status conference. The court set the final status conference at my hearing on Monday, and I had to get my motions in 16 days before April 30. I had about 2 days to write them. No one at the office can help, since we were all overloaded with cases. One of the assistants quit last week, and we  had a new associate come in, so we're a little short-staffed.

There's been so much dramz at work. My work bff and I talk about writing our memoirs about being at a tiny, craptastic plaintiff's side firm pretty much everyday. She feels the same way I do. We like the nature of the work, but the speed at which we are required to work, and the expectation that we'll pick up other people's slack is killing us. More next time.

Invisalign, Tray 1

New teeth and new nose were always on the top of my "to fix" list. I've grown to accept and like my nose. (I've also learned to fear rhinoplasty after all these surgery makeover shows.) Teeth? Those can still be fixed.

I finally have a job. I finally have a little bit of money to spare. I promised myself in undergrad that as soon as I make money, I am going to fix my teeth. Now or never, I told myself in February. I made an appointment and the dentist molded my teeth that day. About 5 weeks later, I got my first tray.

The trays were not as bulky as I thought and did not irritate my teeth or gums. There's a persistent soreness, similar to an itch that won't go away. I've had them on for three days now, and the first day was the worst. I am tempted to take them off, but I also don't want to screw myself out of $$$. Since it's my own money, I'm a lot more diligent about sticking to the treatment plan.

Another annoying thing is how often I have to brush and floss! I eat more than 5 times a day, and I can't do that anymore, since I have to take out the aligners, brush my teeth and brush the aligners every time! Whatever, it's like being on an 8 month forced diet and I won't have buck teeth at the end!

I did some research beforehand and knew that taking the aligners off was not an easy task. They are really stuck on to my teeth and I definitely didn't want to break them. My dentist told me that I would have to wear the broken pieces until my next set came! I followed the instructions the dentist gave me, which was to remove them from the inside and push the aligner out toward my cheek until they popped off. It hurts to take them off. The pain is bearable, but it's enough to make me think twice about taking them off to eat.

My crooked teeth (ignore my crappy skin):
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The trays are not noticeable, and most people don't notice that I even have them on, unless they look at me closely.

Attachments:

These guys are pretty weird. They look like little fangs growing out of my teeth. I have attachments on both sides. It didn't hurt to get them on. I have to get my teeth trimmed at my next appointment, so I'll blog about that when it happens. 

Last weekend was hell. This weekend was amazing. Hunger Games premiere on Friday. Wedding on Saturday evening in Costa Mesa. Went straight down to San Diego after to meet up with old friends and celebrate our friend's birthday. Will update more when I get a chance to sit down and finally blog.

How I see myself this Saturday night:



Closer to what I actually look like this Saturday night:



Eff these motions. 

Mary Kay fail

My cousin won a "spa day" which was really a Mary Kay marketing gimmick. We did our own facials. The salesperson tried to tell me it was better than sitting in a dark room and having a stranger do my facial. It wasn't.

They also told me about a "business opportunity" in which I can "invest" $100 to sell Mary Kay products. Hey lady, why don't I invest the traditional way and buy a couple shares of your stock? That way, you can sell the product and I can get the money.

They also said I could take tax deductions for taking "clients" out for meals such as my girl friends who are interested in Mary Kay products. They said, "That's why doctors and lawyers do it." My cousin looked at me and asked, "Do you want to quit your job to sell Mary Kay?" I nodded. What a joke. 

International Women's Day

   I didn't know there was such a thing until someone started posting about it.

   That's a lie. I came here to talk about why my FB friend posted: "Are women still seeking equality?" Is that a serious question? I can't even talk about it, because the issue needs to be re-framed. The better question is, "Are some humans still facing disadvantages due to their sex/gender?" It irks  me to see important discussions obscured by the old battle of sexes rhetoric, but at the same time, I am too old and lazy to engage in more internet arguments/discussions.

   As I reflect on this question, I concede that I certainly don't face the same challenges as the women of generations past, but it's also premature to say that equality has been reached. Are some humans still facing disadvantages because of their sex and gender? Globally, yes. Domestically, yes, to a lesser extent.

  For me, I wouldn't use this day to celebrate simply being female. We've come a long way from a culture that led Simone de Beauvoir to designate us as the second sex. Girl power made sense in a time when women were powerless, but now, these girls-run-the-world Beyonce-type iterations seem almost like a perversion of what was once a powerful thought. These slogans further affirms the men-women dichotomy, and ultimately, that's not what feminism is about. It's about correcting the institutions that deny humans rights because of their sex/gender. Nothing too controversial about that. 

Shortnin Bread

Another extended lunch break. I wasn't too impressed with this place, but I'll reserve Yelp judgment unless it disappoints me again.

This cream puff was disgusting. The bacon chocolate chip cookie was okay. The salty bacon in the cookie reminds me of the salty pork in mooncakes. Meh.