Enforced Sobriety

 Just before we went to Bristol, I started to have a problem with my mouth (or jaw, or ear...or something in short:  it was hurty).

The upshot of this was that a booked an appointment with my dentist for when we got back and on Friday I went.  When I came back I was a down a molar and (at my own request) numbed to fuck.

Actually, the experience in the chair wasn't as bad as I had feared (the dentist I had at age 9 has a LOT to answer for) but the post-op instructions rendered alcohol verboten for a couple of days.

I'm glad the appointment was relatively late in the day on Friday but when I got home I couldn't even really drink water, let alone beer or eat anything.

Yesterday I woke up dehydrated and feeling really grotty but as the day went on I managed to eat and drink a little (but still no beer) and the painkillers made things better.

Today, I'm clearly feeling better...

...there's a pause here because we had an abrupt power cut courtesy of a man, some loppers and proximity to an extension lead (sigh).

...anyhow - as I was saying Sunday I started to feel better although regular pain meds still necessary.  We had a walk to our "view point" in the sun so when we got back, I decided it might be OK to have a little bit of beer (Arbor Breaking Bread in a can, since you ask) and it was glorious.

Then, when I got back from work on Monday having met a few students who are embarking on a work experience programme with us and the boy asked whether I wanted a beer in someone else's beer garden.

We walked to the Crown and, joy of joys, aswell as Gun extra pale they had Oakham Citra.  Oh my word it was good.  So much so we had 3 pints and I came home quite drunk.  I still bypassed suggestion of wine with dinner, switching back to water instead but feeling very satisfied that this unpleasant dental episode seems to be mostly behind me now.

Just now I'm thankful for great brewers and great pubs - but also for modern dentists and dentistry techniques - oh, and shit-hot local anaesthetic. Bye bye tooth, it was nice knowing you...