And the last time I took a week or so off, it all began with a tube up my nose.
So the last time I took a legit vacation we had a Republican in the White House who hadn’t stiffed any vendors and could speak in complete sentences whenever necessary.
And the last time I took a week or so off, it all began with a tube up my nose.
Call me crazy but there’s nothing like a nasal medical intervention to wake you up, get your attention, and help you focus on stuff that matters. Plus, believe it or not, there are far worse orifices that can serve the same purpose.
A few weeks ago I tacked on another year as the most notable elite athlete/scribe/DDS-type in the San Gabriel valley (in my own mind.) And don’t even try convincing me that I’m not the Rose City’s fastest living most immature old guy on a stationary bike in a roomful of mirrors!
But lately I’ve been obsessed with CNN; fall asleep on the couch at about 9PM, and then get up at 5AM even on Sundays. I’m in the office seven days per week. And I worry about stuff…at 3AM. Some days after work, I even lose the will to exercise while surrounded by really attractive women.
I used to be normal…before dental school…several decades ago. Geez, when I was a kid my dad used to think I was physically and psychologically allergic to work and now it seems like work is everything.
So the first time I wound up with a tube up my nose it helped seal the deal on my adding an associate dentist to our practice (like my team had been advising for years.) And even though he went to UCLA, bringing Dr. Lee aboard was one of my wisest drug-induced choices ever. But it took a tube up my nose to get me to listen and move forward.
This time around, my right nostril passage triggered a freakin six-day Memorial weekend, lots of stares, and…some appreciation.
Geez, I haven’t even shaved (the result is NOT impressive). I’ve slept in, taken mid-morning walks, indulged late afternoon naps, read Sicilian crime novels, and listened to Nat and Frank as I’ve sipped nectar and nibbled on Trader Joe’s most healthy offerings. Aside from the lack of dangerous women (their choice, not mine) and my patrolling the mean streets of Pasadena’s Madison Heights, not the Caribbean, it’s been a freakin pleasure cruise…with a tube up my nose. Makes me wonder; why not try a week off WITHOUT the tube?
So every quarter, Temple City Dental Care goes off-site for an all-day review of the last 90-days and planning for the next 90. We share and celebrate what’s been great, go over the numbers, and figure out where we stand on the figurative bricks that determine the structure and growth of our business.
Last week, no sooner had I started passing out the meeting materials when I sensed a nosebleed coming on; I’d had ‘em ever since the first not so “tubular” N-G tube nose job but lately they’d become more frequent.
40-minutes later I was still bleeding like a stuck hog even though I’m not so sure about the origin of that metaphor. Then we had a family intervention. Dalila has been a major part of our team for going on 19-years, Team Leader Dani (pictured) is close behind with 15-years in; they’re family. If you throw in Dental Assistant Kolleen, it’s like I get to work with my three adopted daughters every day. At least that was their story as Dalila and Dani dragged me out of the men’s room while onlookers stared. What later transpired as my two kidnappers baby sat me all day (including two trips to Kaiser) was basically, a family intervention.
And the thing is, I guess when the true family you know consists of the people who join you every day and share your passion for making a difference for others AND one another, home is where the heart is and where THEY are. And I guess there’s always room for improvement regarding my listening skills.
So the next time you see a guy walkin’ around Pasadena wearing USC gear with a tube up his nose, he just might be having a good day after all. There’s a lot to be said for family and sometimes the journey to male common sense happens in mysterious ways.
