My team leader is on holiday, the other UK team member doesn’t work Mondays.  Not much choice today but to work despite the cold and the tooth.    We had a long running issue with one of our complex systems on Thursday and Friday.  The on-call guy got it in the neck all night Friday and all weekend.  So I worked from home today and spent the whole day on calls assisting with problem diagnosis.  Until 8:30pm.

I tried calling the dentists to arrange an appointment.  I hate medical receptionists.  We went to this surgery a few years back (5) so they have us on the books.  I needed to explain that, and then explain that I had a damaged tooth and needed an appointment.  She was exhasperated and told me I could see my regular dentist on Friday.  I asked if she had anything sooner, but she said I had to see my regular dentist.  It’s been five years, how regular can my visits to that dentist be.

But no, she can’t deviate, I have to see my regular dentist, he has no free slots until Friday, despite the piece of tooth sitting on a plate in front of me.

So I mumbled something about finding a different local dentists and hung up.

It has been a miserable, miserable day.