It’s Saturday approaching noon and I’m still drinking coffee to help clear my intestines and rid myself of the headache I woke up with. These damned morning headaches are getting frequent. Or perhaps I should say “getting old”. Meaning, I’m tired of them. But I can’t seem to rid myself of their cause: grinding and/or jaw-clenching during sleep. No matter how many incarnations of dental-guards I use, they continue. That’s cuz although the guards prevent damage the grinding causes, they don’t stop the act of grinding. And they surely don’t stop the act of clenching—the latter of which seems to be more the issue these days. Why I do it in the first place I could only venture to guess. That it happens is more the issue right now, and I’m sick of it! Nevermind the fact that grinding caused 5 of my teeth so much harm that I finally bit the bullet (hmm, pun intended?) and had them capped last spring. At about $1,200 each, that came to $7,000. But I suppose it was worth it. I’m no longer driven crazy by the jagged cliffs, hills and valleys that drove my tongue crazy, and food no longer gathers between, in and around them as I eat. Believe me, as soon as that loan is paid off, I’m planning on getting the next 5 or so (on the other side) done. What an expensive habit my ailment has become. Oh well, in the long run I suppose it’s a much cheaper habit than say, heroin or crack addiction, so I guess I should be happy.