For ita and msbelle: his may not help either of you given the intense life stressors right now, but I have recently discovered that GABA supplements are surprisingly good at releasing stress and helping me relax. Mind you, much of my anxiety currently is just brain induced as I am wound pretty tight, but still I was surprised at how quickly I was able to relax after taking one.

Here's the brand I've tried: link

Teeth closed isn't relaxed.

Hmm, Burrell. I'm pretty sure I'm not good with sorbitol, though. I'd need to find a brand without.

Hey--did you get an email from me a few days back? It might have been around when you got back from vacation.

Oh and thanks for the brown bear cam! Totes sharing that with the kids.

Also don't close my teeth when my mouth is closed and my jaw is relaxed.

Here's the brand I've tried: link

I'll have to try that. Prozac has made a dent in my anxiety and depression, but I still have way too much anxiety.

I think a lot of my anxiety is related to the political situation here and global climate change. I think I just need to resign myself to us being fucked. Maybe then I'll be pleasantly surprised.

Bummer about the sorbitol ita, but I bet you can find some without it. And yes, I did get the email and thought I responded. Yes was my response, just in case I didn't manage to send it.

Teeth closed isn't relaxed.

I didn't know what goes on in other peoples' mouths! When the dentist asks me to bite down, I always feel like I'm doing it wrong. But I guess that's more due to the overbite than lack of practice.

Teeth closed isn't relaxed.

Yes.

Was that some muffin bluffin', perhaps?

Oh, GABA, I've got some green tea that was processed using nitrogen and that supposedly transforms something into basically the same thing as GABA supplements. It tastes weird, like steamed zucchini, not tea. It seemed like it calmed me down some when I tried it, but, more than having a cup of tea would? I don't know.

Yeah, so, instead of a mattress it looks like we'll be buying an extraction, pulpotomy, and crown for Dillo. (I think insurance will eventually cover most of it, but not for 3 months or whatever.)

That's not going to be very comfortable. I think you should reconsider the mattress.

When the dentist asks me to bite down, I always feel like I'm doing it wrong.

Hah, me too.

There's a play called Lips Together, Teeth Apart. That is my contribution to this conversation.

ita, you were totally muffin flirting with him

Is that like bluffin' with your muffin?

Jesse I always feel weird about biting down too. Possibly because when I put one side of my molars together, the other side is not, and vice versa. If I split the difference then it's just random teeth that don't normally touch, and that can't be right...