Holmes

It's been a busy few weeks since I last wrote. This weekend, I had to go into the office for a few hours Saturday, and today was Saori's turn to go in while I stayed home, cooked, and did my German homework. Made a pretty good red lentils and a spicy, but top form, Aloo Gobi.

Even as our workload increases, we've started watching a little more TV, to wind down a bit, usually on weekend nights. Not German TV, but a few episodes of highly regarded shows. A few episodes of the new __Cosmos_ , a few episodes of the original Cosmos, and then, Sherlock. I watched an episode when I was back in Phoenix, and I really enjoyed it, so I suggested we watch from the beginning. The first season was magic, great stuff. Second season was really lukewarm, and we are now just finished with the first episode of season 3, which is better than the second season so far. The sad thing about this series is that each season is only three episodes long, but at least you can get caught up quickly. I'm just happy that we didn't have to wait the two years between seasons 1 and 2. The shows pushed Saori and I back to the books and we've been talking about the differences between the TV Sherlock and Doyle's detective.

Winter is leaving us in the same way it arrived: apathetic, banal, and miserable. The last month has been always a few degrees north and south of freezing and around 80% humidity. No snow, no sun, no crispness of a sharply freezing day , it just drizzles as the damp cold soaks itself into your bones. This year's weather is a series of sulky teenagers.

I'd nearly forgotten the conversations I had with a reporter about donuts in Phoenix awhile back, until a friend posted the article to my Facebook wall. Good mentions, and now Saori calls me "Dr. Donut".

Sweet tooth

Several days ago, Saori's toothache turned into a swollen cheek and a rather painful tooth. The dentists offered to see her four days later, but she said it was really really painful so they made an appointment for a day and a morning later.

There, they sliced open her inner cheek to drain the blood and pus, stuffed in some sponge and told her to come back the next day. I was a bit surprised they didn't start her on antibiotics immediately, actually. They are incredibly over used, but when the situation is clearly bacterial, why prolong the pain and infection?

She went back the following morning (Friday) and they did some more clearing out. She said the office was fast and efficient, and they took x rays, but really have not been explaining what is going on with her tooth or cheek. This time they gave her a prescription for antibiotics and a receipt for the hospital emergency dental surgery clinic if her cheek for worse over the weekend. No copay for any of her visits.

It's an interesting contrast to the US system. On the one hand, I was uncomfortable with the fact that she had to wait days to see a dentist when she really had a painful infection. It also sounds like the medical community here does not usually waste their time talking through the problems with the patient, any more than a mechanic spends time explaining the problems to a car. I can understand the reticence to use antibiotics. However, the medical costs are manageable. If it turns out she needs a root canal, and if for any reason, her insurance doesn't cover it. The cost is €800. This is less than what I spent on my root canal in Mexico and less what I paid even WITH insurance in the US.

Anyway, slit cheeks and dental work make for poor timing as far as valentines day go, so we decided to postpone our dinner out until Saori could actually eat something.

I did buy her a small pot of roses (and today, potting soil, thorn resistant gloves, etc) and in return, she baked me gateau du chocolat, a decadent chocolate tart.

Friday night, we watched the first two episodes of Sherlock and we were quickly hooked. Watched another episode tonight with my dinner dish of pan fried brussel sprouts with shallots and bacon.

We have also been on a bit of a theoretical physics kick lately, watching episodes (old and new) of Cosmos, discussing the wave-particle duality of light, and other gravitational topics. It started from watching Interstellar a few weeks ago, and followed by Contact.