I. Am. Blessed.

... to have good genes and intelligence and discernment and a sense of humor and a laid-back plan of attack (can one have a "laid-back" "plan of attack"?).

I love that we made it back to California. I love that we've both got really good friends who want to help us "succeed" as long as it doesn't impede their own lives. I love that I was able to get right back into the film industry when we first got home, and that I was able to get my admin job when things slowed over the holidays, and that for the first time in a long time, I have health insurance. And dental insurance. And vision insurance. And life insurance for both of us.

I love that, when I started grinding my teeth about a year ago, it was only a stress reaction, and that it didn't weaken my whole mouth ecosystem. Yes, when I finally saw the dentist last week, he found an infection in ONE tooth, and he recommended a gum irrigation as an immediate treatment, to be followed by a root canal and crown. No, I won't be getting the root canal or crown. I've begun a regular regimen of coconut oil-pulling in the daytime and brush/floss/rinse at bedtime, along with any additional brushing/rinsing I may do, and already, I can see that the infection is healing. And I'm grinding less. And the rest of my mouth is at 100% healthy! Yay for good genes!

I love that, back in the day when I considered LASIK surgery, the eye doctor fitted me for monovision contacts, and that, after I concluded I wouldn't be opting for that surgery, I started doing vision correction exercises. I've been wearing glasses instead of contacts in that time, and for awhile, the exercises yielded noticeable improvement. NOT doing them brought me to the point of using my vision insurance today. Here's what I look like today!

I only had to spend $10 for the eye exam and $55 for the contacts fitting, and insurance covered the cost of the next six months of contacts. I'm using my long weekend to see if my brain can still handle the idea of monovision. I can keep wearing my glasses if need be, or get new ones for cheap through coastalcontacts.com, since I now have my new prescription, and if I get back to a "new normal" I can start doing the eye exercises again, and who knows what my vision will be in six months? Plus, the eye doc told me that my eyes are super-healthy (just like the tooth doc said about my mouth), so it doesn't bother me in the slightest that my vision and dental insurances will run out at the end of this month.  Stephen should really find time to go get his mouth cleaned, though. It's not like we don't have coverage.

I love that I got to wear shorts and a sportsbra on Pi Day. I love that the fabulous Jody Jaress invited me to come sing some jazz/standards at the North Hollywood Farmers' Market today before I got my eyes checked. I love that I was able to reconnect at that time with a friend I'd made way back in the day (i.e. when I first moved out to LaLaLand and lived in the Oakwood complex near Warner Brothers' Studio). I love that our houseguest Geoff keeps wanting to buy us great meals and coffee and whatnot, and is willing to lend me a teaspoon of saline solution for my new contacts to sleep in tonight. I love that my neighbor Bennie puts up with the teasing way I ask him to not smoke in the courtyard, since now that we're living with open windows, the smoke blows in. I love that we're now living with open windows.

Did I mention that I Am Blessed? I think I might have. Let me add that I'm grateful, too.