Traffic Freeway Signs

So there are these signs around Southern California that are up so that amber alerts for child abductions can be posted, but most of the time they post the time between freeway interchanges:

However, it almost always seems to be inaccurate.  Last week, coming home around 10:00 PM, with absolutely no traffic, the sign said I had 9 minutes to the next interchange.  Usually, during rush hour on that same route, the sign claims only 7 minutes!  It usually takes more like 25.  In Japan and China, there are some great highway signs that would be nice to have around here that show you a traffic map with routes and with colors for traffic density, making it easier to make quick decisions on different routes to use:

You would think Los Angeles would have such a thing already!

Dramatization of My Dental Surgery

I went to the dentist to have my top wisdom teeth removed. They've both been cracked for about two years. The one on the right started hurting recently and we discovered the one on the left had an infection. So I went to the dentist to get them removed yesterday. Here's how I remember it:

Me: Hello
Dentist: Which one are we taking out?
Me: Both of them. Since one is hurting, and the other is infected.
D: OK, some people only do one at a time. You are brave.
M: I figure I should get it over with.
Assistant: Please sit down in this chair.
M: Thanks
D: OK, let's get started. Normally I would numb your pallete.
M: OK.
D: It's a painful shot though, since it goes right on the bone.
M: Well...
D: It makes it hard to swallow though. I think I'll just give you novacaine on your teeth instead.
M: Alrighty
A: Excuse me. (puts on gloves)
D: Here comes the shots. (Gives me shots on both my wisdom teeth)
D: Is that numb?
M: Maybe
D: Well let's get started. (sticks tool on right which I feel immediately)
D: Well should I wait?
M: My other tooth is numb.
D: OK.
A: We'll do that one first.
D: (wiggles tooth a bit)
M: (a little pain, but not really, tooth is out in 15 seconds)
D: There we go.
A: Next one.
M: OK, but I can still feel it.
D: I'll give you another shot. (gives new shot)
D: (places tool in mouth again)
M: (feels it instantly)
D: You shouldn't be able to feel that.
M: Well I did!
D: Hmm, well I'll give you more novacaine.
M: OK
D: (gives more novacaine)
A: (hands tool to dentist)
D: (starts to grab tooth)
M: ouch ouch ouch that hurts
D: we can wait a few minutes if you want
M: It's really not numb.
D: OK, (gives 4th shot of novacaine)
D: Let's go (starts work)
M: I really really feel that
D: It's going to come out.
M: AHHHHAHAHAHAHAHA
D: Ok, is that pressure pain or tooth pain?
M: Pretty sure that's tooth pain!
D: Tooth pain is a sharp pain. Pressure pain is more gradual.
M: It's pretty sharp.
D: Well I'll give you a shot on the tooth in front
M: OK.
D: (gives 5th novacaine shot on right side)
A: We ready?
M: OK
D: Here we go
M: ow ow
D: It's loose so it's coming out
M: (gripping chair as hard as I can)
A: There it is!
D: Well the root had a hook on it, that's why it was so hard to get out!
D: I'll show you
M: That's a weird looking tooth.
A: Wanna keep them?
M: Sure why not.

I'm Back!

Will get that pic up soon! A friend from high school was visiting me over the labor day weekend so all my projects got interrupted for a few days. I'll post a pic of us and I'll get that car pic up too! I actually took a picture of the car the other night, but the damage didn't even show up on the picture. I guess it seemed worse than it looks.