Had my four-month check-up/cleaning at the dentist today. It went exceedingly well! The hygienist said my gum tissue looked fantastic and there was, get this: no bleeding! And, just because I've never been able to say that about a dental visit before, I'll say it again: NO BLEEDING! As you can imagine, I am immensely relieved! It's been a long, long five years fighting to save my gums, and ultimately my teeth, but it's pretty much a done deal now. God! I am so happy I could just scream with pure joy!

  In other news, I'm hoping February will be a much better month for Self-Portrait updates. January was abysmal, and for that, I apologize. I just never seemed to have anything interesting to say or to report. Stuff happened, sure, but it either wasn't journal-worthy, or I just didn't feel like talking about it. A lot of stuff ended up in my blog, and I just didn't feel like repeating myself here. I once again contemplated shutting the doors on s-p.net, but after over five years of keeping this online journal, I just couldn't do it. I can't just walk away from all of this. So, I'll keep it. For now.