Does anything really come for free?

I still haven't made a dental appointment, despite receiving the reminder that I was due for a check up back in November. That's unusual for me - normally I'd have been on the phone the same day booking in, but I've begun to wonder if Vic hasn't got it right after all. I don't think he's been near a dentist's chair in the past 20 years. In the summer a youngster looked into my mouth and asked what were all the black bits in my teeth. I explained that they were fillings, due to not having looked after my teeth properly when I was younger. Later Vic pointed out privately that it was more likely BECAUSE I was conscientious about dental care that I had a load of fillings. (When I vanish after a meal you can bet I'm at the basin flossing). I thought about it, and he might have a point. In my childhood, dental care was free. Trustingly, I submitted to the dentist as he merrily drilled and filled with amalgam to his heart's content (and his bank balance's benefit). It was only in later years that suspicion fell on dentists having carried out entirely unnecessary work in order to claim more from the NHS.

I did tick a few tasks off my to-do list today, including checking oil/tyres/coolant on the car and hoovering out the dog hairs. Did a silly thing - managed to drop the valve cap down behind the wheel trim and couldn't retrieve it - once again the carefully hoarded CIUODs* in the garage proved their worth, and Vic found me a replacement.

Had a counselling session in the afternoon and used it to explore my ambivalence towards the Telephone Interviewing position I've been offered. Vic has concerns that I will take on board the problems of the people I'll be interviewing, and it will have a negative impact on my mental health. He could be right. I haven't even mentioned to the psych that I've applied, as it has been made clear by the mental health team that they consider I'm permanently out of the working population.

In the evening we went shopping in Sainsbury's. I approached the customer service desk and explained that I'd been told I could produce the receipt and pick up my free gift. The assistant agreed and told me to help myself from the display in the middle of the store. It seemed a bit casual to me, but I did it anyway. We carried on with our shopping and had self-scanned everything except the free gift, but then when we went to check-out, the system called for a re-scan. I found it embarrassing explaining to the check-out girl why we hadn't scanned that particular item. I felt it cost more in emotional terms than it was worth!

*CIUOD = come in useful one day