9 Out of 10 Dentist Agree...

...that I am a bad mother.

We had our pediatric teeth-cleaning today, and Bambina has a cavity. They had mentioned at the last cleaning that she has very deep grooves in her molars, so to take extra care in brushing them. We obviously got right on that, did we not? Nice. So now we're all flossed/flouride rinsed/psychotic brushing regimened-up. Not because I want my daughter to have a beautiful, healthy smile. No darlings. Rather, because I cannot bear the feeling of abject failure involved in having a 4 year-old in 2008 remind me of Scottish dental standards circa 1976.

In other domestic news, today is now the second consecutive day where Bambina has witnessed me getting up in someone's face regarding the home front. In any other week, you can find me gaily chatting with strangers, fellow parents, shopkeepers and sundry tradespeople like I'm running for office. This week has apparently brought the perfect storm of Things That Require Me To Get Snippy. Yesterday the preschool. Today the gas company. The gas company to whom we paid a few thousand dollars in June to install gas heating in our home. The gas company that was so unresponsive over the course of five months that we finally cancelled the installation and awaited our refund. The gas company that had dug up half my street today as I arrived home mid-day. The gas company that knocked on my door to tell me they were "here to install the gas line" as if they were Ed McMahon and the Prize Patrol. The gas company whose representative then wondered aloud whether I was entitled to my refund since the men had actually shown up to do the work. The gas company representative who became the lucky recipient of the most restrained outrage I could muster in the interests of setting an example for my listening child. The gas company representative who was told in no uncertain terms that I was not hanging up the phone until I spoke to a supervisor who would in no uncertain terms tell me when I could expect my money back for services not rendered. The gas company supervisor who relented as I detailed all the ways in which "there will be a very major problem here" if the obvious and ethical thing were not done. The gas company that had my daughter parroting back to me what I apparently say to her when I'm displeased with her behavior: "Did you tell them that if they didn't give you your money you would be Very Unhappy And That There Would Be Consequences?" Yeah. That gas company.