It seemed like a good idea at the time

Tuesday I went to the dentist. I don't really like the dentist, but it's not the torturous experience it was in the past. Connie was there, she's the dental hygienist that usually cleans my teeth. However, Connie did not clean my teeth last time, some amateur did and it was horrible.

So I walk in yesterday and Connie is all smiles as usual and tells me that she's ready for me before I even finish signing in. So I walk on back and have a seat. I look to the left of me and notice that the little spout is still spouting water into one of those little plastic cups. It is overflowing, water is gushing over the rim of the cup and making it's way to the little drain. I point at the cup to let her know and I say something about I think it's overflowing (despite the fact that I know it is) and she says, "No, it's fine it just opened for a minute, nothing is coming out." Confused I continue to stare at the water and then it hits me, she is talking about my purse. So I chance telling her again but I add a "no the water" and point (I'm so good using my words). So she hits a button and tries to get it to stop and tells me that this dental chair has problems. ...That's comforting.


She gets to work cleaning my teeth and Connie has a gift for gab...if the gift wasn't coupled with a desire for a response we'd be perfect. But even though she likes to get a response, I don't mind her talking. Makes things less awkward for me. She starts to tell me how her husband has this conference out in Salt Lake and how she's debating whether or not to go. Then she explains what her husband does (Environmental Engineer) and then...she tells me a little tidbit of information that was "new to me" knowledge. It turns out that Smokey the Bear is a fiend.

You see, a couple decades ago (roughly 7) someone thought that we should start preventing forest fires. Seemed like a good idea at the time right? I thought so. But Connie tells me that the fact that little forest fires don't happen we get big forest fires that frequently try to wipe out California.




She said that without the little fires clearing out some of the brush it builds up and then big ones happen. I don't know, she had a sharp object in my mouth at the time, hard to pay close attention to things when that is happening. But it is interesting that they have been increasing lately. And her husband is an environmental engineer, who am I to disagree? Interesting lesson here though, don't try to save the little ones they will only bring down the big ones in the end (take that how you want it, I kind of take it to a political level but I don't talk politics anymore).


Unfortunately I can't find anything to back this theory up on the Internet, but of course, if you're a conspiracy theorist then it's really just a big government cover-up. Smokey the Bear after all is really just a cuddly version of Uncle Sam.

Except of course, slightly more intimidating because he's showing you his shovel, and what do you do with shovels??? You bury people.

Like this poster below, he's like the God Father of bears:

...notice one of the members from Smokey's gang in the background. That doe crossed the line and with this poster they are sending a message to us all. Don't cross the Smokey Bears of the world. Smokey stands ready with his shovel to bury the evidence. The "shameful waste" is really referring to the fact that they shouldn't have to off the deer, just like they hope they don't have to do the same to us. But only you can prevent that.

Anyway, as Connie is cleaning my teeth she tells me that they are the perfect size for my face and that they are a nice shape. Thank you Connie. Then she gives me a goody bag (for reals people) . I normally just get a toothbrush, but I got floss, a toothbrush, kiddie fluoride something, Listerine (orange), and a flier...in a bag! It was like leaving a kid's party.

Yeah. I realize that this is a completely random post, so I'm sorry about that. But I couldn't sit back and deny the half-naked truth of Smokey the Bear any longer. I promise (scratch that I don't do promises) that the next post won't be as weird.