Comfort Food

Bad news at the dentist. Despite having a constant record of high praise from the dental hygienist for the past 30 years, the sins of my youth are coming back to sneer at me. Seems to me that the worst news you can get from a dentist is that the very expensive and painful root canal they did two years ago didn't work and the tooth must now be extracted and an implant put in.

*sigh*

So, today, I went to see the specialist who will do the implant, a handsome, cheerful and chatty young man who assured me that it won't hurt a bit and I'll be pleasantly surprised. Yeah, yeah, that's what they all say; when the root canal was done, the endodontist lifted me right off the chair when he hit a very lively nerve. So much for reassurances.

I left with dread in my heart and the knowledge that all this joy will take about four months and cost about $1,000 per month. Fun, huh? I was in great need of comfort food.

How very appropriate that one of my favorite breakfast places is "Comforts" in San Anselmo. I found a parking place nearby and was given a table right away - things were looking up. A quick scan of the menu revealed their meatloaf hash topped with two eggs. Now, I ask you, what could possibly be more comforting than hash made from meat loaf? I ordered that, with eggs over easy.

The plate was so full I couldn't possibly finish it, but the part I did eat was comfort personified. Deeply homey and sustaining, it was just right for a cloudy day of spitting fog, chilly winds and bad news from the dentist. By the time I left, the fog had lifted and the sun was shining. I put the top down on my car and cruised home feeling much better. I'm still not looking forward to the next few months but at least for the moment I was comforted.