Is he dense? Or just sadistic?

First 15 minutes in the dentist's office, barely a word is uttered beyond a grunted "hello." Only after I have four hands in my mouth, an extremely sharp instrument that could scrape spray-painted graffiti off stone and another that's making a very disturbing high-pitched screech and emitting a fair amount of smoke and, of course, that suction thingie that could pull dried mud out of shag carpet, my dentist asks, "So, how's work these days?"

(Imported from Feb. 1, 2007)