元兒大審團選接送／莊峻華
元兒大審團選複選法官信已達，我已經準備長期抗戰，這是一件刑事案，若中選十二名大審團，當日就需要回到城中法院聽審，每週兩日，一日聽訟三小時，一共三個月，元兒大呼倒霉，直呼下次不投票，以免被抽中陪審責任，我當好公民一生，盡國民義務，毫無怨言，要想有民主法治，享受權利自由，就需要盡義務，就像要減少武漢肺炎威脅，就要接種疫苗，不要癆種攻擊亞裔老人。
我知道元兒不喜開車，平常深居簡出，每週僅開車五日，上下班而已，而且車程僅三哩一趟，要他驅車出城，甚是危險，也沒有甚麼成熟不成熟，他從無車禍事故，而且我閒來無事，也找不到工作，當當家人司機，也是一件有意義之生活。只是這大審團接送，顯然需要中斷兩日網球局。
好友戴安聞言曰，無妨可搭公車，在市巴士集合停車場，隨清晨城中上班者，專車赴城中，再步行一小段即可，而且元兒可以自己驅車，來回停車場，如此，又解決一件事。
再來就是請公司經理，安排週休二日，剛好在這兩聽訟日，越想越週到，我一生奉召陪審多年多次，卻也不曾入圍，大約我太有意見耳。
The tooth extractions/Carlos Pueblo
In order to have my fake teeth installed, I must first to have the loose teeth extracted. There are five of them. This part is covered by the newly added Medicare Dental Coverage; however, the denture cost is not. I get it all figure out that I must do it here at home in Houston in order to avoid the interruption of my daily life.
The dentist did the bottom three first which were 14,15,and 16 and then the upper 25 and 26. 25 tooth was just a small remaining while 26 gave me tremendous hard time. Now, I need to wait two weeks to get the wound heal well and return to him for the mold in order to let the laboratory work on both set of denture. Fake teeth set is a traditional method to help the loosing teeth in the mouth to eat. I know that is my own fault for not taking a good care of my teeth while I was at the young age.
The fake teeth installation is an old technology for more than a century. Eight years ago, I went back to Taipei to have my first two sets installed by my cousin, Dr. Chen. He has learned such trade from his childhood from his father, my mother's elder brother. I was lucky to find him after so many years absent from Taiwan. It is a good story to tell about how my uncle learns how to make the fake teeth. While I was attending senior high school, I stayed at his house and witness how his technician made the metal work and the mold. My last two sets have been working very well until several more are fallen.
I have seen some philanthropic dentists in California to use the sport facility to install the fake tooth set for the poor people otherwise they can't afford to pay for the cost. I believe that some mayors and magistrates in Taiwan sponsor free fake teeth installation for their poor constituency. Because of my unfortunate experience, I do pay attention to such kinds of news. I am almost done the hard part and ready to have a new alternative.
拔牙／莊峻華
終於等到整牙時刻，安裝假牙不賠，我心理有準備，但牙醫要先拔牙，一共五顆，保險包括，所以我跟上這筆小生意，醫生先拔門牙下面三顆，這是牙周病專科醫生之巧計，將三顆牙水泥黏箸，大約存活二十年，現在一顆牙齦已經腐朽，三顆需要手術拔出，另外兩顆在左上額，24，25，就是純拔出，右上額有三落牙，他則不動，我稍了解其意，他準備做上下兩具假牙。
麻醉很好，但拔牙則頗不順，有一顆需要敲碎，分幾次取出，和我上次在台北拔牙經驗不同，若是超然醫師決裁，他可能就留下這顆難纏者當支柱，但我事先並無異議，因為保險公司出錢，而且我相信一顆落牙也算在內，因為留下一小片，舌頭可以覺察。
滿口都是齒血，連忙戴上口罩，先生娘曰，今日免費，下次就需交假牙安裝費，我已經準備好，在美國安裝假牙，無論品質，都較方便，上次運氣好，遇到超然醫師，假牙祖傳秘方，假牙專門三代，安裝假牙，一次妥當就續，我就回美國，無需服務，是我齒質差劣，連續落兩牙，一金牙一巨齒，逼得假牙漏風，而且連環前牙，也開始崩潰，我這次整牙應該是最後一次，無怨無悔矣。
Take Arthur to his second shot/Carlos Pueblo
Yesterday was Arthur's scheduled second vaccine shot. It is the final shot of our family of three. As a matter of fact, he is the most exposed in the family to have encountered so many while at work. After the shot, we'll be safer in regard to the pandemic. Now I am familiar with the route to the suburban Houston drug store for Amy and him. I take I-10 to I-610 loop north and cut in to I-290. I should exit on N.Gessner to the Philippine St intersection. There are still people registered to get the shot. Over all, the entire nation get high percentage of people vaccinated this time due to the governmental effort and the awareness of the corona virus.
While He was waiting on the line for his term, I went across the street to a small strip center full of Vietnamese stores, restaurants, insurance agency, nails parlor, etc. I believe that is a small center for the Vietnamese community. I checked on a grocery store with a small computer game set up. It is called the Pachinko in Japan. A guy showed me how to play the game, more complicate to a slot machine in the casino. I didn't play. I don't even play at the stock market nowadays.
An insurance agency office got my eyes. the agent represents one auto company which I used to produce for quite some time. I can tell his business is mostly from another carrier. There is a door map with a third carrier's log on it. I know immediately that he used to start his business with that company and I also see a pair of chairs after that company's new agent's training. I keep those two at my living room as well. It is a good memory that I have made it as my second carrier. In addition to the insurance, I also learn about the security especially the mutual fund business. My savings in the mutual fund help me to have a steady income at the old age.
This time, I didn't have to wait for a long time because we did arrive about the same as the scheduled time. The waiting que was not that long.
送元兒打第二針／莊峻華
昨日，為元兒為武漢肺炎疫苗第二針注射日，艾美特別交待幾次，我打完清晨網球，尚可嗑睡一小時，驅車西郊，綽綽有餘，藥局仍然按預約，接待前來注射者，按艾美告知，德州居民注射率，超過六成，若加州紐約州等，均超過七成注射率，武肺肆虐稍受控制，美國可以開始援助全球疫苗。
我習慣穿過菲律賓街，過馬路到一加油站雜貨店，上廁所再逛一逛，有一處安裝電玩四桌，我好奇趨近，女店員親切詢問，需否更換玩票，要一電玩者教我玩，我看他示範，發現比賭場之角子老虎複雜，但在東京則是一筆大生意，這種店面是車水馬龍，一位難球。
因是週日，店面關閉，而且有明示，需要戴口罩，保持距離，走幾步始發現，此為越南裔商場，幾家越南飲食餐館，食譜彩照張貼在玻璃窗上，也有指甲美飾沙龍，還有一家越南童性保險代理辦公室，顯然服務附近社區，我從窗外窺視，代理有一內室，外面有兩桌助理，牆上貼上幾家代理汽車保險公司，門口有一步墊，鑲有全州保險字樣，我再查看，果然有兩贈椅，我曾企圖捲土重來保險業，參加該保險新生訓練，結果仍然挫敗，後來就放棄工作，賦閒在家，我猜這位代理，也有此經驗，這一逛，逛出我多少保險業者美憶。
我因從事保險零售業，穩定在美國之工作，又加入基金投資業務，對退休計劃有專門認識，如今隨股市，水漲船高，有固定之退休金收入，無需為失業無收入煩腦，每天都過有意義之生活，幫忙家人，沒有煩惱。
My installing fake teeth in the U.S./Carlos Pueblo
Recently I find a new dental insurance coverage on my Medicare HMO for up to a $2,000 coverage a year. I went to a pre-installation of fake teeth evaluation with a dentist clinic provided such coverage nearby. Yesterday, the estimate came back with an amount $3,381 for the entire work for the fake teeth or called denture for bout 8 teeth lost. The $2,000 coverage doesn't cover such installation yet does cover the abstraction and some other basic prevention procedures. I quickly agree to the dentist for the work and I shall keep my old denture for the spare usage.
Last time, I went back to Taiwan and let my cousin Dr. Chen install two sets total of 5 teeth on both up and down level. Since then I have lost two more teeth and one needed to be abstracted. I plan to go back to Taiwan to re-visit him for another dental work to meet my need. However, the Chinese Wuhan Corona Virus pandemic has kept me from going abroad. It is a requirement of three weeks quarantine when I land in the Island before I can visit the dentist and wait additional month for the make and installation. I calculate the total cost of room and board, airfare, and almost two months stay, etc. It is no longer cheap to install such device in Taiwan.
I am in the middle of my promotion of every morning tennis games with my fellow senior citizen in the neighborhood. I can't afford to leave such a long period of time while the scheduling is very difficult to make up. My installing fake teeth in the U.S. will certainly resolve the issue, plus the cost does make very much sense.
According to the rumor, the charge for a tooth in plant is about $4,000 and a fake tooth installation is about $2,000. I need to multiple the amount by 8 to get the grand total. Therefore, the amount which I agree upon is considerably reasonable. This is what I call a generous policy which the Medicare HMO offers this year.
在美國整牙／莊峻華
兩三週前，獲悉今年開始，老人健保，開始提供若干牙險，我和一家牙醫診所，相約整牙估價，因為武肺期間，返台整牙旅行，諸多不便，於是此診所，幫我申請保險理賠，此牙險包括拔牙，但假牙不賠，於是診所提出估價，我需新做兩具假牙，上面一具包括三落牙，下面一具包括五落牙，過去我在台北整牙，大約花費八百五十美元，很克難租一永和市房間一個月，來回虎尾台北，又環島火車行，烈嶼行等，費用比在美國整牙便宜甚多，假牙是日本老技術，超過一百年以上之歷史，非常信用可靠，台灣一些地方政府，甚至免費提供老市民裝假牙。
診所報價是三千四美金，稍假裝遲疑，但很快就約好門診，因為這次牙醫報價，比傳說中之費用合理甚多，傳說中植牙一顆，要價四千美金，而且牙床要堅固，而且很痛，我如此八顆，將近三萬二美金，像是買一陽春朋馳轎車，年邁又不知何時大限？假牙和植牙，功用相仿，僅異於美觀耳，老人美觀不重要，體力重要，持久重要。
我想過這次返台之費用，飛機票傳說近萬美元，因為座位減少，又有武肺影響，中國統戰又武赫台灣。回台要關閉三週，始能牙醫門診，假牙製作要等一個月，住台北要錢，上次吃素，這次恢復肉食，費用較高，而且我提倡之每日網球局，勢必中斷，對身體健康也不好，於是我就決定在美國整牙，舊假牙當備用，以防萬一。
傳說中的假牙，在美國市價一顆兩千美元，所以我需一萬六，這次估價算便宜，否則我又要忍耐到明年，現在尚有幾個明年？
