Finally: The new Goretex bag arrived, our PM tied in the pipes, fitting clamps during the intervening week, & now I've begun playing my instrument again. So far the only definite difference I've noticed is that cutting out--ceasing the sound--seems smoother. Unfortunately the Major didn't like my chanter's reed, so he replaced it with another new, stiff, harder-to-blow one.

Meanwhile I kept a dental appointment of an hour & 40 minutes, though it may have lasted longer. In preparation for a bridge, the outer 1-2 mm of enamel had to come off two teeth--a scary prospect, maybe, but perhaps not so much as extraction. Wasn't too bad. Crowns evidently offer advantages, too. At the moment mine are temporary.