A new dawn has broken, has it not?

Oh, May 1997. I remember it as if it were yesterday. The euphoria and sense of excitement as the Tories were ousted from power in the most brutally beautiful way possible. I will never forget it.

Likewise, I don't think I'll be forgetting the anniversary in a hurry and Tony Blair finally doing what he indicated he was going to do more than two years ago and resigning. Only on this occasion I wasn't giggling in intoxicated glee - I was laid out in a dentist's chair while a mad South African stuck a pair of pliers in my gob and shrieked: "He's resigned!"

Allow me to explain. The ear infection I was diagnosed with last week had not completely cleared up, indeed I spent last night barely able to sleep because of the pain. Mindful of the fact I'm due to fly to New Zealand on Saturday, I decided to pay another visit to the doctor.

I don't know what it is about doctor's surgeries, but I always feel like I'm being summoned to see the headmaster or something. It invariably feels like it is somehow my fault that I am darkening their door. Anyway, the doctor shined his light into various parts of my body, scratched his features a bit, and then hit me with news I wasn't expecting - I didn't have an ear infection. Or at least I didn't any more.

So what was causing the pain? The answer was given to me in the surgery next door where I was sent. A dental surgery. It was there that a very eccentric, barking mad South African informed me that I had one infected wisdom tooth and a molar that was harming the nerves in my lower jaw. The wisdom tooth could come out immediately, the other would have to wait while I decided on repair or removal.

The mad Dr Van HatesBlicks, or whatever his name was, then stuck a few needles in my gums and then got out the equipment he was going to use to pull my tooth out. I didn't actually feel any fear, it was as if I had resigned myself to the next few minutes of my life being utterly horrible and therefore just accepting it.

Dr Apartheid started to loosen my tooth with what looked strangely like something from a mechanic's garage. He then obviously sensed I was feeling some discomfort. "Think of something really nice," he implored. As I started to imagine the beautiful scenery of New Zealand, he then decided unilaterally what positive thinking I needed to take my mind off him wrenching a tooth out of my head.

"Just think of Blair resigning. That's right - hold that thought- HE'S GONE! Stay strong, come on, Tony Blair has resigned, Tony Blair has resigned..."

And so it went on until the little bugger came out. I have to say the sight of this Sydney-based lunatic South African getting so animated about the resignation of the British Labour Party leader did act as an effective distraction, even if it was one of the more surreal and unnerving experiences of my life.

The whole experience set me back $250 on the credit card too. Still, if I can have a pain free week in New Zealand I won't be complaining about anything.