Frantic Friday #18 - Pulling Teeth

I have always wondered about the phrase "pulling teeth."  People say things like, "That was as hard as pulling teeth." What exactly does that mean? 

Interestingly enough, tonight I witnessed the effort behind "pulling teeth." My son has a tooth that has no good reason to still be in his head.  The permanent tooth came in long ago, so this tooth by all rights should have fallen out...but it didn't. He has wiggled at it for weeks, but tonight he was determined to get it out.  So I watched my normally hyper bouncy child stare at himself in the mirror as he wiggled back and forth, periodically giving us excited squeals of progress.

All I can say is that the Tooth Fairy is not visiting tonight. sigh

If my son is any indication, "pulling teeth" is a long process, one fraught with tedious repetitive wiggling and boredom.  He was a little surprised the rest of us weren't interested in watching him wiggle, but alas, pulling teeth seems to be an individual sport.

So what is it we do in our lives that can be compared to "pulling teeth?"  What is it we do that is long and boring, not to mention that it leaves a hole when we are done?  If I had to pick my personal "pulling teeth" moment each week, I think I would have to go with laundry.  It is long and boring, and when I am done I have a 'whole' chunk of missing time.  You?