Sunday, April 25, 2010

Taller

I've just gotten taller!

Well, strictly speaking, that's not true. In fact, my last physical showed me as down two inches from my maximum height. I'm turning into my mother! Yikes!

But what is true is that the ground has gotten farther away. At least, when I look through my new glasses, it has. It's very disconcerting. I feel more powerful, able to take longer strides to cover the now-increased distance. Yee-haaaa! And hogwash!

When I first put them on, the whole world looked weird, both sharper and not at the same time. I got the new trainee when I went in, so some things that should have happened, didn't. She just told me to look around and see how they seemed, and if they were OK, fine. So I did, with both eyes at once. What I now realize is that I should have done that one eye at a time. The left eye is fine. The right eye is blurry. They should also have tested my new vision on the eye chart, one eye at a time. Part of the reason I accepted it at the time is the new correction for astigmatism. I figured it was just something to get used to. Hopefully without throwing up, the way I felt with my first bifocals.

Oops.

Double oops, actually. If you want proof of how idiotically optimistic I am, and/or how lazy I am about trying to save a trip, I dropped off the old glasses with them when I picked up the new. They can recycle them through the Lions to somebody who needs but can't afford my prescription. I'm hoping they are still recoverable, because these have to go back. While I can drive without any glasses, (well, except for shades), I can't read without them. I'm completely annoyed at the thought of having to pick up "cheaters" for reading.

I already picked up "cheaters" for using the computer: 1.75 lenses. I figured that since I no longer have a computer at arm's length in the car, I can get along without trifocals, saving money. (OK, so I can't see the dashboard clearly either. Next time, trifocals again. Say, another 5 years?) These turned into a double purchase. The first set were the really cheap ones, and wound up being wavy and unclear around the outside. Ick! So I went back for the $20 version, which I'm happily wearing right now. (I have somebody in mind to donate the originals to. I hope it will be a good thing.)

So I'm going back in today. This also annoys me. I have learned to love having at least one day a week with no driving anywhere, sometimes even no shower and getting out of my PJs. I'll find out what I find out when I get there. And I'll insist on the staff help with some real experience, not only this time, but when they come back, with fitting the frames. The trainee just popped them on my face, said, "They OK?" and sent me on my way. 10 minutes later they were hurting. They bow out around the temples and over the ears, and turn in suddenly behind the ears. Pinch plus no traction. A good head shake and they're off, though right now that's not entirely a bad thing. A head tilt and the glasses tilt, giving me a weird double vision that only occurs when one eye is looking through the bifocal while the other one looks out the main part. As if they weren't weird enough already.

So, time for a shower and a road trip. Dang!

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