Eye can't take it!

On Sat morning at 2:45am I woke up with pain in my right eye.  My eye was red and watering a lot.  I thought I might have gotten a tiny hair in my eye, since I got my haircut the evening before, so I got up, removed my contacts, flushed my eye with water and went back to bed.  But within a few minutes my eye hurt so much I couldn't stand to keep my eye closed!  Still thinking I might have a tiny hair in my eye, I repeated the eye flushing and then took some pain reliever before getting back to bed.  But the eye pain became unbearable!  So I got myself dressed, put on my eye glasses, and took myself to the Emergency Room at 4:30am.  Spouse offered to go with me but I told him there was no reason for both of us to be awake at this hour.

Fortunately there was no one in the waiting room so I was able to check-in right away, and was seen by the nurse George within minutes.  George recorded my verbal explanation for my visit, took my vitals, and then put numbing drops in my eye.  Within 10 seconds the terrible pain was gone.

When the doctor came in a few minutes later I explained (again) my situation and he decided to flush my eye again.  His technique was much more thorough than mine as he held my eye open and squirted fluid into it for several seconds.  Then he used a special light and examined my eye.

He told me I had a small abrasion on my pupil.  There's no way of knowing how it occurred, or why it would suddenly wake me from my sleep with such pain, but I'm not ruling out a tiny piece of hair from my haircut getting into my eye.  The doctor gave me a prescription for steroid/antibiotic drops which I obtained before returning home.  He said my eye would likely heal within 2-3 days and told me not to wear my contacts for 5 days.  Here's a photo of me with my new haircut wearing my glasses.

The drops worked well and I've had no further pain. Tomorrow will be day 6 so I will put in fresh lenses and see how it goes.

I can see clearly now

I started wearing glasses when I was 12 years old.  I switched to contact lenses when I was 18 years old.  I'm 1 of 4 children and all of us wear glasses or contacts.

For many years now I've been wearing extended wear disposable contacts.  I wear them for a month (sometimes longer when I forget) then throw them away and put in a fresh pair.  I love them!

My prescription has been to correct nearsightedness (can't see distances) and astigmatism.  However, now that I am "of a certain age" I have had more and more trouble seeing things up close too.

I was able to compensate for this easily with my iPhone but adjusting the font to a larger size.  But for work I have to read MLS fact sheets that will only print at a set size in order to fit all the info on a single page.  I compensated for this by using a pair of cheap reading glasses, purchased at the dollar store.  This worked fine when I was at my desk, but when I tried to refer to the fact sheets while out on showings, I literally couldn't distinguish between some letters and numbers.

So I discussed this with my eye doctor during my last annual check up.  He suggested I try mono vision contact lenses.  This means you wear a distance correction lens in your dominant eye and a reading correction lens in your other eye.  Initially this sounded crazy as I imagined myself stumbling around trying to figure out which eye to use to see distances an up close.  

But my doctor said that your eyes automatically pick the right one to see what you're trying to see, and while some people take a day or 2 to adjust to this, most people adjust within an hour.

Still, I couldn't imagine how this would work.  So my eye doctor suggested we experiment with it.  I put my 'regular' (distance) lens back in my right eye, and then he gave me a reading correction lens for my left eye.

"Look out the window at that sign across the street.  Can you read the sign?" he asked.

"Yes" I responded.

"Good.  Now take a look at this" he said and handed me a piece of paper.  "Can you read this?"

"Yes!" I responded in amazement.

Its hard to describe how it works, but your eyes just 'figure out' which one of them to use for distance vision and reading vision.  I was sold.

So now I wear mono vision contacts and have not needed the reading glasses.  I will admit that some of my distance acuity is reduced, but its still satisfactory and is certainly better than when I couldn't read things up close.

Anyone else wear mono vision contacts?  What's your experience/satisfaction level?

Shades of blue

On Sun Spouse & I went to the beach.  It was 1 of those 'perfect' beach days:  warm, sunny, moderate humidity, and a gentle breeze.  Its not always like this.  Some days we sweat our asses off, and other days the wind threatens to turn our umbrellas into missiles.  On Sun thought it was pretty scrumptious.

I couldn't help but capture the day:

I love the way the blue of my chair, the blue of my sunglasses, and the blue of the ocean and sky as reflected in my sunglasses all came together in this photo.

Friday fragments

Welcome to Friday fragments, my weekly recap of topics too big to forget, yet too small to be their own post.

Spouse remains committed to following Weight Watchers with another 3 lb. loss this week. After 9 weeks he's lost a total of 38 lbs. He's now able to fit into some clothes he bought brand new but was never able to wear.

My friend Jared sent me this photo of an 'ergonomic' stool for men. Looks comfy!

It occurred to me this week that although our screened porch expansion was completed last month, I never posted any photos of it. So here's the back of our house and you can see the previous screened porch on the far left side.

The original screened porch was 6 feet deep and 17 feet long; integrated into the footprint of the house.

We had the porch extended in depth by 8 additional feet, so the porch now measures 14 feet deep and 17 feet long. It has a burgundy metal roof that matches the burgundy of the house trim.

Since the completion of the porch expansion we have had uncharacteristically low humidity so we have really used the screened porch a lot! We can seat 8 people at tables for a meal and 8 people in conversational seating.

We love it! Now, that's it for home additions and/or expansions. Perhaps this fall I'll paint a few rooms and in the spring we may have some mild landscaping done, but no more construction projects!

On Wed I got my new glasses. (Please ignore the weird faces I was making.)

"Turn to the left..."

"Now turn to the right..."

"Sashay, chante!" Although I wear contact lenses 99.9% of the time, Spouse really wanted me to have a pair of current prescription glasses as a back-up, and I really like these. They are very light-weight, comfortable to wear, and kind of modern.

I'm off work today. No special reason; just wanted to use up another vacation day while the weather was so nice. I had a relaxing morning of coffee, email, Facebook, and TV then tidied up the kitchen, threw some laundry in the washer, packed up a box for Spouse, then dropped off said box at the UPS store, picked up a cute T-shirt and belt (both 50% off) at Aeropostale, and then hit the beach for 3 hours. Why does the time seem to go by so much faster when you take a day off?

This summer I have spent more time at the beach than ever before and despite my usual paleness, I am getting a tan for the 1st time in years. Not that it was my goal to get a tan, but its kind of exciting to longer resemble a member of Casper the Friendly Ghost's family. Of course, Spouse is 'concerned' that I am going to get skin cancer, despite the fact that I always use sun screen and sometimes sit in the shade of an umbrella. I like the way I look with a little color in my face.

Wishing you all a terrific weekend!

Crush du Jour: Mark McClellan

Eye exam

Yesterday evening I went to my new eye doctor for an eye exam.

I wasn't that thrilled with my last eye doctor so I took a friend's advice and made an appointment with her eye doctor. Once I got there I realized this new eye doctor advertises in the local 'Letters from CAMP Rehoboth' magazine, which is nice, and that he's also a friend of Dorothy.

Upon entering the exam room we exchanged initial greetings and then he noticed that my flip flops and t-shirt were the same color. "Did you buy them together?" he asked. "No, but I intentionally wore them together" I replied. "But that's a good idea... I should open a store on the boardwalk called 'Flops N Shirts' and sell flip flops and matching shirts" I suggested with a snicker. "I'm sure it would be a hit" he encouraged. From this exchange I knew we'd get along better than my old eye doctor who didn't get my sense of humor.

After several tests he announced that I don't have glaucoma, cataracts, or any other eye issues. Next it was on to the vision test where they flip the lenses around and ask you "Is 1 better than 2?" and "Which is clearer, 3 or 4?" I always find this tricky, as sometimes just blinking will make the same lens look different. But I got through it with less uncertainty than with my last eye doctor.

My new eye doctor advised me that was adjusting my prescription and suggested a similar but new contact lens. He provided me with a trial pair and I am finding them to be extremely comfortable. Plus the prescription adjustment was just the tweak I needed for additional clarity. I feel like bursting into song "I can see clearly now..."

Once the eye doctor kissed me goodbye (just kidding) I met up with 1 of the assistants out front to discuss my insurance and product choices. According to her, I have very good vision benefits which she indicated would be better used on glasses than contacts. This was just what I needed to know, since I really wanted new glasses.

My current eye glasses (which I never wear) are at least 6 years old and 2-3 prescriptions ago. They never fit me correctly (so I never wore them) and I don't know WHAT I was thinking when I picked them out. My pupils must have been dilated or something. Did I mention I never wear them?

The assistant picked out a dozen different frame styles and had me try on each one and tell her what I did and didn't like. With that info, she selected another dozen and I did the same thing. Lather, rinse, and repeat. Such service! I eventually narrowed down the huge selection to 5 very different frames and even got the input of the doctor and another assistant. I narrowed the 5 down to 2 that I liked equally. At that point it became a question of price, and the decision was made. I really like the new, modern frames and think I might actually wear these glasses occasionally just for looks.

Since my insurance covers glasses or contacts, I will simply order new contacts online and pay out of pocket for them. My new glasses should be ready in about a week. I'll try and remember to take a photo of myself in them and post it in next week's Friday fragments.

Crush du Jour: Marc Jacobs

Glasses

I like to think of myself as a pretty easy-going kind of guy. I try not to press people for 'nice to know' details that do not ultimately affect anything. If someone tells me they'll arrive between 3:30 and 4:00, I can live with that. I do not require them to call me when they are 5 minutes away or anything like that. But there is one thing I'm particular about that seems to shatter my easy-going nature: when people use the wrong type of glass. I know it sounds petty, but it really bothers me.
There are several specific glasses named after the beverages for which they were designed. This, my favorite of all glasses, is a martini glass.
It is called a martini glass because it was designed for martinis. Notice the stem? That is to hold the martini glass so the heat of your hand does not warm the contents of the glass. Martinis are never served with ice cubes in the glass. Even the shape of the glass is proportionate to the suggested volume of martini to be consumed. Quite simply, the shape and function of this glass is pure brilliance. Please - I beg of you, do not serve any other beverage but a martini in a martini glass, or your left ear will rot and fall off.


This, my 2nd favorite glass, is the pilsner. Pilsners are designed for beer. Notice the tall, tapered shape? Again, it is proportionate to the typical amount of beer poured from a can or bottle. Please - do not serve any other beverage but beer in a pilsner glass, or you will surely bounce a check within 48 hours.


This is a wine glass, possibly the most frequently misused glass. Whether long-stemmed or short-stemmed, wine glasses should never contain any other beverage but wine, and especially not champagne. Champagne has its own glass; keep reading. This is a brandy snifter. Yes, there is a 't' in the word snifter. Again, the shape of this glass is ideal for brandy, as it suggests wrapping your hand around its bowl, allowing the heat of your hand to lightly warm the brandy for maximum bouquet and flavor. Unlike the glasses above, its size is not proportionate to the volume of brandy it can hold. Never, ever fill a brandy snifter to the top. But rather, only about 1/4 of the glass should be filled, allowing the drinker to swirl the brandy without spilling it. If any other beverage is served in a brandy snifter you will immediately become uglier than you used to be.

This is a champagne flute. Its tall, narrow, elegant shape allows one to easily see all the delightful, mirth-inducing bubbles rising to the top. It is acceptable to serve a Mimosa in a champagne glass since a Mimosa is simply a combination of champagne and orange juice.

This is a highball glass; also known as a tumbler. This is the one glass you may use for more than one kind of beverage! Oh, you'd like a Tom Collins? Certainly, in this highball glass/tumbler. Rum and Coke? Coming right up in this highball glass/tumber! Lots of cocktails can correctly be served in a highball glass/tumbler, so if in doubt ask yourself "Does this cocktail have a glass named after it?" If not, chances are a highball glass/tumbler is the correct glass. This is a margarita glass. Remember, its margarita, NOT marguerita. Please note there is no 'u' or 'e' in this margarita. The unique shape of this glass, which helps distinguish it from others, suggests only one beverage, a margarita, should ever be served in it. Word!Hopefully these little tips and photos will prevent you from offending someone with delicate beverage glass sensibilities like me, and will allow you to appear as though you really know your way around a bar. No thanks necessary - I just consider this a sort of public service announcement.

I remember an occasion where some friends and I ordered cocktails at a rather nice restaurant. Three of us ordered martinis and when the waitress brought the drinks to us, 2 of the martinis were in martini glasses and 1 was in a wine glass. I must have given the waitress a horrified look because without a word from me she apologized "I'm sorry for the wine glass but we ran out of martini glasses, and I didn't think you'd want to wait until the dishwasher was finished." Without argument the cocktail tasted exactly as it would in the correct glass, but my level of enjoyment was diminished.

There's a huge billboard in Ocean City, MD advertising some restaurant and bar (I can't remember the name) along with its slogan, in quotation marks, "Best margaritas on the beach!". To my horror, next to the best margarita quote they have a giant martini glass! I threatened to call the restaurant and tell them the billboard made them look like idiots since everyone knows that margaritas have their own glass, yet they chose a martini glass to accompany their 'best margaritas' quotation, but Spouse suggested I not waste my energy. After all, it was Ocean City.

Crush du Jour: Tom Brady