06 September 2011

In which I get glasses.

As a lifelong bookworm, it came as a total shock a few months ago when I lost the desire to read. Well, that's not entirely accurate. It was no longer fun to read, and by that I mean a few pages were enough to make my head throb and my eyes want to leap from their sockets and roll away.
I thought back over the last week. Hm. Constant headache. To be totally honest, I'd had a headache for a few months. You know how things look when you watch through a very old window? Kinda wavy and just a touch fuzzy? That's how everything looked when I read or did needlework. In case you're wondering, it's totally Not Fun. I waited for the next paycheck and got an eye exam.

Now, I've always aced eye exams. When asked to read the bottom line, smart-butt me would read the copyright information. I settled into the chair with some confidence.

"Okay, read the lowest line that you can see clearly."

Holy... Wow. It was apparent that my confidence was misplaced. "Um, P... S... D? C... Uh, Q. I think."

The rest of the exam went in a similar vein, and it became obvious that 20/10 vision was a thing of the past. I waited for the results.

"Well, your eyes are in good shape. No macular degeneration, no high blood pressure or glaucoma or diabetes. BUT! You have some astigmatism, which is why you've been having headaches."

Huh. So, instead of being shaped like ping-pong balls, my eyes look more like eggs. Great. "So I need glasses?"

"Yes. But you won't have to wear them all the time. Just for driving, and for reading and other close work."

I almost collapsed my sinuses by snorting. My entire LIFE involves close work. Knitting, reading, writing... Heck, even playing with Junior involves close work. His favorite toy is the calculator, and we play letter and number games all day long. "In other words, I won't need them in the shower or when I'm sleeping, eh?"

The thought of glasses was not distressing. Lots of my favorite people wear glasses, so I'd be in good company. And anything that got rid of the headaches would be a Good Thing. I picked out a pair of frames, listed my preferences, and handed over a large chunk of change. A week later, the office called to let me know that the specs had arrived. I rushed right over and was handed my first pair of glasses. I put them on.

Woooooooowwwww! "Everything has edges! This is so cool!"

While I haven't gotten that multi-million dollar publishing contract or anything like that, I can say that my life has been improved by getting glasses. I haven't had a headache since I started wearing them, and I can read and knit for hours without wanting to bury my face in a bucket of ice. Also, Junior likes to try them on now and then, and he looks cute as a bug in them.

There's only one problem. Now that I can see everything, what should I do first?

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