Contact Lenses Aren't For Sissies

One would think that the initial period of adjustment for contacts would be say--- 2 weeks?

HA

HA HA

HA HA HA

Not for me.

Hubby is about ready to snatch these things from my eyes and toss them in the trash. Poor guy, all he hears is "There's something in my eye!" or "Close the window, something will get in my eye!".. there really is no in-between, either something is already in my eye or about to get in my eye.

I got them because I was tired of exercising with my glasses and the bridge of my nose getting beat up and wiping under my glasses the sweat from spinning and then breaking out. Thought it would be easier. Yeah right, even the process was not easy for me.

Getting fitted for my first pair should have given me a hint of what I was in store . The girl who demonstrates how to put in and take out the lens had it on the tip of her finger and said "See? You want this bowl shape. You don't want a platter. If it's a platter, its inside out." A bowl? A platter? It barely resembled a cup and now I was supposed to play guess the dish? I asked her to show me what exactly a platter looked like- she flipped it inside out and it still looked pretty much liked it did the other way. Many attempts later, I was able to get that flimsy piece of Saran Wrap in my eye. Whew! That's over! Then they wanted me to take it out! WHY??? I JUST GOT IT IN!!! Here I am trying to get it out.. a very thin film, no wisp, of a lens. Finally its out- I am sure my eyeball is bruised. Then it has to go in again...

Insert sigh and quiet time here


When its all in -- I learn that I have to go through that every night. I thought they made these things to stay in almost forever???

Each night I struggled with that stupid lens... its too thin, my eyes are too beady I am sure I can't open my eyes that wide even if I reach over my head, kiss my elbow and grab my lashes with the opposite hand to pry open my eye--- it ain't working...

Not to mention that whole bowl/platter thing... once you get it in you find out you inserted it platter side out... man I could cuss like a trucker when I did that---

Then my daughter comes over and tries to help me. She felt sorry for me after the damn lens flipped in half like a taco shell and got lodged under my eyelid. Was it painful?

If you have to ask....

She finally said "Mom, I don't think contacts are for you." Well there you go, talk about throwing down the proverbial gauntlet. I did get some important info from her; that there ARE lenses that stay in all week and only come out for a night to get cleaned and let your eye breathe, and that her lenses say "OK" when you look through them so you know that you are putting it in the right way. And why don't I have those??? So I called the optometrist and why yes I can get those lenses but they are thicker and may be a tad uncomfortable. WHO CARES! At this point I want thicker! And no more bowl platter nonsense...

New contacts are much better.. The word "OK" is my favorite word to read. Saturday night, out they come, Sunday morning in they go.. eventually , it still takes me a bit of time.

Still some adjustments for hubby though. Last night I begged him to turn off the ceiling fan, I swear it blows dust and fuzz right in my eyes. He did and was so miserably hot. And coming back from the gym he likes the window open so the breeze can cool him off... I have to wear sunglasses so the wind doesn't blow something in my eye.

Hmmm sounds like most of the adjusting is his????

Maybe I owe him a back rub.

As long as it isn't outside in a breeze or under a fan, he's got it.

Can Too Much Salad Make You Sick?

Yes, it can. You can eat so much lettuce, tomatoes, and orange peppers that you want to barf a rainbow. Of course maybe you shouldn't have had three pieces of chicken before you ate the salad. Even though it was skinless and they were drumsticks.

So it's been a couple of years since I blogged. Hmm... why did I stop? Well when you have a very funny hubby who doesn't know just how funny the things he says and does are, well it doesn't bode will for matrimonial bliss to stop him mid-sentence crying "Hold up! I gotta write that down!" I gave him a reprieve of a couple of years so fair is fair.

A good friend hired a landscaper that brought so much color into her backyard that all you can do is stand there and stare and swear you were in a botanical something or other. I gotta get this guy to do something for me I thought! Our yard is by no means a mess-- its not like we don't have someone already coming over to cut the grass and trim. Hubby doesn't even own a lawnmower, when the boys grew up and moved out, so did weed whackers and anything with the first name of John. The guy we have is dependable and does a good job; mowing. But I wanted splendor, pizazz, COLOR!

The new guy came out and looked at an area in the back yard behind my kitchen/dining area. There were vines growing everywhere, strangling the agapanthas and making perfect cover for the most dreadful of all creatures; snakes.

With a little elbow grease, and eye for color and how to combine them where they actually all go -together... the new perennial bed was born. Voila!

Then on to the front... a couple of window boxes, some more color under a maple tree, a Little Gem Magnolia, a few more invoices...

Hubby asked me today if we were "done". What is done may I ask? And are you ever really there? Isn't the journey the destination?

No funny retorts from him as of yet...

New School New Friends

Yesterday I picked up middle granddaughter from her new school.

I got there a little early so I could meet her teacher and figure out the school's layout. She was out on the playground when I arrived. It took me awhile to find her, there were alot of little blonde kids running around and they all had ponytails. Except for one. She had long dark hair and was a little wisp of a girl. And she was firmly holding hands with another little girl, this one with a braid swinging wildly as she galloped across the schoolyard. Yup, that was my baby with the crazed braid.


Her teacher and I spoke for a few minutes before she blew the "the dead could even hear it" whistle. All the kids came running toward her and lined up perfectly chatting happily. It was great to see granddaughter so happy - last year she had a bad case of persistent hives that may have been stress induced from going to school. Not one little blemish on her face today. And this with a different school and a different district and not one child in her class that she knew before that day.


We went inside and she gathered her lunch box and book bag, said her goodbyes and we headed out. Once in the car buckled up and headed toward Starbucks (gotta get some iced tea!), she starting telling me about her day. She had so much fun! Her teacher told me she scored so well she was in the top reading group, where there were only 3 other kids. This means she can read books at her own pace and then take comprehension tests before she moves on. She liked also being asked to help the slow readers with their assignments.

We had stopped at a light when I asked her about the little brunette girl she was playing with on the playground. (Her teacher had mentioned she had just arrived here from Russia).

Granddaughter said " She's nice. But she doesn't talk like me."

"Really?" I replied. "I heard she was from Russia, she is probably more comfortable speaking Russian".

"Yeah, well I am helping her with English. Sometimes I tell her the word for things."

"That is very nice of you. That's what friends do, they help. And maybe she can teach you some Russian words."

"Yeah, I don't care how she sounds. I mean I care and I want to help her, but I really don't care. You know what I mean Nina?"

"Yes I do" I replied thinking wow---what a heart this kid has.....

"And there is this little boy there" she added

"Uh huh"

She continued, " And he has something growing on his fingertips. I like him..but I CARE about that.."


Okay -1 out of 2

lol

She's Here!

Youngest granddaughter has arrived!

7 pounds 15 ounces, born 8-20-08 at 7:33 AM....

What a beauty...

All I can say is that I have fallen in love with her.....

WELCOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Home on the Range

The range is in.

Had a little difficulty with the install - apparently the floor is a bigger issue than we knew. The range is tilted just a bit due to the floor being up so high and this range sitting forward farther than the old one.

Middle son tried everything he could think of to rectify the situation. He finally called me into the kitchen and asked " Just when are you getting the granite?" "Why?" I replied (knowing that hubby's granite timetable was further off in the distance than I hoped. "Well, it makes a big difference. You see the range is tilted. I can fix it by cutting the floor tile and it will sit level. Or, if you were going to get the granite soon, I would suggest you not cut the floor tile because it will bring the counter top up enough to level the range."

I am going to be cooking with tilted pans for awhile I thought.

"Let's ask your dad" I said. "He is the only one with the final answer".

So he calls hubby in and asks him the same question.

Hubby rolls his eyes.

Hubby huffs.

And he puffs.

He finally says "Why do you have to ask that in front of her? Are you guys in cahoots or something?"

"No" middle son replies " I just need to know if you want me to cut the tile. I'll do it, just give me the okay."

Hubby groans and says "You guys are working together. Your partners. I am outnumbered."

He looks at me, I stifle a smile.

"Don't cut the tile" he says and leaves the room. Quickly I might add.

I smile at middle son.

He smiles at me.

Now we know.

The granite guys are coming Wednesday with an estimate. I already have one from someplace else that was crazy high - let's hope this one is more reasonable.

I used the Easy Convect feature to cook lunch.

Holy smokes it was easy (hence the easy declaration by Kitchen Aid). You plug in what the regular cooking time and temp is and it converts it for you, it tells you when to check it and turns the oven off.

It worked perfectly.

The warming drawer warmed up the whole grain rolls and man I felt like I was cooking in a Dream Kitchen; tilt and all.

Here is a pic of the range as it is today. We still need the cabinet doors to cover the venting, and the tile backsplash will be removed and a new one installed with a potfiller.

And oh yeah, the granite.

Sooner rather than later I hear.

Vented!

Here is a kitchen update.

My very talented middle son has shortened the cabinet and installed the vent hood.

Much better - no more head clunking.

Next step, range installation.

Where Did That Fox Go?

Today we were in the Publix parking lot and this little kid was staring at our car. Transfixed.

It brought back memories of a night not so long ago...

If you get squeamish, skip this post.


We had went to a restaurant way out in Edgefield, South Carolina. It was late by the time we got in the car to head back home.

We are driving down a country two lane road when all of a sudden we see yellow eyes and hear "THWAP"! It was enough to send fear through your heart.

"We hit something!" I yelled.

"Yeah, but I don't know exactly" grimaces hubby.

"Was it a dog?"

"No" he replied. "I think it was a coyote or maybe a fox."

We continue down the road in silence when all of a sudden we hear thump, thump, thump.

OH GEE..... IS IT STILL THERE?

Visions of some poor thing runs through my mind, I think I am going to be sick.

Then we hear funny fumbling noises, and slapping, and things dropping off the car.

"Should we get out?" I wonder aloud.

"No. If something is alive it will sure as Hell bite me if I try to help it. We just need to get home."

We turn at the lake, taking a quick left, and something falls off our car.

Yuck.

Hubby slowly turns his head and looks at me. "Maybe we better stop at the car wash."

I vigorously nod my head.

We get into town and pull into the car wash. You know, one of those 24 hour gas stations with a car wash tunnel attached? As we pull into the car wash, we read where it's two dollars to run though the cycle. Oh and it only takes quarters.

We dig around and come up with a buck fifty. We are going to have to go inside to get more change.

Hubby backs out of the wash and turns the car around and parks in front of the store.

People stare. People stop. A woman is horrified and covers her eyes and runs into the store.

Not good.

We slowly get out.

I refuse to look.

I come back with quarters. I don't see anything on the grill.

I ask hubby " What were they staring at?"

He said "Oh there was something there alright. A fox. I had to get a plastic bag from the trunk and use it to cover my hand to pull it off of there. It was wedged pretty tight."

Thank God I am not a guy. I would have fainted if asked to do that.

We go through the wash cycle. It's silent in the car.

What was a great evening with friends turned into Roadkill Hell.

Days go by.

We forget the "incident".

Then hubby has a near collision and has to honk his horn.

It doesn't honk.

It doesn't toot.

It doesn't beep.

It warbles like a baby bird.

He takes the car in to get the grill fixed and have the horn looked at while it's there.

Seems that the fox took out quite a bit of stuff under there. Our air conditioning was pretty much gone, (it was winter and we hadn't noticed), and some other pretty important stuff was history.

So over a thousand dollars later we end the fox saga.

Until today. When the little boy looked at our car like there was a fox stuck in the grill.

I couldn't look.