Dave and I went yesterday to have our eyes checked. We've been meaning to go for months; we kept talking about it and talking about it, and finally Dave made an appointment. We both knew we needed reading glasses. We weren't sure about the rest of our sight overall.
I last went to an optician in 1999, when I lived in Sarasota, Fla. She sold me a stylish but completely unnecessary pair of glasses. They were a very mild prescription to clarify my distance vision, but I found that wearing them made my eyes ache. After a couple of months of off-and-on use, I put them in a drawer and never touched them again.
I did, however, save them through all my subsequent moves, because those frames -- little oblong lenses, light wire -- were expensive! And it's a good thing I did, because, yes, I need reading glasses (my regular vision is still 20-20) and the optician here said it would be no problem to use my pricey frames.
Consequently, the fee for my exam and new lenses came to about £100. Dave's fee was four times as much, because he needed frames, too.
I had a pretty good idea my eyes were OK overall, because with all my photography I'd never experienced blurriness or any indication of a problem. (At least, not while taking my pictures. When I try to look at them afterwards in the camera display, I have to hold it about as far away from my body as my arm will extend.)
In other news, our landlord has agreed to renew our lease. Yay! This is a huge relief. Dave kept saying she had no reason not to, but I envisioned a homeless nephew who needed a place to live, or a plan to renovate, or a scheme to sell our unit to the upstairs neighbors so they could occupy the whole house. Fortunately, none of that appears in the offing. We (and Olga) are safe to enjoy the garden for another year!
(Photos: Ducks near the West Heath, June 15.)
you are a "wise" owl...keeping those frames!
ReplyDeleteHappy to hear no move is necessary!!
Have a great weekend.
I can't believe you still have 20/20 vision for distance. That's amazing!
ReplyDeleteWe all breathe a sigh of relief with you and Dave about the apartment- we like it too! Especially the garden.
Reading glasses happen to most of us. They're a pain to get used to. It's easier to get used to them when you need distance as you have to wear them.
ReplyDeleteI have a pair of reading glasses in every room of the house in case I need one there. But, they are just drug store reading glasses. Nothing expensive. I do have a pair for distance and reading that I only use when watching TV or movies or plays and when I'm driving at night. Back when I was working in Chicago, the constant wind (they don't call it the windy city for nothing) was driving my contact lensed eyes crazy so I had lasic surgery and my eyes have been great ever since. Well, except for that reading part. Only in the last couple of years have I used anything for distance and the doctor said that's the normal aging thing.
ReplyDeleteI love the ducks like sitting sentinels! It's wild that you don't need glasses for more than reading. I've been incredibly near-sighted since I was seven years old and now have to wear reading glasses, too. I refuse to get those graduated things and prefer contacts during the day with funky reading glasses when necessary. For night I just wear TWO pairs of glasses -- it's attractive, to say the least.
ReplyDeleteFrames are incredibly expensive. A good frame will last for years, if it's not too faddish ... but I still don't see why they cost quite as much as they do. Good for you for hanging onto yours and avoiding that fee. And I'm glad your living arrangements are all set for another year! Can't have Olga's life turned upside down, y'know :)
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