Dry Drops

Today I had my annual eye exam. At the end of the visit I learned that the lens prescription change was so minor I decided not to bother with new glasses.

However, during the exam I mentioned to the doctor that the letters on the chart were sometimes blurry, but but would clear up when I blinked. He moistened an orange dye strip and touched the strip against the inside of my lower lid, then examined my eyes with a blue light and announced I had dry eye syndrome.

I left the office thoroughly educated about what that means. The main causes of dry eyes are increased tear evaporation (called evaporative dry eye) and decreased tear production (called aqueous deficiency). For both, the most common cause is aging. In addition to my blurry vision, other common symptoms are burning, bloodshot eyes, heavy eyelids, and eye strain during reading or screen use.

The doctor said there were quite a few treatments, but suggested the first step would be preservative-free, over-the-counter eye drops and gave me some suggestions of brands to look for. I was most surprised to learn that using a ceiling fan can be an issue, even during the nighttime when my eyes were closed. For that, he suggested gel eye drops that are thicker and last longer.

Vecteezy

Five years ago: Bicentennial Fun

Shhhhhh....

For the past 10 years Hubby Tony has attended a silent retreat. He has encouraged me to go on one, but I did one in 2008 and had no desire to attend a second. Then a woman from my church invited me as part of a group from the parish and I accepted. My four-day retreat at the White House Retreat Center started on Thursday night and ended on Sunday after lunch. The time was a great experience.

White House opened more than a century ago and sits on a bluff above the Mississippi River. The grounds are serene and beautiful, with mature trees, naturalized areas, formal, and informal flower beds. My room was on the second floor of the largest building with a nice view of the river.

The event started with dinner on Thursday, a chance to get to know the people sitting at my table. That was a good thing, because after that meal the rest of the weekend was silent until lunch on Sunday (unless you chose to attend a half-hour fellowship gathering on Friday and Saturday night). Meal times were accompanied by gentile piped-in music. I put my phone on airplane mode and used it only for a watch and to make sure I got my steps for the day. A couple of times I was tempted to take a photo of something I saw, but decided to use my mind's eye instead.

The program was based on the Spiritual Exercises of Saint Ignatius. Over the course of the weekend the retreat director, a Jesuit priest, led ten conferences (talks), with a period of meditation after each. Each day also included an opportunity to participate in Catholic observances and Mass.

My days quickly fell into a pattern, starting with getting up early each morning to walk around the grounds before the day got too hot, then coming back to my room to get ready for the activity-filled day. There were a multitude of places both inside and outside to sit to pray and meditate and I soon found my favorites, but on Sunday morning when I found a new-to-me chair overlooking the river I suspected there were even more.

One thing I particularly enjoyed was being part of Nature I started to notice little details. Like the sun coming up over the river in the morning, the boats floating downstream or being pushed upstream, the deer I surprised on my walks, the places where those deer had nibbled some of the plants into stubs, the hundreds of bees, butterflies, and a couple of hummingbirds flying around the flower beds, the background drone of the crickets and cicadas, the spider webs stretching from one plant to another along a trail, and the fat Monarch butterfly caterpillars munching on the milkweed leaves.

I felt myself slowing down and getting less distracted. More importantly, over the course of the weekend I learned some important things about myself and was sad when it was time to leave. On the drive out of the parking lot I realized the car radio was making too much noise, turned it off, and enjoyed the rest of the drive home in silence.

Five years ago: Fermented Spicy Goodness

Too Soon?

I abhor seeing Halloween things when summer isn't even close to being over, but the other day in the greeting card section of the grocery store I walked by a card that looked like someone snuck into my house and used Foster Cat Smokey Joe as a model for a cute vampire cat.

It only cost 99 cents, so I thought it would be fun to send a card to each California family. But I left card-less that day because it wasn't anywhere close to Halloween. However, when I got home I realized the card might be out of stock when I wanted it, so today I went and purchased two.

The full service checkout line was long. At the self-service section the attendant noticed my purchase and wondered out loud why I would be making it so early. When I told him he just smiled and shook his head.

Both cards are now in my October tickler file, ready to address, stamp, and mail when the time is right.

Five years ago: Once Every 200 Years

Undies 😼

Today was another hot and humid day, so I was getting my steps in at the mall when I passed one of the store's marketing signs and learned that August 5th was National Underwear Day. Who knew!

The sign said that the store was giving away a free pair of panties to each customer, but when I found out I had to sign up for their rewards program I decided I wasn't interested.

Instead, I came home and organized my underwear drawer, tossing a couple of pairs that had developed holes.I remembered from years ago that the best time to buy underwear was during the August back-to-school sales, so I went to Walmart and purchased a 10-pack of all-cotton panties. They're more my style, anyway.

Five years ago: It All Comes Full Circle

Rambling For Resensation

This afternoon I had a dentist appointment to begin the process of replacing a deteriorating crown.

The first step was to numb the area thoroughly, and when the appointment was finished I could tell I would be numb for quite some time. I asked the dental assistant if there were any tips for getting the novocaine to wear off quicker. She said the process was dependent on the patient's metabolic rate, but in general increasing the heart rate (by running or brisk walking) would help.

Because it was too hot to walk outside I decided to go to the mall a half mile from my house. I knew that a large portion of the parking garage I usually use is being renovated, so I drove halfway around the structure and parked at a far end. Even though it was quite a distance from an entrance I was surprised at how many cars were there.

I've heard for years that malls are dying, and several in the metropolitan area have closed. However, even though this mall has several empty storefronts, right now there are four new stores going in and another storefront has a drywall construction barricade, which means work on it will be starting shortly. 

Easy-Peasey.AI

Although there were quite a few people there I was able to walk fast enough that I felt my heart rate increase a bit. I did three laps (two on the first floor and one on the second floor) before my feet started to hurt and it was time to head home.

I have no idea if my walk actually helped the anti-numbing process, but it felt good to get some exercise.

Theater With My Truelove

Last Christmas Hubby Tony gifted me with two sets of tickets to a local theater. The one we used today coincided with our anniversary. We spent a lovely afternoon with the musical Guys and Dolls. I enjoyed my time in 1950s New York with Sky Masterson, Sergeant Sarah Brown, Nathan Detroit, Miss Adelaide, Nicely Nicely Johnson, and Benny Southstreet. After the show we went out for dinner.

There have been quite a few recordings of my favorite song from the show, but even though she wasn't in the Broadway musical I especially enjoy this version of "Bushel and a Peck" by Doris Day.

Five years ago: Directory Of Businesses

Adventures In Grandparenting

Some of my vacation trips are elaborate and go to exotic locations. Other trips are low key and familiar, but equally impactful. Hubby Tony and I just got back from one of the latter trips, visiting the California kids and grandkids. We spent five days with each family, making memories that will stay with me forever.

Foster cat Smokey Joe wanted to come with us

Usually when we go to California we fly into San Jose and use a rental car to get us to Modesto in the Central Valley. This time, though Tony found out that for only a small upcharge we could fly into Sacramento, rent the car there, then return it in San Jose when we left. That turned out to be a wonderful plan; the rush hour traffic going south from the airport was a fraction of what it would have been going the other direction.

As in previous trips, activities at both houses included playing games (both inside and outside), doing crafts, taking walks, and tagging along for errands. This time, though, in Modesto Tony and I watched grands Gee, Evee, and Ian for the better part of a day while their parents took care of some family business. Their mom left clear directions for snacks and lunch, but left the rest up to us. It was great fun to play Barbies with the girls while grandpa did "boy stuff" with Ian.

On Saturday, the day we were going to drive from one house to another we were headed to an extended family pool party in the morning, but our rental car wouldn't accelerate above 20 miles per hour. Google indicated it was probably a sensor issue that could be solved by turning off and restarting the car. That did indeed work, but neither Tony or I wanted to take the car on the interstate for an almost two hour drive over the mountains in case the problem redeveloped.

I contacted the rental customer service office, who told us to go to a Modesto branch for a replacement. However, at the branch a sympathetic clerk told us the only available car was a compact Mitsubishi Mirage. We took it. The car's tiny engine had a hard time going over the mountains, and the suspension was rough, but at least it got us where we were going.

At the second house, because of their parents hectic full-time work schedules grands Jay, Dee, and Ell were signed up for activities and Tony and I had some free time during the day. However, we made the most of our time with the family in the weekend and evenings. Grandma and Grandpa dropped off Ell and Dee at a camp one morning, and took Jay to a preview class for a possible after school activity. I also went with Son Brian to pick up Jay and a couple of friends at a baseball camp.

On our last day in California Tony and I headed up to the grocery store to get food to take on the plane. We took a circuitous walk through new to us neighborhoods, and when I saw this street sign I immediately knew my blog buddy Strayer would want to see it.

Five years ago: Recreation Opportunities Now And In The Future

Music If You Want It Or Not

Hubby Tony and I stopped into a coffee shop to get something to drink. After receiving the order we sat at a table in a shady spot to enjoy our beverages. Eventually Tony went inside to use the rest room. While he was gone music started playing very loudly in the parking lot. And not just any music....disco music!

Because I can remember random facts about 1970s disco better than I can remember what I did last week I immediately recognized the song "I Feel Love" by Donna Summer, which includes the profound lyrics:

Ooh I feel love, I feel love

I feel love, I feel love

I feel love

 

I feel love

I feel love

I feel love

As the song was ending Tony returned and we got ready to leave. However, the music wasn't finished. The next tune was "The Hustle", another one embedded in my brain with lyrics that are even more profound :

Do it!

Do it!

Do it!

 

Do the Hustle!

Do the Hustle!

 

Do the Hustle!

Do the Hustle!

(Are you singing along in your head yet?🤣) 

I quickly realized that our route across the parking lot would take us right past the source of the music, which turned out to be coming from the speakers of a huge white pickup truck driven by a man who looked to be about my age. He was pulling out of his parking space as I walked past, and he noticed that I was doing a little bop to the music. 

As he drove away the man told me he played disco everywhere he went because it was the greatest music ever.

Somehow I don't think everyone would agree with his assessment or his method of sharing his love.

Five years ago: Constructive Wait Time

Food Fun Photo Dump

I was cleaning out my phone camera roll and came across these interesting shots.

At one of the local grocery stores the meat department had packaged 'fixings' (lettuce, sliced onion, and sliced tomato) stocked next to the ground burger patties. The packages had a hefty fee added for convenience, but there was also no waste if you were only making a couple of burgers.

When I was in Switzerland earlier in the summer we had lunch at a restaurant recommended by our tour guide. The inside was very much like an old-style beer hall, and the menu was equally old style. My veal sausage with bread turned out to be a link about 15 inches long with a toothpick Swiss flag stuck into it, a piece of crusty bread, and a package of spicy mustard.

For a while it seemed like the local Aldi had an issue with carrot quality control. Instead of a bag filled with normal slim, straight carrots I found this one with 'legs' and stub 'arms'.

And then a short time later this multi-trunked carrot showed up in another bag. The interesting thing is the each of them tasted perfectly fine.

This unique entree started with a bed of polenta, which was topped with a thick slab of perfectly-cooked cauliflower, and garnished with pomegranate seeds and parsley.

Five years ago: Somebody's Got To Win. Right?

Ah, So Sad

The best jokes are the ones that come from friends.....

Rawpixel

Six retired Irishmen were playing poker in O'Leary's apartment when Paddy Murphy loses $500 on a single hand, clutches his chest and drops dead at the table. Showing respect for their fallen brother, the other five continue playing standing up.

Michael O'Conner looks around and asks, "Oh, me boys, someone got's to tell Paddy's wife. Who will it be?"

They draw straws. Paul Gallagher picks the short one. They tell him to be discreet, be gentle, and don't make a bad situation any worse.

"Discreet??? I'm the most discreet Irishmen you'll ever meet. Discretion is me middle name. Leave it to me."

Gallagher goes over to Murphy's house and knocks on the door. Mrs. Murphy answers and asks what he wants. Gallagher declares: "Your husband just lost $500 and is afraid to come home."

"Tell him to drop dead!", says Murphy's wife.

"I'll go tell him." says Gallagher 

Five years ago: Smooth!