Update on Right Eye

Did you hear about the guy who jumped off a 30-story rooftop?

As he passed the the 15th floor, someone yelled out at him, "How are you doing?"

The jumper yelled back, "So far, so good."

Right Eye

Here's the eye that's going to have cataract surgery today.  It looks like an ordinary eye, but I think after today, it'll be a super eye.  The IOL (Intraocular lens) that they will implant will improve my vision, in addition to replacing the current lens that has a cataract--a honking cataract, according to the doctor (it's a technical term.)


I'll have the left eye done April 6.


After that, I should be able to get the "X" removed from my Driver's License where it says "must wear corrective lenses."  Also, I can get some good dark glasses, and I can buy my reading glasses from Wal-Mart.


I'm excited.

Blog Challenge: Most Treasured Item

I just read Cami's blog about what she would grab in the event the house was on fire. Of course, you don't count children, because everyone would just stop there.

We have a LaCie brick -- external hard drive--not too big, I think 300 gigabytes--well, I guess it's pretty big, and it's kept away from the PC in another part of the house in the event of getting hit by lightning (this has happened, so it's not a distant possibility.) I'd want this because we have many pictures on it that are no where else. Also our tax history for the past 8-10 years or so. That might be important. I'd want my sewing machine, and the quilts that have been basted together but are not quilted yet.

I know Bobby would want to get his ham radio stuff out, as much as he could get. His "Radio Shack" is near several windows, and I assume he'd just break them and pitch a lot of his equipment out through the window holes.

I guess if I could think of it, I might grab my college diploma off the wall above my computer.

All this introspection makes me realize that I don't have much in the way of "things" to save. I don't know if that's a good thing or not. We have some big stuff that would just have to get melted down with the house. I couldn't get my piano, my PC, my headboard that I waited nearly 13 years to get because I couldn't find one I liked, our big TVs. I might try to get my quilt projects, each in an individual plastic carrier. Yep, for sure those.

Several years ago we went around our house videotaping everything we have--for insurance purposes. It's out of date now, and I think we need to repeat the exercise. In fact, it would probably be a good idea to do it about every year or two. It's proof that you actually had what you're claiming was lost.

So, what I have learned from this is that there are some things that should be saved, maybe in a safety deposit box (irreplaceable papers, aforementioned up-to-date video), but otherwise, getting myself and my husband out (well, he'd have to get himself out after messing with his radio equipment) I'd just have to watch it burn.

Happy Saturday!

Day 3 Favorite TV Show

I wouldn't even know where to start on this one. There are shows I watch when I'm just "vegging" out, shows I watch on a semi-regular basis, shows I will watch when I find them on, and shows I actually look for.

I assume "favorite" TV show would have to be the ones I actually look for. There are some regular series shows I like but they're only good for a few weeks and then they start on reruns. I never watch reruns. As for shows I watch when I find them on, I guess I'd have to put most of what I watch in that category--science shows, TLC shows (I'm intrigued by the 19 kids show), some cooking and HGTV shows, and sometimes--rarely--old movies.

As for the ones I look for, sitting here in front of the computer with the TV off, I'm hard-put to come up with one. Well, there is one I really like that Bryant Gumbel does--"Real Sports" that I actually like. I know, who cares about sports? Not me, for sure. I have done some introspection about this because I had no idea in the beginning as to why I would watch this, or even give it a glance. I think it comes on HBO because those are the only movie channels we get. I don't know when it comes on. I look for it when I think about it, and will watch it if it's on. Here's the thing. The show is emceed by BG, and there are 4-5 regular reporters who tell the stories. The stories are not about the sports, the teams or their games. They are about the people who participate, the athletes. They choose (unerringly as far as I can tell) those people whose stories are worth retelling.

For instance, there was a story about a skier who was catastrophically injured and how his life has played out from that point. The story was well produced and interestingly written.

I usually have never heard of the athletes whose stories they portray, generally know nothing about their sport, and am not interested in the games they participate in, but the stories about the people are very interesting.

I think it's the "people" connection. I am interested in stories about people. I also like when some shows do the "stick your finger in the phonebook and do a story about whoever you point to."

I knew my answer to this one would be dumb.

Blog Challenge, Day 2

Day 2

Post a picture of you and someone you have been closest to the longest.

The person in the world I have known the longest is my brother Bob, since I met him in December 1946. Next would be Daddy (1951-2), then Cheli (1960). After that would be my children and then in 1984 I met my husband, Bobby, and of course, his children.

Of course, I love my brother, sister and father, but I'm going with Cami on this one:

This was taken in the spring of 2009 while we were still riding our Gold Wing motorcycle (in the fall of '09 we sold the Gold Wing.)

We met in 1984 shortly after coming to Norman (we moved over Labor Day.) He had been divorced for 2 years and my divorce happened that month. I was pretty nuts at that time, and he was almost equally crazy. Divorce is a terrible thing and even if it is the best thing to do, given the alternatives, it is still a life-changing event that can affect you negatively for years if you are not prepared for it. I might have been the least-prepared person in the universe.

Bobby and I discovered very soon that we are polar opposites, but I liked him a lot even at the beginning. There was just something about him...

Well, we saw each other--not exclusively, but regularly--for the next 11 years. I can honestly say that it took me (and him, too) that long to untangle my thoughts, feelings and even identity.

I wasn't emotionally available for most of those years, and I had to re-learn to relate to my children and even to myself.

I can't say those were good years, but I grew emotionally as well as intellectually--I completed college during that time!

Bobby is supportive of me and my personal goals, he loves me, and if there is a disagreement, is willing to work together with me to figure out the best way forward.

Next month (April 19) we will celebrate our 16th anniversary. Honestly, neither of us thought it would last because neither of us really knew how to be successfully married. I guess we taught each other!

Blog Challenge, Day 1

Blog Challenge Day 1: A picture of yourself and ten facts

This picture is one of my favorites because it was taken on the day I retired. I had two daughters and one son visiting and grandchildren all around. They threw me a retirement party and several friends came--although, the best part was having my family there. As an aside, we moved our TV into another room over the weekend, and when we moved the cabinet, my granddaughter Calysta opened one of the cabinet doors and found a lei at the back and remembered that it was from my retirement party. She enjoyed reminiscing about all the things she helped with to get ready for my party.

1. I was born on the North Island Naval Base during World War II (1943). It is located adjacent to Coronado at the end of the peninsula across the bay from San Diego. My mother rode the "nickel snatcher" across the bay very early in the morning. She said the captain of the little boat was very nervous carrying a woman in labor. He called ahead and there was an ambulance waiting at the dock waiting when they arrived. Mother was embarrassed at the fuss and made them let her ride in the front seat.

2. I had the chicken pox in about 1948 at the same time as my brother, Bobby, and our cousin Lorna. My mother was working and we all stayed at Lorna's house while we were sick. Her mom, my aunt Shirley took care of us. I remember all of us lying in bed and Shirley bringing us drinks of water and Kool-Aid--and telling us not to scratch. I was 5 and Bobby was about 1 1/2.

3. I walked and played all over our neighborhood in San Diego. We lived on the side of a hill called Grant's Hill and we used to play on the top of the hill (before there were any houses there) climbing all over the craggy edges and jumping off where we thought we could. I skated down the hill, grabbed the street sign, swung around it and turned the corner. I was skating really fast and wonder how I lived through it!

4. I frequently took the bus to downtown San Diego to meet a friend from church when I was 11 years old! I don't know what my mother was thinking! --different world, for sure.

5. I have always felt that I don't "fit in." I believe I have Asperger's Syndrome. I'm not disabled by it, but I see so many parts of the Syndrome in myself that I don't think it could be coincidental. I don't see it in all of my children, maybe some. I think there are degrees of being affected, so maybe I'm on the far end of "more normal."

6. I was always told by my family that I am very intelligent, and I always believed it. When I was in Junior High and got my first semester report card (7th grade) with more A's than B's, and nothing lower, I was called into the girls' Vice Principal's office (Dr. Daugherty), and she told me I had a really good report card and she thought I could probably get straight A's. I was surprised and wondered how I could get better grades. I did my homework and took tests. I didn't really understand how I had gotten the report card I had. I always thought (still do) that being intelligent is kind of like having green eyes. You just have them, and can't make then "greener". I think this is probably related to the Asperger's thing.

7. I love making quilts. I love choosing the fabrics and patterns, putting all the pieces together and coming up with a usable and beautiful product. I don't mind the hours of labor required; in fact, I enjoy the process. Who would ever have thought I could enjoy something so tedious and repetitive? I used to sew and make quilts for my children, but never put that into the category of "hobby." It was just part of what a mother would do.

8. I obsess frequently about how many mistakes I made as a mother, and how awful I was much of the time. I don't know if this is normal, but I believe it's a miracle my children are wonderful adults. I always wished they would hug and kiss me (they wrestled away) but figured I had made just too many mis-steps for them to want to show affection.

9. I enjoy cooking. My mother hated it, and I always thought it would be disloyal (or something else weird like that) if I loved it. Since she died, I have acquired many kitchen "toys" and now I really enjoy finding recipes and putting good food together. Who knew?

10. In addition to my own family, I love my extended family--siblings, siblings-in-law, nieces and nephews, etc. I thought it was wonderful that I felt great love for the family members I recently "found." and am excited to meet and talk with them in person later this year in the fall.

I'll wait to see what Cami posts next on this "Blog Challenge." Hopefully I can follow her good example.