Haven't gotten a whole lot done this weekend and am back to feeling like if I just had someone here to keep me company for a few hours, I could get through a whole load of stuff. I skyped with my sister (sans video though) this morning and said that to her and she jokingly said I should skype again next weekend and she'll keep me company while I do stuff. Don't tell her, but I might actually take that offer seriously.
I did go to the opticians yesterday. The day my sister died I had actually been to the eye doctor for the first time since moving here over five years ago. Much to my surprise he told me that, after about 20 years, my prescription has changed. And I'm not even more short-sighted than I used to me - my eyesight has apparently improved. I used to joke to opticians that when I got older and the old-age long-sightedness started kicking in, maybe it would cancel out my short-sightedness - just about every time I got my eyes tested I made that silly joke and knew it wasn't really possible but it seems that actually it is possible to a very small degree. Just to a small degree and at some stage in the future I'll probably end up with bi-focals because I won't be able to see either close-up or far away but for now it means I'm a bit less short-sighted than I was. Given the expensive week I had after that though, I had more or less decided to just wait until the new year to get new glasses. And then on Wednesday my glasses broke. So typical - when Murphy comes to play, he really likes to get his money's worth. It was simple enough to get them fixed but it seemed like a sign from the universe to just get the new ones already.
So now all I have to do is choose new frames - always the most difficult part. I'd quite like to get something green this time but it seems that, as so often happens, I'm just not with it at all. The colours that are all the rage at the moment seem to be pink (yeah, that's not going to happen) and a kind of darkish blue that isn't quite navy (navy would be okay, I think, but this blue colour doesn't quite seem right). Anyway, I manged to narrow it down to four pairs that are alright - none great but all wearable. One of them was even the type that wouldn't cost anything so long as I buy the special insurance. The insurance costs 10 euro per year so either way, I'll get that anyway. If I'd taken it out before going to see the doctor I'd have an automatic free pair of glasses since it also insures changes of half a dioptre or more, which is what I have. Mad stuff really. I'm going to drag a friend along during the week to help me decide which pair to actually get. I looked dreadful when I was there, which didn't help - between the pale, washed-out looking skin, tired eyes and the squinting to try and even see what was being reflected in the mirror, it's no wonder I couldn't decide what looked better. Maybe during the week I'll manage to have a day where I don't look quite so bad. It'll be time for another weigh-in as well at the weekend - that should be interesting.
Otherwise, today I had another non-productive day but did go to a final summer barbeque in the park with some friends this evening. We're supposed to have another three or four days of nice weather before the cold starts to really hit. Given that it's almost October though, that's alright. The evenings are drawing in too, with it getting dark by about eight now. I think I'm kind of looking forward to it though. And hoping that it won't be too gray a winter - cold but bright would suit me just fine this year.
The barbeque was planned very last minute and I didn't have any meat on hand so I ended up at the supermarket late yesterday evening and there wasn't a huge selection. I got some chicken breast steaks and then had a quick google to see kind of marinade I could do based on what I had on hand. And found this Rachel Ray recipe for honey and lemon chicken. I just did the marinade part of the recipe and then the chickens was cooked on the barbeque but I have to say that it was absolutely delicious. Will definitely be making note of it for another time - really simple and really tasty. For the rest of the week though, vegetables are taking pride of place on the menu. Assuming I can find the energy tomorrow to actually cook, that is.
I almost wish I needed glasses, they often seem so stylish and fashionable. I'm sure I'd get over them though!
ReplyDeleteI'm the same - I only used to be able to clean my dorm room with company. Ring your sister, I don't think either of you will regret it, and you'll have straightened out some things.
I am on the path to bifocals as well. The dark blue frames sound nice...do you like black frames at all? It is hard to get the shape right as well. I've resorted to trying to copy celeb photos that have similar shaped faces and complexions!
ReplyDeleteThe BBQ marinade sounds delicious. I think you should definitely ring your sister - I'll have to try that strategy as well!
I went back at lunchtime today, dragging along the person I share an office with. The blue ones got an immediate thumbs down, and I have to say that since I wasn't quite so pale today and was wearing a different colour top, they did look all wrong. Nice shape, wrong colour. It was actually something like indigo, somewhere between blue and purple and it just didn't look right.
ReplyDeleteIt came down to a dark purple/pink pair not too different in shape from my current glasses and a dark brown/nearly black pair that are a different shape, a little bit bigger, more similar to the blue ones. I've gone with the brown/black ones as I really did prefer the shape and although the colour of the others wasn't too bad, it also wasn't really me. They were, obviously, the ones available at the so-called "Nulltarif" (i.e. free, you just pay for any extras like non-reflective surface on the lenses etc.) but the ones I got were only 40 euro, which isn't too bad. I did pay the 10 euro for the Nulltarif insurance, which means I got a total 15 euro discount, too. So, 40 for the frames, 10 for the insurance (which also insures another change in prescription above a certain level), and 65 for the lenses, less the 15 discount. Not too bad at all considering if I'd gone to a small, independent opticians rather than the big chain, I could have expected to pay upward of 600. Nice to have it done now.