Jan 15
Walking blind…
A few of days ago, Caspar broke my glasses. This wasn’t unexpected. In fact I was expecting them to fall apart any day even without his intervention. They were old and I was resigned to the fact that soon I would be walking around all geek-like with duct tape holding them together. In order to do that now, however, I would need to know where the arm Caspar snapped off was hiding.
I don’t.
After walking around for a couple of days with my glasses lopsided and falling off every time I moved my head, something worse happened: I lost them altogether. There is a chance that they are somewhere in the house but there is also a chance they are somewhere in the park. And that is not good.
They were annoying me while I was pushing the swing and lifting Cas to the top of the slide and bouncing up and down on the stupid, sprung see-saw.
(Seriously, when was the last time you saw a real see-saw? I mean, just a plank of wood? Is everybody so isolated these days that they don’t even build play equipment for two people any more? And don’t say safety issues. Those sprung things are way more dangerous.)
Anyway, I hung the one-armed glasses over my v-neck so we could play. Then we walked home. I’d like to think that I would have noticed if they were missing when we were walking home but my specs are for distances and walking with Cas generally requires stopping to examine every pebble or flower or leaf along the way. It’s very possible I didn’t actually look up the entire time.
Last night I realised the enormity of this loss. I’m not so blind that I can’t get around the house without them but I wouldn’t recognise my own mother walking towards me in the street. And I certainly can’t drive which, out here, makes grocery shopping both tedious and expensive. It leaves me with the local IGA which has hardly any stock that I would consider food (you know, the stuff that doesn’t come in five layers of packaging) and everything is twice the price.
It also means I cannot get to my house to fix it up, which means I cannot sell my house, which means that I will be stuck here in this hellhole the suburbs, crammed into my sister’s tiny spare room with Cas for the rest of my life. I’m really not feeling good about that.
And I’m supposed to go into the city next week. For the person who’ll be meeting me, I’ll be the one either standing there blankly or waving at anyone and everyone who might seem to be looking my way. If you want me to recognise you, you’re going to have to get close.
Of course, between now and then I might be able to locate them but right now I think the most likely outcome is that tomorrow I’ll find the missing arm.
After all, what is a paper cut without a little lemon?
January 15th, 2008 at 10:14 pm
Commiserations! I’d be in a similar pickle without mine.
My beloved recently lost his - and someone told him about specs from the chemist for $5. He’s delighted with them! But he only needs glasses for reading; I think for long distance you must need a script.
January 15th, 2008 at 10:41 pm
Yup. And I don’t have any idea where I will find the money. Caspar doesn’t need milk, right?
January 15th, 2008 at 10:58 pm
I have an idea. A loan from Centrelink.
January 16th, 2008 at 12:13 am
What’s your prescription? I seriously found 4 old pairs in my drawer when we were moving. I meant to donate them in the bin outside the grocery store but I keep forgetting. I have an astigamatism though so they might not do you any good. hope you find them.
January 16th, 2008 at 4:18 pm
Lol. I have no idea what my prescription is anymore. The glasses were pretty old and I was well overdue for an update (visually and aesthetically). Big Sis has some spare frames which will cheapen the replacement cost so it will just be the lenses.
I will prevail! I will find a way!
January 16th, 2008 at 6:38 pm
Just discovered your blog and I couldn’t help laughing aloud.
Last year I was working as a waitress when one of my lenses popped out of my glasses which made me miss work. Why? Because though I can still get around, say, my apartment without them, I can’t make out much at all. I must be a few steps from legally blind!
Alas, it took two days to get my new rush lenses and at a pretty penny. I wish you better luck!
January 16th, 2008 at 11:28 pm
did the arm show up yet? lol
It’s a good thing you have some frames, when things were super tight for us, I would go get cheap reading glasses frames from the reject shop and get them to put my prescription lenses in those.
January 17th, 2008 at 10:43 am
No arm. Buried somewhere in the mess created by Caspar the Destroyer, no doubt. Yes, the frames will make a big difference so hopefully I’ll be able to get something within the next month or so.
January 17th, 2008 at 10:49 am
Caspar the Destroyer……… sounds like something out of a Ghostbusters movie! lol
January 17th, 2008 at 9:13 pm
Babe, sounds like Murphy is around at your place. Don’t send him back please.
January 17th, 2008 at 10:39 pm
Just… LOL.
February 20th, 2008 at 10:52 pm
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