Chuckles and Fun

This, found in the sidebar of Erika's blog, made me laugh.  Also, made me feel soooo much better about my garden.

CHICKEN STATS

Cost: $827.92 Eggs: 49 Cost Per Egg: $16.89 Age: 24 weeks -------------------------------------------

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David asked the reasonable question last night, "Are these pears the size they're supposed to be?"

Also known as:  I harvested the Seckels.  Weenie little things, but so tasty.  

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At my last optometrist's appointment, the tech (or whatever the correct term is for the person who basically does all the work before the optometrist enters the room) asked me if I had any problems or complaints with my glasses.  Yes, I said, when I try to read in bed, I can't find the right place in the progressive lens (aka trifocals).  

"And you won't," she said.  "But you know what you could do... you could get some just plain reading glasses."  She proceeded to tell me that they had a special running for $35, to get a plain pair of readers.  OK, cool, I say.  Let's talk.  

So she brings me out to the person to talk about glasses, and long story short, of course my prescription is not included in the reading glasses special.  And.  Are you sitting down?  

Sitting?

.

Seatbelt fastened?

.

.

.

Headgear on?

.

.

.

Mine would cost $200 if I chose the cheapest frames they had to offer.  

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GASP.

"OK, well," I said.  "I'm not willing to spend $200 for a pair of reading glasses.  I'll read sitting up."  (I forgot to mention the trying to watch TV lying down, but that is an event that happens about .... oh..... let me see.  About three times a year, maybe.  So it's not a big issue.)

But in the conversation, she mentioned that, "Yeah, because no way are you going to find +5 power reading glasses in a drugstore or anything," so the idea was, "you're screwed."  

Well, I let that marinate and bounce around in the recesses of my mind for a couple of weeks, and then I thought, "Hm.  I wonder if I can find +5 power reading glasses on the internet."  

Doh. 

Of COURSE I could.  Many of them were pretty boring-looking, but they were inexpensive.  I hemmed and hawed, because I was worried they'd be crappy or the website wasn't legit or something, but I finally ordered a couple of pairs from here.  They came, quick as a flash, and OMG, they work!  And work GREAT!  For reading, that is.  I can't see more than two feet in front of my face when I have them on, but they sure are wonderful for reading when I have my contacts out and I want to lie down to read.

One pair is rather plain and no-frills, but actually quite attractive on the face, and at a cost of $9.99, I'm jumping up and down with joy and keeping this pair on my bedside table.

(These came without a case, but I've got plenty of old cases lying around here.)

The other is just plain unexpectedly ADORABLE:

I knew from the description and photo on the website that they were lime green and orange.  I mean, SOLD, right?!  

But I did not notice the rhinestones on the sides until they got here:

BONUS.  And they have a nifty hard case.

Total cost for two pairs?  $34.  Free shipping.  

Comments

[Laurie]

Love those interwebs. And hate salespeople who do what they did. So short sighted. Har har.

[Betsy]

thank you Norma...I find it interesting that I am hearing from more and more people that eye docs are suggesting that these el cheap-os are perfectly fine...of course for those of us that have eyes that need a different prescription for each eye...well...let's just say I have learned to buy two pairs and play el-switcho with the lens...I wonder if I could find someone with the opposite of mine and trade (there's a yahoo group just waiting to be born).

[Carole]

Great solution to the reading in bed problem!

[Patty]

Is this the same girl who asked you to remove your len? :-)

[Ruth]

My mother used to buy her reading glasses from Walgreen's.

[gayle]

On my last visit to the eye doctor, I mentioned that I was having trouble seeing the monitor with my glasses on. He suggested a pair of dime-store readers for my "computer glasses", and even told me what magnification to get. (Of course, this was after I pointed out that my insurance wasn't going to spring for an extra pair of glasses.)

[AnnaMarie]

I've bought cheaters from dollar stores, TJ Maxx, online and who knows where. I've got 2.5 to 3.0 since my eyes get tired differently. I even wear them over my regular glasses at night. There's no way I'm going for the extra $200 when the "fix" is $1.00 to $15 or so.

Thanks for the new website! I don't have that one bookmarked but will now.

[Vicki]

Adorable!!

[Jean E.]

There were more than three pears in the harvest, right?

[Manise]

Nice find! Yeah frames nowadays are through the roof price wise.

[Rachel]

Great find! I however wonder, why they should cost so much at your optometrist, maybe because they think you can't get them in the drugstore?!? I think it's outrageous!

[elizabeth a airhart]

hi norma the computer had a break down and this is a new one

i will catch up with the postings and hopefully
have an easier time now
love to margene love the cards

two scarves done not yet mailed

[Marcia]

One word: Costco. Assuming you have them in Vermont. I got my last pair of glasses (legitimate trifocals....I HATE the no-line things), with polycarbonate lenses for target shooting, and not-totally-ugly frames, for $165. And I can read fine in bed with them. My last pair from the Main Street optometrist were almost $700. And hurt for two years.

Cute pears.

[Marilyn]

I've heard that there are also sunglasses that have reading glasses strength in case you want to read outside or while riding in a car.

[Joannah]

I think there is a reading glasses conspiracy. Everyone who needs them know you need multiple pairs. Who can afford multiples of glasses at $200/each?! That's alot of yarn!

[Geri]

Don't you just love how those optometrists can charge for simple magnifying glasses. I wear bifocal contacts essentially one lens is near sighted the other is far sighted. As time goes on I find I still need cheaters. Give up my lens... no way! Cheaters work just fine and I can find some funky ones at gift stores! By the way I did buy a pair of glasses from my optometrist when this first started light years ago. Never again!

[marianne]

Hahahah, good show, $200 for cheaters? even with the +5 power, she just thought she had you by your.... phhhttt. I love both pair, but those green and orange are Cool! I also love those bitty pears.

[Cheryl S.]

You show 'em! Very cute glasses.

[Anne]

Yeah. 35 bucks versus 200-plus? No brainer there. Bet the doctor's office didn't have cute frames either. (They match your pears - and that's not a euphemism.)

[Midj]

When knitting my dark, dark, dark Viper Pilot socks I needed 2.5 power reading glasses in addition to my contacts. Losing a stitch and having to tink back was a BEAR! Glad to see you found cute usable glasses for bed. It's my favorite place to read and I still have a tiny corner in my progressives that let me lie down and still see. :-)

[Doris]

My optometrist suggested "dimestore readers" and gave me the correct magnification. He even suggested that I try Sam's Club because you get 4 pairs for $20. Now I consider THAT to be great service. (Could also be because everyone else in our family needs other glasses....but I don't think so. I love the ones you got...too cute!

[Renee]

Yeah!
Seriously cute to boot...

[Hat]

I couldn't do without my reading glasses for reading(!) and knitting even though I normally wear varifocals. Mind you, mine cost only a fraction of your quote and they are my true prescription, astigmatism and all. I also have another pair for singing (to see the music and the conductor) and knitting while watching television, which are bifocals with a large reading area. Can you tell that one of the things that really bugs me about being old is eyesight problems!

[Sharon]

How fortuitous (big word for me) your blog was today. I've been having so much trouble seeing my computer and have almost given up reading in bed altogether. I also have progressive lens trifocals and I have never really liked them. I've never considered reading glasses in the past but after reading your blog today I have already placed my order. Thank you so much. I might add, I'll have to keep them away from our Toby Dog (Yorkie that looks just like Mr. Jefferies)! Toby is very destructive.

[S.Kate]

My very first pair of reading glasses were over $200 - and I lost them the first week I had them. And the replacement insurance I had purchased on them? Only covered damage not loss - one had to be able to produce the damaged item for a replacement. Grrr. I only buy drugstore readers now and have bookmarked your link for when I move to the higher strengths. Many thanks for that!

[knitnana]

5x? Hmm....off to check - those are CUTE.
(((hugs)))

[Sarah]

I've been having some of those thoughts about the garden, but do not have it in me to do the math.

The glasses are too cute.

[Sheila]

The pears are yummy looking! I love fresh pears! This is the best time of the year when the harvests are coming in and I can get all the fresh produce at the market. Potatoes, squash, pears, peaches....yum, yum, yum!

Love the glasses but love the place you got them, too! They have some cool gift ideas for my oldest daughter who is a fashion diva. I often kid her that she is the accessory to her clothes. They have a really cute pair of cd ear buds studded with Swarovski crystals that she would absolutly adore. And the crystal studded iPod cover and the lipstick case and mirror are things that would be great as birthday presents. Thanks so much for that link!

[Robby]

Do the pears look bigger with your new glasses? LOL Great shopping. I'd actually tell the Dr.'s office. If they really want to help their patients and keep them happy, they will pass that along to other people who can't or won't pay $200.

[Cookie]

What is wrong with people?! Has everyone lost their damn mind?!

(testing...)

[Carrie K]

I ponied up for the $200 reading glasses. I LOVE your frames!

At least Erika's chickens finally started putting out. :)

[Sharlene]

I've been eyeing (haha) these: <http://www.funspecs.com/>
They come in 5s too!

[Sharlene]

Okay, that link didn't post... try again:
http://www.funspecs.com/

[elizabeth a airhart]

i have been two bricks short of a load for a long time cookie

good night lucy

[Mary Fran]

Love the green ones! I have had the same rx for many, many years. I'm nearsighted. The funny thing about turning 40? For the last two years, I'm slowly becoming less nearsighted and need a weaker rx. So far no reading glasses, I think I'll got from - to zero by the time I'm 50. TT: My in-laws retired to the Adirondacks. We're here now (Southern part, not up near you). And my MIL is a knitter, so I have to go now and see all she's done since we were last together.

[evalyn]

Cute green glasses. My current pair have purple metal frames. I found them at Goodwill for 99 cents - took them to my eye doctor (who knows what all those Opti-etc titles mean?) and had him put my new lenses in. It was a bit more than $34, but by the time they did multi-focal and tinted lenses, it still came in under the amount my insurance covers.

[Joansie]

Great job on the bargain glasses. Of course, the opto would want $200. My walking stick (a/k/a damn cane) cost me $15 at WalMart and the adjustable ice gribber another $15. Yankee Medical wanted $125 for the same thing. My ortho doc was so impressed that he called his staff together to show them my bargain.

[Elizabeth in Brookfield]

Oh.My.God. This very day I was commenting that my ancient drugstore readers weren't quite doing the job. I've worked my way up through all the drugstore magnifiers over the years, and I'm at 3.5. So I was despairing.

And YOU have saved the day! I'm bookmarking this site. First knitting, then gardening, then eyesight. And Mr. Jeffries. What will you bring to us next???

[Stephie]

I really love the glasses story.

[DK]

Love the new glasses and thanks for the link. I've been experiencing the same issue with my progressive lens and had resolved myself to the fact that I would just have to sit up to read. Now you have given me a solution. I've already picked out a couple of pairs from the link you sent and will be ordering.

[Kayten]

Going to bookmark the glasses site. Right now I go to get glasses when they're "buy one, get one free," though the varifocals never seem to be covered. However... at my insistence, they now give me the free pair with 1/2 of the lens set to see at a distance, and the lower half at a strength to give me excellent vision at knitting distance, 12"-18" from my eyes. I hardly ever peer over the top anymore, and I've been knitting snails out of laceweight!

[Judy]

seems like lots of your readers will be getting new glasses. Hope you get a referral discount!

[klaus]

+5 !?? You're giving me palpitations here. My mom and I were recently at Barnes and Noble looking for some reading glasses for her (long story short, she got cataract surgery and now just needs simple magnification for reading) and I put on a pair of +2 and I felt instantly seasick. +5 must be mighty powerful magnification.