Ups and Downs of Life

Okay, I admit it. I'm a snob. It's not something I'm incredibly proud of, but it is a fact. I have never been a WalMart shopper, but I have spent more time than I care to think about the last few weeks at one of the WalMarts in Southeast Portland. My daughter's good friend from high school is an optometrist. She practices at three places, but the only place that accepts my federal vision insurance is WalMart, where she works about a half-day every week. I wanted to support her in her new career. I hope she knows what a sacrifice it was for me.

There is just something about the place that sets my teeth on edge, and I develop a headache within a couple minutes of walking through the doors. Just driving into the parking lot is enough to make me cringe. The whole experience makes me incredibly grouchy.

In spite of the negatives, Mindy did a great job fitting me with new contacts. We're using a mono-vision prescription that adjusts one contact -- the one for my stronger right eye -- for distance, and the other eye for close work. My new contacts let me see the computer screen without reading glasses. In fact, with the set I just picked up today that were slightly adjusted on both eyes, I can actually see quite small print as well as distances. It's great not to have to worry about always having my reading glasses with me. The only downside is that with the difference between the two eyes, my depth perception is a little messed up.

Oh, the other downside is the fact that I've had to go to WalMart about five times in the last month. Oddly, as often as I've been in there, the assistant who has worked with me every time I've been there still doesn't recognize me, has absolutely no clue who I am or why I'm there. It's like watching "Groundhog Day" -- she apparently wipes the memory slate clean every time I leave. One more final checkup, though, and I should be good for the next couple years at least. I need not darken the door of the local WalMart again for quite awhile. Maybe in the meantime Mindy will find another place to practice that will accept my insurance. Please, God, let it be so.

Today was another beautiful, sunny day so I took Charlie over to Mt. Tabor park. We started on the southwest side of the park and hiked up some fairly steep trails to the top and back down to the northeast side, then turned around and climbed a long series of stairs and back around. It was an hour total, with lots of hills both up and down. Good for both of us.

Yesterday I was busy running errands and didn't get to the gym but had been every other day this week, spending at least two hours there on Tuesday and Thursday working with my trainer.

Last night a friend and I went to visit our mutual friend who has ALS/Lou Gherig's Disease. She was in a care facility for a couple nights so her husband and son could get a little respite break from caring for her. She has almost lost the ability to speak and has not been able to move most of her body for awhile now. She can still move her head some. What an incredibly cruel disease. Your mind continues to be very sharp, but your body refuses to cooperate and you become unable to communicate and eventually unable to do anything for yourself. I believe ultimately the lungs stop operating and you are no longer able to chew and swallow. Meantime you brain function continues as it always has and you are acutely aware of your situation and how much those who love you are having to deal with. I have been visiting her fairly regularly since this summer and it is really sad to see the progression of the disease. I am not sure how much longer she will have but if it were me, I would welcome death as deliverance, though I understand it is a very difficult death. And as I have learned, it is human nature to try to defy death as long as possible.

I have been working to set up another blog -- a series of spiritual reflections -- for the Franciscan Spiritual Center. Once it is up and running I will post that site and include it with my favorites. This is the volunteer marketing work I'm doing for the Center. The young woman who works at their front desk was working with me on the setup Friday and mentioned she had tickets for the opera for Sunday afternoon. She had no one who was able to use them. I scooped them up and finally found three friends who will join me. It is Turn of the Screw, which sounds like a good gothic story.

I haven't been to the opera for several years, unless you count Phantom of the Opera, which is marginally an opera. So it should be a fun outing. One of the ladies I'm taking has never seen an opera; this will be the second time I've been able to introduce opera virgins to this beautiful performance art. I actually got interested in opera when I was taking voice lessons from a wonderful woman who sang for years in national opera companies and was a finalist for the New York Metropolitan. She will be at the performance also and I hope I get to see her there. I doubt there will be many WalMart shoppers there . . . ooooh, see what a terrible snob I am!? Mea culpa, mea maxima culpa!!

The work on the book progresses, and each time I reread the chapters I've done, I am surprised at myself. Even though I usually have things to change or add -- mostly little tweaks -- it feels like a good read to me, and I've read it a number of times, not to mention living it. It is time to get some proposals sent out and see if I can sell it. It would also help the "bottom line" since it doesn't look like I'm going to get the Mo sold anytime soon. I should take it out and get some work done on the generator and get the batteries replaced in the next few weeks, though I hate to spend the money when I'm not sure if it will ever sell or when I might ever use it again. But, who knows. Today marks the one year anniversary of my last trip, down through California and across the south. Many good memories that I will enjoy reliving when I write those chapters.