Journal

They say we shrink as we get older. Usually it’s thought of in terms of height. My arms seem to be shrinking though. They no longer reach to a comfortable reading position. Well, maybe that’s the silver lining to the cloud of having to move. Perhaps all the cleaning and carrying and stuff will stretch my arms a bit. That would save me from having to get new glasses.

Once you’re into the bifocal set, you can forget about all those $99-for-two-sets-of-glasses-in-about-an-hour deals. Not that I ever did that anyway, because those deals are always for cheesy frames and plastic lenses that scratch if you so much as look through them cross-eyed. I always buy higher quality frames, real safety tempered glass lenses, in PhotoGray so I don’t need separate sunglasses. For years my lenses ran about $60 each. Bifocals tripled the price. I’ve gotten over ten years out of these frames and they’re about shot. So the next set of glasses will cost about $600. Unless I opt for trifocals, which will bump the price even higher.

Working at the PC as much as I do, I just may have to do that. If I lean back, I can get the screen in focus when I look through the top of the lenses. But it by then the characters are too small to make out comfortably. If I lean forward so I can look through the bottom of the lenses, the keyboard shelf rolls under the desktop making it hard to type. And I have to tip my head up causing neck strain after a minute or two. Trifocals would give me that in-between distance I think I need.

Many people buy no-line bifocals because they don’t like the appearance of traditional lined lenses. Others use them to solve the multi-focal issue. I don’t care for them because so little of the field of vision is ever in focus. I prefer to move my eyes when I read instead of moving my entire head. And I don’t have an issue with the aesthetics of traditional lined bifocals.

I suppose I could get a 21” monitor. I loved the 21” monitors I had working on different contracts. At 1600x1200 I could fit a lot of stuff on the screen all at once, which makes things very convenient for task-switching and cut-and-paste. Of course now I’d have trouble reading it, but I suppose I could run it at 1280x1024.

A laptop would put the screen firmly in the bottom part of the lenses. But then I’d have to give up my wavy keyboard. Everything you’ve heard about wavy bent keyboards is true. It takes time and a determined effort to get used to them, but they are MUCH more comfortable. And once you switch, it feels cramped and just seems plain weird to use a straight one.

What to do?


I should stop wasting time and get back to packing. We get our keys to the new place on Thursday night. I’d like to get all the non-essentials moved on Friday. Then I’ll have all next week move all the rest of the stuff.

[Later] I avoided packing for while. I spent some time getting phone, electric and cable arrangements made. Phone and electric will be on at both places starting on Friday, but cable won’t be switched over until the first of the month.

Expect a brief hiatus starting next week after I move the computer out of here until the cable is hooked up at the new place. I hope I don’t have the same trouble with RoadRunner as I did when I moved here. It took almost a month to get it straightened out because they had to run new cable all the way to the fiber-optic connection at the end of the street.

It’s too bad the utility companies are so efficient. It took almost no time at all to make the arrangements. So as long as I had Word open, I printed new business cards. This is as much to help me remember the new address and phone number as it is for handing them out.

Dum-de-dum. I procrastinate well, don’t I?

My present landlady called last night. The new tenant wants to know if he can move in on the 31st instead of the 1st. Being gracious to him (not her) I said yes. I want to be all moved out by Friday the 26th so it doesn’t interfere with the holiday weekend. Then I’ll have all day Tuesday to clean up here and do the walk-through for the security deposit.

I’m done with lunch and the mail. I’ve run out of procrastinating ideas. I guess I’ll have to start packing. Damn.

Wednesday May 17, 2000

I am lobster red from spending all afternoon in the sun.

Jeffrey and I agreed to meet at the Lilac Festival this afternoon. He went to group this morning and I went to the library. We met at the Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial afterwards. After all, today’s our second anniversary, and we began to get to know each other at the Lilac Festival.

Jeffrey was waiting at the bus stop when I arrived and as usual, he had found someone he knew, this time a former employer, and we stood around and chatted as Phil, (Jeffrey’s former employer) informed all the tourists and suburbanites that the parking lot was full. (There are certain advantages to taking the bus.)

After touring the memorial, (something I’ve never done and am glad I finally did,) we sat in the sun listening to several senior citizens’ groups perform at the South Stage. There’s only so much of that you can take, no matter how nice the weather.

And let me tell you, the weather was FABulous today. It was the kind of day that not only made me forget I’m unemployed, but glad of it. Although it was alleged that the high would be only into the upper 60s, we got to the mid 70s easily. There were a few puffy clouds around but otherwise the air was clear and crisp with a nice southwesterly breeze.

After having our fill of senior citizens’ chorus groups, we headed over to the Conservatory Stage to see what was going on over there. A Girl Scout chorus. Yippie! Still, it gave me a chance to bake my left side after having baked the right at the South Stage. Overall, I think I came out relatively even. Time will tell. After peeling.

The next act wasn’t for another couple of hours so we had the place to ourselves. Some time went by and this really cute guy walked by us carrying a guitar case. On his way back from the beer tent, Jeffrey called him over to join us. Introductions all around, his name is Jimmy, his guitar is Toni.

Jimmy had been playing over by the reservoir and had made a few bucks before some other musician with a portable PA came and set up nearby. When you’re totally acoustic there’s no competing with a PA, so Jimmy was looking for another spot to set up when he wandered by.

Jeffrey and Jimmy hit it off immediately, in part because of they each have barfight scars from broken bottles on the left side of their faces, (imagine that as a bonding element,) and in part because their musical tastes are similar. Jimmy played some of his stuff for us. It turns out his band broke up recently and he’s looking for new members. Jeffrey is a vocalist and lyricist looking for a band.

Jeffrey never leaves home without copies of his poetry. He hauled out all his stuff and he and Jimmy got into jamming together. I haven’t had such a good time in ages. It was just so incredible watching and listening to the creative process unfold as lyricist and musician put their talents together for the very first time.

Jimmy immediately picked out Jeffrey’s poem, Ocean’s Shadow, as one of the best. It’s dark and haunting and the music Jimmy came up with for it fit so perfectly it sent chills up my spine. I still hear it. The melody is just as haunting as the lyrics. It came out with the first two verses slow and acoustic then it broke over into (what will be) pounding metal. Kinda like Led Zepplin’s Stairway to Heaven or Aerosmith’s Dream On. (Okay, so my age is showing. I can’t think of anything newer than 30 years ago. Sue me.)

Jimmy and Jeffrey drew a bit of a crowd around our table as they worked things out. There weren’t any tips, (damn, cause we need the money) but those who gathered really seemed to enjoy themselves. Hell, even the security people and the mounted police hung out for a while.

It just seemed like one of those karmic things where the right people seem to randomly stumble upon each other. We all exchanged e-mail and web addresses. Jimmy has a couple of cuts over on mp3.com but Jeffrey has the notes we took, so I can’t link to them right now. I really hope something comes of it.

Later, when we decided to check out, they took off together (no doubt to do some sort of musician thing) and I came home to make dinner. I’d skipped both breakfast and lunch then added a few beers to the equation, so it was in my best interests.

I hope to see and hear more of Jimmy and Jeffrey. The combination was electric.

Sunday May 21, 2000

CAUTION!

When I redesigned Scenic Route in August 2000, I did not go back to edit links in the existing Journal pages.

The links in this column and those in the page header and footer will work properly with the new design. Links within page body text may not.

I recommend that when you’re finished reading this page you close this window and use the links in the right frame of the previous window to avoid the confusion of having multiple windows open to the site.

If you arrived here from another site, there’s lots more here!

CAUTION!

When I redesigned Scenic Route in August 2000, I did not go back to edit links in the existing Journal pages.

The links in this column and those in the page header and footer will work properly with the new design. Links within page body text may not.

I recommend that when you’re finished reading this page you close this window and use the links in the right frame of the previous window to avoid the confusion of having multiple windows open to the site.

If you arrived here from another site, there’s lots more here!