Sorry about this picture. There’s really no good way to show a picture of only my eyes without it looking terribly creepy. BUT at least now I know which part of my face makes me most look like my sister.

(Sunday Paper, Year V, Issue 3)

I’ve worn glasses since the fourth grade.

Some of you might know that.

I wear contact lenses most of the time, now, so some of you might have had no idea I even wear glasses.

That’s OK.

You’re both OK in my book.

But the reason I’m starting with this is to establish the fact that I have terrible eyesight.

And that’s important for you to know because this week I had an appointment at the eye doctor.

There’s nothing earth-shattering to report about my eyes.

And that is the big news - there hasn’t been a major change in my eyesight in a couple of years.

Now, this isn’t to say my eyes are getting better - that’s certainly not the case and it never will be.

But they’re not getting worse. And that’s remarkable.

The doctor starts with a warning: after the age of 40 people - even those who have trouble only seeing far away - start having trouble with their reading as well.

And, as bad as my distance vision has been, that reading trouble hasn’t started for me yet. (The doctor mentioned that I am tall and have long arms and it might help that I don’t hold reading materials close to my face.)

But I always go to the eye doctor expecting bad news…I have a pretty terrible family history when it comes to vision, and without my glasses the world is a blur.

So when I leave the eye doctor with no news or good news, as I have the past couple of times I’ve gone…well, that’s worth writing about.

Writing

*Man, have I been swamped with work. That’s a really good thing.

Comedy

*Looking forward to February’s Comedy Night at Exhibit ‘A’ - tickets are on sale and you can click here to get them. I don’t have a bunch of irons in the fire right now but I’m hoping to hit some mics and shows as we hit the dregs of winter and there’s not a whole lot else to do.

Thoughts On Dog Ownership

*Walks have been good, but I think Tate really needs some playtime with other dogs. So I’m going to try to make that happen this week. She’s such a good dog.

Notes

*I always get a kick out of reading the notes from the visit to the eye doctor and read that I am being treated for myopia. It always sounds worse than it is.

*Also, it sounds like Mr. Magoo, because he was always described as ‘myopic’ in whatever I’m remembering reading.

*Have I considered laser surgery for my eyes? Yes, I think about it often. Can I afford it? Probably not, but maybe it’s worth saving up for. Can I get it even though I have an astigmatism? I don’t know if I’m using that word correctly and I’m not even really sure what it means, but I don’t know the answer to this question and would need a consultation about it. I still always fear something will come out about laser surgery being unhealthy and that makes me hesitant to ever get it.

*Here’s where you can follow me on Twitter, here’s where you can Like my page on Facebook.

*Facebook is where you can find the new “Every Week On Wednesday” feature. So far so good with that. Last week, if you missed it, had a fun Gone With The Wind fact that you might not want to miss. You can search the hashtag #EveryWeekOnWednesday on Facebook if you’re having trouble finding those posts.

*Speaking of Gone With The Wind, I told you at the end of last year that I was going to begin this year by reading that book. It’s a long book (more than a thousand pages!) but I didn’t let that intimidate me. I thought about it in small chunks. I started the book on January 1st, and I figured if I read roughly 30 pages a day I’d be done by the end of the month. So far, so good - we’re a little more than halfway through the month and I’m a little more than halfway through the book. I get a little bit done in the car when I pick up the girls at school, sometimes I read a little bit waiting outside dance or piano, and I’ve been reading pretty consistently at night before bed. I decided I might try Little Women next, because I don’t think I’ve ever read that either. (Then I’ll watch the new movie.)

*How do I feel about the Astros scandal and how it affected the Mets? I’m glad you asked, because I have opinions. I hate it. I hate that the Astros cheated and I’m glad they were investigated and I’m glad people paid the price for it. Unfortunately, there are plenty of players who were heavily involved who get to continue playing with no punishment other than less respect from their peers, I suppose. As for the Mets, I was excited to see Carlos Beltran as their manager, but I wasn’t super-attached yet, so other than the fact that the Mets are without a manager a month before spring training starts, I’m OK with where they’re at. I felt Beltran’s presence - after the Astros report came out - was going to be more distraction than not. Probably for the best he won’t be leading the team in 2020. I keep thinking of all of the little repercussions from the Astros’ actions. Yu Darvish, for instance. I’m not a huge Yu Darvish fan, but he got crushed in the World Series that year, and the Astros convinced him he was tipping his pitches. He was subsequently undervalued in free agency…and pretty much was mentally messed up on the mound…all stemming from his performance against the Astros who, again, were likely cheating. That’s just one high-profile instance. Imagine all of the others.