Chapter 209

Thanks to everyone for my birthday wishes. 

Sooo. Everyone knows that I prefer a cheap pair of flip flops to a good pair of shoes. My feet are much happier when not confined by leather, nylon, and socks so imagine my happiness when I found the perfect pair of flip flops for my Halloween wardrobe. Check 'em out. No, they are not my real feet! They make you want to run screaming to the nearest pedicure-ist.

Nitro's walking gear was scattered all over the garage bathroom so I bought him a little rack to hold his Kitty Holster, leash, and raincoat. It was supposed to hold Bear's retractable leash as well but it was almost larger than the entire rack. Nitro actually sits under the rack and meows hoping I will take him for a walk. It does't work.

First thing on my birthday morning Carissa took me to her place of employment, Surgical Center of Silverdale. Unfortunately I wasn't there just to see where she works, I was there to experience where she works. My insurance paid for the "basic" lens but I treated myself to the "premium" lens for my birthday for an additional sizable price tag. This isn't just any premium lens, THIS is the the blue light-filtering acrylic foldable toric aspheric optic single piece posterior chamber intraocular lens. 

Check this baby out!

After a very quick surgery, Carissa & I went out for Thai food

followed by a trip to Target where I scared a small child in a shopping cart with my vegetable strainer eye patch and bandage. Fortunately she didn't see all the staff initials written on my forehead under my bangs in permanent marker where they verified that it was indeed the right eye that my birthday present was to be installed in. 

I feel great and haven't had any pain at all so I went back to work the next day. I'm anxious to get the other eye done in two weeks because the "new" eye works great but since I can't wear my glasses now the "old" eye can't see and the both eyes don't really want to compromise on what they are seeing as I had expected they might. Needless to say that the (doctor sanctioned) 1 1/2 hour drive home from Silverdale was a bit sketch but kept others that were also trying to safely arrive at their destination on their toes. 

 

Thanks to Carissa and Chris for letting me stay with them for a couple of nights and taking me out to birthday dinner, and to Carissa for taking me for my surgery. I must say, however, that if I have to share the small bed I'm offered, I'd like to have at least half of it for me...and maybe not only the top half. I'm tall, I feel I'm entitled to the entire 37 1/2" that is the top half of the full-sized mattress. Bear took more than his share and when Bear sleeps, he SLEEPS. There's no moving 90 pounds of his dead weight.

Now that my daughter has taken me to a doctor appointment, I am an official old person. Let's hope that doesn't have to happen again for a very long time.

• The moon this week has been huge. The full moon in October corresponds with the time of harvesting corn. It is also called the Barley Moon, because it is the time to harvest and thresh the ripened barley. The Harvest Moon was welcomed by farmers since it is bright enough to allow finishing all the harvest chores. - Wikipedia  Our harvest moon was so bright this week that it was visible in the late afternoon light over our maple's turning leaves. 

• It's been so foggy this week I haven't see moon since. Looking out from our bedroom window is very pretty with all the fog and fall leaves, but all I can see are leaves that need to be raked up. Occasionally I am rewarded with fall wind gusts that carry our leaves off down the street so until they become someone else's nightmare. As a bonus, since it's so foggy, I won't even be able to see them land in someone else's yard to feel guilty about. 

Annnd since no timely wind gusts came by to help me out, I found myself raking those "beautiful" leaves into rows 

for Bob to suck up with the Platinum Leaf Rake vacuum attachment that I asked for as a birthday present many years ago. We engage in this leaf battle with Mother Nature each fall, Bob had been eyeballing the Platinum Leaf Rake for many years but didn't want to spend the money. Since he couldn't deny me a rare birthday gift request, I asked for this awesome machine for my birthday.  It's the best present (for me) ever.  Imagine how quickly I'd get the vacuuming done in the house with a 6" hose???

While I was in the backyard walking Nitro, I checked on the peach tree I trimmed back...pretty aggressively. Bob says it's probably not going to come back. I think he's being a bit pessimistic. I think I see some fresh growth on that tree trunk....or is that a hobby horse head starting to sprout?

When I was at Target this week, I picked up "a little something" for Nitro. I got him a costume that says "Wicked Cute".  He loves it.

Actually what happened is that he thinks I put his harness on and he's going for a walk so he's patiently waiting for me to hitch him up and take him out into the world.

   

 While we were outside, I noticed the unmistakable signs of fall. Random mushrooms of different types springing from the forest floor

and dew covered spider webs. I always wonder where these giant spiders are all summer long. You never see giant spiders and their webs in the summer. In the fall, they are everywhere. The fall dew is a nice touch on these webs.

Have a good week everyone!