It's A Miracle...I can SEE!

Magic has discovered how different life can be when one can actually see :)

At this year's eye doc appt, Magic asked about using contact lenses to see - with the main idea being that it would also enable vision under water :D

It's amazing what they've come up with these days...a progressive contact lens. Whoda thought it?

In the middle, it's designed for distance, and then as it moves out toward the edges, it progressively gets more powerful for closer seeing.

It's awesome to see again....

I also learned that my "bad" left eye is mostly for show. I get peripheral vision through that eye, but other than that...nada.

Don't cry for me though. I've had amblyopia (more info about that if you care is here:

http://www.strabismus.org/amblyopia_lazy_eye.html)

for my whole life (well as long as I can remember anyway).

I was the kid with the patch stuck over one eye in kindergarten and a few years in grade school. My Mom drew pictures on the patch every day, so I was happy (and looked extra "special" I'm thinking).

I wore glasses and a patch for a few years...didn't do anything to improve my vision, so I got to ditch the glasses by the time I was a bit older.

They didn't improve my vision any, but they did look really cool (not).

Then, when I was a junior in high school they tried the chemical patching (drops in the "good" eye to blur it out, drops in the "bad" eye to make it focus harder). That worked really well...went from 20/200 in my poor amblyopic eye to 20/25 over the course of that year. It was great, but it dropped right back down once we stopped the drops.

My "good" eye was always 20/20. As it turns out, it's the only one I've been using to read or to see for that matter. It's all I've ever really known (because while my "bad" eye did improve, it was only while my "good" eye was blinded by the drops, so it didn't look much different from my perspective).

I don't have depth perception like you do, but I've developed something that works for me (I've never crashed into anything while I'm driving or run into walls because I misjudged where it actual was).

I can't see 3D much either...which is kinda a bummer, as in theory it seems pretty cool.

As time has gone by, as with most things, my eyesight has gotten a bit worse. The last few years, I've been going through the "reading" glasses and finally got the good ol' progressive prescription lenses. They worked well enough, but I never had them when I needed them (I always was losing them) and it was a choice between seeing detail (my far vision is fine) and sunglasses.

And then there is diving. My arms got way too short to easily read my gauges. And this is what finally led me to try contact lenses (or LENS (singular) in my case lol). Small blessing that I only use one eye, so only have to have one lens - the contact sets I buy will go twice as far (small thing, but hey, it's all good).

This vision thing was annoying enough that I decided I'd rather stick my finger in my eye putting a lens in, than be half blind up close under water.

I'm learning to deal with the lens, and it's coming along.

Usually is only taking three tries to get the lens in (and mostly this is because I get it in inside out at least once :) I think too much, my doc says, and it'll come with practice.

I'm crazy good at getting the lens out, though, so that's at least half the battle. :)

So...there ya go...Magic can see again.

Food is not mysterious as it travels from the table toward my face...I can actually see the facial features of those sitting nearby...My arms are actually long enough - again - to make reading without glasses a reality.

I'm kinda wondering how "progressive" this contact can get, but I'm not spending too much of my time worrying about it...it'll be what it is, and I'm just happy I can see now.

I'm looking forward to seeing the difference it makes in my gauges and camera underwater.

...think happy thoughts...

I AM!

:D

Aloha!

M&G

Princess K and the Brand New Train Tracks

Today, Miss K got braces on her teeth.

I recall being much older when the same thing happened to me. I think that it's a good thing, though, that they start earlier these days...they'll be through that much earlier too, right?

She has to wear headgear, but only at night...and no big silver bands surrounding every tooth...they just glue the brackets on these days - much nicer and way less painful.

They have colored stuff too...not just silver or grey.

Headgear is fun colors too...even if the "gear" itself isn't :)

There is lots of fun stuff to do these days while you are awaiting your turn in the chair too...

xbox360, playstation...fun stuff

We had "highlights" magazine.

Remember highlights? It was cutting edge in the olden days...magazines for children were pretty much non-existent. But we had Highlights...and Weekly Reader.

I think, that perhaps, I was born too early for some of the fun stuff of childhood, but on the other hand, I think that kids today miss out on a lot of the fun stuff we were able to do as kids.

Sister and I were discussing this just today - while we waited in the orthodontist's office armed with video and digital cameras.

In the summer time, we'd be off all day long...running in the woods, climbing trees, riding our bikes.

Mom knew we were around, and that we were ok...but she probably didn't know precisely what we were up to at any given moment.

We had the freedom to be kids and do dumb things (like try to "ice skate" on a buttered floor, which seemed like a fabulous idea at the time) and stupid, sorta dangerous things (like tying a very long rope to a tree, climbing aboard, and having every kid in the neighborhood pull on it until you were higher than the roof of the two and a half story house...and then letting it fly), or just hanging out in the woods enjoying the sounds and the smells and the day.

Kids can't do that anymore. I don't know if they'd even think to do that. We can't let them be on their own - out of our sight - for fear something evil might happen. they must be supervised and stimulated every waking minute of every day. No down time, no time for daydreams or imagination. No time for having a stick and taking an imaginary trip to the caribbean where it became your trusty sword. or was the oar of your boat as you escaped from the island, or the bow of your violin as you played the solo at carnegie hall.

Some things they have now are way fun...and some that they don't are way sad...

I guess it's the way of the world...but I'd still like a kid to be able to have a little time to play safely in the woods on a warm summer's day.

As for Miss K...she has a grownup that can take her places and challenge her imagination. Some say it's because Magic is a kid too...and in some ways that's true. But I'm a kid with a driver's license and a credit card...and a totally intact sense of adventure and longing for the fun of discovering what lies ahead in our imaginations...

If you want, next time you can come along with us...but you have to play the games that we choose at first, since you'll be the new kid and that's how it works.

To the Bat Cave!

M&G

Surprised?

Magic:

You Are a Total Brainiac

You're amazingly brilliant. Some would even say genius. You're curious, thoughtful, analytical, and confident. You take on difficult subjects because you want to... not because you have to. No field of knowledge is too complicated or intimidating for you. You've got the brains to do anything you want. It's possible you end up doing everything you want.

Are You a Brainiac?

Goofy:

You Are a Total Brainiac

You're amazingly brilliant. Some would even say genius. You're curious, thoughtful, analytical, and confident. You take on difficult subjects because you want to... not because you have to. No field of knowledge is too complicated or intimidating for you. You've got the brains to do anything you want. It's possible you end up doing everything you want.

Are You a Brainiac?

Surprised? You shouldn't be...LOL

Things That Go "DUH" In The Middle Of The Night

Have you ever awakened in the middle of the night and thought...

"Well, duh! That's so obvious." to something that had been naggling at you when you went to sleep?

I think most people have...but then again...

When I was a kid, I'd often go to sleep thinking of a math problem I was having trouble with (or something else that was confounding me) and wake up with the solution just "there" somehow. It was pretty cool at the time. It still happens quite a lot.

Interesting thing, the brain.

Last night, I awoke with a "duh" moment, but for the life of me, I can't recall what the heck it was about this morning. It seemed important and relevant at the time. I guess I should have written it down. I always think that'd be a good idea - I've heard that it is - but I just never do that...I wonder why? maybe I don't really want to know...haha.

This, too, is a function of the human brain. lol.

I find that I don't often recall my dreams, either. do you?

Nightmares stay with me for some reason.

But dreams generally are ethereal in waking, slowly fading out as consciousness fades in.

It doesn't seem fair somehow, although I suppose the nightmares are more of my brain trying to work out something that just won't make sense while I'm awake...or maybe just things that I don't want to spend time thinking about. Maybe if they are really upsetting on some level, they make a darker imprint and are easier to bring into the daylight.

I recall, for instance - to this day - a dream where I booted my sis over the edge of the Grand Canyon while she was too close to the edge looking over.

"Haha!" I thought "...shouldn't have been such a big target!"

I was about eight or nine at the time.

I also recall immediate remorse (for what it's worth), and I jumped off after her (for what reason, I'm not sure)...and flew. It was way cool to fly. As for my sis...what was I thinking? If I only knew then what I know now...

Some dreams do tend to stick with me though...especially, ones where my Mom comes to me in the present to help me figure things out, or just to hang out and chat like we always used to. Just talking about the events of the day and what we'd like to do next. I'm aware - even in the dream - that it's at odds with reality, but at the same time, I hold onto this dream state as long as I can...relishing our "visit". I feel lucky to have these visits...figment of my own imagination or need?...don't really care.

So, is my sub-conscious doing what it's always done....helping me work things out? Or is it really Mom, coming to visit when I am less likely to disbelieve.

Frankly, I hope she's found more interesting things to do - but at the same time...I love the thought that she drops by from time to time, just to check in.

:)

M&G

Disneyland Without Kids

For my birthday this year,

We're going to Disneyland!

Heh!

I haven't been to Disneyland for probably 10 years or so, so the girls are heading on down for a long weekend.

I love Disney. I am particularly looking forward to "Tower of Terror". I love roller coasters and things that simulate zero G too :) I haven't been there since that whole new park was added...very exciting! :D


I am wondering why Disneyland is so fun? Is it the rides? The shopping? The happiness that is there ?(manufactured or not, it IS a happy place).

I don't know...maybe it's just the opportunity to forget the real world for a time and pretend that life really can be that simple.

I also think it's funny that people are surprised when you mention that you are going with only adults...

"no kids are going?" they say, incredulous.

I wonder why you'd want to take kids...they just slow you down! LOL.

Don't get me wrong...I love the kids in my life. I want to bring them along most of the time, but there are times when you just want to be a non-kid having adult. Being silly and laughing and not worrying about embarrassing the kids :)

It allows you to have fun that you couldn't with the kids along...when you have to be a grown-up and put their needs first.

So, we'll be four women set loose in the greater LA area with no kids, no husbands, no jobs, no mortgages... just the four of us looking for fun times and being together in that space.

Hahahahahahaha.

And if we think it's fun to look for Hidden Mickeys and photo ops with Goofy (the other Goofy), then it's our deal. Some might call it stalking Goofy, but we won't.

We know you are jealous.

You just are too serious to say so. Being serious can be such a bummer sometimes, huh?

What could really be better than to be an adult in Disneyland with a valid credit card?

We'll ride "It's a Small World" - just because we always did when we were little.

And we'll ride "Pirates of the Caribbean" even tho it's not politically correct. It's a fond memory of times when we were small and snuggled into Moms arms, ready to hide our faces at the scary parts. The smell of the ride so familiar, and the memories of being that small and safe and secure in the love and protection of Mom's arms - the world being what it should be at that brief moment in time...the familiar dark where we can almost imagine her there still.

Scent memory can be powerful...for good or for bad. :)

We'll ride the roller coasters (or some of us will ;), and remember how much Mom loved to ride and scream and laugh.

We'll even check out the new stuff once we are done catching up with our pasts...

And most of all...we'll forget for a few days that we have responsibilities at home, and we won't watch the news, and we'll check the weather by looking out the window....we'll be together...just enjoying the experience of the happiest place on earth - we'll accept the alternate reality constructed for us, if only for a while. Together.

I'm hoping to post vids, so stay tuned. I have about a month to get it figured out.

M&G

Busy Bees

Hello y'all!

It's been a busy few weeks here in the Great Northwest! :)

Besides having to come home from Maui (awwwwwww...I know you feel bad for us :)), we had a bit of a "situation" up at Camano while we were away.

Long story short...J&D discovered a lovely waterfall in the cabin when they went up to redo the deck. YAY!

They are awesome friends....instead of closing the door and going home, they got the water shut off (the tank on the toilet had cracked, and water was just flowing out - probably for a week or two...YAY!), cleaned everything up (mostly cleaned it out), called to get emergency help to remove the water and dry everything out, pulled up the floor (yes, it's gone, down to the shiplap), and in general...saved the day.

It sounds a bit dramatic in the retelling (and it was a TON of work for J&D), but honestly, it's a blessing in disguise.

It got goofy and me to get off the fence and start getting things fixed up and ready there. Insurance will cover some of the projects (the floor for instance, and some of the ruined furniture), but it'll be awesome once we are done.

It'll all be good in the end.

I'll get some pics posted as things move forward...

Hope you all are happy and well!

Aloha!

M&D

Something to think about

Hi Y'all.

I've recently found a new website called ted.com

It's very interesting stuff,
filled with ideas
some worth further consideration, some not,
but opportunities to expand you own thoughts and perceptions exist here.

I was particularly intrigued by this talk by Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor. She's a brain scientist who had a stroke and the presence of mind to study herself as it was happening. It's worth 18 minutes of your time, I think. Listen and see if you - as I did - can see the possibilities of living more to the right of yourself...something I'd usually never ever think I'd say :) LOL.

There's a message here, and I've heard it before, not knowing what it was...for me, I think it's the sea...and the oneness I can so easily feel when I'm there. I'm going to have to work on bringing that more into my everyday life.

M&G

Master Scuba Diver Magic!

Today, Leap Year Day 2008, Magic finished up the qualifications for Master Scuba Diver.

YAY!

It was a long day, but a good one.

Capt. Dan is an absolute angel and made the diving so much better than it might have been otherwise.

(remember where I said it was a long day? LOL)

Goofy was also a big part of the success...couldn't have finished it without Goofy.

Saw lots of sharks today. And a BUNCH of turtles...and a big grouping of Coronet fish (which was odd, and cool).

The sharks were kinda odd hanging out in the sand, and swimming past us in the open. Hadn't done that before LOL

And, a lot of whale song. :)

A good, good day.

Aloha!

M&G

Night Diving, Night Diving...

Goofy and I went on a night dive last night. Here's a pic. LOL

You can kinda make out a fin, and the swoosh thing is a light hooked to a tank (so we can find each other in the dark - theoretically).

Usually, I am not a big fan of diving at night.

First of all...

It's dark. Very dark.

:) LOL

We went in at twilight, which we thought would give us a bit of time to get our bearings.

It did...for a few minutes. :)

Then it got pretty darn dark.

Luckily...we had lights. :) LOL

We also had a camera (for all the good it did - SEE ABOVE HAHAHAHA).

Saw a trumpet fish ... I don't know who scared whom more...LOL.

Saw a cool eel. Don't know what kind of eel, but I'll check in my books.

Saw a guy with some great lights shooting murky video. I don't know what kind of vid he got, but the lights were awesome.

It's a bit claustrophobic diving at night. And you just know that there is something lurking just outside the range of your lights. Looking at you. Knowing you can't see it, and having a good laugh over it.

Fish are quite the comedians.

Lots and lots of whale song last night. VERY COOL.

Today, we are going on an afternoon dive. Thinking about a nice calm time.

Our last dive of the trip... :(

Looking forward to a good time.

Aloha!

M&G

And then this morning...

...we saw this mother and calf right in front of our hotel.

The calf is right in front of the mom...as always, you can click on the pic, it'll get bigger.

We stood and watched them travel slowly along, parallel to the beach.

Musta been a new baby.

Too cool!

Aloha!

M&G