Thursday, August 19, 2010

Saved from a Blowout (see end paragraph)

I got new glasses last weekend.  In fact I got two pair.  The other ones are not as "out there" as these ones but these ones have transition lenses for the sun but the other red metal ones do not.  During the week I noticed that one of the lenses in this pair was popping out and I took them back but I also complained that the computer distance was pretty useless to me even though the reading area is much improved over the old glasses.  I have been in the habit of wearing separate computer glasses anyway which allow me to see the whole screen and the bifocal part below them (the purple unfashionable hospital glasses with top-up) is great for the keyboard but the receptionist insisted I should be able to do better than half to 3/4 of a line being in focus so I have another appointment next Tuesday and will deal with both problems then.  No glasses can beat good eyes and I don't think I will ever be 100% comfortable with multi-focal lenses despite the fact of the convenience of not having to change into another pair of glasses.

I have to go back to the dentist again on Monday in Noosaville and use up the last of the Government allied health subsidy on a filling and a scale and clean and I cannot imagine Dianne being able to get the bottom plate adjusted enough to not cause me any pain.  Last week's filing down has not fixed the pain from chewing and that is what I need the darn things for.  My gums are often sore and even raw in spots even without false teeth and it is not infrequent me pushing away the healthy food on my plate.  It is also hard to eat the nuts and seeds in the flat-belly diet.

On Wednesday I picked up the uDirect that streams sound from any audio output directly into my hearing aids but it has been very disappointing and I phoned up the same day complaining about the quality of sound.  It sounds like a tinny old transistor radio which is fine for voice calls on the mobile phone but totally unacceptable even to my deaf ears for music and what they neglect to tell you is that the lipsync is useless for the television because there is a delay if only small.  The truth of the matter is that in-the-ear buds provide a much better quality of sound.  Nevertheless William really wanted to try and make some adjustments including cutting out the background sound which can still enter because my hearing aids are open to the world and I agreed to give him an appointment to try to improve things which is next Wednesday.  I do not have much faith in his software being able to change the quality of the speakers in my hearing aids and I will guess that I will be returning these as "unsuitable".  Even the device which MUST be worn around the neck to provide the antenna is heavy enough to aggravate the arthritis in my neck.  I can sit it in my bra to relieve some weight but right now I am sore from wearing bras.  Yes, they are still literally a pain to wear especially repeatedly compressing the same areas. 

I just have problems with any pressure and my ears have also been sore because of the hearing aids and glasses have always been a problem.  Add both of them together and it is just a bigger source of aggravation.  I know I sound like a "touchy" person but it seems my body is over-reactive to many things which I put up with until I cannot bear it any more. The thing to remember is that the pain is still real.  My back has been hard to bear all week so I finally have got stuck into some iboprufen (Advil) which is the worst thing I can do for my gut but it is the lesser of two evils that I must decide for what has to be called "quality of life".

What else has happened this week?  Well there is that person who is still pruning the hibiscus out the front until he gets rid of the diseased bits and the other day I caught him pulling the buds off the lemon tree because they were full of minute grubs.  I think that will mean "no lemons" rather than having the option of "sprayed" lemons.  He also called in some housing maintenance without telling me which is actually a good thing except for the fact that he did not tell me.  So far we have had a repaired power-point, the front door-jamming problem corrected and the guttering measured up for replacement should the department accept the quote (and have any surplus funds).  Not having a sheet of water pouring down in front of the door during moderate rainfall would be great.

I found navy rubber backed unhemmed curtain material at the op shop which had the curtain tape on it ready for rings.  It is too short but widthways is fine (without hemming) and since it is brand new it looks OK as an added layer to the window at the front of the house with the string curtains behind it and the lacey ones removed.  The curtain is easy to open and shut like the kitchen window so it will be much better for cutting out the Summer heat too.  Only enough for that one window though.

Today my car got serviced with an oil change and check and the only extra thing I needed to pay for was a new air filter.  That should be it now for another 10,000km so I got off quite lightly.  I found a new auto place that was out to impress so there was a discount and pick-up and delivery which made it all too easy. 

The most interesting part of the report was the tyre pressure.  Three tyres were so overinflated at 45psi that a trip to Hervey Bay could have heated them up enough to blow-out with the three of us in the car.  It seems none of us are meant to die yet.  We know who overinflated the tyres but I should have checked them and I was reminded of the fact today after he ordered "never come and talk to me again after one of 'your' people and you have consulted".  No wonder the road was so bumpy and the fuel consumption so good!

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