2010 - The Good, the bad and teh ugly!

It is New Years day 2011 and I am sick with the crud.  Nothing horrible just feel like shit for the moment and I am pretty sure it will pass.

2010 has been a year of ups and downs.  It marked my first year of sobriety and I began a new relationship with Carolyn that has been wonderful for the most part.

It also became the year that was the end of my marriage to Jen.  Am I happy that it ended this way?  Not really. No one ever goes into a marriage to have it end in divorce.  Over the course of time I had hoped that we would change how we interacted but when she refused to work on it,  it became time for me to just leave.  Not to say that I was completely right in the ending of it.  I take responsibility for my part in it.  I feel that we have a choice in how our relationships happen... We can be right or we can be alone.  Jen had to be right.  So now she gets to be alone.

Carolyn and I started dating in April.  Everyday we talk and make time to connect.  The superficial conservation that is necessary happens as it will but we take time everyday to check in on each other and how we are feeling about things.  There are some days where I am cranky and need a little headspace and time to sort things through.  There are times when Carolyn needs the space.  We make it a point to give the time and space when necessary without threats or whining.  I  like that.  It means we have time to work on ourselves and become complete.  We can bring what we have become to the relationship and share it with the other.

Trying to encapsulate the rest of the year seems pointless.  We are not what we have or don't have.  We are what we do and how we interact in the world.  I am not about the money, or stuff.  I am about how I interact with the world and the relationships we have.  It is all that really matters.

So to all those who send out the year end Christmas/Holiday cards that tells of the exotic places they have gone the cars they bought and boast about their stuff on hand I say good luck to them.  My 2010 was a pretty  damn good year.  

Elections...

No matter the outcome we are all screwed.

MOVED!

Moving sucks.

The act of it, the process of it and the fact that I realize how much shit we have and how much stuff we need comes into play.

I am cranky.  Just a bit.  We have not had a home-cooked meal in over a week.  And until we get a chance to cook in the place on a regular basis it will not feel like home.  No, reheating crap in the micorwave does not count.  The act of setting up a space for food preparation and actually cooking it is what makes a house a home. 

We also decided that we would get rid of the couch and love seat that was kindly donated to me after my divorce (thanks Ethan but it was not as comfortable as it looked.)

We are in the market for a sectional.  Either that or I am going to build one.   I figure that all I need would be some milk crates and 2 x 4 boards... 

Zenni Optical... More Thoughts...

There are a few things that I did not mention about getting any eyeglasses via online or mail order.  If you have a straight forward prescription then you will have no problems with getting good quality glasses from any number of vendors. 

Mine was pretty straight forward.  I needed bifocals and I have a slight astigmatism in my left eye.  I knew my pupillary distance (the distance between the pupils.)  For the record I ordered a PD of 60 even though my centered PD was 30 and 30.5.  Not quite equal but within the range necessary so not to worry about causing issues with vision.

I also cheated and got an idea of what would fit in terms of frames.  This means going to a local business and trying on frames to get an idea of what would fit and what would not.  Then taking those numbers and finding a corresponding size on Zenni. 

However, if I were to have a prescription that necessitated something outside the ordinary then I would not hesitate to avoid mail order or internet ordered glasses.  Spending money on good glasses will prevent problems in the future.  I happen to be in the situation where I can get quality at a very good price.

Yes it is not local but local is too expensive right now.  

Zenni Optical... A Review of Sorts

Since my last post on eyeglasses I received my first pair.  They were from a local shop that had a deal for a pair of progressive bifocal glasses for $139.00.  Add the poly carbonate lenses and the total came to around $195.00. 

About 11 days later they arrived and I F'N HATE THEM!  They do not stay on my face as they are spring loaded and want to bounce off my face.  As my scalp moves they move down my nose and on more than one occasion required me to catch them in mid air as they fell to the ground.  This also happened while I was peering over a balcony and they fell 3 floors to the concrete sidewalk.  They had a mark on them but WTF kids.  Glasses should not do this ever!

So I have been eager awaiting the glasses to arrive.  I had them sent to my office as I was in the middle of the move we had facilitated over the weekend.  They arrived 20 days after they were ordered. 

Here is me with the package:

Here is the case that came in the package:

This is the presentation of the glasses in the case:

And the glasses:

Me wearing the newly acquired glasses...

My overall impressions are this:  HELL YEAH!!!

Zenni Optical made no claims other than I would get the glasses and that they would be what I had ordered.  The lenses appear to be much the same if not better than the other ones.  The fit is a bit better and they do not fall off my face for no apparent reason.

Here was the test that proved the fit:

One reason that I have become a cynic.

William K. Black goes over why the recession has happened, why it won't end and why the grifter elite has spoiled any chance that the average Joe will never be able to make it in this world.  We are screwed by big business because government allows us to be screwed and big business paid for it.  So go ahead and vote kids, it won't do much good. 

Money and power have corrupted them to the point that there is no turning back.

Would want to join a club...

...that would have you as a member?

It is strictly voluntary but in doing so it has saved millions from desperation and futility.

Dues are whatever you can give and member meetings are frequent.

Coffee is usually a staple at the meetings along with sweets or donuts.

Alcoholism is a disease that requires daily treatment.  Meetings are just a small part of the requirement.  It is also knowing what can trigger a relapse and how to avoid those becomes a daily routine. 

So for example family functions are okay except that there will be a bar available for anyone who would like a drink.  A newly recovering alcoholic may want to have a means of leaving early or not going altogether.  A person further along in their recovery may want to just have a means of leaving early.

In some situations it may be a person who can trigger the urge to drink.  A simple way is to avoid that person in the first place.  Or have someone else who is working the program there with you. 

No one should expect that every situation will be welcoming for a person in recovery.  Making exceptions for those folks is completely up to the hosts involved. 

With that in mind we need to also remember that in many cases there are people who need to keep the alcoholic sick.  It gives an alcoholic enough reason to keep using and gives the co-dependent person the power to maintain control. 

Learning to deal with those people is also a part of recovery. 

That is why we have a club.