alexpgp: (Default)
alexpgp ([personal profile] alexpgp) wrote2002-01-22 09:22 pm

Contact!

As in: lenses.

Datum: My work style, basically, consists of sitting a lot in front of a computer, a page-holder, and a bunch of books and typing.

Datum: Any variation that requires me to don and doff glasses in order to function is doomed to failure. Eventually, I will leave them somewhere.

Datum: The state of Colorado says I have to wear corrective lenses in order to operate a motor vehicle.

One interesting result of today's session at the optometrist's office is that my vision is not so bad as to require me to wear glasses while driving. The doc wrote out something that, he says, may induce to folks downtown to rescind the restriction. I probably ought to go get a new license anyway, since I've shaved my facial hair and gotten a very short haircut since my "current" license photo was taken. I would not want to strain the credibility of anyone who is trying to match my license photo to my real mug, as such matchings are assuming ever-greater importance these days, but I digress...

There are, it seems, many ways of skinning the cat when it comes to correcting vision. After some discussion, I discarded the idea of progressive lenses, in either eyeglass or contact lens form, as they don't really suit my work style, besides any other issues.

I need to be able to see at a distance, because regardless of whether I need glasses to drive, it's always nice to have a clear, sharp view of the road (especially in these mountains). I also need to be able to work at my desk, under the conditions set forth above.

The solution, which sounded a bit silly to me at first, is this:

Correct my far vision with "ordinary" contact lenses, and then have me wear, basically, reading glasses for close work.

I was under the impression that contacts must be ordered, and apparently that's true for special circumstances, but in my case, they just unwrapped a couple of lenses right there in the office, where I learned how to put them in and take them out.

I experienced beginner's luck, there, as I was able to get the first two in without a problem. When it came to repeating the exercise, well... my eyeball took something of a beating.

That's enough of that. I went home a little early from the store and have spent about 4 and a half hours translating, during which time I've done almost four pages of work. Little by little, I am falling behind, so let me finish this post and get back to work.

Cheers...

[identity profile] bandicoot.livejournal.com 2002-01-22 09:09 pm (UTC)(link)
While my progressive bifocals correct for pretty much the range of my vision needs, computer use requires my head be tilted back just a little, so I supplement them with a cheap pair of +1 reading glasses from the drugstore. That essentially reduces the range on all the areas of the bifocals so I can see closer. Then I can look at the monitor with my eyes straight ahead. If that mangled description makes sense.

To find the right correction, I went to the drug store and tried on different corrections while looking at the end of my outstretched hand, which is essentially the distance of the monitor screen.