The Cost of Sight Pt. 3

Looking over my blog I noticed I never gave my final update on how my glasses turned out. Here's a hint, I'll never buy from a brick and mortar store ever again, with the exception of Costco (I actually bought a pair of Rx shades from them only because their customer service was that good through my process of ordering from someone else. More retail stores no matter what the product need to take note).

I bought mine from Costal Contacts and had a great experience even though I sent the first pair back. The first pair did not match my Rx and to make things worse my Rx had changed so I could not even wear them. I called CC and with no hassle whatsoever I sent back the glasses and got the new ones within a week (they are a west coast company and I live on the east). The new ones, though perfect, took a little getting used to only because of my new Rx, no fault of CC. Having had them for almost a year now I see great and I've had no issues with the glasses. So for about $30 shipped I got a name brand pair of frames and upgraded lighter lenses with all the coatings (anti-glare, scratch-resistant, UV blocking) at no extra charge. As a matter of fact I was in the mall the other day with my wife in a lens chain place where she bought her glasses and they asked if I wanted mine adjusted. The guy told me they were some of the lightest lenses he had ever seen and was impressed with them.

I need to disclaim that I got a smoking deal at the time I bought mine (frames were on clearance for less than $10), but you should be able to find most pairs on several trusted sites from $40 to $100 depending on brand of frames (the more chic the name the higher the price, usually). This is better than the $300+ I usually paid in B&M stores

Again, head over to http://glassyeyes.blogspot.com/ for a list of good sites, how to order online (there are some essential things you'll need, see The Cost of Sight Pt. 2) and why you should never pay more than $100 for frames and lenses ever again.

I would love to hear back from any of you if you give this a shot for the first time or have any questions about the process. So let me hear from you and enjoy sticking it to the man.

Change I Don't Believe In

Change. I have a weird relationship with her. I both embrace and run from her. When it comes to suggestions of doing things differently I don't balk too often, but put me in a restaurant I frequent and I am the most stubborn of mules. Case in point,

Three Dollar Cafe - chicken and cheese sandwich (is it still considered a sandwich if you order it without the bun?)

Mama's Pizza - greek salad, slice of cheese.

Pappasito's - aside from the fajitas I can't tell you what anything else on the menu tastes like.

It's not that I fear change, I fear disappointment. If I get something different and it's not as good I'm going to regret that decisions for days and will probably never get something different there ever again. So when a place I go to changes things I'm usually not happy. This was the case a few weeks ago, but it had nothing to do with food.

My wife and I enjoy going to a place near us called The Firkin & Crown. It's an "English pub" type restaurant. They have English fare (bangers & mash, fish and chips, etc.) along with your typical American bar and grill food. A few weeks ago we invited some friends to join us there for dinner since they had never been. After being seated we were completely embarrassed to realize that F&K had changed the uniforms of their servers from black pants/tees to some kind of school girl/Scottish prostitute outfits. I think we apologized to the couple with us a half a dozen times.

Anthony Bourdain once said that when a place changes its menu that it's a sign that things are not going well. I can only assume this applies to changes in dress, too. The disappointing part of all this is that their food is good and this gimmick is completely unnecessary. Whatever the reason F&K is now a scratch on our dining list.

My First Blog from 40,000 Feet

I'm getting to that age in my life where I'm continually amazed by new feats of technology. The fact that I can write this today from my seat on my flight to San Diego still astounds me.

I'm not a guy who travels very much, so this being my fifth time on a plane in the last three weeks, six on Saturday, is not something I'm accustomed to. I have a new found respect for you folks that do this all the time, I know it gets old. Sometimes I think it would be fun to have a job that requires me to travel more, but the old adage about greener grasses is starting to apply. Not to mention friends of mine who spend most of their days in airports have relayed to me that it wears on you.

There is a song called "Traveler" by Fernando Ortega that says "Heavenly Father, remember the traveler, bring us safely home." My heart goes out to all the travelers and their families today and that they would arrive "safely home."

Now if they'd just put electrical outlets on the plane I'd be set.

Thoughts from the Road

Tonight I write from the front seat, passenger not driver, of a rented Ford Expedition as I do my good friend Bryant a large favor that I will most certainly hold over his head for years to come. Why am I on the road at 3:00 am? We are transporting a World Changers summer staff team on one of the worst back-to-back projects in the history of back-to-back projects (Columbia, SC to Tupelo, MS). They get their much needed rest to begin their next project in a few hours, Bryant drives and I try to stay awake, hence the blog.

With all the time in the world to ponder stuff and a quiet automobile to ponder them, thoughts race through my head, but the heaviness of yesterday dominates my mind. It was a sadly historic day and a sobering reminder how fragile and uncertain our days are. Pursue that which is eternal. Live with devotion and purpose Ephesians 5:15-16:

Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.

Life is but a vapor, make the most of it. Many more miles lay ahead of us tonight and my purpose for now is to help keep my driver awake, so I must get back to it.

The Cost of Sight Pt. 2

So yesterday I posted my problem with the eyewear chains. Today I got a little more validation to reassure me that the revolution is possible.

When ordering glasses online along with your prescription you will need to know your pupillary distance (PD) so I got my wife to check it for me yesterday (there are different ways of checking it, go here to see a few). You can also get your doctor to check it at your next exam. My membership to Costco ended last month and today I finally got around to renewing it. I hadn't been there in a while so after taking care of the membership thing I decided to peruse the store. Coming across the eyewear counter I thought I would ask if they would check my PD to ensure that the measurement we took at home was accurate.

Now I can't speak for all Costcos, but the lady I spoke with at mine was very helpful. When I inquired if she would check my PD she did so gladly, which was off by only .5mm (well done, Honey). She then asked me if I was buying frames online, I told her I was and we discussed different sites. She also told me that when mine arrived I could bring them to her and she'd take a look at them, check the craftsmanship and adjust them for me. That bit of helpful customer service took out the remaining guesswork of ordering my glasses.

I'll post again once all is said and done to give insight into the whole experience. In the meantime you can go to http://glassyeyes.blogspot.com/ for more information. We can make a change here people, let's do it. New subject matter next time, I promise.

The Cost of Sight/My Latest Indignation

I know you can't tell it from my photo, but I wear glasses as does my wife (though unlike me she has the choice of contacts). Recently we went shopping for her a new pair of specs. The more we looked the more I began to wonder why frames made of plastic and wire could cost anywhere from $100 to "How much is in your 401k?" Then on top of that you've got to get lenses, which I didn't give too much thought to cost because of the expertise that goes into cutting and installing them. And I'm sure there's some kind of FBI security grid behind that door in the back of the show room where the lab coats hang out.

Thanks to a thread on www.slickdeals.net I picked up a pair of designer name glasses that with upgraded lenses and S/H I paid just over $30 for. Surely this was too good to be true, an internet scam that made me it's latest victim. No way any reputable company would make a profit from this.

That's what I thought until I went here. What an outrage! My purchase may be a mistake, but for 30 bucks as opposed to $400+ I'm willing to risk it. And buying glasses online might have to be a trial and error process, but I'm telling you now that I vow to never buy from traditional stores as long as they continue their selling practices.

I hope my fellow four-eyed friends find this post helpful in knowing more about how much markup goes into your new pair of frames and what you can do to combat it.

Lessons from Fireflies

Last night as my wife and I returned from dinner with friends we pulled into the driveway to notice a large number of fireflies in our yard. We began to talk about how long it had been since we had seen any and for some reason it was like seeing them again for the first time as I began to wonder why and how they light up with such fervor (I'm sure this was something that was taught to me somewhere in my childhood, but was either forgotten or ignored). Thanks to the amazing internet I found out that a mixture of chemicals in the abdomen (enzymes luciferase and luciferin) answers the how and simple mating answers the why. Males are usually the ones you see flying around lighting up the sky while females, though at times may fly to meet them, typically signal from the ground to the male that she is willing to mate.

Here's where it gets interesting. Apparently there is a species of females that will send flashing signals to the males and once they get to her she eats them. That has to be the most heinous of let downs. Unsuspecting firefly thinks he's getting lucky but instead he's getting dead, an untimely death from a false beacon.

Of course that got me to thinking of obvious parallels in life and how I fall for false beacons that entice and steal from me, maybe not for the same reason as them, but ones that distract nonetheless. Luckily, the difference between us and the firefly is the ability to recognize danger when we see it (living out Romans 12:1-2 will be a good way to aid in this). Oswald Chambers once said "Beware of anything that competes for the loyalty of Jesus Christ." A great piece of advice to avoid the pitfall of the male firefly.