Middle-classdom.

I figure since I mentioned going to the eye doctor and the lawyer on Friday, that I owed you guys a version of the day.



Friday was how I imagine other people living. You know, everyday stuff that needs to be done. Which I gotta say, over the years, I've avoided as much as possible, both because of a touch of agoraphobia and because of a lack of money.

Need something? "Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without." That's been the mantra.

Something has changed since Dad died. I somehow feel compelled to get my house in order. For instance, having a real Will. So Linda and I went to a lawyer this morning.


First off, though, I went to the optometrist. It's been six years since I last went, and between having a heavy boardgame fall on my glasses, and then sitting on them a few weeks ago, I knew they were completely off-line.

Time for some new glasses. I picked some frames that were a little daring for me. Normally, I try to pick something that would be completely unnoticed. But I liked these frames, so I went for them. Makes me look very professorial.

My agoraphobia seems to be drying up. I'll probably never be quite reassured that it's gone, but...

I'm pretty sure that I not only don't seemed scared to people, but I probably don't even seem introverted. They took my blood pressure, and it was "slightly" high and I said that usually happens and the girl called it "white-coat" syndrome. I laughed and called it, "introvert" syndrome.

Seems like every time I go to the optometrist or the dentist, they have a bunch of new tools to play with.

They put me through a 'peripheral vision' test, with a clicker and flashing lights. "You got 100%!" she said. "Yeah," I answered. "I got all those ships."

She laughed and said, "The special effects are a little lacking...."

"Maybe for the kids. But for those of us who played Asteroids, it was right on." I didn't ask her if she had ever heard of Asteroids.

Then she flashed bright lights in my eyes. "Arrrgghhh!" I exclaimed. "You've blinded me!"

"I'm sorry!" she says.

"Just kidding. But you are sort of torturing my eyes."

"Yeah, we kinda are...."

Anyway, I'm showing what a card I am just to illustrate that I don't seemed cowed as much as I once was. It's great. There's always the suspicion something will go wrong and set me back, but really -- I seem totally unfazed.


They dilated my eyes, and I told Linda, "I'm going to stare at the lawyer with my beady little eyes...." but the lawyer didn't seem to notice, so I explained that I wasn't high on acid but had been to the eye doctor that morning.

The Will turned out to be relatively easy. She didn't seem to need the details of all the finances, just a general framework to put them in.


Then it was on to AAA, where we loaded up on maps and booklets. We're going to be doing some heavy traveling this summer, more than we've ever done, so we thought we'd plan our routes.


Then to Fred Meyer to buy some clothes. It was two and half years since I last bought anything. But -- hey, that's about half the interval I used to take. Clothes used to be falling completely apart before I'd replace them.


Anyway, between all the visits, I spent a huge chunk of money. I just fished out my credit card which I'd paid down to zero and it was painless.

It had to be done.