Hide and Seek - Sometimes It Pays to be Patient

I found my missing eyeglasses. I'm not sure if I had spoken about them, but I misplaced a set of my eyeglasses towards the end of last week. I looked here and there, but simply moved to the next set in my rotation to wear those until I found the missing pair. Today I found them - in the well of the treadmill. I had been going to run on Friday, but decided to skip it and get over to the shop so that I could get a shipment out to California. I'm glad I did, despite a few more bumps in the road, the shipment went out and should be delivered any day now. But, I misplaced my eyeglasses. 

I spent a fair amount of time looking for my eyeglasses, but 
I do have four sets that I rotate through - one week at a 
time. I just moved to the next set and trusted in the Spirits 
that I would find my missing set soon. And I DID! 

So ... FOUND THEM! LOL

I am pleased that I found my missing eyeglasses in the 
treadmill well this morning. The treadmill has a well on 
each side where you can put earphones and various other 
items for storage until the next workout. I don't wear my 
glasses when I run/walk, but usually put them there. They 
weren't sticking out, so I didn't see them until I pulled out 
my earbuds this morning. Voila! 

LJ Idol is starting up again. I've got to get my head in the game, despite everything else that pulls on me. We're getting a bit of extra time (which is nice and appreciated), but I'd really like to have my entry signed, sealed and delivered by mid-week. I've got scenes curling in my head for this one - the prompt is "Quality". Lots of directions open for that one. 

LJ Idol is starting up again. After a rocky start (I'm really 
stupid sometimes with sign-up instructions), friends of 
mine steered me correctly and I think I finally joined 
properly. *sigh* Sometimes these electronic things just 
defeat me - LOL. 

I have no idea how many of us will be signing up for writing challenge/torture this time around. But it's through this challenge that I've made some really great online friends and I enjoy the process. It's a bit nerve-wracking, but I've always enjoyed tailoring my vision to meet a prompt. 

Chickie and Chickie Mama are on the road again, heading 
back to the Twin Cities. They spent quite a bit of time in 
Montana, then took a quick trip down to Salt Lake City to 
visit another cousin, and now they're crossing the Rockies 
to get back to the Land of Lakes. Safe travels! 

So, I'm going to have my breakfast and get moving. Lots to do this Monday morning. Chickie should be on the road again soon. She's due back at the shop on Wednesday morning. It looks like she's had a great time from her Facebook photos and posts. But ... on that note, I'm out of here. See you tomorrow. Slava Ukraini. 

It's Saturday - That, At Least, Is a Plus

I've somehow managed to misplace the pair of eyeglasses I was wearing yesterday. I have no idea where they might be, but I'm pretty sure that I'll come across them eventually, Since I wear four sets in rotation, I just grabbed the next set as a replacement. But it irks me. Eyeglasses are larger items - it's not that easy to misplace them, and the only time I wouldn't have been wearing them was while I was on the treadmill. But ... they're not in that room, or any other room I can find, nor are they next to where I sleep. *sigh* 

I can't imagine where my eyeglasses went. I'm pretty sure I 
was wearing them for my morning meditation. I 
retraced my steps to see if they might have dropped, but 
I wasn't seeing them. I'll still keep an eye out, but I'll wear 
next week's set today for the time being. 

It's Saturday. Chickie will be back in town on Wednesday, so I have several more days to work solo with DH. That basically means I'm on the sales floor, bathroom breaks are iffy, and lunch, if I get any, is very late. DH is NOT a good team player. He always makes sure Chickie gets her time - she's an employee, after all. He pays her. I don't count. 

There are some times when I'm miffed. I'm not angry, 
I'm not sad, I'm just miffed. That's how I feel about misplacing 
my eyeglasses. I'll probably find them in a day or so, but 
meanwhile, I'm having to make do. *sigh* And DH 
really isn't helping - his attitude really sucks recently. 

Can you tell that I'm a bit miffed at DH at the moment? It's not unusual, of course. But ... it's a boring thing for all of you to read about, so it's really just me getting things off my back for just a titch of time. But, he's up early (which is probably what's messing with my mojo), and I'm really not in the mood to interact with him at the moment. It's just as well I'm in the computer room writing this instead of up in the breakfast nook sipping my "cuppa". 

My Priority Mail box (similar to the one on the left), 
is on its' way to California. My customer found me 
through my Etsy store. It was a lot of work getting her 
order pulled and organized (Chickie was tremendous 
help with it), and we had a few (more than 20 pages 
worth) of chats to and fro, but colors were decided upon 
and credit cards were authorized. I know she'll make some 
lovely things from all of the sparkly bits she ordered. 

But, as stated above, it's Saturday. My large crystal shipment to California was paid for yesterday early morning and is already on the way to her, and I can relax after the stress of trying to get that order together, finalized, invoiced, sold and packed. Now, as long as the Post Office is their usual competent self, she'll have her box in a day or two, and I'll be able to breathe a bit. LOL Have an excellent weekend and I'll be back on Monday. Slava Ukraini. 

Yesterday Was an Adventure and Treadmill Photos

Yesterday turned into a really great day - a very busy one, but lots of smiles and interactions with people that were positive. My swim went really well, so it started the day out beautifully. Then I headed to my eye doctor appointment for my annual eye exam. My prescription has changed slightly, but not enough to worry about getting sets of new eyeglasses unless I decide I'd prefer that. Right now, I'm going to hold off on that, but I'm taking a copy of the prescription with me when I go to the State Fair in case I find a set of frames that I simply MUST order. 

Every year, on the second floor of the Grandstand at the 
MN State Fair, my favorite eyeglasses shop has a "Frame 
Sale". I've purchased a LOT of frames from them at this 
sale, but you have to have a prescription from within the 
past year to actually order lenses at that time. I now have 
an up-to-date prescription, so I'll take a look when I'm 
back at the Fair in late August with Sharon. 

After the eye doctor, I was in my general area and headed toward Radiology for a final meeting with the nursing staff and Doc Zac. I took a quick side trip to purchase three additional pink roses because my main Front Desk person hadn't been there on the day when I gave roses to everyone. So ... what the heck. I didn't want her missing out. (As it turned out. one of the others saved one of the roses from the last batch for her, so she didn't miss out after all), I still had a nice conversation with her, though. The update with the nurse went really smoothly, and I had my usual excellent time with Doc Zac (who is heading back to New Mexico later this week for a family event - I'm so envious and a bit homesick - LOL). 

I've been at the Radiology building quite a lot over the 
past month or so, but I've never been so close to someone 
in an orange jumpsuit and shackles with armed personnel 
close by. It was a little unnerving. 

As I left, there was a small group near the door to the inside clinic rooms and to my left, there was a man in an orange jumpsuit wearing shackles, with a County Sheriff standing behind him to the side, and a couple of other people there as well. Leaving the building, the County Sheriff's SUV was parked directly in front of the doors to the clinic - no parking restrictions for this vehicle, I guess. It was a bit of a shock, but I suppose prisoners also can have cancer and need treatment. I suppose that's our tax dollars at work since I'm quite sure we're all footing the bills for anyone's medical treatment if they are incarcerated. It's probably the closest I've ever come to a prisoner - at least one in an orange jumpsuit with shackles. 

I removed the motor cover as instructed. It won't help 
the issue with the piece of metal sticking out at all, 
but it looked clean and in good condition. 

The rest of my day was uneventful. I did remove the motor cover on my treadmill (which didn't affect the rod sticking out from the side at all), and I even grabbed DH's fancy drill to unscrew the header over the metal strip and see if it would be more visible that way. Unfortunately, not really. I compiled all of the photos, however, and sent them on to my treadmill people. This needs to be resolved, and it's quite apparent that it's nothing I can fix on my end - someone from their service staff will have to come over and get that exposed bar back into its' proper position. 

You can see the metal I'm talking about a bit 
clearer in this photo. On the right side, there's 
this piece of yellow metal sticking out from the 
side. That's not supposed to be there. That's 
supposed to be inside that rail. They're going 
to have to get this fixed. It's back in their court 
now. I've sent them the photos they requested. 

All in all, it was a day of accomplishments, a few hugs, lots of good feelings, and it was topped off by a lovely conversation with Aearwen. I'm hoping today will be as wonderful, but I suspect it will be a bit more tiring and fraught with personalities as I deal with DH and Chickie and any customers who might need my assistance. I love my customers, but sometimes they can be a bit of a hand full - LOL. Have an excellent Thursday, I'm off to the pool, but I'll be back tomorrow. Slava Ukraini. 

A Little Bit of This and a Little Bit of That - All Over the Place

I made an appointment for my COVID booster - October 4th. Originally I was going to get it set up for tomorrow, but the automatic appointment system wasn't working properly, and it never managed to actually get set up. So, after errands yesterday, I tried again and managed to grab the 4th instead. I'm not fond of vaccines - injections of any type, to be quite frank. But because I work with the public, I feel that the COVID booster isn't an option for me. I also have several friends at the YMCA who have come down with it within the past week or so, including our regular lifeguard. 

I wasn't going to bother with the COVID booster, but 
I know too many acquaintances who have come down 
with it over the past few weeks, to not have it done. *sigh*

I picked up my favorite set of eyeglasses from the Spectacle Shoppe yesterday. This is the original set that I had purchased from them in either 2003 or 2004. I've held onto these, had them re-lensed several times, and when I was having so much difficulty seeing before my cataract surgery, they were one of the few sets that somewhat worked. Now they're perfect and I'm delighted to be wearing them once again. That makes a total of four sets of eyeglasses. Although I'll miss the two sets that went missing earlier this year, I'm set for quite a while now - just needing to have them re-lensed every now and again when my prescription changes a lot. 

I love the Spectacle Shoppe. They are lovely people, very 
friendly and competent, and they have fabulous, unusual 
frames. The set they were relensing were my original 
set of glasses from them almost two decades ago. It's 
always been one of my favorite pairs. 

I'm going to try to hang on the phone with technical support today and get this website for DH uploaded onto our company website. He met with the buyer of the salvage company yesterday. Said it was rather odd - but the buyer took some photos and the list of inventory supplies, didn't need any in-depth information at this time, and left. DH was a bit confused about whether it was a successful meeting or not. I hope it was - we need the stuff out of the basement and onto someone else's plate. 

DH wasn't sure how the meeting with the buyer for Ax-Man 
went, but I guess we'll find out when we hear back from 
him. He did leave with the list of items we're looking to 
sell, and looked over the materials. Now it's a waiting game. 

Chickie has been spinning her wheels at the shop a bit lately. I know she's not feeling well, but she's really going to have to step up her game a bit more. When DH notices she's not pulling her load, then it means she's REALLY slacking. Time for a friendly chat - damn it all. She really does have to pick it up a bit and be a bit more pro-active when it comes to tasks that need to be done in the shop. *sigh* I hate these kinds of talks - they can be condescending, and sometimes if I'm too kind, the words also miss the target and get deflected - never acted on. I need her to get her head in the game. 

DH will be working on his new garden addition today. 
I think he was mumbling something about needing 30 
more paving stones at dinner last night. So, I suspect 
a trip to Menard's will be first thing on his agenda, 
followed by a day of hard work in the garden. We're 
running out of season here, and need to have this 
done before Winter arrives. 

So, that's where I'm at right now - sigh. Nothing very exciting. Then again, not exciting has positive aspects - I'm not in an active war, my streets are relatively safe, my customers are (usually) fun and interesting people, and it's not snowing (yet - LOL). All wins. I hope you have a day of wins and I'll be back tomorrow. Slava Ukraini. 

A New Building Project and Argh - Just Argh!

DH started working on a new garden feature for the upper back yard yesterday. First item on the agenda (after he had cleared the area last week) was to buy pavers. He went for the less expensive ones rather than the top quality he had used in the castle walls of our patio area, since this is just a semi-circle of only three high - just to contain plants, not a major planting. 

We have walls similar to this in our main garden area - our 
castle walls. We have them tiered more because we have 
plantings for our flowers and plants to make the patio much 
prettier. But the concept is the same, and the total height 
is probably pretty close too. What he's building now is much 
lower - only three tiers total. Just enough to make a nice 
area for sunnier plants and flowers. 

He loaded the truck to within a pound or two of load maximum - maybe even slightly over. Lots of paver stones and foundation stuff and soil - lots and lots of soil. The area, against our South fence, will get a bit more light than our main garden. It's closer to the southwestern corner of the house, and grading will be important because any major rains, with poor grading, might actually affect the house and the computer room, which is in that corner. 

I think our retaining wall that he's currently building will 
end up being closer to this - relatively short, and really 
just to hold plantings within a specific area. Of course it 
will go along with the larger castle walls. 

I'd love to show photos, but he covered everything up after almost getting the first tier laid. Apparently he stopped at that point to reconsider a couple of fine points. The area slopes from South to North, but also, apparently, from West to East, and he hadn't considered the secondary slope in his initial plans. So, since he was wiped out from hauling multiple pounds of stone here and there all day, he covered everything up and will contemplate things a bit today while he's at work. 

Ax-Man Surplus is one of those stores you love to wander 
through. There's always something that you'll find here, 
but you never know what or where. The founder of Ax-Man 
was an acquaintance of DH's Dad (like the rest of the world, 
it sometimes seems - LOL). The guy who runs the main store 
will be by this morning to take a look at what DH has to 
offer to him. 

He has a 10:30 am meeting with a guy from the local salvage shop. He's hoping to sell his shrink-wrap tubing and some other things to them. That would clear out A LOT in the basement, and bring in some needed funds - although I'm quite sure the amount of $ will be minimal. Still, if we could dump the stuff, it would be fabulous. I'm busy working on the website and trying to determine how to upload the website onto our domain. That's turning into the real hassle. 

I've actually liked developing the website, and 
I like the way it looks. It's really only a quick 
two-page splash page - we'll have hidden 
pages behind the splash that are customer 
specific. That's the next headache - getting 
those pages set up - but that'll go quickly, 
once I know how to upload everything onto 
our website address. 

I've developed the website on Network Solutions, but our website host is Google Workspace which is now hosted by SquareSpace, and I'm not getting any real answers on how to upload into our new space. I've spent hours on the two sites without success and I need to get this uploaded so that I can start the private pages for the customer we're hoping might be interested in the electronics. Any ideas from those of you more knowledgeable than  I would be very appreciated. ARGH! 

Yeah - that just about sums it up. 

So, I'm off to swim off my frustrations in the pool. I pick up my final set of eyeglasses this morning - new lenses in my very oldest and favorite pair. Then that particular project will be complete and my eyes will be finished for the year (except for a regular checkup later). It will have been quite the year for my eyes, but I've come a LONG way since scheduling my cataract surgery early in the year when we were still getting snow. I'm heading for the pool. Have an excellent day and I'll be back tomorrow. Slava Ukraini. 

Time, Equipment and Eyeglasses - A Bit of This and That

I actually slept until my alarm went off today - a rarity. But, that means I'm rushed and today will be a short and sweet post since I need to leave for the pool in slightly over 1/2 hour. Over the weekend I realized my digital watch was being more stubborn than usual, so I kept an eye on it. I gave up on actually having it adjustable for Daylight Savings Time or Standard Time long ago. It's impossible to actually easily set the darned thing, although it was marvelous for keeping track of my swimming laps. However, it was losing time - a lot of time - even though it was charged. Since setting it is an "act of the Almighty and not for the common man", I gave up, but it kept losing time and I actually need a functional watch. 

My watch of the past year or so kept losing time and 
it's a total bear to actually set, so I gave up and ordered 
a new digital watch that will survive the swimming 
pool from Amazon. It should arrive later this week 
or early next and I can hardly wait to have a 
functional watch again. 

Thus, once again, I was shopping the pages of Amazon. I ordered a new digital watch that will survive swimming, and added a small food/spice grinder to the order as well. I need to powder the dried chili peppers I've made with the dehydrator. This is one package I'm looking forward to getting in a few days. 

I ordered this food grinder. It was less than 
$25, and should do the job. It had decent 
reviews and the accompanying videos were 
quite helpful. I think I have exactly enough 
room for it in my lower cabinet. 

Tomorrow will be hectic - I pick up my favorite (and oldest) set of eyeglass frames from the optician tomorrow. I had them do new lenses for it. That will give me a total of four sets of eyeglasses, and I'm really enjoying all of them. I'm wearing them one week at a time, then switching to the next set. Glasses are a fashion statement, just like the clothes you chose to wear that day. So, I'm quite pleased to have choices available to me once again. 

I've gotten eyeglasses from Zenni in the past, but 
I was unimpressed with the quality of the 
frames and the choices I had. I went back to my 
local optical shop because even though they cost 
more (a lot more), I like their quality. 

Chickie got two new sets of glasses from Zenni within the past month, and one set has already broken. It's a good thing she got two sets of them. She'll be wearing her less favorite set today when she comes to work. She's very metal sensitive and can't wear metal earpieces, so the ones she has to choose from are inherently less stable. But it's a bummer that it didn't even last for a month. 

I'm running a bit tight on time right now, so have to 
get moving to get to the pool on time. Have an excellent 
Tuesday and I'll be back tomorrow. 

On that note, I have to get going. I actually slept until my alarm went off today, so I'm a bit tight on time. Have an excellent day and Slava Ukraini. I'll be back tomorrow. 

Today Will Be A VERY Busy Day - Time To Get It Started

I really hate it when I sleep until my alarm goes off. Now, it goes off at 3:00 am, so for most people that's the middle of their night and they're shaking their head at me, unable to fathom why I could possibly hate sleeping until 3:00 am. However, when I sleep until 3:00 am, it means my meditation is quite quick and almost forced, and I run late, all day. Today that isn't unexpected - I know today is a massively busy day, and it's just starting out with a kick. 

I think the last Disney cartoon movie I saw was "The Lion 
King", so I've never seen "The Little Mermaid". Still, this 
expression totally defines me today. It's going to be a VERY 
busy one. 

But, it's now 3:53 am, my meditation is finished, the first load of laundry is in the washer, the trash and recycling buckets are ready to take to the curb, I'm wearing my skin suit and my clothes for the day are packed in my swim bag. I'm not ahead of schedule, as is my preference, but I'm not behind schedule either. I'll have about 15 minutes to catch my breath in the parking lot of the YMCA before the next stage of the day begins. 

I can hardly wait to pick up my new eyeglasses and have 
them properly adjusted for my face. That's the one thing 
I don't get when I order from Zenni or one of the other 
mass-production firms. That personal touch simply isn't 
there, and I'm finding I miss it. 

I'll pick up my new eyeglasses at 10:00 am today. I really can't wait. Chickie got two new sets of Zenni eyeglasses in the mail yesterday. She's pleased that she can now see better, but uncertain about the frames that she chose. I think they're cute on her - especially the frames that are clear fronts and only earpieces extending from the clear lenses. It's as if she's wearing nothing at all, and she's got a great face, so it's a really good look on her. The other frame is more "normal" and in Zenni turquoise, so it's OK, but not outstanding. But vision! Yeah - I can hardly wait to get mine. 

I certainly don't stand still long enough to allow the 
grass to grow under my feet! LOL Today will be 
usually busy, even for me, but I'll go to bed tonight with 
a sense of accomplishment. 

I have an Etsy package to mail, groceries to buy, dinner to make, three loads of laundry to do, and of course, swimming first thing this morning. Yeah, it's going to be a very busy day. I'm also going to bring my favorite set of eyeglass frames along with me and have them put new lenses into them. Since it was originally one of their sets from almost 20 years ago, I'm sure they'll be happy to do that for me (at a price, of course). That will give me four sets of eyeglasses that I can wear - outstanding! I like changing my glasses to suit my mood and the activity levels I think I'll be doing that day. I'll have options open to me once again. 

Eyeglasses are face jewelry, and I fully believe in 
switching sets as I feel comfortable. They are fashion, 
and they are also necessary. I love having options open 
to me once again. 

On that note, I'm heading out to start this very busy day. I didn't even mention the housecleaning and computer work I need to get done today. On top of that agenda is paying my semi-annual property tax bill. NEVER piss off the government - LOL. Have an excellent Wednesday and I'll be back tomorrow. Slava Ukraini. 

It's Catch-up Time - Cooking and New Stuff

It's catch-up time, and I'm going to try to catch up with all of your last week's posts over the next few days. I might not get to all of the posts, but I'm going to give it my very best. I know, from prior years, that I sometimes miss something. If something really important happened, please message me and let me know I should check out a specific posting that you made over the past week. I care about you, my friends, and I want to know about your lives so that I can be supportive if needed, or merely cheer you on from the sidelines. 

I loved this recipe (link at the bottom of the following 
paragraph). It was quick and easy, the flavors were 
wonderful, and it made a nice portion that will feed me 
for several days. Highly recommended! 

I got my house back in order yesterday, putting all of the last items from Sharon's visit into their proper locations, and doing general cleanup. Most of all, though, I cooked! I had really missed having meals prepared in the refrigerator, so it was a relief to decide on a meal and get it made once again. I decided to make chicken fajitas and they turned out wonderfully. It was a really easy recipe, and I used some of my New Mexican Hatch Chili powder and flakes, so it has a nice mild bite to it. I just spent almost 15 minutes trying to find the exact recipe I used, and wasn't able to. I'll take a deeper look over the next few days, because this easy and flavorful recipe might be one you might enjoy for yourself and your family too. Found it! Here's your link - https://lifemadesimplebakes.com/sheet-pan-chicken-fajitas/#wprm-recipe-container-31577

This is the mini food dehydrator that I ordered 
and that should be arriving next week. It fit 
my criteria - small, efficient, and relatively 
inexpensive. There was one other I was looking 
at, but the reviews weren't as good for it, so I 
chose this. I think it will do just fine for what 
I need and want to make. 

I also picked more banana peppers and got them into the brine, and picked the first of my Tabasco peppers. I did order a small food dehydrator from Amazon which will arrive next week, and I'll work on the Tabasco peppers when that arrives. I was quite determined to not bring anything into this house that I don't have the room for, but I determined with a little bit of re-organization, that I could accommodate the food dehydrator in a bottom kitchen cupboard. I'm pretty much out of space now, though, so I guess that's the end of my kitchen tools - LOL. It's approximately 11 x 11 inches, so nice and tiny, but it will do what I need a dehydrator to do. I almost bought a different brand, but there were too many bad reviews, so I continued to hunt and ended up with this one. 

I've been buying my eyeglasses from the Spectacle 
Shoppe for decades. They have unique frames I've 
never seen anywhere else, and their level of customer 
service is excellent. After having had several sets 
from Zenni and EyeGlassesDirect, I returned to my 
standby because I know I'll get a quality set of glasses 
that I'll be able to wear for decades. 

I also got a phone call in the middle of the afternoon from my Optical company. While at the State Fair, I had purchased three different pairs of eyeglass frames to have done for me. The frames were inexpensive - it's their annual sale of All Frames for $59, and there are some awesome frames that they offer - hundreds of sets. I narrowed my choices to three, but simply couldn't choose between them, so ended up purchasing all three of them. They have now been properly lensed (and no - the lenses were extra $, of course). I've got an appointment at 10:00 am on Wednesday at one of their shops to pick up the glasses and make sure they are properly fitted to my face. I can hardly wait. I'm really looking forward to the new eyeglasses, and this is very fast turnaround, so I'm very appreciative. 

We always start the football season full of hope for 
a successful season. *sigh* That hope is rarely 
held at the end of the season - LOL. Still, it's 
football, and I love the sport. Since I can't usually 
see Denver Broncos games in my area of the 
country, I have my Minnesota games to keep me 
entertained. 

We're possibly going to have a rainy weekend, and it's the season opener for our football team (that's American football, not soccer as it would be anywhere else in the world - LOL). DH was making sounds about skipping Ren Fest and watching the game instead, and I'm totally on board with that, if it's his decision. I don't really enjoy Ren in the rain, and I'd love to watch the game, so that's what we may end up doing. But whatever we decide, I'll be back on Monday so I wish all of you a wonderful and fantastic weekend and I'll be back tomorrow. Slava Ukraini. 

It Was an Eyeglasses Kind of Day

Yesterday turned into a fairly good day, although I didn't get time to get any beading done. Still, I was able to get my Ogre Juice made, and after several hours of semi-frustration, was able to get one set of eyeglasses ordered from EyeBuyDirect. I've purchased from Zenni in the past and the glasses were OK, but I wanted to try a different supplier. I need a set of functional eyeglasses ASAP. 

I haven't used EyeBuyDirect before, although I've looked 
through their glasses. I had a VERY difficult time 
signing on to the website, finally managing a successful 
sign-in by signing in via Facebook. It was crazy how 
difficult it was to get into the functional website, although 
I was able to browse without buying with no problem 
at all. 

I also took time to go to my local Post Office who told me that LensesRX should be able to contact their local post office with the tracking number which should provide what's called a "Geo Location Code". Each package is scanned in as it is delivered. It would tell the post office where my errant package had actually been delivered. We'll see. I'm keeping hold of the barest thread that perhaps those two sets of frames will turn up in Staten Island and I can get them filled with my prescription and sent back to me. 

I did phone Lenses RX after speaking to my Post 
Office. I told them what my Postal person had told 
me, and they'll try to locate my package from their 
end. I'll also try to locate it from my end. I have a 
small hope that my eyeglass frames (and other 
information) will be found. 

Although I had the laptop set up because I was ordering eyeglasses, I didn't have any time to work on DH's website. Even though that was on my agenda. Time simply got away from me because I need vision more than he needs the website. So, I didn't get anything done on that. I'll try to work on it today, if I can, although he might be working on it and I doubt the software will allow both of us to work on it at the same time from different locations. 

I have a feeling I'll be tied to my computer desk for the 
majority of the day today, just entering price tags 
for the shipment we got in earlier this week. That's OK, 
at least I'm necessary - LOL. 

But, I also know that I have TONS of price tag entering waiting for me at the shop, so I suspect I'll be busy doing that for most, if not all, of the day. Next week I start cleaning for a nice, clean house before Sharon arrives. The main crises have been put behind me, and I can focus on what needs to be accomplished within the next three-and-a-half weeks. It's not horrid, but I need to get the guest bedroom back into reasonable condition to house a guest - LOL. Ir's do-able. I'll get a better idea of how do-able on Wednesday. Meanwhile, it's the weekend. I work today, I "relax" tomorrow, and I hope all of my readers have a wonderful weekend. I'll be back on Monday. Slava Ukraini. 

I Need an Island of Calm in the Heat of the Moment

I've been getting my eyeglasses relensed from Lenses RX on Staten Island for years now - decades, actually. I've always been delighted with their service and response. I had sent two sets of frames to them on the 7th of July, and hadn't received my completed glasses yet, which seemed unusual. So yesterday I contacted Customer Service, and a mess has now ensued. 

 
I've used LensesRX for years and have always been 
very satisfied with their product and response. This 
time, however, the ball got dropped. They're working 
on their end, and I need to find a set of eyeglasses to 
order from Zenni or a similar vendor that I can get 
quickly. I need a set I can wear regularly with the 
right prescription, while we attempt to track down 
my package. 

I sent the frames via Priority Mail along with the prescription, the filled out forms, etc, and according to the tracking information, it was Delivered, Front Door/Porch, STATEN ISLAND, NY 10306, July 10, 2023, 1:00 pm.  The only problem with that is that they never received the package. They're trying to track things down on their end, and I'll be talking with the Post Office on my end today. Although I have other frames I can send, one of my absolute favorite frames was one of the two I had in that package. I'm EXTREMELY disappointed. I can't necessarily blame LensesRX for this one. If they didn't bring the package into the business, I'm totally blaming the Post Office on this. Still, it leaves me without the eyeglasses that I desperately need. 

I sent the eyeglasses via Priority Mail. Next time I 
send some frames, I'll use Express Mail which 
requires a signature for delivery. GRRRR

I'll be talking with Customer Service again today. I'll probably have to order a rush set of eyeglasses from Zenni or a similar company in the interim, because I really can't be without the set of glasses I'm using as a stop-gap right now, and that set are my absolute FAVORITE eyeglasses. I'm unwilling to chance things with it in any case. But, I'm quite displeased - to put it mildly. 

One of the arguments about the heat of the SW vs the heat 
of the Midwest or other areas is that the SW is dry heat. Still, 
over 100 is hot in anyone's estimation. I've lived in the 
SW, and now live in the Upper Midwest where we don't have 
high temperatures often, but we do have high humidity. 
Today will be a bit of a steam bath since we'll be having 
temps in the mid-90's. Add in our humidity and it might 
feel like more than 100 degrees, easily. My plants are 
loving it, and our nights are cool, so it's really not all 
that bad. LOL

Today is a "day off" and it will be a very busy one with Ogre Juice to be made, groceries to be purchased, and a variety of other things to accomplish. I guess I'd better purchase a new set of eyeglasses as well - something funky, since the two I sent off may never be found. *sigh* I'll add that to my mental list of "things to do". It's also going to be beastly hot today with high humidity - nothing like living in a steam bath for a while. The one benefit of living in the Land of 10,000 Lakes is the fact that we rarely get extremely hot. The one negative is that all of that water either gives us massive snowfalls or steam baths, depending on the exterior temperatures. Today is a steam, bath kind of day. 

Today I need to find an island of calm. I can't really 
do much about the misdelivered box. I can get other 
glasses ordered, and will do that today. But, I'm going 
to be grateful that I still have my absolutely favorite 
set of frames, and only lost my second-favorite set. It's 
only things - and things aren't everything. It's just one 
more small setback. 

On that note, I'm out of here. I'm not really sure how I can be running behind schedule at 6:00 am, but I'm totally feeling it right now. Hopefully I'll find an island of calm at some point today because I really need some of that too - life can't all be "hurry up and die". Calm, sometimes, can be life - and I need calm. On that note, have a restful and blessed day and I'll be back tomorrow. Slava Ukraini. 

Happy Friday - A Rushed Day Off With Lots of Mail To Send

Just a quick post today since I'm on the way to the gym for an off-schedule swim. I'm making up for the 4th of July and the doctor appointment from earlier in the week. I really dislike not getting my three days in the pool. 

Yesterday's stage, which I was too rushed to add into the 
blog, looked like this. Outstanding. But now we leave 
the Pyrenees behind us and have a flat stage for the 
sprinters. 

Yesterday's swim was a cold run in and out of the pool. It was 52F (11.1C) in the morning air, and I was quite glad to get into the water. Then it was another quick run out of the pool after I was finished with my laps. It wasn't one of my best workouts, but it wasn't really a bad one either. 

Today's stage is a sprinter's dream - flat, with the flattest 
part at the end. We're moving up and across France now, 
heading towards the Alps. 

I hope my Tour de France fans had a chance to see the summit finish on Tourmalet yesterday! It was absolutely outstanding and the last two kilometers were epic! Today will be a flat stage as we leave the Pyrenees behind us and head towards the Central Massif portion of France (and if I'm messing up the geography, I apologize. I  don't have a map directly in front of me, and I know that today is a flat stage - a chance for the sprinters once again. Will Cav get his record win today? Maybe. But there are some really good sprinters in the field, so it won't be a "gimmie", for sure! 

I have used LensesRX to relens my eyeglass frames 
for decades now. Although I've also ordered a couple 
of new pairs from Zenni, I actually prefer the frames 
I purchased almost two decades ago. They're unique 
and totally one-of-a-kind. These guys do a great 
job putting in new lenses that are optically excellent 
quality. 

I'm sending off two sets of eyeglasses to LensesRX in Staten Island NY for new lenses. I actually have four frames I want redone, but I'll do two at a time. I still need to be functional until I can get my new lenses on my face. I'm also sending off my CraftOptics glasses to that company for relensing. I'll have more glasses in the hands of the postal service than I have in my home - LOL. I have a small Etsy package I'll be dropping off today as well, so it's a busy mail day on my "day off". 

I also have a set of these - CraftOptics magnifying glasses. 
They are also prescription, and I'll be sending them off 
to get relensed as well. These, I send to the manufacturer, 
who arranges for new lenses, installs them, adjusts the magnifiers 
to be in the correct location, and then sends them back to me. 

So I'm going to plug in the photos, grab my clothes, and head off to the gym. Have an excellent Friday and I'll be back tomorrow. Slava Ukraini.