I have a call into the optometrist. I'm definitely going to see an opthalmogist ASAP -- which may, of course, be months away.

Or a Danny Kaye movie:

The Jackhole with the backhoe / Cut the wires for the files...

Ha! Frankenbuddha, that's exactly where my mind went first too.

eta: ooh, birthdate numberslut.

Jackholes with backhoes are why we have Digsafe. Also known as, when there are lots of houses with natural gas heat, a jackhole with a backhoe can blow up the whole neighborhood.

In the not-funny way. Although interestingly, not particularly flamey, either. Somebody in Quincy blew up his own house in the jackhole manner in 2002, and it was just a pile of wooden flinders, rather than a towering inferno. I guess all the gas basically gets used up in the initial explosion, and none is left to coat the things that might burn.

(Digsafe is the local "Call us up and tell us where you want to dig, and we'll come out and mark where you can and where you can't. Disobey us, and prepare to be electrocuted." Those people.)

That's one of the big worries: our healthcare system doesn't have the reserves to handle a pandemic.

One of the funnier things I read during the OMGWTFAnthrax!! scare was by a man who had been a child when smallpox hit New York in the late 40s. He described standing in line for the vaccine for hours and hours, everybody just queueing up politely, and he meant everybody, on orders from on high. I remember being vaguely amazed that everyone would just do as they were told, and not be so into yammering about privacy/rights/conspiracy theories/special privileges/side effects. But, that was right after the war, so the obedience factor was pretty high, I guess.

I have a call into the optometrist.

I wish all the quickness in the world to you -- in terms of appointments, diagnoses, resolutions, the whole deal.

Trader Joe's has really good pumpkin granola.

Seconded. I'd forgotten about it, but it's good.

So far this week I have had: pumpkin pappardelle, pumpkin ale, a pumpkin muffin and a pumpkin donut. I endorse the use of pumpkin in non-pie foodstuffs. In fact, I think it should be mandatory during the fall months.

If there's one sense I really, really can't afford to use, it's my vision. Damn.

In a world of drives... drives made of FIRE!

Heh.

I'm definitely going to see an opthalmogist ASAP -- which may, of course, be months away.

If it's an emergency (which this sounds like it could be, with the rapid deterioration of vision) an ophthalmologist should be able to see you immediately.

My regular doctor got me a next-day appointment at an ophthalmologist when I told her that the vision in my left eye had deteriorated noticeably over a four-day period.

I think you should insist on getting an appointment immediately.

So far my favourite use of pumpkin is the traces of pie filling left on the crust. The filling itself is too sweet in bulk, but in small quantities, with pastry...

If there's one sense I really, really can't afford to use, it's my vision

::awaits edit::

Heh.

Braiiiins.

Oh, and I meant to say: Betsy, I hope you're able to get in to see the doctor quickly, and I hope it's something non-serious and easy to fix.