2004-02-29 - 1:37 a.m.

I�m not comfortable paying top dollar for the best (and that includes musical instruments), but when it comes to computers and glasses, I�ll bend that rule.

I haven�t had new glasses in what I�m guessing is six years. And my current pair of glasses has held up well, but I�ve been wanting new glasses for maybe three years and really wanting new glasses for as long as I can remember.

Bad glasses suck. But okay but functional glasses suck even worse, in that it�s harder to get up the nerve to go through the expensive and time consuming process of replacing �em.

I finally checked that one off the list today. Oh god, I finally did it.

The Roommate and I went to Eye-Q, the definition of its reputation precedes it, and we were not disappointed. We somehow hit an excellent time to visit--we got the we�re gonna put out our best people �cause it�s gonna be busy staff, but we hit a snag where we got tons of attention. The Roommate got a nice pair of glasses and I was definitely there to supervise (and I did a kickass job). When it was my turn, I had four hot chicks (the two salespersons, the Roommate, and Julianne) helping me with the toughest of all decisions--it�s tough to buy a product you�re going to be wearing all the time when you can�t see what you look like when you�re wearing them. But this was a risky yet pleasurable experience--I mean, come on, hot sales chicks handing me glasses frames left and right, telling me to go for it, I mean, cute girls handing me glasses and telling me that looks so right on you and you look cute in that?

Don�t you wish you had poor eyesight?

I also got an eye exam, which was also pricey, but at the same time, that�s the kind of thing where it makes sense to pay twenty dollars more--I mean, it�s my eyes, which I see with, and all.

My eyes are healthy, I�m happy to say. I�m also happy to say that for the first time in my life, I�m getting plastic frames. I�ve always, secretly, wanted plastic frames.

They�re not as intense as many of the frames that were presented to me, but at the same time, they met with massive approval, and I was guaranteed that if I freaked out and couldn�t deal with the new glasses, there�d be a metal pair that I could deal with, waiting for me (that I tried on, and liked).

I really liked that--that the salespeople, although aggressively going for the sale, really wanted to help me, and were good at putting me in the right frames, as if it was their hobby to do so.

I hadn�t gone to an eye doctor prior to visiting the shop. I got so swept up in getting this over with that I took an appointment for about an hour-and-a-half after I left the store.

The Roommate and Julianne and I ate some turkey clubs at Charlie�s because we were hungry. I couldn�t remember if my appointment was for 4:00 or for 4:30, so I checked back.

The guy I spoke to (who remembered my name) thought I was there because that�s when I thought my appointment was, and as I tried to explain that I just didn�t know whether it was 4:00 or 4:30, and apologized for the confusion, he told me that�s okay, honey, do you want me to write the time down for you?

Which was just perfect.