Clear Vision 2018

My eye doctor reminded me a few weeks ago that it was time for an eye check, so I decided I should go into 2018 with updated eyewear. Perfect timing, as it turns out.

My insurance covers an eye exam every year and new glasses every two years. A lot of plans care about the end of the calendar year, but mine doesn't...it just happens that my last exam was in a December also. Judging from how busy the eye doctor and various glasses places were at the end of December, I should probably think about shifting my timing in the future. But I managed to get everything done, though of course there were some bumps along the way.

First hurdle to clear...getting to the eye doctor. They closed their Caledonia location, which had been less than a mile from my condo. Their main location in Hastings is still going, though, so I headed down there. It's only about a half hour drive, and I liked how they operate well enough that it was worth the extra time.

The exam found very little to worry about, which is always good news. A slight increase in my prescription, but no major issues. No need to worry about bifocals (yet), which was my main concern. All that time spent with computers and books seems to be keeping my close-range vision working fine.

Next step, new glasses. I looked around at the eye doctor, but didn't really see anything I loved in the way of new frames. Turned out that was just as well, because I was a week early for my insurance coverage. When they say two years, they mean two years, not one year and 51 weeks.

So I waited, planning to go to look at various other places a week later. Of course, life happened and I didn't get around to it right away. But then I lost my glasses - I still have no idea where I left them. Fortunate timing! I pulled out my four-year-old pair as a temporary measure, which functioned but the world was really blurry. Eyes really do change over a few years!

My first stop was Lenscrafters, but the only frames I liked there were name brand and cost nearly $300. Even with insurance, that was going to run me nearly $250 after lens cost. So I went down the way to Eyeglass World, and lo and behold, they had a nearly identical pair that was only $140. Dropped my total cost to less than $150, after insurance, and I got the nice composite lenses with UV coating in the deal. (Good for lots of computer work, which is definitely right up my alley.)

Even better, my prescription was simple enough that they could get the glasses ready on the same day. So I was back to seeing clearly just a few hours later. Ready for 2018!

Orange (anime)

Orange is a high school romance series, which in itself is not usually something I'd watch. But it also has a time-travel hook, and deals with the subject of suicide and the regrets of those left behind. (Minor spoilers below, though I don't think they'd detract from anyone's enjoyment of the series.)

The time-travel bit is what drew my attention to Orange in the first place. A high school girl named Kaho gets a letter from her 10-years-in-the-future self, giving instructions about how to avoid the thing she most regrets. The mechanics of how the actual letter delivery across time happens are pretty weak, but that's not really the point. The focus is on what future knowledge does to her actions and relationships. (Note for those who aren't Japanese-literate: make sure you get version that has English translations of the letters. They're often just shown, not read aloud. Some English dubs don't have the written translations and that really detracts from this particular series. Personally, I think the sub-titles are better than dubs anyway.)

Just a few episodes in, it's revealed that future Kaho's main regret is the death of Kakeru, a new student in her class. At first they don't specify that it's a suicide, but I thought it was pretty obvious almost immediately. The rest of the series follows the efforts Kaho makes to change that future.

There's a lot of awkward teenage romance in Orange: Kaho and Kakeru, a triangle with her friend Suwa, interfering friends, and so on. The romantic tension is largely driven by how shy and easily embarrassed Kaho is. Not really my favorite thing, but it was worth tolerating for the other aspects of the show.

What I found most impressive about Orange was how Kakeru is portrayed. He comes from a broken home, loses his mother, and withdraws from personal relationships and activities (such as soccer club). He's depressed, blames himself for his mother's death, and eventually becomes suicidal. But he doesn't show any of this in day-to-day activities, continuing normal life right up into the end. In the original timeline, where the future letter originates, no one noticed and took action. That's a realistic portrayal of how suicide can happen - my family had a recent experience along those lines, and so this story really hit home.

In Orange, the future letter gives Kaho and her friends a chance to save Kakeru. There are some specifics in the letter, of course, but the most important thing is that they recognize his situation. Even when their actions have changed things so that the future knowledge doesn't make much sense in terms of specific events, the fact that they're aware of Kakeru's pain and depression puts them in a position to help. And that's what I hope people take from this story...that recognizing someone's suffering and doing everything you can for them can make a difference.

Paper: Paging Through History by Mark Kurlansky

Paper: Paging Through History by Mark Kurlansky
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Paper is one of those things that I never really thought much about. There seems to be an inexhaustible supply pretty much anywhere you go, in a huge variety of shapes, sizes, and colors. This book describes the long and complex journey to that state of affairs.

I learned a lot about what actually goes into the creation of paper from reading Paper. I always thought of paper as coming from trees, but that's a fairly recent development. For a long time, various kinds of cloth rags were the primary input material. Kurlansky describes the evolution of the paper-making process from early hand methods to modern paper mills. It's only in the last couple of centuries that the volume of paper produced has exploded, making it so easy to obtain.

The subtitle mentions "history" and there's plenty of that here. The book focuses on literacy and the use of paper, of course, but that ties into a whole lot of world history along the way. From the long history of China to the Middle East to Western civilization, Paper traces how changes in society drove the development of paper-making and usage over time.

Much of the book describes paper used for writing and drawing, of course, but I was surprised at how many other uses of paper were also mentioned. Wrapping, packing, cartridges for firearms, construction materials, even clothing...paper is used in all kinds of ways that don't immediately spring to mind for me.

Any student of history will find Paper an interesting read. Kurlansky provides a view into the long history leading to the wide variety of paper products we have today.

Ada Chili and Beer Festival 2017

Chili and beer, sounds like a good Saturday afternoon to me.

Every year, folks from the Community Church in Ada and Ronald McDonald House organize a chili cook-off. Most of the entrants are from local restaurants and brewpubs, who also bring their beers and ciders along.

Doing an outdoor event so late in the year in Michigan is a bit risky, but the weather cooperated this year. No major snowstorms and it wasn't even all that cold. Though with as many people as were crowded into the big tent, cold wouldn't have been an issue regardless. Nice to have the option of wandering around outside a bit, though.

I didn't come close to trying every chili or beer option, way too many choices! About a half-dozen of each, I think, before I was too full to keep going. Everything was good, though! I look forward to another round next year.