Friday, November 30, 2007

An Emotional Traumatization

Well I survived yesterday’s nightmare in town. We were there from 10:00 in the morning til 7:30 in the evening. We started out by going to my piano teacher’s for half an hour to play the duet, which didn’t go quite as bad as I thought it may. Then we had to go to the orthodontist where I received a standing ovation from the entire staff for being such a trooper about wearing my rubber bands! Okay, well, not quite… But one of the assistants applauded me, if that counts?

Then we went on to Target where we got to shopping for the Christmas boxes. I don’t think I’ve mentioned those yet. Well my youth group has gone down to a place in Mexico about 3 or 4 times now. They visit an orphanage and battered woman’s shelter, and I think they are building a church as well, and from the stories I’ve heard, it’s a fun and eye-opening missionary trip. Well I really want to go but I couldn’t this time (don’t ask why, Mom’s are weird) but they are collecting little shoe boxes and shoe-box-sized Rubbermaid boxes, and are stuffing them with all sorts of fun stuff! You can makes boys’ ones, with toy lizards, dinosaurs, cars, toothbrush, play putty, socks, combs, coloring books, crayons, all sorts of goodies! Girls with dolls, stuffed animals, hair clippies, purse, glittery lip balm, play necklaces, etc. The boxes for women we put stuff like body butter, shampoo, conditioner, lotion, moisturizer, nail polish, loofas, and candy. We did one for each- woman, boy and girl. Some people I noticed put stuff like big baby dolls, big toy dinosaurs, etc in there, which is cool! But I really wanted to fit just as much as I could in there, so I bought a ton of small stuff to put in mine, I did the girl box, and ended up doing the boy box too because Tyler wouldn’t do his. Tsk, tsk. Anyway. There Tyler looked at electronics and Mom and I shopped for the boxes.

Onward to food! Tyler had his guitar lesson at 1:00 and we had spent quite a bit of time in Target, so it was the McDonalds drive-through for us. Tyler had his lesson, we dropped him off at college, and Mom and I went on to the local Livestock place for beef feed. That done, we cruised on down to Big Lots, for more Christmas box shopping. And at 3:00… I had the dreaded…

Optometrist appointment.

--eerie background music—

I hate it when they blow that stupid puff of air in your eye. They warn you, and so you’re anticipating it (not in the good way), and your squinting really hard and trying to keep your eyes open at the same time. The lady kept telling me “open your eyes wider.” “wider.” “wider still.” And then it comes and I jump about 4 feet in the air, and I feel like I’m gonna cry because it just blows your eye free of all moisture. What is that danged thing, an air compressor?!

Then she made me look at a few little slides. Asked me if I take medication, if I’ve had any eye infections or injuries, etc. Then we wait. For about 10 minutes. Dr. Greg comes in and he begins his examination of me. Which involved a bunch of slides again.

“Which is clearer- one. Or two. Okay… now one. Or two…. One. Or two. Good… One. Or two.”

He must have said that a hundred times. If those were the same set of slides I saw a year ago, my eyes have definitely changed, because a lot of them looked alike at my check up last year. And I could hardly read with my left eye what I could with my right.

At the end of the immensely exciting eye examination, he pronounced…

“She is going to need to wear some glasses.”

(My thoughts- well that’s not too much of a surprise, I kind of figured I’d need reading glasses.)

“All the time.”

(My thoughts- ……………ummmm………..excuse me?)

Yup. He said my eyes aren’t working together any more, which I was later told was called an astigmatism. Oh joy. He said my eyes aren’t really bad, but they are really strained, and these glasses will greatly relieve the strain on my eyes. And hopefully the headaches and eye aches I get from reading.

I read a LOT. I read hours upon hours a day. I mean, schoolwork, that’s about 2 and a half hours of reading right there. And then I usually read for 2 hours a day just free time, a combination of Sherlock Holmes and my Bible. I spend about half an hour on the computer for German, and usually another half hour to 45 minutes just doing stuff like checking email and downloading pictures and writing on here. I’m definitely not a TV addict… But I guess since I am such a vivacious reader, I do tend to put strain on my eyes…

But. Glasses! Glasses! GLASSES! *choke and sob* I’m devastated! Okay so not exactly but I do not want to wear glasses. And apparently contacts are not an option because the prescription I need is not very strong, it’s not like I have blurred vision, it will just take the strain off.

Hey! I can live with strain! I live with a brother. I’m sure I can handle a few headaches… Yeah, well, there was no point in trying to talk my way out of it… Or throwing myself on the floor like a child, driving my fists into the floor and screaming bloody murder… Which I kind of felt like doing, to be honest.

So yeah. I mean, Sara doesn’t want to get braces and she has too. I guess I can live with glasses. But I have braces too! Ugh… I just really. Don’t. Want. Them. They just… they… are on my FACE! I mean, I don't want junk on my face... Any kind of junk, including scrap metal hammered into funny shapes! And… I… I will look like… a… nerdy bookworm person or something.

This is definitely not gonna increase my chances of getting asked to dance at the next 4-H dance.

But Sara improved my disposition. We were texting, like always. I was being sarcastic and texted: “But I… I… I will look… UGLY!” and she told me: “Caitlin! NO YOU WILL NOT! Any guy who doesn’t think you are pretty just because you wear glasses, is stupid and lame. And not worth your time.” (Yeah, we are pretty skilled texters.)

Thanks, Sara. =) I mean… I still can’t think of one teenage girl I know who wears glasses… But whatever. I can’t get out of them. I will have to wear them. I will live. Maybe.

So yeah. I had to pick out frames… There were about 100 pair of women’s and I spent all of 15 minutes trying them on. At this point, it didn’t really matter. Glasses were glasses. Grrr. I picked out a frame that looked semi-okay. I have to wait like a week or something for them to put the lenses in. Hey! No argument here! I can wait eternity, really, I’m a very patient person. When it comes to certain unwelcome things.

So yeah. I spent the next hour or so pouting inwardly. Stupid glasses.

Anyway. Then we picked Tyler up and went to… I guess the Dollar Tree to finish up our Christmas shopping, and on to Wal-Mart, where we got groceries and other miscellaneous things. We got home late. I took a shower. Ate. Went to bed.

I can't really remember any details. Everything else was kind of a blur after the whole optometrist session.

I’ve been traumatized. I am scarred for life. *emotional tears*

Anyway, I got over it pretty quick. At 4:45 this morning, to be exact. Today we were planning on Bangs (I don’t know how you spell it, but say that outloud, and that’s how you pronounce it) vaccinating heifers. Breakfast was at 5:30, Clint (duh) and Dave were coming over to help. But… I had not sooner gotten out of bed and begun an intense search through my sock drawer for… well… socks, than Mom walked in and said Daddy is probably gonna postpone.

Mommy say what?

Yup. It was raining! Woohoo! I love the rain… Ahhh the smell, the feel, I just love rainy days. Something about them… Very comforting. I loooove rain! Anyway, yeah, and on the weather site on the computer it looked like we are smack dab in the middle of it. Today was like a 40% chance, and tomorrow it will definitely rain because it’s a 70% chance.

Have I mentioned I love rain?

I mean I was looking forward to riding, just not in the cold and darkness of the… Early morning… cold and darkness. Yeah.

So I’ve been sitting here for about half an hour, typing away like a mad woman. It’s 6:24. Time to go get dressed and eat breakfast.

And begin therapy. (Really guys, I’m emotionally traumatized, why can’t you sympathize with me in my hour of greatest need?!?!)

5 comments:

Ranch Wife said...

Oh my dear! You really do have a way with words! I think you just completed your writing assignment for school.A+

I love looking at the world through your eyes ~ with or without glasses! A pair of glasses really does not warrant such consternation ~ you are marvelous with or without them! (and no, I did not say that just because I am your mom) I think Dr. Greg would get quite a kick out of this!Let's share it with him ~ shall we?

Sara said...

It'll be all okay :) No worries! Just... uhhh... don't lose them in the pasture like... uhh.. well I... err.. did.

Ranch Kiddo said...

Mom- Really? Can I get credit for blog writing? I really don't think sharing this with Dr. Greg is neccessary...

Sara- Haha! -points and laughs- Yeah these glasses aren't exactly... erm... cheap. =P I think both parents would be pretty put out with me.

Anonymous said...

Awww,Caitlin,glasses aren't that bad. I actually have a pair...I'm supposed to wear...but I hate them and am bad about NOT wearing them.Anyway,they have really cute and stylish glasses now days. At least ya don't have to wear great big round ones,like I did in 3rd grade.Sara needs to show ya a picture of me in these horrible glasses! Talk about lookin' ugly,and like a nerd!

Ranch Kiddo said...

Thanks Jennifer. =) Oh! Shame on you! -shakes finger at Jennifer- Well I wouldn't call them cute... They aren't ugly, but they are still on my face. =P *laughs* I'm sorry! I will have to get Sara to show me that pic. =D Oh I bet you weren't ugly, you can't be ugly, your too purdy. =) But that is true... These don't look half bad compared to something like that. Oh well life goes on, I will get used to them I guess. Thanks for the encouragement!