Eyeball Update

I went in for my follow up visit today. It appears that my eyeballs are doing well. They're slowly healing and my vision is better than my last visit. It's gotta be around 20/20 at this point. There seems to be no need for Lasik, which is nice. My pressure is still a little high, but I guess it's within the normal range. I'm supposed to continue with the one drop per day thing till the next visit.

From my perspective, my vision seems to be the same as last time, but all the fancy machines say otherwise. I guess I must be used to it or the correction is so slight that mentally I can't perceive it. When testing my eyes individually, my left eye seems to see clearer. However, this has always been the case because I think the astigmatism in my right eye is worse.

Overall, I'm totally happy with the results of the Visian ICL surgery despite all the prolonged issues I've been having. I'm still amazed that I can wake up in the middle of the night and look over and see my clock. It's like whoa. I don't even remember when I was able to do this last without squinting. Technology is pretty darn cool.

Technology Makes People Stupid

The following conversation occurred at Ward Theatre last night at a showing of Planet 51. This is why technology is making people stupid.

Stars of this performance: group of about eight 7-year-old girls, a mother and a father.

Mom: "Okay, so we have two Sprites . . . one fruit punch . . ."
Girl 1: "I want a Sprite too!"
Mom: "Girl 1, I counted you already."
Girl 2: "Me too."
Mom: "Girl 2, you want a Sprite or a fruit punch?"
Girl 2: "Sprite."

- More of the same -
- Dad waiting for orders -

Mom: "So, we've got three Sprites, two fruit punches. Girl 7, you said you wanted a fruit punch?"
Girl 7: "No, I wanted water."
Mom: "Ok you can have a water."
Girl 4: "I want water too."

- More of the same -
- Dad only hears a high-pitched buzzing -

Mom: "Alright, raise your hand if you want Sprite?"

- Pause while counting -

Mom: "Who wants water?"

- Pause while counting -

Mom: "And what about fruit punch?"

- Pause while counting -

Mom: "Dad, can you get four Sprites, three waters and a fruit punch?"

- Dad shakes himself awake -

Dad: "Sure, four Sprites, three waters and a fruit punch?"

Mom: "Yes."

- Dad walks down stairs -
- Dad turns back to Mom -

Dad: "Four Sprites, three waters and a fruit punch, right?"

Mom: "Yeah, do you want me to text it?"

Dad: "Yeah, text me."

- Dad continues down stairs -

Test-Driving a New Dentist

Today I tried out a new dentist (Dr. Joanne Le on Piikoi) that my friend Elle suggested. It went well considering I hadn't been to a tooth doc for probably three or four years.

My last dentist (the late Dr. Daniel Lui in Waipahu) was actually our neighbor's son when my family used to live in Newtown. Unfortunately, it's been several years since he's passed away and I have not been able to find a good dentist since.

I had continued going to Dr. Lui's partners for my dental care for about a year but have since moved into town. It's too inconvenient to drive out there just for a 30 minute check up and my laziness overwhelmed me so I just gave in to it. I didn't even try looking for another dentist in town till now.

It's literally been years since I've sat with one of those paper bibs 'round my neck and had to say "Ahhhhh." I'm glad to say that since I've been gone for so long technology seems to have improved. Either that or Dr. Le is just on it when it comes to new technology.

The office had x-ray machines, computers and large monitors. They were able to show me my x-rays in minutes and told me about each image. They were even able to demonstrate what tooth decay looks like using computer imagery. Pretty nifty to convince people they really need to floss every day.

Overall, the experience wasn't too bad. Because I hadn't been to the dentist in a while and I'm not a habitual flosser, I had a decent amount of plaque build up. No cavities though (I've never had any before so I guess my record is still holding up). Because they had to scape all the gunk off my teeth, the process too a while. At my old dentist, I could be in and out in 15 minutes. This time I stayed for over an hour (with probably 10 minutes waiting throughout) and have to go back next week for another cleaning. They want to make sure they got all the plaque.

I will try to be more diligent and floss every day but can't make any promises. My mouth and gums ache a little from being picked at. But other than that I'm good. Hopefully it won't be as sore.

Did You Know?

We all realize that technology is lightning fast. But this short vid really hammers that point home. When you think about it, it's amazing what we've accomplished in the past 10, 50 and 100 years. We are doing things now that were not even thought possible only a few years ago. Innovations and people's perspectives are rapidly changing each and every day. Are you ready?

20-Something Dramas

Last night I went to a 21st birthday bash at a karaoke joint. The original plan was to happily sing off-key from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. while kicking off the night with some feel-good juice, then head over to Pearl to continue imbibing the feel-good juice. But as the night wore on, the singing got extended twice so that we ended up renting the room till 11 p.m. And of course, by that time a good portion of the party was really feeling the feel-good juice.

Needless to say, certain members of the party still wanted to move the shindig over to Pearl, but due to some itty, bitty issues like not being able to stand straight and talk straight, it was decided for them that the party was definitely over.

The rest of the merry makers (all early to mid twenty-somethings) were not going to give up the night when the sun was so far from rising. So with Pearl nixed, they decided to check out The Shack in Waikiki, not really because it just opened, but more so because they knew the person working the door. Once this was settled, the real drama began.

Call me old fashioned (or just old), but I don't remember having so much drama when deciding when and where to go out. First, just selecting a place was a half-hour discussion. Obviously, if you know the girl with the list or the bouncer to some club, that's gotta be a good venue choice. I mean c'mon, skip right in why don't you?

The next issue was who would be driving and where would the extra cars go. This led to a heated discussion about what time people were going home and if they were going home at all. I assume the latter half meant one of three things: 1) Crash in town with friends, 2) Crash in town with new friends or 3) Stay up all night and go straight to work the following day. This was a back-and-forth volley worthy of Wimbledon.

Throughout this hour-and-a-half long discussion of the night's plans, texting and cell phone calls were abundant. Texters and callers ran the gamut: old friends, new friends, old flames and potential new flames. Other issues that bubbled up included where exactly is The Shack and where is everyone parking. This led to grumbling that people were tired and didn't really feel like going anyway. Then, of course, came the mandatory pep talk to get them back in the mood. No one was getting off the hook of going out tonight, no one.

Seriously, I was tired just watching them run through it all. Ok, it's granted that I'm older than this bunch, but I'm not much older and am still at 20-something myself. However I don't remember ever having this kind of drama just for a simple night out. Do you?

To add insult to injury, back in the day there were no cell phones to make organizing so much easier. Prior to that it was pagers, and we all know that those were of no real use. I guess the answer is that either the kiddies have just gotten more complicated as technology gets better or we were just more efficient at corraling the troops for a night on the town.

With the final goal of having a great time still playing a prominent role in these events, you'd think that technology would make it easier these days to get the show on the road. Somehow, it doesn't seem that way to me.

Images: www.freedigitalphotos.net

Can I Interest You in a Book Today?

Most of my friends know that I'm a lover of movies, music and books - basically a pop culture whore - and I go through these phases of watching tons of movies, reading tons of books and listening to tons of music. I do try to mix up the genres though so that my mind doesn't turn to mush. I try for the thought provoking and swing all the way toward the indulgent. For the most part I gotta admit that I don't have a lot of restraint and usually indulge.

That's not to say that I'm opposed to classic lit or Italian operas. But lately, I don't have the willpower to pour through Moby Dick or any of its cousins. I have, however, breezed through three, almost four, Chick Lit books in a matter of days. While I know that they in no way compare to Melville's masterpiece (which I still have yet to crack open), I do feel a sense of pride for even reading text in its physical manifestation.

In this day and age, most people get their info online with audiobooks, 24/7 streaming news (and gossip) and podcasts. They catch up on a variety of things snippet by snippet, never fully diving into any one thing. The idea of holding an actual book, turning the pages and curling up on the couch is foreign to many. Who has the time?

But for those of us who do pick up a book now and then, it's a feeling that can't be beat. Feeling the crisp pages on your fingertips; smelling the clean paper smell; being the first to make a crease in the spine - these are all things that make it worthwhile. Or, if you're a used books/library patron, the idea that hundreds of other people have enjoyed these exact same pages as you can be very fulfilling (unless you are OCD, of course).

I'd hate to see the era of the book be surpassed, like many other things, by the speedy pace of technology. Yes, it can sometimes be inconvenient to lug a book around with you. Yes, it can sometimes reveal things about yourself to others that you're not yet willing to admit. Yes, it can seem unimportant when millions of things are buzzing around in your head. But, don't let it slip away.