Short stuff, column night, etc. etc. Just as well; I'm so mad I can't see straight. No, let me rephrase that: I can't see straight, and this makes me mad. My new glasses arrived, and they're horrible. They make it easier to see my computer, yes. Everything else is wrong. Middle-distance is blurry; long distance has artifacts, like strange blurred lights. Before I had to hold my chin up to see correctly; now I have to lower my head to look through the top of the lens. I've gone from Mussolini to a grim anime figure about to do battle.

So I went back to Lenscrafters. The tech looked at the lens and said "they were made correctly. I'll let you speak to our manager." Oh ho. Really? What will he or she say, exactly? Sorry, the lens were made according to the prescription, nothing we can do.

When she showed up she explained that nowadays, with full-spectrum progressive whatevers, they're advising their clients to have one pair for the computer and another for everything else. I said this was A) ridiculous; I don't spend solid hours at the computer and I'm not going to swap glasses when I go for a cup of coffee to make sure I don't fall down the stairs because I CAN'T SEE, and B) I specifically noted the problems I had with my computer screen vision as the sole reason for getting new lens, and no one said anything about this. I wasn't angry, but you know, there are days when I'm just not feeling like being Mr. Genial. So she pulled my old prescription and compared it to the new one and said it looks like the new ones were weaker.

Weaker. Weaker? Really? I come in because the old glasses aren't pulling mid-range input into focus any more, and the conclusion is I need weaker glasses? Does that make sense? At all? But that's what they got from the exam, which, I noted, was extremely perfunctory. I understand they have new machines, and they're supposed to be easier, less of the better? worse? stuff, but the opthamologist knew what my old prescription was, did four better-worse cards, and decided that the guy who practically had to white-cane his way down the hall needed weaker lens.

Another appointment, and then another ten day wait.

Argh.

Here's an interesting page from a 1930s movie magazine. It's not an ad.

 

 

I'll spare you the squinting: here's the text.

 

Have a great day!

 

   
 

Not too many magazines take time out for no apparent reason to point out that their target audience is composed in part of loveless losers.

And the women who identified with that sentiment couldn't even identify with the woman they showed to illustrate the point.

   


 

Back we go to . . .

 

There's always some ancient medical stuff. I have no idea where it's been. Someone cleaned out the back room of a defunct small town drugstore, perhaps.

This one saw some hard times:

 

These are just beautiful - when emptied and placed in a realm of glass.

I could run this feature through March without having to go back for more.

Why, I think I will do exactly that.

 

 

"As of the census of 2010, there were 2,740 people, a decrease of 5.78% since 2000." I don't think 2020 will show reversed results. Wikipedia also notes:

"Commerce, a newspaper, a hotel, and the county courthouse all followed soon after, as did violence between cowboys and settlers. The town experienced two distinct economic booms: the first, short-lived, with the construction of the Wichita Valley rail line in 1880, and the second due to the discovery of oil in 1906." Population was almost 4000 in 1950, and stayed at that level for the next few decades.

Two buildings, yet they behave like two:

Whoever owned the corner knew better than to go along with the dreaded Shingled Awning.

Sometimes a building reminds you of a movie version of a frightened blind person, staring sightlessly at a point about six feet in the air:

 

 

It if was a bank, I don't think it's taking deposits today:

The town may have started its decline in the 80s, but this building seems to have faded long before that. Yet there it stands. Every day.

Not all the buidings are empty; a bench outside is usually a good sign.

 

Even if the shingled roof isn't. Note the steps from the street ot the sidewalk - no idea why. Protection against a gullywasher?

Suddenly, without pity, the sixties intervened:

 

Of course it's a bank. It's always a bank.

Someone's hope, someone's pride and joy. Possibly Bill's.

Doesn't seem to be anything in the store, but the parking spots are taken. Something has to be going on downtown - but "what" and "where" seem to be closely guarded secrets.

I'm so sorry this had to happen.

 

It won't happen again.

Downtown trees, a popular revitalization idea in the 70s and 60s, have the unfortunate effect of making places look haunted.

 

Whatever they sold here, it wasn't anything fun. It couldn't have been.

60s'-style eyebrow awnings on this building: big fake eyelashes on Grandma in an open casket.

Another rebuild storefront, with the deep windows common to 50s / 60s renovations. Shoes? Hats? Kids clothes? Some old timer would know. There's a phone book somewhere that has the information.

Possibly the Museum's staff might know, and I'll bet they do.

 

If it's still open. The webpage - if I have the right place - hasn't been updated since 2009.

I'll leave the google error in, because it seems to fit.

It's the streetlight that really completes the picture.

 

There you have it; two more restaurant cards for this week. See you around! You will; I won't.

 

 
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