View allAll Photos Tagged optometrists
Interesting fact:
Butterflies have two simple and two compound eyes. The black dot you can see in their eyeballs is the simple eye, and it is surrounded by the compound eye, which consists of over 12,000 mini eyes.
So next time you go to optometrist and think a pair of glasses is expensive, think if you had to buy 6,000 pair of glasses!
Have a great weekend out there everyone :)
in a terrible optometrist office at a local Walmart. it was filthy!
never going back again, never never never!
the music: Never Going Back Again
Sounds like it should be a name given to a dinosaur.
A quick snap while waiting to see the optometrist.
#89/123 Scientific Instrument: 123 Pictures in 2023
Wie mij al een tijdje volgt zal weten dat ik visuele problemen had. Zo erg dat gedacht werd (ik bijna wel zeker wist) dat het om fixatie disparatie ging.
Onze zorg zit zo in elkaar dat je voor problemen met je ogen niet meer zomaar bij een arts terecht komt. Het is een weg langs de opticien, die niet eens een opleiding hoeft te volgen, maar meestal wel heeft gedaan. Dan komt de optometrist in beeld die, naar ik nu weet, niet de diagnose fixatie disparatie mag stellen.
Omdat ik steeds moeilijker ging zien en ik eindelijk een diagnose wilde ben ik naar een wat duurdere optometriste geweest die mij doorstuurde naar de oogkliniek.
De diagnose viel mij rauw op het dak. Geen fixatie disparatie. Maar wel dezelfde soort klachten die ook veroorzaakt kunnen worden door het langdurig dragen van een verkeerde bril!!!
Ongeloof: is het echt zo simpel op te lossen
Verdriet: mijn klachten zijn ca 23 jaar geleden begonnen en telkens aangegeven bij elke opticien die ik zag. Bij de optometriste die mijn klachten bevestigde, maar mij niet doorstuurde.
Verdriet: omdat ik in de winkel waar " allee de prijs is anders" voor een oogmeting kwam omdat ik pijn had in mijn rechteroog, geen oogmeting kreeg omdat men dat niet nodig achtte.
Hoe dit kan? omdat men voort borduurt op de bril waarmee je komt. Waarom moeten we niet net als vroeger naar een oogarts voor een bril? Of in ieder geval wanneer je klachten hebt..
pijn in mijn rechteroog (spierpijn dus)
dubbelzien bij achterom kijken
slecht kunnen schrijven
slecht kunnen lezen
moeite met verwerking van digitale beelden
moeite hebben met traplopen
geen roltrap kunnen nemen
rechtsaf gaan met de fiets ging lastig/niet
boodschappen in een tasje doen was ingewikkeld
in de lucht staan te graaien om een waslijn te pakken
Ik heb ooit een bord naast een tafel gezet terwijl ik echt dacht dat daar nog tafel was.
Ik heb inmiddels mijn nieuwe bril en echt, wonderen bestaan. ik zit nog in de eerste 2 weken van gewenning. Alles wat in mijn hersens ingeprent zat, moet opnieuw ingeprent worden, maar ik merk al zoveel vooruitgang. Was ophangen is leuk als je de waslijn kunt pakken. Het gaat ook zoveel sneller.
Nu het SoS thema soap on black background is vond ik het leuk om mijn nieuwe bril op deze manier te presenteren. Ik kreeg bij mijn bril het advies mee om hem gewoon schoon te maken met afwaszeep en koud water.
sorry voor het lange verhaal..
Anyone who's been following me for a while will know I had vision problems. So severe that people thought (and I was almost certain) it was fixation disparity.
Our healthcare system is structured in such a way that you no longer simply see a doctor for eye problems. It's a route through an optician, who doesn't even need to have any training, but usually has. Then comes the optometrist, who, as I now know, is not allowed to diagnose fixation disparity.
Because my vision was becoming increasingly difficult and I finally wanted a diagnosis, I went to a somewhat more expensive optometrist who referred me to an eye clinic.
The diagnosis came as a complete shock. Not fixation disparity. But the same kind of symptoms that can also be caused by wearing the wrong glasses for an extended period!!!
Disbelief: Is it really that simple to solve?
Sadness: My symptoms started about 23 years ago and were reported to every optician I saw. At the optometrist, who confirmed my complaints but didn't refer me.
Sadness: because I went to the store "where just the price is different" for an eye test because I had pain in my right eye, and didn't get one because they deemed it unnecessary.
How is this possible? Because they rely on the glasses you come with. Why shouldn't we have to go to an ophthalmologist for glasses like we used to? Or at least when you have complaints...
Pain in my right eye (muscle pain)
Double vision when looking back
Difficulty writing
Difficulty reading
Difficulty processing digital images
Difficulty climbing stairs
Unable to take an escalator
Turn right on my bike was difficult/impossible
Putting groceries in a bag was complicated
Stood reaching in the air to get a clothesline
I once put a plate next to a table when I really thought there was another table there.
I now have my new glasses, and truly, miracles do happen. I'm still in the first two weeks of getting used to it. Everything that was ingrained in my brain needs to be relearned, but I'm already noticing so much progress. Hanging out laundry is fun when you can grab the clothesline. It's so much faster too.
Now that the SoS theme is soap on a black background, I thought it would be fun to present my new glasses this way. The advice with my glasses was to simply clean them with dish soap and cold water.
Sorry for the long story.
translated with google translate.
Trying to pick out sunrise wave shots is kinda like going to the optometrist.....better 1 or better 2? Better 3 or better 4.
This shot was taken on the east side of US-95 near Jordan Valley, Oregon. I took this during the same stop as the picture "another time, another place" that I posted a week or so ago.
A crazy week, deliveries in the small hours, and sleeping whenever I can. Made it home Friday, and spent morning getting DOT medical exam taken care of before it expired, then off to optometrist for the most thorough eye exam ever, everything fine.
So now time to relax, sort of, lots to do here before getting back on the road Monday. Gotta see the grandkids for sure.
Anyway, sorry for not keeping up on Flickr the past several days, will be visiting your galleries as I can. I've peeked a few times, and seeing some great photography, just haven't had time to kick back and enjoy seeing what you've all been up to.
Sure worried about the folks in Florida, now, one hurricane hitting the U.S. after another. Looks like everyone working together to get through the disasters.
Met een van mijn eerste brillen. En ik zit nu midden in een brillen-avontuur.
In mijn profiel staat nog een beschrijving van mijn visuele problemen. Lange tijd gedacht dat ik fixatie disparatie had. Mijn klachten werden zo erg dat ik naar een wat betere optometrist ben gegaan, die mijn problemen erkende en me doorstuurde naar de orthoptist.
Geen fixatie disparatie, maar wel dezelfde klachten door verkeerd aangemeten en verkeerd geslepen brillen. Dat het bij 1 bril verkeerd gaat kun je nog zo geloven, maar dat dat ruim 20 jaar door kan gaan met meerdere brillen, verschillende winkels, dat klinkt ongeloofwaardig, maar het komt zeker voor.
Het is nu verkeerd ingeprent in mijn hersens, iets dat gelukkig te herstellen is door het consequent dragen van mijn nieuw aangemeten bril.
Dat al mijn problemen daarmee zullen verdwijnen klinkt voor mij nog ongeloofwaardig.
In al die jaren heb ik vaker geklaagd bij h et opmeten van mijn ogen. "Mijn rechteroog trekt", "mijn rechteroog doet zeer". In de dure winkel, bij de goedkopere ketens. Bij de heel goedkope keten toen ik wat minder te besteden had en de prijs daar anders is vond men het helemaal niet nodig om een oogmeting te doen. Ik probeerde het af te dwingen om dat mijn rechteroog pijn deed, maar nee "niet nodig". Ik kon niet kijken door die bril, waar achteraf de cilinder niet goed geslepen was.
Ik heb vandaag mijn nieuwe bril opgehaald. Ik mocht er nog niet mee fietsen. Maar vanaf morgen bij het opstaan opzetten en consequent blijven dragen.
Zal ik dan echt weer achterom kunnen kijken zonder dubbel te zien? kunnen schrijven zonder dat ik ineens alleen maar krabbels kan maken? Trappenlopen... in en uit de trein stappen zonder problemen?
With one of my first pairs of glasses. And now I'm in the middle of a glasses adventure.
My profile still describes my visual problems. For a long time, I thought I had fixation disparity. My symptoms became so severe that I went to a slightly better optometrist, who recognized my problems and referred me to an orthoptist.
No fixation disparity, but the same symptoms due to incorrectly fitted and incorrectly ground glasses. You might believe that it goes wrong with one pair of glasses, but that it can continue for over 20 years with multiple pairs, and different stores—that sounds unbelievable, but it certainly happens.
It's now been incorrectly imprinted on my brain, something that fortunately can be corrected by consistently wearing my newly fitted glasses.
That all my problems will disappear with this still seems unbelievable to me.
Over the years, I've often complained during eye exams: "My right eye is pulling," "My right eye hurts." In the expensive store, at the cheaper chains. At the very cheap chain, when I had less to spend and the prices were different there, they didn't think an eye test was necessary at all. I tried to force it because my right eye hurt, but no, "not necessary." I couldn't see through those glasses, where the cylinder hadn't been properly ground.
I picked up my new glasses today. I wasn't allowed to cycle with them yet. But starting tomorrow, I'll put them on when I get up and wear them consistently.
Will I really be able to look back again without seeing double? Will I be able to write without suddenly only being able to scribble? Climb stairs... get on and off the train without any problems?
EXPLORE # 469 May, 19 2009
© RajRem Photography, 2009. All rights reserved.
All of my photographs are Copyrighted and All Rights Reserved. They may not be used or reproduced publicly in any way without my permission.
Probably the strongest (in diopter units) reading glasses available through my usual source. Pardon the pun, but it looks like an optometrist may be in my sights once these glasses no longer serve their purpose.
READING GLASSES FOR WOMEN AND MAN.
MADE IN CHINA.
5 AMERICAN DOLLAR EACH ONE.
ILLEGAL TRADE...
7/29/2023 9 A.M.
128001
1811
117
optometrist office at the local Walmart. Dr Kildare is his name !
#2 in my still life series and Dr Kildare isnt his real name. lol
I spent some time at the eye doctor today. In a wild and reckless moment- knowing the prompt for today- I took this photo when he left the room for a minute. An intricately designed technical machine. #cy365 25/365 #spontaneous
In Vietnam there is street food, street shoe or watch repair, street optometrist and also street hair cut. Sometimes, the haircut is even free, as hair styling schools practice on willing participants. Hey, if it free, anything goes.
406. TMR Vietnam 2020- March -06, P1380657; Uploaded 14. June 2020. Lmx -ZS100.
Excerpt from www.brampton.ca/EN/Arts-Culture-Tourism/Tourism-Brampton/...:
John Howard Society
100 Queen Street West is a well-preserved 20th Century home, and a rare example of the Tudor Revival style that was popular from the 1900s to the 1940s. Tudor Revival relies on faithful emulations of historical styles. This eclectic style is often referred to as “Jacobethan”. The distinguishing characteristics of a Tudor revival home are: its false half-timbered wall surfaces, tall and small-paned windows, a recessed entry, a small porch projection, and wrought iron ornamentation. The most evident indication about the homes architectural style is the use of half-timbering on the front gable.
The property also has historical value, as it is most commonly associated with Orton O.T. Walker, a long time Brampton citizen and businessman. He served the Brampton community as an optometrist on Main Street South for many years, and was the Master of the Masonic Lodge. In 1934 Walker enlisted in the First World War and served overseas. The home is also associated with the Dale family, as they owned it from the mid-1940s to the early 1960s.
...or how Honky Tonk and Sister Bill got their nicknames. If it happened in the Hill Country, it probably happened at Mamacitas.
This is an essay about the Texas Hill Country, but it's going to take me a long way around to get to the Hill Country. I'll add a paragraph here and there as the spirit moves me. Nicknames are easy to come by in the Texas Hill Country. Any naming incident that sparks a full two minutes of laughter is apt to create a life long nick name.
I got mine early on when Sherry began her career as a Methodist minister. Churches she was assigned to by the Bishop had never or seldom had female pastors and for the most part the pastor was called Brother Smith, Brother John, Brother Ralph or Brother Bubba, maybe even Brother Slim or Brother whatever. At Sherry's first church one of the men was speaking to Sherry in front of a crowd and referred to her as Brother Sherry. The crowd erupted in laughter and that sparked me to ad lib, "Well I guess that makes me Sister Bill." It stuck, and from then on everywhere we've gone I've become Sister Bill. Strangly enough, the Brother Sherry didn't stick and she's always been Pastor Sherry. It's funny how that works. This system makes a good litmus test as to who you can trust too. Those who use it in derision are easy to pick up on and you can depend on it, they will become your enemies. It's always good to know who your enmies are. Next time I'm in the mood to post, I'll tell you who Honky Tonk is and how she got her nickname.
Joy got her name from British author,Ruth Hamilton. Joy is the pianist at the First United Methodist Church in Johnson City, Texas where Sherry and I spent nine exciting years before we moved to Kerrville five years ago. Joy is my age (80+-) and grew up in a series of Methodist churches. Her father was a Methodist preacher. When she was junior high age she was so good on piano, she started playing the church organ where her father preached. Joy became famous with her junior high school peers by playing the country-western/pop hit "Pistol Packing Mama" to a slow hymn cadence in church during certain parts of the service. Her father never was able to hear the plaintive admonition, "Laaaaaaay thaaaaaat pistooooool dooooown, baaaaabe, laaaaaay thaaaaaat pistoooooool doooooown; Pistooooooool Paaaaaaacking Maaaaaaama puuuuuut thaaaaaaat guuuuuuun awaaaaaaaaay." Of one thing you can be sure, every junior high kid in the Methodist church heard the message and nobody ever figured out why the kids would often become so giggly and out of control, especially when they heard the tune telling them, "Oh, she kicked out my windshield, she hit me over the head. She cussed and cried and said I'd lied and wished that I was dead. Lay that pistol down, babe, lay that pistol down, Pistol Packing Mama, put that gun away!"
Naturally Joy grew into a natural musician and could improvise without even having to consciously think about it. During the nine years we were rewarded with her weekly concerts, I noticed that she would often spontaneously begin the add character to the hymns. Some came out with the feel of honky tonk country western and some even took on a boogie beat. She did this naturally, but seemed not to be able to do it on demand. Perhaps demand made her self conscious. For that reason when Ruth Hamilton begged me to tape "Honky Tonk" (that's the name Ruth began to call her because she could never remember the name Joy Feuge) and send her the tape, I made a noble effort. I was never able to get a tape, but Ruth's name "Honky Tonk" stuck and that's what we call Joy to this day. Next, I'll tell you something about a Texas Hill Country institution, Mamacita's Mexican Restaurant, serving Mexican food, but owned and operated by an American Muslim Iranian. That gets him in trouble with the area's fundamentalist cowboy Christians from time to time, to which he pays no attention and simply continues to oeprate a superb small chain of Mexican restaurants. He operates one in San Antonio, one in San Marcos, one in Fredericksburg and one in Kerrville. It just goes to show, you can't hold a good man down.
I've been eating at Mamacita's restaurants for years now and when I began writing this piece couldn't even remember the owner and founder's name. Sherry found this link on the internet and it is so interesting and complete I'm going to post it word for word:
*********************
Mamacita’s Mexican Restaurant: Oh Mama!
Profile
By Kathryn Jones
Thursday, 24 January 2008
There are four Mamacita’s Mexican Restaurants in Texas, the largest of which seats 400 people.
Premier Business Partners:
DeCoty Coffee Co.
Known to most as simply “Hagi,” Hossein Hagigholam left Iran for the United States in 1976 with a dream to make it big in the land of opportunity.
His initial plan was to study civil engineering. But, as fate should have it, he now owns and operates four Mamacita’s Mexican Restaurants in Kerrville, Texas, with four other locations in Fredericksburg, New Braunfels, San Marcos and San Antonio, Texas. The smallest location seats 250 people and the largest seats 400 people.
In an interview with Food and Drink, Hagi reveals how he transitioned from a lonely dishwasher who could barely speak English to a successful entrepreneur with plans to turn his Tex-Mex restaurant into a nationally recognized franchise.
The ride has not been an easy one, he adds, but with a little faith and hard work, dreams really can come true.
Food and Drink: What brought you to the United States?
Hossein Hagigholam: From the time I was a boy, I wanted to come to America. Before the revolution in Iran, lots of Iranians came to the United States to become engineers and doctors, and then they went back home.
Without any knowledge of English, my first place to go was Houston. There was a school for English as a second language called ESL Houston.
If there were 40 students, 35 of them were Iranians, so the teachers learned how to speak our language instead of us learning English.
I knew in order to make it in the United States I had to learn the language, so I researched which college in Texas had less Iranians. Shreiner College had only one Iranian student, so that’s how I ended up in Kerrville. While I studied, I found a job in the restaurants.
If you are a foreigner and don’t know any English, the only job you have is washing dishes. I later became a bus boy and then a waiter.
As a waiter, that’s when you really make it big. I was so happy about how much money I was making as a waiter that I took three jobs: the breakfast shift in one restaurant, the lunch shift in another and the dinner shift in the third.
I remember one time a customer asked me if we took Visa, and I thought they were asking me if I had a visa. I thought I was in trouble somehow, so I ran home as fast as I could.
My manager called me the next day and asked, “What happened?” I said, “Someone wanted me to show him my visa.” He said, “No, you idiot! They were asking you if we accept Visa – the credit card.”
FAD: I can see how you would feel anxious about that. In 1979, American hostages were taken at the embassy in Tehran and President Jimmy Carter called for all Iranian students in the U.S. whose visas had expired to leave the country by the spring of 1980. You must have been devastated.
HH: The world just shattered on me, because now I had to go back. I had learned English, started earning money and I was dating Ruth.
The only way I could stay in the country was if she married me, and she wouldn’t marry me. She said, “Look, I’m 20 and you’re 21. We’re young and you come from another country and my parents won’t let me.”
I finally talked Ruth into marrying me. You talk about begging! Her parents gave their permission because of the difficult situation, but it was on the condition that we live apart for six months.
I tell people I really got married for the green card, but we’re still married after 25 years and we adopted two wonderful children. I think that says a lot.
FAD: Is it true you named the restaurant after Ruth?
HH: She is Spanish and I used to call her “Mamacita” when I was a waiter. I decided to name the restaurant Mamacita’s because it means grandmother, good-looking lady – all the goodies.
FAD: In 1985, you and a business partner opened the first Mamacita’s in Kerrville. Was it challenging to get it off the ground?
HH: Not really. We opened the second restaurant in Fredericksburg in 1988, followed by one in San Marcos in 1996, and then the biggest location, which is in San Antonio, in 2003.
And then, in 2005, we tore our original restaurant down and built a new restaurant. If there were a place in the Guinness Book of World Records for most expensive restaurant ever built per capita, it would be this restaurant, because we spent $10 million in a city with a population of only 25,000 people.
It is very tough to make money when you open a $10 million restaurant, but because of our confidence and if you treat people the way you want to be treated, anything can work. In fact, Kerrville is a German town. People say, “How could an Iranian come to the United States and build a Mexican restaurant in a German community and make it?” My answer to that is, “Only in America, of course.”
FAD: Can you share some tips in how to run a successful restaurant?
HH: If a restaurant has five elements, the owner will hit the jackpot in this business. If he has four out of five, he will make a living out of it. And if he has less than that, it is better not to mess with the restaurant business.
These elements are quality, service, location, atmosphere and reasonable prices.
Of course quality and service are always important, but I wanted to give an atmosphere that not every causal restaurant can do. In our Kerrville location, we have a third of the actual size of the Alamo inside of our restaurant.
A mechanical Davy Crockett sits on top of the roof that plays the music like the movie “Alamo.” Also, in our San Antonio location, we created a village that makes you feel like you are outside even though you are inside. It has fiber-optic stars and village shops and bakeries in it.
FAD: Having worked in restaurants when you were in college, would you say that makes you a more empathetic boss?
HH: Many casual restaurants have just one general manager that takes care of the quality of the food and the service.
When I used to work in the bottom line myself, I found that it was difficult to put all of this work on the shoulder of one person and expect him to control costs and increase sales.
So, this is why each of our locations has two general managers – one for back of house and one for front of house. We also took away any administrative work for them. Each of our locations has at least six managers.
This is what makes us different. I believe in spending money to make money when it comes to [hiring good employees.] We have a good 4 percent budgeted to training at all times.
We talk to them about the golden rule [of the restaurant business.] If you treat someone the way you want to be treated, it will increase the sales.
FAD: What is Mamacita’s perspective on providing customers with exceptional service?
HH: All of our customers can testify that no customer can walk out unless a manager has visited their table. We believe if a customer is unhappy, they will tell us when they leave.
Usually, if they are unhappy, they don’t say anything and just don’t come back.
But by having a manager shake hands and talk to them, they will feel comfortable enough to tell us what we did wrong.
We appreciate the compliments, but what we really want to hear is if there are any complaints.
I tell my management that when people go out to eat, they are in a good mood.
You never see a husband tell his wife, “Let’s go out to eat,” and the wife gets upset about it. Everybody is happy when they go out to eat, and if they choose your restaurant, you should feel honored. So, do whatever it takes to please them. They like attention.
You know, lots of Middle Eastern people that have businesses complain because they say we lost business because of the 9/11 terrorist action.
I disagree on that because my business has been doing well and I think it is because of how we treat people.
I make a lot of speeches about America, the land of opportunity. What I always emphasize at the end is this: Whoever doesn’t make it in this country, it is their own fault. I am one of those guys that really appreciate the country for what it has done for me.
FAD: What’s next for Mamacita’s?
HH: We would like to open locations in Austin, Houston and Dallas in the near future. We’ll do it one at a time. I don’t open a restaurant until I have its general managers ready. I have no plan after that yet.
You never know. Maybe a successful, nationally recognized chain will discover us and we could make a deal to take this nationwide.
********************
When Hagi shut down the Kerrville Mamacita's Restaurant to build that ten million dollar culinary mansion, some of the Shiite Christians in Kerrville became very upset because the architect had put a small, simple dome on the structure and it reminded them of a Muslim Mosque for some reason. They demanded the dome be removed, despite the fact the State Capitol in Austin has a dome, some churches have domes and the dome, while a Moorish design, is commonplace in Spain and Mexico AND this is a MEXICAN food restaurant, OK? My friend Frank Clark says Hagi told him, "I don't have the kind of money to buy this quality of advertising." As expected, the dome remained, the new reataurant opened and the furror subsided.
Second to the mechanical Davy Crockett who from time to time activates and play the fiddle on the ramparts of the similated Alamo in Mamacita's in Kerrville are the murals painted by Haigi's brother whose name I have never heard and can't find on the internet. Hagi's brother is a truly outstanding artist and at some time in the future I'm going to photograph some of the interior and post it here. Mexican restaurants around the Southwest are famous for their absolutely crude murals, but Mamacita's redeems them all. Hagi's brother is a wonderful muralist.
For almost fifteen years now, Mamacita's has been a part of Hill Country living for Sherry and me and the good people of the First Methodist Church in Johnson City Texas. We meet there to celebrate birthdays and for a long time after Sherry and I moved to Kerrville we met regularily at Mamacita's in Fredericksburg. Same driving distance from Kerrville and from Johnson City.
I recommend Mamacita's to anyone as being the best eating experience you'll ever have. Their New York strip is flawless and substitute the baked potatoe for guacamole salad and you'll have a low carb meal to die for. The Mamacita's salad is perfect weight control meal IF you'll skip the taco shell. If you're not on a diet the Mexican food is delicious, the tortillas are always hot and honey with butter is always available on request.
As Kathryn Jones described in her profile, I can't remember ever eating at Mamacita's without someone from management stopping by the table and asking if everything is alright, which reminds me of the only negative experience I've ever had at a Mamacita's restaurant.
Several years ago Sherry and I met seven or eight of the Johnson City folks at the Fredericksburg Mamacita's for one of our monthly reunions. As always I was low-carb dieting and ordered a Mamacita's Salad to get some healthy carbs as opposed to sugar laden carbs. Unlike any other Mamacita's salad I'd ever eaten this one was very short on vegetables. I mentioned it to the person next to me and when the waiter came around asking if everything was ok, that person told him my complaint. It has always been my policy NOT to complain at a restaurant, but I've worked too many police cases concerned with what a cook can do to a customer in way of retaliation. Spit in the food is the least of the possibilities. Whatever the revenge, there's always someone in the kitchen who wants to get even with the cook and so the retaliation gets reported. So, there I sit, not wanting to complain but really disappointed in the amount of vegetables I was served. My friend from Johnson City has spilled the beans and I'm forced to admit I thought the salad was skimpy. The waiter went to the kitchen and returned witha such a large plate of vegetables AND chicken which I hadn't complained about that it was obvious the cook was angered and this amount of food was his way of retaliating and an attempt to make me look foolish for daring to complain. I did eat some more vegetables and the shared the rest of the extra food with everyone at the table. Johnson City folks are not short on appetite, so nothing went to waste. I can see the cook's point of view. He or she probably sees tons of salad thrown out by customers who eat the grilled chicken, pick around on the vegetables and then send the remainder back to the kitchen to be disposed of. I was still disappointed in the arrogance of the cook and the attempt to make me look ridiculous. Maybe the cook was having trouble their spouse, who knows? In fifteen years that's the only negative experience I've had at a Mamacita's.
The Texas Hill Country is full of anomaly, so it's no wonder that an Iranian man can become a millionaire with Mexican restaurants in German communities. Fredericksburg is even more German than Kerrville. San Marcos and San Antonio have strong German influences too. Go figure. Now I want to tell you about a mystery writer who writes murder mysteries in and around Blanco County, yep, Blanco county where I was a reserve deputy for several years after I retired from SWT Police Dept. as an investigator.
At all those birthday parties at Mamacitas there was the "viewing of the presents and cards" ritual which I've described in the narrative of another ritual. Sherry always shops for certain people on our list and I shop for others, we've never discussed it, it just seemed to fall into place. One of the people I always bought the present for was "Honky Tonk" who is the pianist at the First Methodist Church in Johnson City and a very close friend as well. I always bought her music CDs and usually gospel music. She found out I collected author-signed books and so that's what she always gave me for my birthday.
My eyes were really bad for a long time and so I collected a bunch of those books without seriosly reading them. One set of books were by a young mystery writer named Ben Rehder. Joy (Honky-Tonk) went to several book signings and so I built up a collection Ben's novels. All of his novels take place in Blanco County of which Johnson City is not only the County Seat, but is the home town of former president, Lyndon B. Johnson.
When I retired in 1998 I was seventy-one years old and had never written anything more than a police report, but upon retiring I began to write essays and short stories and had so much fun I completely lost my identity as a police sketch artist and watercolorist. I've read a lot of the local Blanco county writing generated by the Blanco County Historical Society and others and I'm here to testify this stuff will put you to sleep quicker than prescription drugs. So you have the picture; there I was with faulty glasses, a collection of novels obviously done by a local guy...nothing here I can't wait a while for...right?
So, several years later and a new pair of glasses, this time prescribed by an optometrist and NOT a opthomologist...HURRAY, I can read again. So, I picked up a Ben Rehder novel and VIOLA' this guy is really good. This is really just like Blanco County. He's talking about the Sherrif's Office and I rode for several years as a reserve deputy with one of the full time deputies and we had experiences very similar to the ones Ben tells about in his novels.
I did feel like Ben's tales were a little tame though. Like in "Murder, She Wrote" it seemed like Blanco County might begin to compete with Cabot Cove for the title, Murder Capital of the World. I was tempted to write Ben and tell him to let go a little bit and make the cases really as bizarre as the ones we actually worked. There was the guy who carried female garments in his car and when he came up on a dead deer along the road, he'd dress the remains in the female attire and have his carnal way with them. A combination the density of cell phones and Baptists got the guy arrested pretty quickly and his case was investigated and taken to the district attorney.
Another case I wanted to tell Ben about was the one involving some young men who had small explosives used on coyote bait. They began a campaign to blow up all the rural mail boxes in the north part of the county. In this case the volume of the explosion plus the denisty of ranchers, pickup trucks and deer rifles brought about arrests before too many mail boxes had to be replaced or before someone was killed or injured getting their mail or before the county has to investigate the strange deaths of two young men blown up in a pickuptruck sitting in front of a rural mailbox. It would have probably been written up as a double suicide.
I had three of Ben's autographed books and read all three nonstop and was amazed at the quality of his writing and the universal appeal these books would have. When he spoke of eating at Ronny's Barbeque, it was like being home. I have eaten at Ronny's many times and it's just like Ben tells it.
When I finished each novel I passed them on to my best bud, Frank Clark, who wanted to read them because although he doesn't come from a law-enforcement background, he comes from a Central Texas deer hunting background. His wife called me and complained; she said she wasn't getting her sleep. He wakes her up all through the night laughing his ass off, so I decided I gotta get online and order everything this guy has written.
Online at Ben's website I was amazed to find out that Ben is writing these in a vein of HUMOR. It even cites the genre as being humorous mystery novels. What humor? These are serious law enforcement novels of Blanco County, just the way she is! Damn! Did I ever feel like a hick. I ordered everything he's written and Holy Moly which isn't even off the press yet.
As of today Holy Moly is the only one I haven't read. "Gun Shy" is my favorite, but there's not one in the set that isn't a fantastic read. In my case, I can't put them down and it's a good thing I'm retired, otherwise I'd have used up all my sick leave for the next two decades. Frank is still reading and Michele is beginning to look a little "red in the eye" but otherwise we'll just have to wait for "Holy Moly" to come out and hope Ben is presently working on a new novel. The main man is a game warden who helps with the Sherrif's Department's criminal cases. That's the truth or at least very close to reality, we had a game warden in Hays County who was skilled and certified in Forensic Hypnosis and worked with police sketch artists on all kinds of cases.
This ends my little essay on the 'Life in the Texas Hill Country" and I apologize for it being a lot longer than I intended it to be. In closing, I'll simply say, "If you're not already living in the Hill Country, start now making your plans to move here; the life you save may be your own."
I'm a terrible proof reader and it may be weeks before I get around to the first tip toe back through....be patient, I'm old...ok?
This is Ben Rehder's website and you'll be relieved to know Ben doesn't have to rely on the likes of me for his publicity. Kinky Friendman of Texas Monthly fame recommends Ben highly.
I loved the light in my eyes so I snapped this while sitting in the car at a stoplight.
Several years ago, my optometrist asked Who has brown eyes your Mom or your Dad I looked at him like he was crazy ... my eyes are hazel... what is he talking about. I said My Dad He said Oh then your Mom must have the blue eyes I asked Okay how can you tell that? He told me You have a ring of brown around your pupil. However, if you take the entire top layer off your eye, your eyes would be solid blue. So you need to wear sunglasses outside at all times because they are completely blue underneath and a lot of light comes in them. WHO KNEW?
On another note: When I was born the nurse asked my Dad what color my eyes were and he said Changeable And he was right :)
This is a photograph of the back of my right eye, which was taken by my optometrist, Dr. Lori Ann Kim. She says I have healthy eyes, even though I can't see with 'em.
I always wondered what it looked like back there.
Here's a larger version.
An Abandoned church (and rectory?) in a tiny town that, like so many others, has seen hard times. Never anything but a very small town, now, most of its buildings stand empty, including the former high school, a photo of which I uploaded earlier ( www.flickr.com/photos/80014607@N05/51921562555/in/datepos... ).
As noted for that high school photo, it was the distant view of the school that led me to exit I-20 and take a closer look at the town. At best the future of this town looks to be dismal.
It was while taking photos here that I abruptly began seeing flashes of light in my left eye, accompanied by the sudden appearance of a giant floater/eye spot. Being a nurse I knew those to be possible symptoms of a detached retina, I sought out an optometrist the next day and fortunately, it turned out to be something more benign.
Each borough of supercity Imotezu has it's own 60-meter tall guardian robot, an Isamu Mega, to watch over it's citizens. They will put out fires, trample shoplifters and carry old ladies to their optometrist appointments across town. Kaiju attacks will require bigger backup of course but for everyday dramas look no further than your local Isamu Mega!
A fun environmental portrait of my wonderful optometrist who is not only a skilled professional but is also graced with a great sense of humor. Lucky for me her husband enjoyed it too and so they got a print as a thank you for playing along.
Try viewing LARGE is you like being shocked. : ))
P.S. Hats off to the Fuji engineers who concocted this so called "kit lens" which is really quite sharp. Its image stabilization is equally incredible, e.g. this was shot at 1/20 sec hand held.
I'm no optometrist, but I think you need to get your lenses checked.
Mural provided by Joseph Renda Jr
Day 315/365
Found these in my grandfather’s optometrist’s chest. They are part of fasteners used to connect the hingers of eyeglasses. Typically used for old style horn-rimmed glasses.
Leica M Monochrom (Typ 246)
Summicron-M 50mm ƒ/2.0 (mk IV)
Leica Yellow 1 filter
Street Photography
London, UK
Go large to see his expression
On our walk around the lagoons that stretch away from the Waikanae River estuary, I'd captured a bit of a mixed bag of photos. Some were encouraging; some were headed for the Recycling Bin. So either the Lens had somehow been damaged, or my eye sight was failing...
As we were about to head back to the car, we spotted this Sacred Kingfisher sitting on an old tree stump a little below the path and on the edge of the river.... This was Test Time: faulty Lens or faulty Eyes???
The answer?
It was my eyes... or at least: my prescription glasses... Time to visit the Optometrist...!!! (And no: I'm not going to Spec Savers!).
Thanks for taking the time and the trouble to leave a Comment beneath this photo Folks! It\'s always nice to hear from you, and your comments are always very much appreciated...!
Ludovico Einaudi - Four Dimensions - "Elements Tour 2015 (live)"
www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvnGOAqe6aU
Miyahara Eye Hospital, a new tourist attraction at Central district of Taichung, is actually an ice cream joint. It was an eye clinic built by a Japanese optometrist- Miyahara (Gong Yuan) during the time of the Japanese occupation. It is a 2-story red brick building with arch designed passageway, which was the largest eye clinic in Taichung at that time. In 1945, the building was levied by government and became the Taichung Health Center; however, later it was identified as dangerous post-earthquake building after 921 earthquakes and became an obsolete remnant.
Miyahara Eye Hospital is set at Central District of Taichung, where is the recessional commercial area for decades. The renovation of this relic is not only to establish a flagship store for “Dawn Cake” (日出蛋糕), but also to accomplish a dream of this construction team, restoring the prosperity of Central District of Taichung. Also, the owner hopes that this ancient building would pass down memories and spirits of the history had happened in this sector to young generations. Just as expect, since Miyahara Eye Hospital reopened on December of 2011, it attracts attention of local and international tourists, as well as the government officers here for observation and inspection; the store is full of visitors every day from the morning to the evening.
A unique interior design is another appealing focal point. Based on the original clinic and pharmacy design blends in with the essential concept of reading and books in their interior design, the store is fitted with high ceiling, light-brown wooden wall book cabinets, medicine chests and warm lighting in creating tranquility and a library atmosphere. Many constructional materials were specifically retained from original building such as wood pillars, bricks and roof tiles reveal an ancient and historical ambience. With the reading encouragement purpose, books are the main decorations in the store, as well as the book’s outfit design of gift box makes guests feel like they are in the library. The store of “Dawn Cake” (日出蛋糕) is renowned of its native pineapple cake, cheese cake and other culinary products, so that it is a perfect souvenir as gift when people visit Taichung.
2020
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NOTE: All works featured here are completely original creations. None are made with the assistance of any form of AI technology in any fashion whatsoever.
Sometimes it's important to look beyond f-stops and exposure compensations and just have fun with photography.
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