Was Blind, But Now I See

First of all: Most Unoriginal Blog Entry Title Ever! Seriously, do a Google search for "was blind but now I see" and check out how many times that phrase has been whipped out by my fellow self-absorbed, navel-gazing hacks. But...yeah...I finally got tired of not being able to read without discomfort and got myself checked out by an optometrist. I wore glasses for several years to correct a slight distance issue that was associated with migraines. That condition improved over the years and so I ditched those specs. Well, the examination yesterday revealed my distance viewing to still be slightly off...but the bigger issue was that I direly needed reading glasses. I'm not going blind...just "typical age-related degradation," as the doctor put it. His original prescription was for bifocals but, after some additional testing, he determined that the distance issue should still be okay for a few more years as long as I could read traffic signage and drive at night without squinting. When I told him about my spotless driving record, he okayed getting only reading glasses for the time being. Now even the phone book looks like it's in large print. Or, as I Twitted this morning, it's like the world is now in hi-def.

That was one pret-ty, pret-ty good October appetizer between the Padres and Rockies last night. Let's see...Peavy getting lit up? Check. Something crazy happening (like an obvious home run being missed by the umps or the winning run scoring despite the plate never being touched)? Check. Helton right there in the middle of things with a homer, a great catch, and scoring the tying run? Check. Rockies win? Check. Sometimes I scare myself with these predictions, folks.

Obama is moving to protect his left flank. That looks to me like a pitch to the voters who are drawn the old-school progressivism of John Edwards. He's apparently not going to go after Hillary agressively until the race is winnowed down to the two of them. Problem is, as the latest fund-rasing numbers demonstrate, the whole field except Hillary may be winnowed out after Iowa/New Hampshire. This is the third quarter, the time when initial "The race is on!" enthusiasm dampens and donors aren't as generous...yet the cash is still rolling in for Hillary. The nomination always follows the money.

Finally...Happy Bruceday, everybody!