NEWS FLASH: Contacts, Boxes, Netflix, and Turbo Tax.

So, I decided that this blog would be dedicated to updating you on the events that have recently occurred in my life.

1.) Contact lenses. Almost three weeks ago today, I decided to change my look and my options for seeing the world more clearly. I decided to partake in placing a piece of plastic (Actually composed of comfilcon A 52%, H2O 48% or basically watery silicon) in my eyes. That day seems so distant now, the moment I first arrived at my eye doctor for my scheduled contact lens lesson. I remember sitting in the waiting room, watching an eager plethora of corrected-vision costumers browse the racks of expensive glasses, wondering in the back of their mind if the insurance will pay for a pair of custom Oakley shades. "Brent?" Hearing my name called startled me, as I quickly rushed up to greet the optometrist. She showed me into a small room, where a dest and sink were oddly positioned next to each other. On the desk were two vanity mirrors and a box of kleenex. The optometrist gave me some papers to read and left the room for about 10 minutes. After I finished reading, I started to question if I would be able to touch my own eye. So I proceeded to spread my eyelids and poke at my sclera. "ouch!" I nearly jolted as the optometrist walked back into the room, "don't worry" she remarked with a smile, "you'll be able to do it". I had been caught in the act of poking my eye, how embarrassing. The optometrist took a seat and proceeded to show me how to clean, care for, and insert a contact lens. I feel like most of the lesson was a blur, like that teacher in the Charley Brown cartoon: "Muaaa ma muawaaa ma muaaaa!!!" was all I could hear. All I could think of was the impending doom that was sure to result from sticking a plastic piece in my eye. Did this woman even realize the pain this could cause? All of a sudden the optometrist pushed the contact lens container across the desk in my direction. It was time. I fished around in the solution to find the small, squishy disk. It flopped around on my fingers as I struggled to position it on my index finger. Spreading my eye lids just inches away from a magnification vanity mirror, I could only help but hear the star wars theme playing in the background as my contact-laced finger slowly approached my eye. Watching this all happen in the mirror was like experiencing a high definition 3D movie for the first time. OH MY. Here it comes! I flinch and squirm in my seat with anticipation. I feel the cool lens make contact. Blink. The lens pops out. "Shit" I remark, "so close". This continued for about ten minutes, until my eye was all blood shot red and watery. "I'll try once more" I remarked, as I continued to spread my eye lids with intense determination and place the lens in contact with my eye. Slurp. It was in! Looking around the room at everything in 50% clarity, I smiled knowing I had just defeated my first contact lens. "Now the other one" a voice remarked.

Nearly three weeks later today, I returned to the optometrist to pick up my second trial pair of contacts. Apparently, the physician needed to adjust my prescription to increase the lens strength for my left eye.  I will now go a couple of days on the new trial pair, before returning to RX Optical to order my "official" lenses.

2.) Boxing. After talking with the housekeeping staff at the Holland Hospital ER (as is described in my previous blog) I received a bunch of boxes and about four days ago, I started packing!! I ended up going to Office Max and purchasing 200 feet of bubble wrap, an industrial tape dispenser, and box cutter knife. I ended up packing nine boxes total. I am keeping the boxes in my bedroom, due to a lack of space. I think its really exciting seeing all these boxes starting to pile up! Even if I am packing two months in advance.

3.) Netflix. Perhaps the reason I have not blogged in the last week is due to the fact that I have found a new love. Netflix. I realize I am a little behind the times on this one, but HOLY COW! Amazing. I don't have cable at my house, as I could never justify paying fifty-something a month for shows I didn't really care about. So, watching "digital" television was what I settled for. However, early last week as I was watching some crappy free-air tv show, a commercial came on for Netflix. Offering one month free and unlimited TV and movie streaming for only $7.99 a month. In the commercial, a family was watching a movie on the couch through their XBox 360. I was instantly online looking at the options available. I now have Netflix, and watch more TV and movies than I have ever experienced in my life. It is amazing.

4.) I need to file my taxes. I think today will be the day I start them. I have always used a CPA, but today I think I will use/try TurboTax. I'll let you all know how easy (or not) it turns out to be. Stay Tuned!


Thats my life in a nut shell! I'll try to blog again sometime later this week. Also, if you have not already voted in my poll, please use the poll box on the upper righthand side of this blog and cast your vote! THANKS! If you have any comments or suggestions, please leave them below!