"HALF BLIND"

I'm not really going blind. It just seems that way. Even since Sadie made herself a "Spectac-ular Dog," life has just become a bit more challenging. (Sadie still has an ASBO for that — as in "Anti-Social Behavior Order" — and probably will for a while yet.) "Grr@$#%$^&*@rr," says Bear. "You're grounded for a long time, kid!"

My first eye surgery went delightfully well. I can see almost perfectly through my right eye. I probably won't need glasses for distance viewing, or to drive, in the future. (Bear is very pleased about that!).

Surgery on my left eye will be done a month from today. (Bear is very pleased about that, too!)

But I can't read anything. If it's closer than about three feet, it's becoming a fuzzball. (I use a magnifying glass to read what I'm typing, including this post.) But all of this in quite manageable; low nuisance value.

This afternoon I decided to cook some rice. Easy as Cake. Piece of Pie. (If you're confused about the transposition in those phrases, you need to see the 1984 movie based on Arthur C. Clarke's 2010: Odyssey Two.) One cup of brown rice, two cups of water. Put in a heavy pot on the stove, bring to a boil, let simmer for 45 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to sit for 10 minutes. And, "Bob's your uncle," cooked, nutritious brown rice.

Uh, no.

Bear opens kitchen drawer. Bear looks at measuring cups. Bear cannot read the labels on measuring cups. Bear reaches for magnifying glass on window ledge in kitchen. Finally figures out which measuring cup is which. (Figuring out one cup or half cup actually isn't too difficult; but between a third and a quarter cup — who can tell?) Rice is made.

In the process, I have come to appreciate very much the sight I have. I have also come to wonder how people manage who are blind. I know there are some skills that can be learned to compensate, somewhat. Bit I'm sure it is much more difficult that I can ever imagine to be truly sightless.
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