OK. Another month, another chapter. You may not realize it but you are reading something that is somewhat amazing. It's Friday (again) and in my haste to catch the train as not to miss my sacred Friday hockey, I forgot all my reading glasses at work. I was sure that I would find my emergency Dollarama glasses in my nap sack but alas none were there. So I am attempting to write this section without the use of visual aids. I can barely read what I am writing and I am relying on shapes of words. The close quarters of the train don't permit me to put the screen far enough away to see anything. Anyway I have reached the arm length limit to make things clearer. I must now ask other people to hold things away so I can read. Of course, I could do my brother's trick and make a tiny hole to look through using my thumb and forefinger but I don't want to look like more of a dork than I already do. If you don't know what I mean about being able to read without glasses, I will type up a 'how to' (with pictures) and if you ever forget your reading glasses and you really have to read something, at least you will have a way of getting by.

Of course, when I actually load this up on my webpage, I will have fixed most of the errors with the spell check and the extra proof reading. I thought that I had not made that many errors in chapter one, but my lovely wife pointed out that I had made quite a few. I also realize that I sometimes phrase certain things in convoluted ways, so my style isn't always easy to read. By the way, We just got out of the tunnel and I am actually seeing a bit better. This is due to my irises contracting and making things just a little better focus. That's why you see better when it is brighter. Anyone familiar with photography knows that depth of field increases as the iris is reduced. That's what happens when it's bright out. So as your depth of field increases, you don't have to hold the material as far to see it better. Of course if you can't see distance very well this won't help you.

Now that we are on the subject of eyesight. I will talk about the transition of the eyes through the ages. Particularly, the thing that happens sometime between 40 and 50 to people who have always had extremely good eyesight. If I roll the clock back about 7 years, I could read anything no matter how small. I even use to hide messages in some document using number 2 font. Anybody over 40 would not even attempt to read because they did not realize that it was even there. The SOMD score sheet is a great example. I designed that form about 10 years ago, and what looks like a line at the bottom of the page, is actually a disclaimer, releasing the SOMD all responsibilities regarding injuries and broken marriages due to the activity of playing touch football on Saturday and sometimes not returning home until the wee hours. I used to be able to read that line in the dark but now for me it is just a line on a form.

Last week, someone at work that is 42 years old laughed at me because I had to get my glasses to read a report he had just given me. All I said to him is wait 3 years and come back and try to read this. Although there are exceptions, most people go through this experience in their 40's. It's almost like waking up one morning and trying to read the paper and realizing that things are not as clear as usual. I first blamed the Gazette for producing blurry print but soon realized that the problem was me. For me the change seemed like it was overnight. From perfect vision, to having to look for a light to read something. At first I refused to wear any corrective lenses but within 2 years I needed to do something.

Remember I told you how I started to write this with no glasses? A worse sign of age than blurry vision is memory loss. After the train ride, as I reached into my pocket I found a pair of glasses that I forgot I put there. I am off to the dollar store to get more glasses and rope. I will tie glasses in every room so they are always there. I was thinking of having a glass case surgically implanted on my body but I would probably forget to put the glasses back in. There may be a solution. I found this website. .

  From now on, when you see this sign, it is because I am resting from adding to these pages. It could also mean writer's cramp, which I don't really have now but since I took a week off in the Dominican, my computer time has been limited to other activities. I should pick up again soon as I approach the big day which is coming up soon. If you are wondering where the picture on the right was taken. Last May I was experimenting with my new camera. This picture was taken in St Joseph du lac, looking southwest towards Oka. For you who do not know why we live in a place called Two Mountains, I believe the bump on the left is one of those two mountains.

I have not updated this since February 25th and right now (May22 (2006)), I have way too many things to update to add to these lines. My surprise birthday on May 12th was the start of the longest birthday celebration I have ever had. I think (I hope) that it ended tight after the Tartan Tournament in the wee hours of May 22. The next time I add to these pages, I guess the title should be Road FROM 50. The story and pictures from my party are here in case you missed them.

December 2007 - It's been over 18 months with no update to these pages. I was working on one story about my first colonoscopy that I had in September 2006 but it wasn't a real pleasant or unusual affair so I didn't subject anyone to the 'tail' of my procedure. Anyone that has reached 50 should get a colonoscopy and they will tell how often you need to come back. I am ok for 4 to 5 years my doctor told me. I will take the 5 year option.

I have decided that chapter 3 will be the story of laparoscopic cholecystectomy (gall bladder removal). So if you want to read about this, go to the next chapter.