Traffic Lights & Tomatoes
We have had a couple of smashing beautiful days in Denmark.
I seem to be talking a lot about the weather, don’t I? When there isn’t anything else to talk about you can always do a weather report.
But I do so enjoy when it gets like this. Upwards of 20 degrees Celsius and sparkly sunshine. It makes me happy and comfortable. And it does wonders for my exercising. Unfortunately it’s going to get colder again now. But hopefully it won’t be long before we get permanent 20s. Fingers crossed.
On Monday I went to the eye doctor. For my six monthly checkup. It was standard procedure pretty much. Got the “blow air in the eye” pressure test. Eye drops and photos. And things are stable, nothing new really. In fact the doctor actually said he thought it might have gotten a little better. I shrugged that off because I didn’t really feel there had been any improvement. Stable, which is good, but not better.
But then the day after I realised that there are a couple of little improvements. I went to the playground and spent time with the goats. In the beautiful, beautiful weather. And I walked home, to enjoy the sparklingness. Which meant I had to cross the big road. And it occured to me that I can see the traffic lights. Even from a distance before I get to the crossing. Last summer I couldn’t see the traffic lights on bright, sunny days. The filter glasses helped, but I still didn’t like to cross the road when it was bright out. So that’s quite nice. It makes crossing the road feel like less of a hazard.
And then I went to the supermarket and bought some tomatoes. Been a while since I bought tomatoes on my own. Because I have had trouble seeing the sign behind them. It varies how many tomatoes are on sale. It’s usually 6-8 for 20 kroners. But I don’t like when I can’t tell if it’s 6 or it’s 8 or it’s some other number. And I don’t like asking. So I’ve just skipped tomatoes, only getting them when my dad did some shopping for me. But I tried looking at the sign this time and I could read it. So I got myself tomatoes.
It’s not because I feel like there has been a big improvement in my eyesight. I’m guessing I’m still around 20% on the left eye. And definitely still 0% on the right. But the little things count for a lot. Being able to buy tomatoes on my own and being able to cross the road safely when the sun is shining. Those are the little things you learn to appreciate when you have lost a lot.
Also the goats of course. Appreciated. I love sitting around in the sunshine with them. Especially when one of them comes up to me and sits down against me. It’s one of the best feelings of being accepted. Part of the flock. Like when the little goat kids lie down all close to each other. You feel like you’re part of the family. The warm sunshine and the lazy goats, it’s just a sweet time. I dare you not to smile when you’re in a position like that. Mission Impossible: Goat Protocol.
While I was there the Danish emergency sirens suddenly went off. No, we weren’t being invaded by marauding goats. It was just the yearly test. The goats seemed a little curious at first, but to their credit they remained calm and didn’t panic at all. When you’re dozing off in the sunshine it takes a little more than a siren to get you to move! And here’s a video of it: youtube.com/watch?v=voCR9XbPYnQ.
They get a lot more alarmed when they hear a dog barking!
To end on a sadder note, I just heard that Adam Yauch of the Beastie Boys died. I had no idea that he had cancer. I guess that happened while I was off going blind and not really knowing what was going on in the world. He was only 47. That is really sad. I can’t say I was a huge fan of the Beastie Boys, but I always enjoyed their music when I heard it. Especially when I watched their videos on MTV and later on on youtube. Theirs was the kind of hip hop that I could actually like. It was fun and creative and cool. And not all about beating up women or making lots of money or how important they were. I loved them on Futurama too. They always seemed to be full of integrity and coolness and like they didn’t let their success go to their heads. With the charity work too. I had a lot of respect and fondness for the Beastie Boys, still do of course. It’s always sad when the good die young. There’s a party in hip hop heaven tonight.