Progress and Celebrations

This is just a quick update to start the month.

We have a double celebration on 3rd July. This year we celebrate our 33rd wedding anniversary. We got married on my birthday - the best present ever - so we’ll also be celebrating my 62nd birthday. How time flies.

In recent years, we’ve been abroad at the start of July, but for financial and health reasons, that won’t be possible this year. However, we’ll be enjoying a celebratory meal at Trocadero’s at Crossbasket Castle this coming weekend. We’re really looking forward to it.

There has been some progress with my cataract surgery. I attended Glasgow's Gartnavel Hospital last week for pre-operation tests. This included measuring my eyes. This went fine for my left eye, but the cataract in my right eye is very dense, making me effectively blind in that eye. As a result, they had to use ultrasound to measure that eye, meaning that they had to use a probe that touches the eye. Thankfully, the anaesthetic eye drops they used were very effective. I really couldn’t feel a thing.

I don’t have a date for the operation yet, but I was told that the measurements were only valid for three months.

Reading wise, I finally finished the book “Noir” by K. W. Jeter. I enjoyed it, but it’s very grim and has scenes that will haunt me forever. With one imperfect eye, and one blind, my already slow reading speed is even slower than it used to be. I’ve just begun to read “Gun, With Occasional Music”, by Jonathan Lethem. It’s a far lighter, and more fun, book, so I might get through it quicker.

As my operation approaches, I’m trying to think of jobs I could apply for once my treatment is complete. I was a software developer for over two decades, but I’ve been out of work for almost two years. It’s likely I’ll be looking for a job outside of software development, because it’s been so long since I’ve written any code. I’m open to offers.

That will still be a while away, though. Even once I have the operation, I will have at least four weeks to recover from surgery, providing all goes well. Only then can my optician prescribe reading glasses, and I’ll be fit for work.

The new British basketball season starts in September, so I’m certainly hoping I have good eyesight for that.