Barbara J. Hamby

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Not so Sweet Dreams

In the last two weeks, I’ve had two nightmares. They seem to be totally unrelated. One was in Maui, where I regressed back to the days when I volunteered for political candidates. In my dream, I was at a political fund raiser and Hilary Clinton sat down next to me. I was totally flabbergasted and had no idea what to say to her. I woke up before she spoke to me.

Last night, back at home, I awoke yelling, “Fire, fire, help me.” There were two or three small fires starting up in a kitchen. Since I couldn’t seem to get my act together to put any of them out or even decide where to start, I was screaming for help. So, any would-be psychologists out there want to tackle those?

A better night’s sleep might put an end to such dreams. I had lain awake for some time before I finally dozed off last night. Hip pain prevented me from getting into a comfortable position. I decided to skip the swim and exercises today and give my joints a rest.

I had an eye exam this afternoon and learned that my eyes are quite healthy, with no signs of glaucoma, macular degeneration, or diabetic changes. I do have cataracts, one more advanced than the other. The doctor referred me to an ophthalmologist for an evaluation and discussion of possible corrective surgery. I look forward to learning whether or not it’s time to take care of at least one cataract. I have had myopia ever since I can remember, possibly since I was born. Cataract surgery can correct that, but not the astigmatism. My relatives who’ve had the surgery have had such fantastic results, that I’m looking forward to the opportunity to try it.

With my eyes still dilated at dinnertime, I wimped out on fixing dinner and we went out for Chinese. We will probably eat for the next few days on the leftovers. My fortune cookie promised me a “promotion” in the near future. To what, I wonder? How do you get promoted in retirement?