By: Ruth McCleerey
Have you ever walked into your house or a store from the sunny outdoors and been faced with a dark looking environment? You have to take a moment for your eyes to adjust to the changes before you proceed unless it’s at home, and there you know where everything is and don’t risk breaking your leg when you run into a piece of furniture.
Well, magnify this experience 100 times when you leave the outdoors and enter a darkened movie theater. And then multiply the experience by even more if you are wearing glasses that change into sunglasses out-of-doors!
Dashed into a theater last weekend along with friend Rachelle. I led the way, assuming that Rachelle was right behind me. The theater was quite dark but they had red lighting on the floor to guide you to the stairway and up into the stadium seating. Turned back and Rachelle was still standing at the doorway. I waved to her to no avail. Walked back to her and she followed me to the steps. She asked why they (the theater) had to have the room so dark before the movie beings? It was then that we discovered that she was almost totally blind with her glasses on. Whoops! Experience rules.... experience will tell her to take her glasses off and move along with less than perfect vision, but vision.
Vision was a problem on Friday when I drove out of Enderlin on my way to Jamestown and Valley City. I knew that it was a bit foggy in town but had no idea that visibility was down to about a block (if that) out on the highway. Figured that I would drive out of it in a bit, so continued on cautiously. Met some cars where the driver had not bothered to turn on their lights. Not smart! The fog lightened up a bit when I reached Highway 281. By then ones eyes were feeling the strain of attempting to see beyond that fuzzy wall. The fear was that the fog would cause the highway to become slippery, but thankfully that was not the case.
Didn’t go to a movie this weekend. Due to the sewer problems at the office, decided I had better do some cleaning there rather than go play elsewhere. I was saved by having the mophead break when I?was only halfway though the office area. Was that mop trying to tell me something? Went home and still had that mopping in my psyche and picked up the mop at home. This is really something for me, the gal that does not like cleaning of any kind..... I am your biggest clutterbum that you will ever know.
I did pile up a bunch of stuff that I intend to take to goodwill when the snow piles disappear. Of course, Potter, cat number 2, tried to burrow into the pile, seeking a hidey hole I would suppose. He also spent some time outside over the fence this weekend. That is a true sign that the weather has become milder because he gets freezy toes very quickly. The first time he ventured out and did not come right back, it was almost bedtime. I was in my PJs already. Every little bit I would go to the door and call out his name. Cat owners will understand that this is a futile act..... dogs come, cats wonder what is wrong with you. Finally, on one of my door ventures, I heard him meowing, outside the gate fence. Apparently he had heard me and decided it would be nice if I opened the gate. Now remember that I’m not attired for outside meandering. But dope that I am, I thought what the heck and went out with my fussy slippers with no treads, and started out for the fence that is across the deck and down five steps. Half way there I envisioned myself falling and breaking something.... who would hear me other than Potter. Gloom and doom seems to be my middle name, but as fate would have it, I got to the gate and back to the door and inside..... along with a cat that was asking for a treat for coming back! I was the one that needed the treat!
Puffer thought that if Potter could go out and stay out, he could too. NOT! He does not have a lot of toe and belly hair, and made a retreat back to the warm house within 30 seconds.
Puffer’s new medicine seems to be doing something. It has not taken away his itchiness, but the skin sloughing has gotten better. He no longer looks like he’s been out in a snow storm, with white spots all over his fur. He also has begun to groom himself again. Of course, he is out of the inner tube collar, which is a real help. Time will tell.