Inspired by a friend who recently qualified for health insurance for the first time in years, I requested a sick day at work today in order to take care of two health care appointments I’d been putting off for a while: the annual GYN/Pap smear (joy!) and the bi-annual vision exam.

With the deadline for using up my medical Flexible Spending Account funds coming up fast on September 30, and my usual tried and true FSA-draining dental cleaning appointment not scheduled until October 12, I decided to blow some pre-tax cash money on some new nerd glasses and lenses. For good measure, I also requested the optional (and not covered by eye insurance) Opto Map and vision field screening tests just to make sure my eyes weren’t suffering from anything other than the rampant myopia and astigmatism I’ve had since fourth grade.

It turns out that aside from being blind as a bat and shaped like olives, my eyes are in perfect physical condition. My vision has gotten worse in my left eye since my last exam in 2003 thanks to the hours I spend in front of a computer screen at work and in my leisure time at home. I asked the doctor what I could do to alleviate the stress on my eyes, and he told me, “Quit your job and find a line of work that doesn’t require you to sit two feet away from a monitor all day.”

:tongue:

Well then…moving along, I splurged on a contact lens exam (must…use…up…$438…in…FSA…funds…), got a test pair of toric lenses from a different manufacturer than my old Softlens 66 Torics, and scoped out the selection of free frames offered through my insurance company. Amazingly enough, I found a pair of nerdy stainless steel (very important, since I have nickel allergies and will break out in a horrible, oozing rash if my skin comes into contact with cheap metal for more than 15 minutes at a time–Hey, there’s a reason I don’t wear cheap costume jewelry!) frames that I actually liked in the freebie cabinet.

:cyclops: Don’t ask me why, but when it comes to glasses, I just lean towards obvious and nerdy vs. subtle and classy. No matter how refined and unobtrusive your frames might be, glasses just can’t be overlooked. They change the overall appearance of your face and even affect how you look in certain outfits (Glasses + Evening Gown? I don’t THINK so.) and what cosmetics you can get away with using. Any female who thinks that her glasses aren’t noticeable is on crack.

I’ve been told several times that I look much smarter and more Chinese with glasses on; even my own mother says so. Contacts cause me to be mistaken for Korean by even the Korean Student Organizations of my old colleges and purportedly lose me IQ points in the minds of new acquaintances.

My take on the whole glasses thing is therefore: If I have to wear them anyway, I might as well embrace the geeky chic aspect and go for something that makes me look like the computer-addicted bookworm that I really am under the ex-military, fitness-freak facade.

:whistle:

I did get the high-index super-thin lenses and the anti-glare coating for an additional fee, though, because while geeky frames are almost de rigeur amongst tech nerds with an artistic bent, coke-bottle lenses that make one’s eyes the size of black-eyed peas will never be attractive.

Now I just have to hold off on ordering my contacts until October 1, and they will be covered 100% under next year’s benefits. :biggrin:

I will spare you all the play-by-play of my GYN appointment. The female readers should all be familiar with the routine, and the males will live happier lives not knowing what women must go through EVERY YEAR just to get refill prescriptions for birth control pills, which, of course, would not be necessary if the government would just institute my proposed “give every fertile male over the age of 13 a reversible vasectomy until he reaches financial and emotional maturity and actually wants to produce planned offspring with his permanent life partner” birth control program.

Between my two appointments, I also managed to get 3″ of hair hacked off the back of my shaggy head and to visit the local health food store, Chamberlin’s, for the first time. I wuuuuuuv Chamberlin’s! I walked out of that store with 1/2 lb. almonds, 1 lb. texturized vegetable protein, 1 lb. wheat bran, and 3 lb. steel-cut oats for the piddling total of $5.67.

:love::love::love::love::love:

Why didn’t I find this place before? Steel-cut oats for 59 cents a pound! TVP and wheat bran for 99 cents a pound! Big baggie of almonds for $1.92!

My frugal cup runneth over. I almost did the happy cheapskate dance at the bulk food bins in the back.

By the way, does anyone happen to have any fantastic recipes for TVP?

===========
Nutrition: SGX Training Day Menu
(Details omitted by request of trainer)

Daily Supplements: multivitamin with iron, calcium 500 + D, 1 T. flaxseed oil or natural peanut butter, 1 t. GNC Creastack
Water: 16 cups minimum

===========
Workout:
7:00 PM SGX Upper Body/Back workout
7:40 PM P90X Kenpo X

===========
The Awful Truth:
1. Had to move workouts to evening.

===========
Brownie Points:
1. Made it to all appointments on time.
2. Got itemized receipts for all services to submit to FSA managers for reimbursement.
3. Filled out FSA paper work.

===========
Short-term Goals:
1. File papers on drafting table.
2. Get through next three chapters of NASM manual.
3. Work on paper doll body templates.
4. Vacuum the apartment.
5. Take pictures of low-budget home gym set up and write up reviews of everything.