This afternoon, Vann and I had appointments for our annual eye exams. Vann never has to have his pupils dilated, but I do. They tell me that my pupils are too small to let in enough light for the camera images to be usable.
So Dr. H. dropped the drops in my eyes and in no time I could read small print in a dark closet. Remember how Superman had superhuman sight? That was me. I could actually see atoms. I'll be that's where the military or spies or whoever got the idea for those night goggles.
After the exams were done, we stepped outside into the parking lot where my poor eyes were accosted by a humongous bright light. I thought somebody had dropped the bomb. The lady at checkout had forgot to give me the plastic shades to wear over my wide-open pupils, and I hadn't thought about it either.
I know I looked like some character from "Night of the Living Dead," trying to make my way to the car with my eyes squeezed shutand both arms thrown over my face, efforts which did not successfully block the bright light. Vann finally spotted my dilemma and went to the car for my sunglasses.
When my husband finally had his near-blind wife settled in the car, we drove on up to the Crossroads to have a late lunch at Carpenetti's, a wonderful little Italian bistro that has the best spaghetti and meatballs and Italian bread sticks.
On the door going into the restaurant was a sign which Vann read, me being still in my dark glasses. "We do not serve tomatoes," Vann told me the sign said. We were greatly puzzled and were sure we'd have to go someplace else because, after all, what is marinara sauce without tomatoes? But when the waitress arrived, she explained that the sign refers to uncooked tomatoes only. Phew!
Apparently there is a deadly tomato disease going around the country. Vann called it tomato-itis, but I don't believe that's the real name. I haven't heard of it; perhaps some of you have. Anyway, I don't plan to stop eating tomatos until I personally know somebody who has come down with tomato-itis. Tomatoes are my very favorite vegetable. And, anyway, I never knew anybody who had spinach-itis last year or lettuce-itis a few years ago. I think maybe it's a terrorist plot to keep us from getting our iron and vitamin C. Slow way to kill us all, but it could work--eventually.
We ordered our spaghetti and meatballs (with tomato sauce) and enjoyed it immensely. When we got home, I made a batch of peanut butter cookies for Vann to take to his Pool Night with the Guys. (That's pool, as in shooting pool, not as in going swimming.) The neighbor guys meet at Gene's on the next street behind us once a month to shoot pool and eat cookies. Vann says it's loads of fun. Personally, I'd rather be quilting. Speaking of which, I have done hardly anything that I planned to get done this week. Maybe tomorrow. No, tomorrow is book club.
It has been thundering around here for two or three days now. I believe we just might get some rain tonight. Goodnight everyone.
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On 06/13/2008, Amy said ...
A. Tomato is a fruit.
B. They have been linked to a salmonella outbreak.
C. the cherry & grape varieties are fine as are the ones that are on the stem as the rough part is the only place where the virus can attach.
On 06/13/2008, Beverly said ...
Tomatoes are my summertime favorite. What is with the creepy things going on in the fields?
You sound like me after my eye checks. I have a time driving after the exam.
On 06/13/2008, Nicole said ...
Your eye exam description had me chuckling here at the computer. I hate having my eyes dilated too!
I haven't been too worried about the tomato scare since I heard that our California tomatoes have been cleared. Yours probably come from Florida though, where there have been some problems. Isn't it terrible what is happening to our produce? First spinach and now tomatoes. It is incredible how much this costs the growers.
A summer without fresh tomatoes? Unthinkable.
On 06/13/2008, sara said ...
Mom and dad live in salinas, which is exactly where the earthbound farm with the toxic spinach is, any my friend in oregon decides that anything green could be dangerous and refused to eat vegtables. What an excuse! Obviously my family was fine, and we lived there. Sheesh!
On 06/15/2008, Wendy said ...
http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2008-06-08-tomatoes_N.htm
this is the news item about the problem with uncooked tomatoes. I suspect soon the only way to make sure what we eat is safe, is to grow it ourselves...just like the old days ah?
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