A Lovely Morning . . .

Come along with me -- you are a traveling companion, right? It's one of those mornings when things work as they should. Perhaps not as I wish, but certainly just right.

It began with a little extra sleep. What a pleasure. That was followed with a lot of dithering -- should I do this or that first, what about the weather (rain is promised) and what about all the other things that need to be accomplished this weekend. If I didn't find the eye doctor this morning, when would I go, since an extremely busy couple of weeks are looming large just around the corner,

Self-discipline is definitely not my strong point in quite a few areas. And that was showing up in a big way when it came to visiting an ophthalmologist. Not least among the reasons was the fact that I didn't want to hear bad news, which seemed to be a distinct possibility. Other contributing factors were uncertainty about directions, cost, allegiance to my wonderful eye surgeon in NC, and a reluctance to dedicate as much time as it undoubtedly would take from the day. Silly me! What a great morning it turned out to be.

The directions were right on, distances between points much shorter than I anticipated, a bright yellow Lamborghini (Alexander's favorite car at one point in his life) parked on the street outside a ritzy hotel in the high-rent district a huge bonus. Yes, I had my camera and stopped for a picture. I did have to wait in line behind others doing the same thing, and I do wonder if the owner was sitting in the restaurant behind the huge windows enjoying our enthusiasm for his toy! I found my way without a single extra step, only to learn that I was early for the doc. I had already been told by one of my favorite StJ colleagues that you just show up and wait your turn, which is one reason I wanted to get a good start on the day.

Sounded like time for a cup of coffee. And away I strolled. And strolled. And strolled. At that point I broke a promise to myself -- I went into a McDonalds. I really intended to avoid them completely. And I have been successful till today, even when hungry and in a hurry. This time I couldn't miss. And guess what -- in Prague Mickey D's serves cappuccino for just about the price of a regular cup of coffee. And it was perfect for the morning. The return stroll included a lovely little bench in the shade under some rooftop statues which have been watching over the citizens for well over a century.

There was yet another wait, but when he -- a new Tomas in my life now -- came, it was all I could have hoped for and more. You see, this was Eiffel Optical, and in the US we don't find fully certified ophthalmologists at the opticians office. But he and this place had been recommended by another colleague. I was told he speaks English very well and is -- how about this! -- post-doc Johns Hopkins trained. What a great time with him. We talked about a million things, including how he manages in his little space with only a few machines and his knowledge and instinct instead of the big offices with four machines doing the same operation as they have in the US. (He said it's because the doctors are afraid of being sued before I could get it out of my mouth.) We talked about the H1B visa situation, which a student and I had discussed from an Economist article (April 12, 2008, in case you're interested) just this past week. The conversation went everywhere all the while I was looking in the right direction, sitting very still and being somewhat apprehensive. It was wonderful to hear him give the details of my surgeries, including correct dates, and praise for Dr. Lee's work. I know she is highly regarded; it is nice to have that confirmed this way. And the diagnosis? Everything's great. No worries. What a relief.

If you're interested, he gave me an alternative to taking pills for eye health: cut up some carrots, put in a couple spoons of sugar and lemon juice, then add olive oil and stir. Then, of course, eat regularly. This gives all the important vitamins and supplements I could get at a lekarna (chemist/pharmacist). I also walked out with new sunglasses. I came without mine, and am missing them more every time the sun shines. I was just about to buy some on the street (my favorite store in any town!) and had hesitated because I knew that wasn't good for my eyes. How right I was. He actually came out to fit just the right pair to my eyes. I will say that I would never pay that for sunglasses in the US! Knowing my eyes are protected correctly is a good thing. Although the wait was VERY long, it was worth every minute. What an great morning.

There was time for more strolling, including two relatively small public gardens with roses in full bloom. I'd seen the bushes earlier and knew they were only a few weeks away from full color. Today was definitely one of the best days. And then yet another choice -- home to a nearly empty refrigerator or a stop at a cafe near the river. You can guess which won! Perfect ending to a lovely morning.