Mental Sampler 17
I got new glasses. When I went in to choose the new frames, I started by looking at glasses that looked similar to my current glasses. But the woman convinced me to go in a completely different direction, hinting that I may one day need bifocals and my current frame is too thin and small for progressives.
I am trying to get accustomed to them because (1) they’re a new prescription and (2) they’re a little uncomfortable still, but I think I like them? I don’t know.
(I have really short arms, and I’m not very good at taking a selfie. Plus my hair is in a messy bun. I’m a mess. That’s it. I’m actually a mess.)
*******
I’m reading my first James Bond novel. It’s my first experience with James Bond; meaning, I’ve never seen a James Bond film. The only thing I know about the character is what I learned at the Spy Museum’s 007 exhibit.
I mentally grade every book I read. If I grade a book an A or a B, I keep reading. If I grade a book a D or an F, I stop. C’s are in limbo; usually they either become a low B and I keep reading, or I decide they’re really a D and I stop. But the entire concept of James Bond has stayed solidly in C territory for me, and I’m over 100 pages in. This almost never happens. I don’t like it enough to keep reading, AND I don’t hate it enough to stop.
So maybe I should have started this by saying, “I’m reading my first and maybe last James Bond novel.”
Do you like James Bond? Why or why not?
15 comments
My new glasses are very similar to those – my husband and the optician picked them out, because 1) I hate wearing glasses, 2) I almost always choose poorly, and 3) I hate how I look in glasses anyway. That style looks great on you, though.
I can’t get in to the idea of James Bond, so I have never seen a movie nor read a book.
Oh, also…that style might work with bifocals, but I find them disorienting with progressive lenses. They’re a bit too small.
We have the same glasses (except mine are magenta– they didn’t have other colors at my optometrist store). I got mine a couple years back, and, you’re right, they took some getting used to for me, too. I find them as comfortable as any other glasses now, though. They look fantastic on you!
Love the new glasses. Really good — you got good advice. You did good. In a while you will look at a photo and be able to see it. 🙂
I hate that moment where you have to decide if the glasses sales person really knows their stuff and you have to choose whether to trust them with your face. Some of those people are really good and some of them are idiots … and you never know which kind you’re dealing with. It’s really hard to be objective about your own face. The best strategy is to take someone with you that has generally good fashion judgement and give it to them and God. But the timing on that rarely works because: adulting. I am at the stage where my philosophy is to give fewer ****s to give about certain things like this. At this point, I’m not getting extra points for looks anyway so all the heavy lifting is down to other things like perspective, humor (where I can find some) and the sheer force of my now-ripened personality. I hope for the best.
Re: 007 … My dad read all the Ian Fleming books and used to take me to see the movies when I was a kid … usually in summer when we were on vacation at the Jersey shore. So it has sentimental associations for me because I adored him. The movies were fun enough, but like you, the character idea was not a big draw for me. I never made it through a single book, but I am sure at one point I did try — my dad thought the books were better than the movies. My biggest thought about 007 right now would be curiousity about what that character says about the times he was made in. And the male psyche … whatever … that made it all popular. Probably another touchstone like Mad Men … where you watch it and you go … OMG. That’s the world I was born into? Um ….
What made you decide to read Ian Fleming?
You are a beautiful mess! And I love the glasses. Mostly I love seeing you.
I have never seen/read James Bond. You’ve confirmed my reason why. #meh
I’ve seen all of the James Bond films, some of them twice. (#nerd #marathon #collegetraditions) not really my cuppa, EXCEPT Tomorrow Never Dies which is both pretty good and eerily prescient in the way that Wag the Dog was, IIRC. (Pierce Brosnan is my fav Bond, though the one with the dippy nuclear engineer named Christmas sucked.)
I liked the Perry Mason books and tv show if I’m going to go hard-boiled last century stuff.
I feel meh about James Bond. C is a good rating.
The new glasses are very flattering. I struggle so much with choosing glasses. I like what you got! I hope they get more comfortable.
I think your glasses look really nice! But make sure you like them and that they are comfortable on your face, because you do wear them all the time.
Hmmm so I used to like the James Bond films, the old ones I would watch with my dad, but I couldn’t get into the newer ones as an adult.
So jealous you have done the Spy museum…it’s on our bucket list for the spring, it looks amazing! I tried to get a field trip there a couple years ago when I planned it, but the teachers didn’t want to deal with the trek to DC. But then the following year we did the air and space (the one in Dulles, not at the Mall) and the traffic there was WAY worse than getting in to DC. Grrr.
Did you do the whole package when you were there, like the actual mission?
They look nice!
I had to give up my smaller-lense style frames when I went to bifocals. ☹️
I pretty sure I have that actual pair of glasses. When I first needed bifocals, I had a narrower lens and it was awful. These are much better.
Love the new glasses! They are very “you.” 🙂
I have to admit, I have never read any Ian Fleming. But I’ve seen many (probably most) of the James Bond movies. The first one I remember seeing is “Diamonds are Forever,” which my mom took me & my sister to see when I was about 12. Sean Connery is probably my favourite Bond. Roger Moore was very smooth, but some of his later ones are almost farcical. Daniel Craig (the latest Bond) would probably be my second-favourite Bond — he really did revitalize the franchise — but a warning, some of the more recent movies with him can be quite violent. They can be very sexist, especially the earlier ones, but I just try just remember it was a very different era, and take them with a grain of salt. 😉
I’m with Lori. I think you look amazing and are rocking those frames.
I’ve never read the books, but have seen a number of the films and am addicted to the asethetics. Of all the Bonds, I liked Roger Moore the best (so many disagree with me) and I think the draw is a romantic machismo of someone who can charm almost anyone (including villains). Maybe 007 is better on film than in the books?
I love your new glasses, and I love you. I’ve been lurking here quietly. And I will also need new glasses soon, because I can no longer see far away OR close up. Having short arms becomes a problem when you can’t hold your cell phone far enough away to read the text … 😉
My ex boyfriend subjected me to the entire James Bond canon. Note: ex. C is a good grade for them.
I love the new glasses! I wish I looked as good as you when I’m a mess. Sigh.
Like Loribeth, I’ve never read a James Bond book, but I have seen most of the movies. I imagine they’re incredibly sexist, and “of their time.” I think your comment that you don’t like it enough to keep reading says it all. Life’s too short to finish bad books.
Totally inspired to take selfies of my new glasses now 😉 Progressive lenses, is that what we call ‘mulitfocal’ , the top of the lens for distance viewing and then gradually changing to closer viewing till reading distance?
Just got those for myself, but haven’t started wearing them yet.
Love your look!