Of monitors and reading glasses.

I wear magnifying reading glasses. That’s all. No correction other than to enlarge, but I really need a lot of magnification — 3.75. I order them over the internet because I rarely find any strong enough in the grocery stores, alas.

I’m due an eye exam and one of the things the doc always asks is how far away my computer screen is, to help him determine what magnification I need.

I’m getting a new monitor. A widescreen big-ass monitor to sit on my desk, hooked up to my laptop.

(Actually, it came already, was delivered damaged, got sent back, and I’m waiting for the replacement. Impatiently.)

And it occurs to me that maybe I’ll need a different magnification for my new monitor since it will be sitting farther away from my face.

Or maybe I’ll just increase the font size or decrease it until it works with my glasses.

How does that work, anyway?

I’ll be holding off on that eye exam until I adjust to the new monitor, I think.

Any advice from other bespectacled people who have already made this adjustment?

Political, ignore if you’d rather: I love it when men of God show class.

Gifts!

It’s that time of year and so I’ll toss out a few gift suggestions!

The best laptop sleevecase I’ve ever seen. Not only are they custom made to fit most sizes of most brands of laptops, but they even are custom made to your specifications. Want yours to open on the side or on top? You choose. Want a flap that folds over and velcroes, or just the strap? A shoulder strap? More? Your choice. Mine fits like the proverbial glove. Check ‘em out. While you’re at it, check out the Ipod case. I have one of those, and a friend bought the Mac Mini case. SF Bags rock.

Any travelers on your list? Or any trips of your own coming up? I can’t recommend the products from the Rick Steves travel store highly enough, especially if you are into traveling light.
We’ve made four trips to the UK in recent years and each time across the pond I work harder at being organized and packing light. While I recommend the RS site in general, for starters, these packing cubes are ab-fab. Easy to see into so if security decides to check you out there’s a good chance they won’t have to dig through your frillies and such, and they weigh next to nothing and squash very flat when not filled. When your stuff is contained, it takes up less space. And this mesh “gives” and the zippers are strong so you can stuff the bags pretty snugly without worrying about it. I realize a lot of people love Ziplocks and other bags, and it’s a matter of choice. This is my choice, though!

And while I’m on the subject, we’ve been using Rick Steves carry-on bags for years and they are fantastic. But that’s another post. And for the record, if you’re a fan of the Rick Steves shows on PBS, it’s interesting to know that he provides them at no charge. His business if financed by his travel store, books and tours. So in a roundabout way, you’re supporting PBS when you shop with RS! (Okay, maybe that’s a stretch, but not too much of one!)

Finally, for the impractical among us, action figures! They have Jane Austen and Oscar Wilde and Edgar Allen Poe and William Shakespeare (and dig around and you’ll find more cool stuff) at The Writers Store in Los Angeles. All are superheroes in my book!

I’m sure I’ll come up with more ideas but for now — happy shopping! (And the best thing — all are available without stepping into a mall, and hopefully there’s enough time to order and get them before “the day.”