Praise then darkness, and creation unfinished

I picked up a hardcopy library book this afternoon, and took the opportunity to update my mailing address with them. I noticed last week on their website that they still had my Belmont address, but as far as I could tell, I couldn't update it there. (I could have changed my email address.)

Then I took the Green Line extension to Medford/Tufts (as shown in my previous post), because it's finally open and I wanted to see for myself. I stopped at the Magoun Square station on the way home and walked about half a block from the station (again, because I could), then watched an Amtrak train go through while I was waiting for my trolley.

Because this is still the MBTA, my trip home was delayed by "police activity" at the Arlington green line station, but I eventually got to Government Center, where I changed from green line E to green line B for the trip home.

I had my annual eye exam today. I go to an ophthalmologist because we're monitoring my corneas, and because I have a history of optic neuritis.

So, the corneas are slightly thicker than last year, but for now we will just continue to monitor them. The left optic nerve is pale, but the same paleness that it's been as long as I've been seeing this doctor. (The optic neuritis was in 1999.)

Dr. Lazzara gave me a printout of my eyeglass prescription, including a prescription for computer-distance glasses, and the information I'd need to order glasses online. He volunteered that, and when I said yes, wrote a note on the bottom of the prescription stating the pupillary distance.

Getting to the eye doctor was annoying: I missed a bus connection, clearly wasn't going to be at the eye doctor's on time, so went upstairs and called a Lyft, paying for priority/faster service, which I didn't get. The driver parked about half a block away from the pickup location that Lyft had suggested, and didn't bother to call or text to let me know where he was, so I had to call him. And then it seemed like he was seeking out every side street in Cambridge or Arlington, with a short stretch of highway in between. So I was still late, but not late enough to be a problem--but I could have been about as late for a lot less money. *sigh*

The eye doctor is still taking masking seriously. The online check-in says that patients have to bring their own face masks, but I noticed a box of surgical masks next to the entrance. One of my pill alarms went off while I was in the waiting room, waiting for my eyes to dilate before being examined by the doctor. I grabbed my bag, told the receptionist I was stepping outside for a minute to take a pill, and then put my mask back on and went back to my seat in the waiting room.

Today turned out to be a bit cooler and significantly more comfortable than forecast, or indeed than I realized when I left the house.

I allowed plenty of time, and then made a tight connection from the trolley to the 66 bus, thanks to a helpful bus driver. That got me to Harvard Square much earlier than I'd expected. I decided it wasn't too hot to be outside for a little while, and got a slice of pizza and a Pepsi, then made my way to Arlington for OT.

I told the therapist that I had been feeling much better in the last few days, due to either the exercises or the brace--or, as she reminded me, both. This week, she used ultrasound on my wrist, then massaged my arm from the wrist about halfway to the elbow.

She finished by teaching me a stretch. I have printed instructions for the stretch, and the explicit instruction not to do what's shown in the video. Last week, she both gave me a printout and said the video would be useful, with a bit of adjustment to positioning.

When I was done there, the weather still felt hot but tolerable, so I went to the Arlington Farmers Market. I bought raspberries, blueberries, cucumbers, and lettuce, so we're having a salad for dinner tonight, along with bread and either pickled herring or hummus.

I did more walking than I'd really intended, then another several blocks from the 86 bus to the green line; the Transit app told me to get off the bus one stop earlier than we really should have, but the connection in that direction is still several blocks. We tried the 86 because the 66 was delayed and the first one to arrive was very crowded; the 86 wasn't at all crowded. (I think the 86 in the other direction stops a lot closer to green line B.)

I had a brain MRI this morning; this is routine monitoring because of the MS.

Things I noticed before, during, and after the MRI:

• Mount Auburn Hospital has changed their Covid screening in the last ten days, and didn't point a thermometer at my forehead.
• The hospital's earplugs were effective (usually I bring my own, Earplanes)
• Some bright yellow daffodils on Mt Auburn Street
• The MBTA has resumed collecting bus fares on the outbound 73 when people exit rather than when they board. Right now they seem to be doing some of each: When my bus arrived, the driver gestured me to back up so someone else could pay and get off the bus, so I also paid on exiting, but saw other people exiting in the back, presumably having paid when they boarded the bus. And yes, it's still urging people "if possible, exit through the rear door," like all the other MBTA buses these days.