Monitor and Adjust

I really hate it when my plans for the day get derailed. On Wednesday and Friday mornings I drive golf carts at Garvan Woodland Gardens from 9:00 am to 1:30 pm, period. It's what I do, what I plan for; but not today, not this Wednesday. Today I had to make a flying run to Little Rock to Lenscrafters.

I was heading out to the Garden but before I did, I wanted to clean my glasses. I set my purse on the table and took off my glasses. While I was wiping the lens with the cleaning cloth, the left ear piece broke loose from the frames. There I stood, ear piece in one hand, the lenses in the other. Shit! Without the glasses I couldn't even see how bad it was. Was it unscrewed or was it broken off?

I perched the glasses on my nose with the one good ear piece and headed for Wal-Mart, our modern day fix-all place. The vision center wasn't open yet. Great! I had a deadline here. I knocked on the window and the ladies came out to see what I needed. They told me what I didn't want to hear. The piece was broken off from the frames and it wasn't fixable. Shit!

Okay, I'd just have to get new frames. I head down Central, my glasses hanging on by one ear. The vision center by Kroger isn't open. Okay, I'll go a little farther, down to the mall. Nothing opens in the mall until 10:00 am! What's wrong with everybody? I've done a half day's work by 10:00 in the morning! It doesn't matter anyway. The two girls lounging in the vision center, waiting for the magic moment to open, tell me that they send everything out. It would be 7 to 10 days before I'd get my glasses back. That is unacceptable.

What to do? First, I call Garvan Gardens and tell them I'll be a no show today. I can't do much of anything without my glasses. Then, I remember Lenscrafters. I have a faint recollection about a warranty and figure it's worth a call. Eureka! Not only are my glasses covered by a warranty, my frames are still in stock. All I have to do is go to Little Rock and they'll fix me up.

An hour later I'm striding through Park Plaza Mall, wearing an old pair of prescription sunglasses I found in my glove compartment, looking for Lenscrafters. The young man took one look and knew I was the lady with the broken Anne Klein frames. He's already pulled the replacement frames out and had them ready. I handed over my broken glasses and in 10 minutes or less he handed me a brand new pair. Wow! A quick swipe of my debit card and I'm back in business. I'm already here, the day is shot, might as well shop. Barnes & Noble - Here I come!