My new glasses

    
I love a deal.  I don't like to pay more than I have to for anything.   Wilma has ruined me by introducing me to NPS in SLC.   Now I can't see paying more than $5 for a running shirt or $10 for a dress shirt or $29 for a pair of shoes (all brand name of course).  Just today I was wearing the Levi Dockers pants that I found at NPS for $4 ( they had footprints on them like they fell on the ground and were stepped on - I just washed them and they were fine).    On my feet were the $29 Rockport Shoes I found at NPS (one of the more expensive things I've purchased there)

So when Candi told me about this place where you can order eyeglasses online starting at $8 - that includes the lenses - I was interested.   She found out about the place from our friend Chris.

    

But I must admit that I was skeptical.  What kind of glasses could you get for $8.  I figured they would like the plastic sunglasses with plastic lenses you get at the dollar store.  I needed proof.  I checked the internet and there were tons of people who complained about this place and how it took forever to get the order if they even did get the order.   Based on the complaints, it didn't look good but Chris had heard good things about them.   I needed more proof before I would try them.   

    

Candi decided to order 2 pairs of glasses.  She splurged and went for a $9.95 pair and a $19.00 pair.   She figured that for $30 she couldn't go wrong.   She ordered online and about 3 weeks later they arrived in the mail.

   

Here's what she received

This is a $9.95 pair of glasses.  Comes in the cheap (but sturdy) plastic case with the cleaning cloth.
       

This is her $19 pair of glasses.

     

I must say that I was so impressed that I decided to give them a try as well.  My prescription has changed and I needed to get some new glasses anyways.   The last time I got glasses I had to go with the multi-focus lenses so that I could read.

These are my old glasses.   About 4 years ago I got these at Costco.  I shopped around and Costco was the cheapest by far.    With the progressive lenses the price really goes up.    I found the bill and these glasses cost me $416.  At that time I looked around at other places and could have easily paid $700 - $800 or more.   

So I went to the Zenni website and starting shopping.  I  found a couple pairs that were wider than most (all the specifications are listed).   You see, I have a problem when it comes to getting glasses.   I have a hard time finding ones that fit my big fat head.  And to make it worse, I have that oriental nose bridge (or lack of nose bridge) so I need glasses with nose pieces that are adjustable.   Sad but true.  In the past when ever I got new glasses it would take several adjustments to make them fit right.

Well I ordered 2 pairs to see what they would be like.  I went with one pair of single vision and one pair with progressive multifocal lenses.

People complained that the glasses were made in China.   Chances are the frames you buy locally are made in China as well.   People complained about the customer service and how long it took to get there orders.  I can't complain.   I placed the order on Feb 28.  They sent me an email when they received my order and another one when they shipped my order complete with a tracking numbers so I could see where it was.   It left China on the 11th and arrive in Vancouver on the 13th (Friday).  They arrived in Calgary on the 16th (Monday).  16 days isn't bad if I can save 85% over getting them here in a couple days.

In the package were 2 eyeglasses cases. 

    

I ordered the clip-on sunglasses as well.

  

Here is my single focus pair.   The quality seems great.   The base cost was $19 but I added the anti-glare finish and the clip on sunglasses so it came to $27.   I checked some eyeglass places around town and adding the anti-glare finish alone could cost more than that.   The amazing thing is that they fit right out of the package.  No adjustments needed.

  

These are the expensive glasses.   I went with a $27.95  base pair of glasses but I had to add $29 for the progressive lenses.  I could have stopped there but I added the anti-glare finish and the clip-ons so it came to $65.    I'm wearing these glasses right now and they are great.   The amazing thing is that they also fit with no adjustments.   Maybe its because they are designed in China where they have more fat headed orientals.

So $416 for one pair or less than $100 for 2 pairs?  

Does the bottom pair look $335 better? 

(not now - they're pretty beat up)

      

To me, if I they fit and I can see they are a good pair of glasses.  

If I didn't pay an arm and a leg for them, they are a great pair of glasses.

   

   

Happy Birthday Jamie!

   

I can't believe you're 16.  

   

Angie and Alana did some great birthday post with lots of pictures so I don't want to compete.  I'm taking a different approach.   We've gone to some neat places together over your 16 years.   (Unfortunately I only have pictures since we got our first digital camera.)

   

Thought I would share some pictures to remind you of some of these places.

  

Utah  2003

(Notice the shirt she's wearing)

    

Disneyland 2004

   

Disneyland 2004

(notice the shirt she's wearing)
      

The Calgary Stampede 2004 

(Could it be the same shirt?)

    

Banff 2004

(Notice what she's wearing)

   

The Logan's Pass in Montana (that's a huge dropoff to her right)

   

Shave Ice at Matsumoto's in Hawaii

(Pose based on picture of a famous Japanese movie star on the wall at Matsumoto's)

   

Hukilau Beach in Hawaii

    

Back to that shirt.   She did have other shirts but this seemed to be a favorite.  Here's a better picture of that shirt.  It says Basketball and it has a bunch of basketballs.   

(This picture is of Jamie and her friend Jessica at Disneyland - we just happened to run into her family there.  Another coincidence - Notice they are both wearing red shirts.  They also had matching shorts and shoes.)

  

Fast forward to Dec 2008.   Here's Jessica and Jamie at the airport going to a basketball tourney in Victoria. (Notice the matching outfits again.)

   Jamie played for the High School Jr. Girls team this year.   Her team made the Div 1 playoffs.   She did great.  I wish I had some good video of Jamie playing basketball but when I tried to video I got so much into watching the game that I would forget about the camera and would miss all the good stuff.   I have lots of video of Jamie driving or shooting but we don't see what happens.    Some time I'll have to figure out how to edit some of that video and post it so you can have a good laugh.   Here are some screen shots from the videos.

   

Jamie, you've always been original.

Love Dad

Survivorman

There's a show on TV called Survivorman.  Its about a guy who goes to out into the wilderness with little or no provisions and 50 pounds of camera equipment to film his adventures.
  

  

On Friday night I  had my own little Survivorman experience (minus all the camera equipment - just 1 digital camera that froze up).   There was a Stake Young Men's winter camp that has been scheduled for some time.   It was in Peter Lougheed Provincial Park in Kananaskis country at a group campground.   Initially the plan was to leave early in the afternoon and get set up before dark but Jenelle's school basketball team was in the league final.  I didn't want to miss that so we headed up after the game (we being me and 4 young men from our ward who also had to leave later).  It was dark when we left.   We were able to set up camp quickly when we arrived thanks to our trusty headlamps.

The weather last week was cold (-20 C) but the forecast for Friday was to warm up to above freezing.  Perfect for a winter camp.  But who can believe the weatherman?

To make a long story short, we estimate the temperature overnight went to between -25C and -30C (a few of us checked the thermometers in our vehicles in the morning and they are all around -23C at about 8am).   I've been on winter camps before but nothing close to this cold.   I didn't have a high tech sleeping bag that's good to those temperatures so I was a bit concerned about being cold.  I went with 2 sleeping bags.  Thanks to Judy for throwing in an extra blanket in with the sleeping bags.  Some of the young men were pretty cold and didn't get much sleep.  (If anyone was really cold, there was an enclsed camp kitchen with a fire going all night but no one needed it).  I was surprisingly toasty warm in my 2 sleeping bags.   The problem with me is that at my age its hard to get through the night without having to get up to relieve myself.    Around 2:35 am nature called.  I tried to ignore the call - but before long nature was shouting at me and I had to make the commitment and got out of the sleeping bag and bundled up to go outside.   It was sooo cold but it felt sooo good to get back into my warm sleeping bag.

We all made it through the night and everyone was in good spirits even with the cold.  Now we have a story to tell.  I'm sure the temperature will go even lower as time goes on.   I'm sure we'll someday talk about the night we were out in a blizzard at -65C.

Here's some pictures that I took the next morning after I thawed out my camera.   I had to leave it in the heated camp kitchen for a while.

Survivorman - Kananaskis 2009 version

   

The fearless leaders by their first class accommodations.

     

They're all smiling after a wonderful sleep.

    

There was a fire pit but in the morning most of the youth and leaders were hanging out in the camp kitchen to get warm.   

    

All the other wards cooked in the camp kitchen as well.  Only one ward cooked breakfast outside.  Guess who the crazy ones were.....

     

  

     

With the condensation from our breathing and the cold weather it actually snowed inside our tent.   This is my sleeping bag in the morning.   There was more but I brushed most of it off before I thought about taking a picture. 

      

   There was some beautiful things about being out in nature.   The stars were incredible.  Living in the city we miss that because of all the lights.  

The mountains and trees are fantastic.

If you look closely you might be able to see a mountain between the trees.

        

One of the neatest sights was the perfect snowflakes.  It was so cold that some snowflakes kept their shape if they landed on a metal surface.   In the following pictures everything that looks like a snowflake is a real snowflake.

  

Snowflakes on a Coleman Stove

    

Snowflakes on the lid of a pot.

Judy, Please accept my apology

Judy's birthday was on February 2nd.  There was post on my blog for her birthday, but I also posted another entry that day entitled "A Great Find".   There are those of you who thought that the post would be about Judy.  But it was about duct tape.    Sorry Judy.   I had one of those male moments.   You do not rate behind duct tape in my life.  Bad timing on my part.
   

I wish I could go back in time.  If I could the post would have read something like this.

    

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2009

A Great Find!

Hey, I'm back.   I've had several people comment that I need to update my blog.  Its been about a month.  

Have you ever met someone that you never knew existed but once you find her you wonder how you lived without her . . . and you just have to have her around all the time.
   

Well, I found her a few years ago and today she's celebrating her birthday.

Isn't she cute?

  

   

That's what I should have done and saved the duct tape for another day.   I was thinking of a post for today - some topics included a family basketball update or "Why do they call them shorts? (referring to basketball shorts)".
        

But it's Valentine's day.  

  

Before anything else
      

   

       

My valentine and me.