Eye Opener

TripPix.

On Wednesday afternoon when we were at Bubba Gump's for lunch, Bob's sunglasses fell apart. Bob dropped the lens and loose screw into one of the baggies I carry in my purse. The first hit on my "optician St. Pete Beach" Google query was Modern Optics on Corey Avenue, only a mile or so from our condo.

The next morning, a few hours into a warm, bright Florida day, we parked on Corey and Bob went into the store to have the screw tightened. Meanwhile, I took a few pictures on this interesting street and did a little window shopping. After ten minutes or so, I finally decided to check on him. I found him at the counter looking at frames. There was no charge for the screw repair.

Modern Optics serves a clientele from all over the country. I was immediately drawn into the discussion and started trying on frames, surprised that I looked great in a large pair of rectangular sunglasses, very different from the round red ones I wear now. The optician -- very knowledgeagle and a great marketer too --  gave me about a dozen pairs to experiment with, all of them wide enough for my broad face. Some glasses had flexible plastic bows, and almost all frames were available in a wide selection of colors and patterns. I was almost prepared to buy a pair on the spot.

We're very happy with our eyewear provider but we learned that our frames are discontinued models, one explanation for the low price we paid. I also discovered that larger "everyday" glasses look better on me than the narrow ones I wear now, and I know that the no-line bifocal would be better in one of the frames I tried on. And why wouldn't I wear a more "daring" frame now that I'm retired? I certainly don't have to project a "conservative" or "serious" image.

One more useful snippet of information: prescription swim goggles don't have to be out of reach either. I always thought they would be prohibitively expensive but that's not the case. I quickly found several websites with online ordering.

We wondered if a similar provider exists in the Twin Cities, and found several possible candidates, including the Spectacle Shoppe in Minneapolis. Because of our visit, we're thinking differently about future eyewear purchases now.