Perhaps the highest compliment a husband can give

Today I went to the eye doctor for the first time in seven years. We didn't have vision insurance in Seattle, so I would have had to pay for my own eye exams, but we did buy glasses in January of 2001. Six years and two babies using them as props later, my glasses were so trashed that they were literally falling off my face. Today I went to an optometrist who had an optical shop, and while I was waiting for her magical eyedrops to stretch my pupils unnaturally open, her frame-pusher lady tightened the screws in my glasses and replaced the now yellow-and-green nosepads in my current frames with fresh, non-skanky ones. Stupid girl -- now that my glasses feel brand new, why would I buy new frames from you? But I will tell the world about your awesomeness, and the awesomeness of your boss. If anyone is looking for an eye doctor in the University of Delaware area, Yvonne Kneisley is your lady.

Dada and Ryan took the boys to McDonald's while I was doing all this and came to pick me up on Main Street, amid a throng of bustling students, when I was done. As I made my way toward an intersection to meet up with George the Green Car, I felt really conscious of my appearance. All, and I do mean ALL, of the undergrad ladies here are totally smokin'. They are tan, and fit, wearing (gasp!) make-up, and, because the UD is semi-private, rich and dressing as such. And here am I, little ol' Claire, whose hair color the frame-pusher had the gall just now to describe as "mousy brown", who hadn't taken a shower (since Wednesday!), who had these total fashion-plate slip-in sunglasses on, courtesy of Dr. Kneisley. But I did have on a cute new shirt Dada picked out for my birthday and my skinny jeans.

After he picked me up in George the Green Car, our delightfully lecherous Dada grinned from ear to ear as he told me of a strange experience he had:
"I turned the corner onto Main and I noticed this chick running on the sidewalk. Of course I checked her out. I remember thinking that she had a really nice rack. I'll admit I stared at her boobs for an embarassing amount of time before I thought to see if her face was as easy on the eyes -- only to find out that 'this girl' was my wife."