Tuesday. I did drink more sake last night than I was thinking I might. Not enough to cause any fuss this morning, not so much to think about too much unless it should become more common. Maybe a flag to remind one where the line is drawn. Oh, well. Again, a good morning, the usual overcast, the weather people saying high sixties and sun later this morning. Off to breakfast and the papers and back with the alarm, a fifty mile drive looming at nine to arrive in Los Gatos in time for the MRI at half past ten.

I don't like MRI's very much, I'm just enough claustrophobic to make them uncomfortable. But best to get it done. Hup, hup. They've been scanning and re-scanning the head and neck looking for something to explain the double vision and maybe some of the aching sinus-upper palate problems, but my guess is they're concerned about the double vision.

Evidently it can be symptomatic of something nasty. Maybe something to do with the top of the spine is the current thought, the doctors going back and forth comparing MRI's. The double vision seems to be getting better (in that it seems to be less frequent and severe), but the neurologist isn't quite satisfied. So who knows? So an hour's drive ahead to a place I think I've been to before. Probably not good to have gone down there so many times you can't quite remember if it's a place you're familiar with. Is my guess. Up here. In Oakland.

Later. Well, that was no big deal. Fifty miles down, fifty miles back, all of it freeway. Into the tube, an IV in the arm after the first series of scans, back into the tube, out of the tube and all (at least for now) is done. The sky, meanwhile, has cleared; it's one o'clock in the afternoon and I suspect I'll be taking my walk pretty quick. Probably in the next paragraph.

Hmm. Well, I got ready to go out, made it down the hall to the open stairwell overlooking the street, turned around and went back inside to put on my slippers again and empty my pockets onto the dresser. Not sure why. Tune the guitar, play a few chords, check the web and then head out the door again. My, my. Like an automaton, a clockwork figurine: wind it up and watch it do its little dance.

Sitting at my morning café at a table outside on their patio (where else have I gone in this last month?) with a chicken salad sandwich and a diet Coke, the head made me change my morning not so much double vision these days statement. I've had a dry mouth that started in the late morning, not uncommon; the sinus-upper palate has been acting up, which is a drag, but sitting at the table a small circular section at the center of my vision started doing something.

Something? I sat there thinking how would I describe this? I've had it before, just a slight delay in that center area when moving my eyes, an odd overlay of colors and shapes at the very center but not extending beyond the center to the edge where it was stable, a total distortion in no more than twenty percent.

So wait on the bus? Too long I thought to wait the twenty minutes for the next bus so a walk back, stopping to sit for a short while in both Splash Pad Park across from the theater and by the while columns on the lake, two places where I often sit. Felt better walking, the eyes behaving I thought better, home now typing this. Well, writing this, there's a difference. Sometimes I find there's a difference. Sometimes I type, sometimes I write.

So what's all that about?

Went out, felt like crap for a while, returned in one piece, got on with the day. This has happened in the past without damage to the self or to the neighborhood. I'm not sure what else to think or say. They did an MRI this morning, maybe that will have something to add, although I'm not counting any chickens yet.

Added note to self: The “distorted vision” episode wasn't related to the double vision I've been experiencing on and off, lately more off than on. I suspect it's related to the ocular migraines that have also been decreasing in frequency to the point I don't really think about them too much anymore and looking at what I've written, particularly this morning, I see I had some sake last night. More than usual. And alcohol is something that will bring on an ocular migraine. Oh.

So note to self: the fact you didn't have any form of a hangover the morning after doesn't mean the body isn't going to come back with an ocular migraine. Remember the dry mouth associated with them? What did you have today, my bucko? The distorted area in your vision? Ocular migraine territory? Not a particularly severe or heavy ocular migraine, just a shallow wanna be one, but an ocular migraine brought on probably by the sake. Q.E.D. Are we listening?

So what do we do about this now that we've figured it out for the rest of the evening?

There is a bit of sake left. In the kitchen. Nothing like last night, of course, but a couple of glasses. I'd say. Here in Oakland.