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Hi, Rusty!
You explained "descender" just fine!
Thank you!
I would never have got that though from the clue.
This extra crossword - the 15x15 - is taking up a lot of my time!
I am very slow at it!
Tomorrow morning, we go to the opticians for check ups.
We are actually overdue, but it took breaking my reading glasses to drive me to making appointments!
I do not like going for eye checks!
I hope it will not take too long to get a replacement pair of specs - the bridge of my reading glasses is stuck together with superglue and bound in insulating tape at the moment!
Not exactly glamourous!

Hello, Elle!
Under "letter", Anne Bradford has "ascender" but no "descender"!
Strange!
If you need glasses for reading, just, try the Pound shops.
Even for a spare pair, you can not go wrong at a £1.
"Think in, "1p books at Amazon", mode."
I read quite a bit, and have reading specs beside my armchair, beside my laptop, and on my bed table. And a pair in my car!
All from Pound shops.
I like when I am slow at a crossword.
Means its a good test, the way it should be!
And we always learn something.
You will never be stuck again wondering "what has descender to do with a letter?"
You not liking eye checks!
When I was "sitting waiting" (only for 5 mins) a girl came in and explained she used to be a patient but was terrified of dentistry, and she was in pain.
Her hands were shaking!
They checked her out OK, on their list, and booked her with a different dentist as she did not want her original dentist.
I felt a bit sorry for her.
I am sure your eye test will be a doddle compared to that girl's trepidation!

Hi, Rusty!
Unfortunately , it isn't quite that simple with my vision.
I suffer from slight astigmatism and need prescription lenses to counteract that.
Astigmatism is when the shape of one's eyeball is slightly more rugby -shaped than round like a football
Hence a slight blurring of vision.
The "over- the - counter" specs don't work for me.
However , I can see well enough without glasses to read for a little while; I can even see the bottom row of the chart!
The problems arise when I try to read for long periods without prescription lenses.
My eyes hurt and my muscles get tired.
But am managing with glue and tape for now!
Anyway, I am seeing the optometrist tomorrow, so all should be sorted soon.
That poor girl at your dentist! I have a friend who is terrified like that.
I am glad to hear that sometimes you find the crosswords hard - and even prefer it that way!
There may be hope for me yet?

Hello, Elle!
I can read fine, but my eyes get sore looking at TV.
So, I ration my viewing.
I tend to record programmes, so I can fast-forward through the ads etc.
I have never heard anyone before tell the receptionists how terrified they were. It was disconcerting. The lady was shaking.
I have a great pal in Norn Iron and she is terrified of any medical treatment. She had to get an endoscopy to check her gullet etc and when they were trying to get the tube down her throat she was punching them!
She is fairly normal the rest of the time!
You are doing fine at crosswords!
No different from the way I started, or anyone on this site, in fact.
And...when I first dipped my toe into the cryptic water, there were no help forums to turn to!!

Hi, Rusty!
I record all programmes on ITV and such, so that I can fast-forward through the adverts when watching later!
I do not have the patience to sit through advertisements!
BBC is better, but I usually record anything that I intend to watch, anyway, as all too often a relative or friend will ring in the middle of a programme!
That way I have it all to watch at a later time, if necessary.
Do you wear glasses for distance as well as for reading?
I am asking because you say your eyes hurt when watching television.
I have specs for distance as well as for reading.
The last episode of "Cold Feet" was tonight.
I haven't watched it yet for the same reasons we have just discussed!
I shall do so very shortly, after I have made a coffee......

I feel sorry for the poor girl at the dentist as well. I never used to mind but now locals hardly work and not at all for an extraction (only ever had one!) If I ever have another it will have to be valium. To think at one time there were no anaesthetics, and you could die from an infection asfter having a tooth out as well.

Did anyone watch the slums program? aarrrgh

Hello, Elle,
My distance vision is grand.
I had cataracts removed and see perfectly for driving etc.
i was astonished at how white the snow was and how vivid the colours were after cat ops.
And they told me it is the safest operation on the NHS.
They were great with me, anyway.
I think it is gazing at a fixed object (TV) that is the problem.
Outside, for instance, my eyes are continually switching about looking at different things. A lot more natural than watching TV.
i only wear specs for reading and laptop.
I think my eye test is due soon, too.
Tesco Opticians will text me.

Hello, Rosalind!
Well, you have taken the wind from my sails!
I am getting a tooth extracted next Monday and hope to have a relatively pain free experience, after a local.
I have to stop taking aspirin a couple of days before.
Thins the blood and we do not want excessive bleeding!

Hi, Rusty!
I had completely forgotten that you had had cataracts removed.
My husband had that done a few years ago, and was given a choice of whether his replacement lenses should be for distance vision or for reading.
Like you, he opted for distance, so now only needs glasses when reading, as you do.
It is amazing what a quick and successful operation it is these days.
I have had to look up what a "werowance" is!
These "little people" whom Pentaquod meets sound very like the Lilliputians!



Oops, Ros!
Not the best timing for those remarks.........

Don't worry rusty, my dentist was most perplexed and said he'd never come across such a recalcitrant person before! You will be fine. If your root canal work was OK, this will be as well.
In fact they can do something extra which does work, but I would now be very nervous !!