Three Act Structure and the Saga of the Glasses

I got new glasses last week. (Last week? Really? Seems like I've had them forever already.) I'm not sure what I think of them yet. I like seeing the world clearly again, but they don't look quite as cool. According to (*ahem*) "a certain member of my household" (*ahem*) they are the mom jeans of glasses. But then, my last pair was a super spiffy frameless kind that just didn't hold up with a toddler in the house. What do you think?

If you follow me on Twitter, you may already be privy to the saga of the glasses. It was told in three parts, on three different days, It occurred to me that, silly as it was, it was an excellent model of three act structure.

Act 1: Set Up

This is our introduction. We have a protagonist (me! *waves*) and an inciting incident (acquiring new glasses). We also have a small obstacle introduced with the inciting incident that must be overcome (adjusting to the depth perception).

[Apparently this was from the astigmatism, and was it ever strange! I drove home with the old, broken glasses because I couldn't bear to look long distance for more than an instant.]

Act 2: Confrontation

As you can see, the first obstacle was overcome. But right on the heels of victory came a new, more difficult challenge: the glasses didn't fit! (Seriously, it was so annoying to have them falling off my face every time I bent my head more than 20 degrees.)

I tried to look up options for fixing them myself. Thus I came to the midpoint of my saga: the realization that I could not fix them on my own, and that if I tried I would likely break them(!).

I called the office where I'd gotten the glasses, but they were not open. Disaster upon disaster! What would I do?

Act 3: Resolution

Fortunately, the office opened again at a convenient time the following day. I drove over as soon as they opened, and they quickly assisted me. All was well.

I guess three act structure really does exist in the real world!

Three Random Things

It's been one of those weeks. The boy has strep. Hubby and I have been a bit sick too. So instead of a thoughtful blog post, you get a "three random things" post.

1. I'm currently reading The Golem and the Jinni and it is such a wonderful book. Love the writing, love the history and the research that went into it. It's a rich, beautiful experience.

2. I've started using HabitRPG. Let me know if you're on there. I haven't formed a party or done much of anything yet except gain levels.

3. I've got new glasses to pick up this afternoon! I'm so excited about this. The old ones finally broke beyond repair. (Note that this is not the first time they have broken.) Seeing as I needed a new prescription anyway, this is probably not a terrible thing. Can't wait to see what the world really looks like again!

Have a wonderful week, everyone. And happy new school year to those just starting back this week!

Birthday Gift

My husband just had a birthday. I won't tell you which, but I'll give you a hint: it's a bigger number than my own age. It's nice being younger. He hits all the big birthdays before I do, so they don't come as such a shock once I reach them. It's very good of you, sweetie, and I do appreciate it...

Anyway, I have a particular fondness for finding just the right gift for somebody. When I manage to pull it off, the results are unforgettable. If you're familiar with the Love Languages theory, gifts is a pretty big one for me.

Well, this year I wasn't expecting I'd have much time to come up with a really spectacular birthday gift. As much as I love adding the personal touch, it's a little more difficult with a baby. But a few weeks ago a friend of mine posted a picture of a glass that he had personally etched, and I was inspired. Whatever it took, I had to find a way to make my husband a set of etched glasses.

So I went on Amazon. I found all the necessary materials. They came in plenty of time. I opened them up, psyched myself out, and then realized... etching cream is not for messing around! Seriously! This stuff comes with a warning that it can cause severe burns that aren't immediately painful or visible. Worse, if somehow you manage to ingest it, it's pretty fatal (unless you go right away to the doctor for the antidote). Yikes!

But I was not deterred. I spent the evening before his birthday working on the glasses, despite the scary etching cream. And the results were really fun! Here's a picture of the best ones of each of the two sets I made.

For the video game illiterate, that's a Cactuar from Final Fantasy and a Triforce from Zelda.

Some of the others weren't quite so good. One of the Triforces bled a bit, and moreover was on crookedly. But my husband really liked them! He's happy and I'm happy. Hurrah!

Happy birthday, sweetie!