New Glasses

The Famous Painted Ladies

Saturday evening, we drove to the city to finally buy new sunglasses for Michael before the store closed at 6:00. We brought along his prescription and I threw mine in my purse at the last moment. It was crazy traffic as a freeway filled with cars stopped as the minutes ticked away. Fortunately, most of the cars were headed to the Bay Bridge and we slipped by to escape on the Golden Gate Bridge exit. Into the city we went. Block after block of traffic. We passed Alamo Square with its beautiful Painted Ladies and tons of tourists. We found the area of the store but just couldn't find it. We drove around the block seven times in lots of traffic. Finally, my iPhone revealed that it was IN an antique store which we just passed! Back around, parked (thank you for the disability spot) and finally arrived just thirty minutes before they closed.

Warby Parker. http://www.warbyparker.com/

William had told us about the owners of this company who felt eye glasses were too expensive, began a business, all the hip people on his tours wear them and they are inexpensive! How is works is that they have a very few showrooms throughout the US so most people look at the web site, order five to sample, return and choose another five to be shipped if any of the first group didn't work, all free shipping, a prescription is sent back with the chosen pair and the new glasses arrive a week later. If they need an adjustment, they have an agreement with Costco and Lens Crafters and the company reimburses them $50.00. No cost to the consumer.

I have to tell you, I was very surprised by the quality and the coolness of the samples. Michael bought these:
http://ca.warbyparker.com/sunglasses/men/winston#ginger-lemonade

They were $150. Prescription sunglasses!

I began to try on regular glasses and bought these:
http://ca.warbyparker.com/eyeglasses/women/begley#

They were $95.

Afterwards, we made our way across the city and saw every tourist in town! We tried to go to North Beach - couldn't move. Stopped traffic. Worked our way up Van Ness. Stopped with buses and traffic. Drive back past Union Square which was also packed with people to finally make our way to Pac Bell Baseball Park, got onto the freeway and off at the first exit. We decided to eat dinner at our friend's restaurant, where we were greeted with kisses on both cheeks and a rare available table. It is a tiny place with the best organic Mexican food. Michael had his duck confit quesadilla and I had a fish taco. They are tiny tacos but they are full of flavor.

We fell into bed satisfied that we finally ordered Michael's glasses and we had an adventure to boot!