HA Diary - Day Two - The Fun Zone

Everybody has to visit their fun zone, now and then - and of course, a Saturday evening is one of the best times.

Mine is called "The Graduate" and it's in easy walking distance (a good thing, since I don't drive) from my home.

All day long, while doing my chores, I worked - in anticipation of visiting my fun zone - to get my right ear in shape (recall: fungus infection) to strut into my fun zone with both ears blazing.
I succeeded! With diligence of cleanliness, and some Tinactin cream, I beat that bully back to a NO SYMPTOM state!

I then engaged my new BTEs on the directional, noise canceling program, about half volume (like yesterday), and made my way down the boulevard.

It wasn't long before I met my first "customer" - a guy by a crossing light, wanted to borrow my cell phone for a quick call. It took about 3 tries for him to get through to me (at first, I thought he wanted money), but eventually I got that he only wanted to borrow some cell time (and he seemed to be willing to pay for it too - but I deferred).

So score about 50% for that one - not too good, but this guy had no clue he needed to work me.

So now, enter The Graduate - a blue collar bar & grill not far from where I live. I'm white collar by profession, but blue collar in personality, and so it fits me pretty well. I'm crazy about their rib-eye steak sandwich, which (if the right guy is on the grill) they do to perfection.

I won't claim "Cheers" here, but everybody behind the bar really does know my name. ;)

Dennis greets me in his usual fashion, and doesn't hesitate after a thumbs up validation to make me my fav (I'll leave that to your imagination).

I ask him - do you see them? (pointing at my ears)

"No!"

So I turn my head to show them.

He asks "So is it better?"

And I tell him the truth. I'll have to work it for awhile - I have a pretty good program set up - very directional - if I look right at you, I can understand you better, but most of the ambient noise is muffled.

Dennis has been one of my best allies (I guess he has good reason - I'm pretty good with tips ) in dealing with my hearing issues. He's been happy to go get my food orders for me when they call it over the intercom - it's always dicey whether I'll recognize.

Everyone goes to their fun zone for a reason.

My reason showed up about an hour after I got there.

Eva.

There she was, acknowledging me. I asked her the same question - see them?

"What?" (showed) "Oh, you got them already!" - Same questions, same answer, of course.

I should tell you a little about Eva. I strongly suspect that Eva is the Matriarch of a BFEA (Black Folks Escort Agency). I have no proof. It's just intuition. ;)

Eva is perpetually busy on the cell phone. Eva has long and winding and passionately crazy conversations on said cell phone (details, I can't know, but emotions, I can read well). Eva comes to the bar, drinks a few drinks, and then really has to go.

So why would Eva be a "reason"?

Eva talks to me. Eva doesn't mind that she has to repeat. Eva feels me out for a thought (repetitively if she must). Some people are good, even if they're not that good. 'Nuff said.

My score (hearing ) with Eva was about 75%. It's better than it was before BTE.

The TV I couldn't hear, but that's not unusual, even before I was HOH.

Eventually, I wound it down, and decided (before I got too stupid) to call it an evening. Back home I came, to write this entry into my HA diary.

Whatever you get from this, I'm glad you got it. :)

Paul S