There's more than a hint of reinvention in the air when it comes time to buy a new pair of eyeglasses. The sense that...with the right selection...you'll look like a 1950's secretary (cue the line, "why Miss Jones...you're beautiful")...a college student...or any other of the myriad of, admittedly rather stereotypical, choices.

All of which means, of course, that my current frames...librarian with a hint of 50's housewife...have reached a point of decay where I am forced to carry a miniature screwdriver with me at all times in case one of the arms falls off.

As 'quests' go this one was, blessedly, rather short...but then, over the years, I've narrowed down what I'm looking for. Kooky is not an option...something that I found out thanks to the horribly misguided purchase of a pair of banana yellow frames in high school...round frames make my head look like a pumpkin...the list of cons goes on...

On the pro side...black and tortoiseshell...frames with a little bit of weight to them...classic, but not dull...which, this time around, translates to the sort of geek glasses that would make Clark Kent kryptonite-green with envy...handmade Italian sunglasses from Super, whose UV protected lenses will be exchanged for prescription ones faster than you can say "speeding bullet"...