Unboxing the Silicone Ear Hooks aka Temple Tips

So these are also called "ear hooks"

Since I'm on the "Canadian" Minnesota Medical Assistance program - I was directed to a "back" side wall of the eye store - after my eye exam there. My left eye had surprisingly stayed the same. I think the right eye needed a little improvement. But also the supposed stigmatism that the last eye doctor claimed I had - this new eye doctor agreed with me that I indeed do NOT have a stigmatism, nor a "stigmata" as I also called it.

So then I got a call back from the Eye store - as when they had "fitted" my new glasses - the lady had said - well there's nothing I can do really. I said - well can I get some straps at least? The things were just sliding off and the temples (the side arms) did not even go over my ears! haha. So with straps I was good to go except I was getting sore ears now and constantly fidgeting with my glasses.

So then in desperation I looked online to discover temple tips - also called "temple socks." - those appear to just be extensions of the Temples. Then I discovered "ear hooks" AH - that's what I need! So I ordered some - but they only come from China directly (not stocked in the US I guess)?

I got black since my glasses are black frames - the big 1950s retro frames. I wanted the sturdiest frames possible since I'm doing outdoor work. So really these were the ONLY frames I could use.

So I used to make fun of these big 1950s frames when they first became trendy again in the early 1990s. I said - hey if you WANT a return to the 1950s - beware!! Because that's what's gonna happen if you're not careful! Sure enough with MAGA fascism we indeed have that for real!

AND so....

THEN I get a call back from the eye store - saying - "since you like to pick mushrooms" or "farm mushrooms" was the second response they gave - then would you like some eye wear "tips" - I was not sure if they meant literally tips as in "advice" - because they wanted to fit me with the front things - the bridges or whatever.

So I called back - do you have Temple Tips? Sure come on in. I was told. I didn't think they had Ear Hooks. The ear hooks from China were not expected until August 23rd! So I drove into the store and next thing I know they're desperately putting Ear Hooks on my glasses.

So I was out of there very fast again - and wondering if these were gonna work. They felt BETTER than a "strap" and looked better as no "behind the head" in the hair thing. But I still had ear irritation. Not as bad but it was there.

So now I just adjust the ear hooks - if I'm not needing serious close wearing - then I can pull the ear hooks back for a looser fit. The frames slide down a bit but it looks better as you  can then see my eyebrows.

For more serious outside work then I can push the ear hooks forward for a tighter fit - when I am sweating, etc.

Overall my ears seem to not notice the ear hooks so much anymore.

And here I see they are marketed for "sports" use!! So kind of funny. Seriously without ear hooks these frames would not fit my face at all - the temples do not even fully go beyond my ears! But hey with free healthcare - or I mean European style healthcare - I was not able nor interested in picking out some snazzy "stylish" frames. In fact these were my favorite frames in the store anyway - as they seem super sturdy and they are indeed "trendy."

The irony is that I had devised my OWN ear hook ten years ago so that my eyeglasses would not get flung off my face while working in the forest - with tree branches all the time sticking through the frames. And a coworker asked me what it was and so I explained how I had McGyvered it. And I had NO IDEA that the same concept was now being mass produced as a silicone product. I made mine out of metal. It lasted pretty well - the metal was twisted around my frame about three times. Not even sure how I pulled that off!!

Eventually the metal ear hook wore through the plastic around the frame - exposing the metal inside the plastic. But by that point all the actual eye glass was so scratched up I literally could barely see out of my eye glasses! Turns out you HAVE to use some super soft fancy synthetic eye cleaning cloth to not scratch your glasses. I had no idea! I though cotton shirt would be good enough. oops.

Now I gotta clean that other eye wear cloth - I got TWO of them but one got real dirty already since my frames had globs of dirt on them, of course.

So is Silicone really "environmental?"

 I use it for my tarp roofing - for a cooking pan ( I think I completely wore or scraped off all the silicone coating) - and now for my glasses....

When it comes to the environment, silicone is highly durable and more ocean friendly than plastic. ... Silicone endures extreme fluctuations in temperatures - from very cold to oven hot - without melting, cracking or otherwise degrading.

 really?

 Silicone, which is made from silica found in sand,

yeah that's what I had figured.

Silicone resists oxidative deterioration (normal aging) for decades on end. In fact, studies have shown that silicones thrive on challenges, including exposure to extreme heat and cold, harsh chemicals, sterilization, rain, snow, salt spray, ultraviolet radiation, ozone and acid rain, just to name a few.
Consumer advocate Debra Lynn Dadd conducted her own research into silicone rubbers and says silicone “is not toxic to aquatic or soil organisms, it is not hazardous waste, and while it is not biodegradable, it can be recycled after a lifetime of use.”

 Right - so the term "silicone rubber" had me second questioning whether silicone was some form of plastic. Nope.

the silicone (unlike plastic) is converted back into inorganic, harmless ingredients: amorphous silica, carbon dioxide, and water vapor.

  Silicone is also odor and stain resistant. It’s hygienic and hypoallergenic with no open pores to harbor bacteria making it great for food containers and lunchware. It does not fade or scratch.

so....

  Elemental silicon is used to form the base of micro chips, and is also found in bricks, glass, and concrete as silica, and in enamels, pottery, and ceramics as silicate: A classification of minerals formed by mixing silicon, oxygen, and reactive metals. Silicones, on the other hand, are synthetic polymers made of silicon, oxygen, and other elements (usually carbon and hydrogen).