I'm a self-employed guy with a house, three kids and big medical insurance deductible. I wasn't about to pay a couple of hundred dollars to get my eyes checked with taxes due. That said, I need to make sure my eyes are in tip-top shape. I was at Sam's Club a couple of weeks ago for a gallon of jalapenos and ten pounds of frozen blueberries when I walked past the optical center.

$50? I could afford that -- every two years.

I scheduled an appointment and late last week went in and got it done at the store in Eagan, Minnesota. I was greeted by "Sam" (I swear to God) who started me off in the "room o' technical goodies". Seated on a stool I rotated to three different machines as he lined things up and pressed buttons that blew puffs of air into my eyes.

So far, apart from the sound of shoppers pre-spending their 2008 Flat-Panel Tax Rebates, things weren't too far of a departure from my more traditional trips to the optometrist's office. He took my glasses to test them, "Oh, Silhouettes!" I assured him they weren't. I began to tell him my tale, and as he finished his tests, told me I'd gotten a heck of a "good deal on them".

A few minutes later, the lovely and talented Dr. Heather Tuttle entered the scene and completed the requisite tests in a surprisingly calming room tucked away amid the intense and unwavering consumerism all around us. She provided me with my prescription (only a tiny change) and directed me back to Sam for my PD measurement. She too, was at least casually interested in the idea of online eyeglasses -- and the fact that I was interested in keeping my prescription current.

My existing glasses would be fine for at least the next couple of years. Before ringing me up, Sam said, "So I guess I won't try to sell you any glasses today." I laughed, paid my bill, thanked him, and grabbed another gallon of jalapenos on the way out.

I've gotten a lot of email and posts from people under the impression that I'm somehow anti-optometrist, or that I'm against the practice of getting your eyes examined. This certainly isn't the case.

What I am advocating is, separate the optometry from the retail side of things. There is no reason that the person checking my eyes should see any financial benefit from my prescription (and no I don't buy that "independent optometrist" housed inside the LensCrafters is truly independent). I go to an ophthalmologist who isn't (in any visible way at least) affiliated with an optical store -- and I have to wait weeks to get an appointment. That's the way it should be (except maybe the "weeks" part).

Do you want your police officers to own jails? Do you want your presidents (and vice presidents) to own stock in oil companies and defense contractors?

If you need quick eyeglasses, you're screwed. My suggestion? Keep your eyes in check, keep a valid prescription handy, and buy a cheap "reserve pair" from one of the decent on-line places. You'll be glad to have them when you feel your current pair snap under the weight of your ample rear end.