It's Wednesday night, and my eyes are almost back to normal.

Spent the late afternoon at my eye doctor's office in Albany, near Memorial Hospital. That means I've spent the last few hours with eye pupils the size of poker chips.

That's part of the routine: In addition to the usual eye chart recitations, pressure and sensitivity tests, chemical drops dilate the peepers. After about an hour or so, every light in the office was enhanced by a star-like corona. That was the cue for my doctor to prod and peer. I looked up, down and sideways, and the medical man gave my lamps a passing grade. Haven't had your eyes tested or checked lately? Do it today!

One of the doc's assistants said the bright vision would be with me for between four to six hours. Good thing I had my sunglasses with me for the ride home to Albany. Also a good thing the sun took the afternoon off, and asked cloudy skies to sub.

So I was on the cruise home at 5 p.m., ducked into a Price Chopper to pick up a few things, and must have looked like an undercover agent. I was wearing a black trench coat and dark-colored pants, and browsed the delicatessen with aviator sunglasses in place. Maybe the security guys - I know they're always watching, somewhere - thought I was from Wegman's.

And because I was in the neighborhood of a church I've been trying to contact for an upcoming story, I thought I'd swing by and see if the pastor was in. Sure, I'll work with fuzzy picture reception: As long as there's a Siberia, you'll find this writer on the job.

The lady minister was in. And she was the only one at the church. She answered the door and found a near-empty parking lot and a man in a black trench and sunglasses asking questions about a church custom of long ago. I thought it was rude to talk to this woman of the cloth with shades down, so I took them off and looked at her with big, black saucer-sized eyes. On a dark, cloudy afternoon. It all sounded like a bad horror movie.

Now I'm home, the Phillies have won their game, the Dodgers have rolled over the Cubs, 7-2, and the Red Sox will soon take on the Angels.

Hope I can stay up for much of that 10 p.m. game from the coast. But probably around the fifth or sixth inning ... I think my eyesight will fade to black.