Tuesday, December 25, 2007

Seasons Change

The house is quiet now. All the little creatures are back in their rooms fast asleep. The Wii (courtesy of Secret Santa) and Nintendo DS (that's as far as their old man would go) are finally shut off. Dear old Daisy wandered out a moment ago and found a spot under the Christmas tree, to keep me company late into the night.

With age and progress, gone are the days spent assembling a bike or two, building something new out of Lego, or opening up packages of Barbies and Polly Pockets each with 75 minuscule accessories. Instead, you just plug it in, switch it on, and turn it up. As I write this, there are chargers galore going full tilt all over the house, prepping for tomorrow's onslaught. Bah Humbug!

Yet even while I wax nostalgic, one of those charges is for, um, me. My old school $24.95 Timex Ironman watch with it's resin strap will still work for every occasion no matter what the dress code is, but S. got me this for my running. I took it out for a spin today, and it's a keeper. The 5-mile loop around the neighborhood that I marked out using my car's odometer ... Garmin measured it down to the last crack in the sidewalk marking the end of my route ... exactly 5:00 miles. I'm hooked.

Merry Christmas everyone, and Happy New Year!

11 comments:

peter said...

Uh oh, Rich is hooked on Garmin.

I just moved to the $25 Timex Ironman this year (what a sea change, observing each mile split, if the course is measured) but...running next to a Garmin wearer can be nuts, as you hear a running patter of, Slow down, we're going at 7:10, no, wait, we're at 8:30, speed up, no, wait, relax it's 7:40, wait, it's 6:10, huh? (your thought bubble goes--take that thing off and shake it hard, then put it back on).

When I coached, I'd say to the group, we're going 6 miles today to the bridge and back. Somebody would have a Garmin and discover the route was really 6.4 miles and upon return, the class would be in active revolt about the extra distance. After two or three experiences with this attitude, I declared Garmins contraband in my class and started collecting the Garmins at the start of class and returning them after the run was over.

Enjoy it, Rich. The Garmin runners I know swear by it and can't go now without it. What a great gift from S.

jeanne said...

Merry Christmas Rich! Nice present! now, what did you get S.? :)

Ryan V. said...

Merry Christmas, amigo!

Anne said...

Another junkie in the making, huh? Merry Christmas...and it looks like you're already going to have a Happy New Year.

P.S. We're heading to the Holiday Bowl tomorrow...to root for Texas!

David said...

Oooh; you got the 305 with heart monitor. Cool beans. I got the 205 yesterday and am plenty happy with it. I wasn't supposed to run today but I had to to test drive it. Yup. It works.

Runner Susan said...

Why is everybody getting a new garmin. So. Not. Fair. Altough I DID get an iPhone - not to rub it in or anything.

When do I get to be as skinny as your dalmation?

Rae said...

It looks like a great Christmas was had by all!!! You are going to get so hooked on that Garmin! Now, make your own Mii, get on the Wii and add us as friends!! Brent's Mii looks just like him!

Black Knight said...

Nice present, I have the 305 too and it works very well. Happy new year

Unknown said...

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Deene said...

happy new year, Rich!
I'm still holding out and using the vehicle odometer.

Rhea said...

Is that the ForeRunner 305 or the new one, the 50? I just ordered the 50 (as a post-Xmas gift to myself).

Happy New Year!