A hymn to built-in obsolescence
It was really hard to talk myself into getting to the pool; the thought of going out into the cold was just too daunting. Somehow, I managed, finally, to talk myself into it this afternoon. It was a good music day; unless I position the iPod on my armband just right, the headphones cord gets loose from the Otterbox jack, which severely messes with the sound. I mean, I'm not asking for Bose quality here, but I'd like to be able to hear all the channels of the song. Otherwise, I spend far too much of my lap time fiddling with the jack. And as it is, this is the second pair of these things I've bought since July--the left earphone broke three months after I got them. But it's not like I've got a choice, since there aren't a huge amount of waterproof earphone manufacturers, and H2O has the nicest design, because it's got this coiled cord which stays out of my way. I'm wondering how long this set will last.
(How weird is it of me to swim while listening to a song that says, "I am falling/I am failing/I am drowning/Help me to breathe?" I mean, why aren't I listening to Erin McKeown's "Float" or something? I'm just perverse, I guess.)
It was also a good goggles day. It's really important for my goggles to have a nice tight seal on them, because I swim with my contact lenses in, and I've lost more than one lens in the pool. Yes, there are prescription goggles, but that would turn the world dangerously blurry the minute I took them off. Some swimming sessions I end up spending a lot of time readjusting the damned goggles to keep the water out.
Goggles don't last much longer than 4 months, if I'm swimming regularly. Never knew that I'd have to replace them so often. I expect chlorine to eat through my bathing suits in about 8 months, even if I soak the suits in clear water afterward and avoid the mangler, I mean the suit spinner. The bathing cap usually gets all stretched out within 6 months or so, but they're the cheapest thing to replace, so who cares, really.
Goggles also get all steamed up while I swim. The anti-fog coating on them wears off in about 2 days. Isn't it con-vee-nient that the goggles manufacturer sells anti-fog solution? Surprisingly, the stuff actually works, but it still feels like a scam to me, because I think the anti-fog coating on the goggles should actually last longer than it takes to read the specs on the packaging.
Being a high-maintenance swimming person certainly requires a lot of...maintenance.
(How weird is it of me to swim while listening to a song that says, "I am falling/I am failing/I am drowning/Help me to breathe?" I mean, why aren't I listening to Erin McKeown's "Float" or something? I'm just perverse, I guess.)
It was also a good goggles day. It's really important for my goggles to have a nice tight seal on them, because I swim with my contact lenses in, and I've lost more than one lens in the pool. Yes, there are prescription goggles, but that would turn the world dangerously blurry the minute I took them off. Some swimming sessions I end up spending a lot of time readjusting the damned goggles to keep the water out.
Goggles don't last much longer than 4 months, if I'm swimming regularly. Never knew that I'd have to replace them so often. I expect chlorine to eat through my bathing suits in about 8 months, even if I soak the suits in clear water afterward and avoid the mangler, I mean the suit spinner. The bathing cap usually gets all stretched out within 6 months or so, but they're the cheapest thing to replace, so who cares, really.
Goggles also get all steamed up while I swim. The anti-fog coating on them wears off in about 2 days. Isn't it con-vee-nient that the goggles manufacturer sells anti-fog solution? Surprisingly, the stuff actually works, but it still feels like a scam to me, because I think the anti-fog coating on the goggles should actually last longer than it takes to read the specs on the packaging.
Being a high-maintenance swimming person certainly requires a lot of...maintenance.