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jimsjournal |
Time is on my wrist -- 12/09/09 |
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If you are new here, there's a brief introduction to various characters at the end of this entry... |
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You see, several weeks ago the wristband on my wristwatch broke and I've not been able to wear it. Oh, sometimes I would remember to stick it in a pocket, but mostly I was going around without a watch. Watchbands tend to last me about a year and then they break and I have to replace them. Usually I would go to a shop in Middletown -- over on Aquidneck Island -- but, of course, since my employer closed our Middletown office, I've rarely gone across the bridges. There was a watch store in town here that I have sometimes used -- The Providence Watch Hospital -- but their parent company went out of business and they closed their stores. I kept hoping I would be able to find some excuse to drive to Middletown during normal business hours (hey, it would be rather silly to make a 42 mile round trip, including crossing a toll bridge twice, just to buy a watch band). Then, Friday night I read an article in the South County Independent (a local weekly newspaper) saying that someone had bought the Providence Watch Hospital stores (or, at least the local one) and had reopened it. I wish I had read the paper on Thursday when it had been delivered so I could have had my watch fixed on Friday, but I hadn't gotten to that story until Friday night and, of course, on Saturday we went into New York City. But at lunchtime on Monday I dashed into town to get a new watch band. "Closed Sundays and Mondays." And then, of course, I forgot about it on Tuesday. (Duh!) But today I dashed again and now my watch is back on my wrist again. I bought this watch eleven years ago -- actually eleven years and just a few days. I was in Honolulu for not quite two weeks on business. I had a sports watch (digital watch with stop watch function, etc.) and it was supposed to be water resistant but (probably due to being treated roughly for years) I think it had started to develop a leak because the crystal would be steamed over on the inside after being worn while taking a shower, but then would dry out after a few hours. So I was relaxing by the pool at my hotel and decided to swim a few laps. When I got out, I looked at my watch to see what time it was (although I think I was over my jet lag by then, the difference in daylight was still disorienting -- where sunset at this time of year in Rhode Island is about 4:15 local time, in Honolulu it was about ten minutes before six p.m.) and my digital watch face was totally blank, no numbers at all. It didn't recover overnight, so the next day I went to a Sports Authority store and bought a Timex Ironman Triathlon digital sports watch. And I've worn it ever since.... I've become quite attached to it. Not only has it been a good time piece and a good stop watch for timing runs and bike rides and such, but it also reminds me of that time in Honolulu.
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