30 December 2010 12:33 pm
TYR Durafast!
It's been nearly two years since I started swimming laps regularly, and I'm afraid that I've lost count of how many swim suits I've had in that time. What I do know is that I've found one I'd be willing to pay more for: the TYR Durafast material.
According to descriptions on their website, "Durafast (TM) is 100% chlorine proof for 72 hours of exposure. This durable fabric lasts 20 times longer than traditional swimwear." What I've found with my suits is that it is no longer the fabric that hits the end of its life, but it is the straps that lose their stretch. I used to be able to get ~3 months of wear out of a swim suit, and I think I have gotten more like 6-8 months out of my recent one. Granted, I'm not wearing any of them until they fall apart, but I am wearing them until I'm afraid they may lead to indecent exposure at the YMCA.
I've been pleased with my Durafast suits, especially since I bought them both on sale! Here's to many more years of swimming, but many fewer swimsuits that those years require.
28 December 2010 8:40 am
Whaddyou Say?
I'm reminded of an interaction between Andrea and her cousin Abigail over the summer. Andrea and Abigail were playing in and around a tent made of blankets and chairs in Abigail's living room. Andrea must have said something to Abigail, which Abigail questioned. The following dialog went something like this:
Andrea: "Whaddyou say?"
Abigail: "How come?"
Andrea: "Whaddyou say?"
Abigail: "How come?"
Andrea: "Whaddyou say?"
Abigail: "How come?"
Andrea: "Whaddyou say?"
Me: "Andrea, 'How come?' is another way to ask 'Why?'"
Andrea: "Oh."
It wasn't until this exchange that I realized that a phrase so common to me in my childhood has become foreign to me as an adult. So foreign, that my daughter doesn't even know what it means! Is this a east-coast phrase not common in the mid-west?
I asked my brother (not Abigail's father) if he knew a two word phrase that means 'Why?', and he immediately responded "How come?" Whether he was questioning why I needed to know or answering the question, he apparently hasn't forgotten his roots.
