It's no longer free.

I didn't run yesterday. Instead, I spent the day searching out the ideal timepiece to accompany me on my "runs". This is what I know I need so far:

• digital - able to track my time to the hundredths of seconds (you never know when you might need to know whether it took me 32.14 or 32.15 minutes)


• waterproof - I live in Nova Scotia - no more needs to be said.


• easy to read - this shoving my wrist in my face thing needs to go. I'd like to be able to see it with a minimum of extra movement - I think I'm doing enough already, you know?


• not unattractive - digital watches, by their nature, are unattractive. But as this watch will spend a lot of time on my wrist (I am thinking I could also use it to prevent lateness, something that plagues me), I would prefer if it either made some kind of fashion statement (hmmmmm..... maybe I should rethink this - I don't hear fashion statements very well, they always sound like they are spoken in a different language) - so maybe it just should be not very noticeable.


• cheap. free would be nice, but cheap will have to do. Of course, this probably means a trip to my favourite store. Walmart. With three children. I'm sure you've seen me there.

So, off I sailed to Walmart, where I got to choose from about five models at two price levels. In Walmart's defense (like it needs any!), they had more, they were just over my $20 budget. After eliminating the cheapest one, which looked - well, cheap - I eliminated the remaining ones for ugliness, hugeness, intimidatingness, and ugliness. That of course, eliminated all of them (I guess my dislike of digital watches is bigger than I thought), so I chose between the two ugly ones, and came home with a watch that is not too big, has a velcro strap, is black and silver, and will keep track of things to the one hundredth of a second. So, I have spent my first money on this endeavour - $14.91. About as much as a pizza, come to think of it. But less calories.