I went for my swim this morning, and as usual I tried to finish on a meaningful number of lengths. Some people do groups of ten, or their lucky numbers. Since I work in I.T. I like to aim for powers of 2, e.g. 8 or 16 or 32 etc.
Most days I can manage 64 lengths, but of course if you lose concentration and go up to 65, then you're stuck in the pool for another hour or so to bring it up to 128.
I've never actually reached 128, though one time I made 90 lengths before I had to go for a lie down in the changing room before staggering home.
If only I had chosen a decimal profession like accountancy, life would be simpler, I could just swim gentle multiples of 10. But I chose computers and became a victim of bloody binary logic, an all-or-nothing man.
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11 July 2005 at 21:12
significant numbers
Hotboy said...
Between the Unheard of and McDonald Islands there's a fine stretch of water. We could have a race. If I win, you have to vacate the Unheard of and go the McDonald Island and live with Brian Wilson! Hotboy
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Hotboy said...
"Most days I manage 64 lengths". Mnnn. Lengths of what? I can dog paddle on my back outside a pool almost for ever! Hotboy p.s. I think the seal like wonderful swimming women in especially designed brownshirts swim for 2 hours each morning. Backstroke, crawl, breast stroke, butterfly, but maybe not in that order. Do you think you have as much fun? Or not?
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onan the bavarian said...
Let's get this straight, you lie on the ground kicking and clawing the air. You're even more of a social rebel than I thought. Good on you, so what if people stare?
About your inter-island challenge, I have to disappoint you, I was born without a competitive gene. Otherwise I would have explained they're just 25-metre lengths. But just out of interest, had you given any thought to what my prize would be when I won?
PS - "Mnnn" - I recognise the quote from THE REAL McCOY. I think they call that autoplagiarisation.
PPS feel free to measure your own length and report it here.
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Hotboy said...
If you read the Real McCoy you area fortunate creature and may go to heaven.
You would have won the swimming race since my running shoes always hold me back even in the rain.
The prize could be an opportunity to write a Haiku on penguins and get it published in the Unheard of TImes! Hotboy
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Hotboy said...
I've just worked out 25 times 60. If you can swim that far, you would have won no bother. I would have had to swim on dry land with my method. That would have entailed being on a rowing boat perhaps with someone else rowing. Hotboy
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