Our good old faithful Fisher & Paykel washer blew up this week and it was time to hit the white goods stores. We did the usual stuff: surf the net, talk to people, forums and then went into the shops. We (I) have been known to be quite anal about these purchases often walking into umpteen different stores just to see if I get a consistent message about a product.
Not this time. Three stores. Three sales people. Washer chosen, but not purchased. That was my job this morning.
The FBH has been getting into riding and as you all know my running has tapered off stopped.
So, even with light showers forecast for today I decided to buy the washer by running to the shops, doing a deal and then running home (washer to be delivered by the shop, not dragging it behind me.)
Stage One – Home to Maccas
Can’t do without my morning coffee so it was a slow run to the Golden Arches just for coffee. A quick short macchiato and then off again.
It was an easy 3.1 k with a few inclines.
Stage Two – Maccas to Good Guys
Then, as I saw a bunch of school kids wander in (not at school then?), I headed out to my first stop … Good Guys, Malaga.
Really short run, just 950 m, but I did manage to find the only pothole in the ground and promptly fell into it while I wasn’t looking where I was going. Must have been a sight. Anyway, Friday the 13th and all but no harm done. 
The service at Good Guys had been great and we had decided on a Bosch 6.5kg machine. Vicki the sales lady was great and we were hoping she had the machine we wanted and at a good price.
After a few calls and enquiries alas, she couldn’t do the deal we knew we could get elsewhere. 
But it meant another run to Kambos.
Stage 3 – Good Guys to Kambos
A pretty straight run down the same road in Malaga (Beach Road) of about 2.06 kms. The “deal” was a floor stock model that was heavily reduced. We’ll know soon enough if it is a genuine reduction or there is a surprise in store for us. Anyway, we have a Bosch dishwasher that is around 10 years old and hasn’t missed a beat so we think we’ll be fine.
Total distance so far, with the obvious break for coffee and negotiation, is around 6+ kms.
Again, pretty flat but a good run and the weather was holding off in terms of rain though the breeze was a bit crisp. Of course, as you run you kind of forget that.
Stage Four – Kambos to Home
All that was required at Kambos was to check the unit, pay the man and run home. Easy! Well, almost. About 500m into the run home I get a call from Kambos. Shudder! What’s wrong? But just a call to say they had under charged me and could I pay the delivery man when he drops off the machine. No worries. Just don’t ask me to turn around run back and pay you now!
I also meant to mention that in Stage 3 my phone had got down to 15% power and I had turned the music off to conserve said battery and allow the GPS to continue.
Well 15% only lasts so long and the poor little SE Xperia X10 gave out at the 3.27k mark, still around 1.5+km from home.
And so …
I am at home waiting for delivery. Pretty happy with the run that was also measured by my Garmin 305 which clocked it all at 10.89km. A good run though hardly at any real pace. The “no music period” being a “5 min run/5 min walk” process. After the lay off and gastro, I didn’t want to over do it.
And the best discovery was that I can now import my Garmin data into Nike+ and compete in Dave’s World Running League without needing an Ipod/Iphone etc.
So, run completed, washing machine purchased and not a car used!
