Hickory, dickory, dock...

[Phalon]

...what the heck is wrong with my clock?

The clock in the kitchen quit working over a week ago. I am bumming - I really liked this clock. It isn't fancy - just a huge white circular hunk of metal, enameled in white with large black numbers. A tiny crown that I'm not sure of what significance is printed below where the hands were attached. Made in Romania, and for whatever reason I associate Romanian things with the dark and romantic....perhaps why I liked this clock so much. No glass covering on this hunk of metal; the face was open baring the hands to the elements. "How many times have I told you two not to throw balls in the kitchen?" Fifty-two million at least, and the last time the ball hit the clock and bent the hands. Straightening did not help, and they got hung up on each other as they passed in the night, wearing the motor out or some such mechanical thing that left it inoperable and stuck on 1:10 perpetually. But I left it hanging there for a week, hoping it would magically start again. And though it doesn't work, I'm keeping it, hoping I'll find another use for it elsewhere.

Hubs suggested a Death Frisbee.

Like a chakram?

Yes, like a chakram without the hole.

Today he, while at Walmart - the Taj Mahal of Tackiness - getting supplies for our camping trip, brought home a new wall clock. It's about a quarter of the size of my old one, with a white face and red casing. The red is pretty, and matches perfectly the fire-engine red in my kitchen. But something was wrong with it and I couldn't quite place my finger on it.

I looked at it on the wall, tilting my head this way and that. LX came in the room and did the same. Simultaneously, we figured it out. The numbers are crooked! Straight if you are the hands of the clock, I suppose, and looking at them from an angled point-of-view, but crooked if you are standing in front of the clock. The 3 and 9 are laying flat on their backs; the other numbers in various angles of tilt. Only the 12 and 6 are standing straight up, shoulders back and at full attention.

I just thought that was weird. Weird also that I'd take time to write about it, subject anyone who reads to the rambling, but I'm stuck somewhere else and taking a break.

[Phalon]

Tick, tick, tick.... The new kitchen clock with the weird numbers keeps ticking away...while all the other clocks in the house continue to flash twelve. I need to reset them...and maybe the weird numbered clock too....turn them all back to 6am and start the day over.

We keep losing power due to high winds. None of the alarms - mine, Hubs, or LX's went off this morning....no matter, only Hubs was going anywhere, and he made it to work on time.

Half-brewed cold coffee.


BP has been sick off and on for the last week with an unexplainable fever, and school called yesterday because she wasn't feeling well. Another fever of nearly 103. I picked her up, and she's home today; we're waiting for a call from the doctor's office.

LX woke up, doubled over with stomach pain. Thinking she finally got a stomach virus thing that Hubs and BP had the other week, I sent her back to bed. She woke up an hour later, miraculously cured, flipping out because she had a math test, a quiz on a piece in orchestra, and there was no way she could miss school, because she was out two days last week due to that head/chest cold that made it's way through the family. Could I please, please, please take her to school.

Right after the power comes back on, and I can make a decent cup of coffee.

"Maaa-ooom."

Okay, okay. Feel her head. No fever. Feel my head. Got a headache. Got in the car, holding BP's hand tightly, afraid she would do a "Dorothy goes to Oz" dance in the wind, signed LX into school, and got home to another half-brewed cold pot of coffee. The power went out again, and stayed out long enough this time to make the house really, really cold.

I need to warm up....start a pot of hot coffee again while we still have electricity; don't they say the third time is a charm?

And the sun is shining now....I'm thinking the day is going to get better.

[Mini Mia]

Whenever my lights go out I think seriously about getting a generator. Then when the lights come back on I think, "The lights don't go off _that_ often, maybe I should save my money." I also think about having to fill it up with gasoline. Which mom claims there are ones now that run off propane tanks and I can just use the same gas tank that heats my house and stove. If so, that is the route I will take if I ever get serious about getting one.

[Phalon]

Yeah, thought about that today....the generator that Hubs swore he was getting previously this year when we were without power for a couple of days; my brother swayed his opinion that time, saying for all the use it'd get, it would be cheaper to stay in a hotel if the electricity ever went out for an extended period of time again. But damn, in just about an hour and a half, it was amazing how fast the temperature dropped inside the house.

BP's Doc didn't call until nearly the end of the day - and told me what I knew I was going to hear, "It's probably just a virus that has to run its course." I wish the course it'd run would be right out the door.

LX was challenged and bumped out of second chair, all the way down to fourth in orchestra. Another trauma.

And I never did get a decent cup of coffee today.

[Scrappy Amazon]

Did you tell LX to beat the other members with her violin ubtil they gave up?

Wait...you said orchestra....nm *sigh*

[Phalon]

Musical chairs, I suppose, can be a full-contact sport.

[Scrappy Amazon]

In my little world...it is. Remind me to pass on that Scrappy wisdom to the youngin at some point.

[Phalon]

“…the discovery that most psychological – and, therefore, social, political and spiritual – problems can be linked to pressures exerted by time. Or, more precisely, civilized man’s idea of time.” ~ Tom Robbins

Day by day, the paper chain BP made to count down the days left until Christmas got shorter and shorter, and the numbers on the magnetic dry-erase board LX has on the fridge got lower and lower.

They say that time is money, but for me this past week and a half, time was like money – you never have enough, and what you do have is spent too quickly.

Discombobulated; there's that word again. I wonder if confusion caused by a lack of time could be called "discomfobulation" - the gears aren't working properly.

But all that is over now. Packages were mailed, and hopefully received, cards sent and hopefully I didn't miss anyone, school functions attended, and social obligations fullfilled. Hubs and I finished all the wrapping late last night, except what he is out getting now - last minute shopper, and how can he do in one day what it's taken me weeks to finish? I even did the grocery shopping for Christmas dinner yesterday.

Nothing left to do but relax and enjoy the long weekend and holiday. We don't even have to travel anywhere with all the others traveling this weekend; the five hour trip to visit my family is not until next weekend.

Breathe......ahhhhhh.

And maybe I'll have time in the next few days to post the reason I brought this thread back up from the basement a few weeks ago: I found a use for the broken clock. I would have posted then - I'd like opinions - but I never got around to it; I ran out of time.

[katina2nd]

phalon said:

“…the discovery that most psychological – and, therefore, social, political and spiritual – problems can be linked to pressures exerted by time. Or, more precisely, civilized man’s idea of time.” ~ Tom Robbins

Day by day, the paper chain BP made to count down the days left until Christmas got shorter and shorter, and the numbers on the magnetic dry-erase board LX has on the fridge got lower and lower.

They say that time is money, but for me this past week and a half, time was like money – you never have enough, and what you do have is spent too quickly.

Discombobulated; there's that word again. I wonder if confusion caused by a lack of time could be called "discomfobulation" - the gears aren't working properly.

But all that is over now. Packages were mailed, and hopefully received, cards sent and hopefully I didn't miss anyone, school functions attended, and social obligations fullfilled. Hubs and I finished all the wrapping late last night, except what he is out getting now - last minute shopper, and how can he do in one day what it's taken me weeks to finish? I even did the grocery shopping for Christmas dinner yesterday.

Nothing left to do but relax and enjoy the long weekend and holiday. We don't even have to travel anywhere with all the others traveling this weekend; the five hour trip to visit my family is not until next weekend.

Breathe......ahhhhhh.

And maybe I'll have time in the next few days to post the reason I brought this thread back up from the basement a few weeks ago: I found a use for the broken clock. I would have posted then - I'd like opinions - but I never got around to it; I ran out of time.

That's great Lady P, you deserve the chance to put your feet up and take it easy for a while, I swear I don't know where you get the energy from to juggle the 1001 things you always seem to have on the go, but somehow you always seem to manage.

[Phalon]

.....but somehow you always seem to manage.

HA! <maniacal laughter>

[Phalon]

Tick, tock. Tick, tock.
The time on the clock,
Is messing with my head.

Late again - I meant to get in here and catch up this morning, but ran out of time. How can one little hour of time changed four days ago, still be screwing with me. It takes me weeks to recover.

[Hippy Amazon]

You think you've got it bad, My clocks melting away!

[Phalon]

That's quite the warped time-piece you've got there, Hippy. Dr. Frank-n-Furter and the gang would be proud.

Week two of the time change, and I'm still having trouble getting adjusted - although the clocks have adjusted quite nicely, and maybe that is my problem.

When we switched to Daylight Savings Time last spring, I never changed the clock in my car for whatever reason....probably some weird trait inherited from my Mom, whose clock on her DVD player has flashed twelve since she pulled it out of the box and plugged it in years ago. For six months I drove the car, adjusting the time in my head by adding an hour and subtracting ten minutes, (the ten minutes was to pysch myself out; to hurry me along because it was set 10 minutes fast....and an hour late. It didn't work; I am habitually 10 minutes late everywhere I go).

Two weeks before the time changed this fall, Hubs drove my car for a few days to experience the knocking sound I told him I heard. He didn't hear it, as is typical when I tell him something is wrong with the car - because it miraculously cures itself when he gets in. But he fixed the clock. So for two weeks I was actually on time, (minus 10 minutes).

But then the time changed again, though the clock in my car didn't. Easy enough to remedy - I started subtracting time instead of adding it as I had done before Hubs changed the clock. The knocking started again late last week, Hubs drove the car again, and of course, changed the clock to "fall back". Damn! and I had just sprung forward! Now there's no mathmatics involved, except that 10 minutes which I can never seem to find.

Is this confusing anyone but myself? I have a perpetual warped sense of time, and I guess I will have resign myself to that fact.

Some people are never meant to be on time; I am one of those people. There is nothing left to do....but dance.

[moonglum]

Nov 11, 2008 6:54:32 GMT -6 Phalon said:

Is this confusing anyone but myself? I have a perpetual warped sense of time, and I guess I will have resign myself to that fact.

Some people are never meant to be on time; I am one of those people. There is nothing left to do....but dance.

Jerek: "Jagged, is it possible to be ten minutes out of sync with everyone else?"

Lord Jagged: "Ah Jerek, fruit of my loins, we are all merely Dancers At The End Of Time!"

(Michael Moorcock)

[Phalon]

HA! I knew there was a logical explanation.....sort of.

[Hippy Amazon]

I'm they other way, I'm perpetually early for eveything. I work everything out in how much time I can take to do each task.

I give myself an hour to get ready in the morning, even tho I only need 10-15 minutes really. I always leave home a half an hour before I have to be somewhere, even tho its only 5 minutes to where I'm going... I just cant help it.

I always hate it when people are late, and so I'm usually the first one to arrive at parties and events. Even work!

[Phalon]

I get up early, Hippy - way too early, actually. I love my morning hour and a half time to piddly-putz around by myself before anyone else gets up. Then it's as if hell breaks loose, opens its door, and lets chaos out as soon as the rest of the family wakes.

I used to be always 10 to 15 early....way back when. Lemme count the years since then....ah, yes - just over thirteen of them. My early days ended the minute I had children.

[Phalon]

I just noticed the time is off an hour on the posts I make, and guess what, Joxie; I fixed it myself! Aren't you proud? (eye-roll)

[Mini Mia]

Very Proud.



They grow up so fast.

[Phalon]

They grow up so fast.

And it's only taken me....hmmm....let's see....it says I joined in June 2004 - that's about 4 years. Another two at E-Z board Whoosh, I'm figuring. Does the Oxy-board count too? Maybe one more year then. 4+2+1=7 Convert that to Internet Years, and I'm figuring it's taken me approximately 37.542 years to do something as simple as change the time in my profile.

Not bad. Do you give math lessons too?

[Mini Mia]

Not bad. Do you give math lessons too?

Sorry, I'm terrible at math.

[Phalon]

I had an appointment with the Demon Hairstylist, and I was actually early! I was only five minutes late; five minutes earlier than my usual tardy arrival. I found she and I both consider that early. When making my next appointment, she asked what time I'd prefer - early in the morning works best for me. "I start at nine", she said, "but I'm never here before 9:15." HA! Another Perpetual Late Bird, (One of Hubs' terms of endearment for me because I'm certainly not the early bird. It's okay; I don't like worms anyway). The Demon Hairstylist is just like me; she said no matter how early she gets up, something always happens last minute to make her late.

And so it goes....

Friday, LX spent the night at a friend who lives outside of town. Her friend's Mom sometimes works on Saturdays and I told LX if she was not able to drive her home Saturday to call me BEFORE one o'clock because I had to be somewhere at one. The writer's group was meeting at the library, and I haven't been able to attend the monthly meetings since spring because I work Saturdays.

High noon. LX calls and says she has a ride home. 12:50, I'm ready to leave - I have time to walk to the library with five minutes to spare. 12:51 - the phone rings; do I slide out the door and ignore it. I hear LX's voice on the answering machine. Mom? I need a ride. ARGH! I said BEFORE one....I did not say AT one. 10 minute drive to her friend's house; 10 minute drive back. 10 minutes late....again.

[Phalon]

Argh!!! I don't know how she got it off the bathroom counter, but she did. Crunch, crundh, crunch. I thought she was chewing on her bone, but noooooooooooooo - the puppy chewed through my brand new watch band! Thankfully, I got it from her before she swallowed it, but it's ruined - the watch is unwearable and I'll have to get a new one.

Until then, I'm using this as my tardy excuse. It's always the fault of the "the kids". Mom's Handbook - page 1,205.

[Phalon]

It's time again - time to bring this thread back up for no other reason than I never seem to have enough of it. Time, that is - I never have enough time.

Except this week. And why is it, that the more time I have, the less I accomplish? I had all kinds of time this week, and got absolutely nothing done that I set out to do.

I've discovered I hate waiting - kind of strange for someone who is always late. Actually, I always knew I hated waiting - but this week was filled with too much waiting. Waiting for contractors who never showed up; waiting for a friend who never showed up; and another friend who I was supposed to meet somewhere, but who got hung up at another appointment. Waiting for something in the oven to be done (which, obvious from the smoke-filled kitchen, I waited too long). Pfft! Waiting, waiting, waiting for all these things, and putzing around while waiting, because I didn't want to get involved in something I couldn't drop in a moment's notice.

I'm thinking time has finally caught up with me. All those times I have been 10 minutes late has added up, and come back to haunt me. Ten minutes late times how many years has this been going on? Fourteen - I've been 10 minutes late since the day I had children. That equals how many days of latedom? Hopefully, time can't do math either. Hopefully, it rounds down.

[stepper]

Hopefully, time can't do math either. Hopefully, it rounds down.

Careful. That may mean it's time for things to round down to your hips. Of course, it's up to you if you want to round down or round up. Which brings me to another subject. It's time to do away with pennies. The darn things breed in my pockets or something. It always seems like I've got a lot of them in my pocket. I wish the dollar coins were as prolific as the pennies but they aren't.
At one time pennies served a purpose, but you can't buy anything with a penny now days. They only thing they're used for is to make "exact" change. When we were overseas they had a policy of rounding to the nearest nickel and it worked quite well. Personally, I think it's time to ditch the penny. Wether you round up or round down, it's time to let the penny go the route of the $20 Gold Piece.

[Phalon]

Ahhh, but that would mean retailers would have to do away with marking items an odd number of cents. $21.57....what kind of price is that. At the nursery, it'd be either $21.55 or $21.60, depending on who's doing the pricing. HA! Increments of five make addition a whole lot easier; glad the boss agrees.

And taxes. Pfft. In order for the penny to be eliminated, tax rates would have to change. Our state tax is, and has been for as long as I can remember, 6 percent. I have a feeling though, that when government tax is involved, there'd be no rounding down involved.

[stepper]

Actually, it's not necessary to do away with the odd prices. When you look at total purchases, rounding up and down balances out. I'm not saying do away with current prices or taxes, just the penny that you have to carry around with you because of the prices. Well, of course we could do away with some of the taxes, but you know what I mean.

Grrr. I can't resist. I'm trying not to, but I can't help it! AURGH!

Hickory, Dickory, Dock
The mice ran up the clock,
The clock struck one,
All the rest escaped with minor injuries.

[Phalon]

Actually, it's not necessary to do away with the odd prices. When you look at total purchases, rounding up and down balances out. I'm not saying do away with current prices or taxes, just the penny that you have to carry around with you because of the prices. Well, of course we could do away with some of the taxes, but you know what I mean.

See? This is why math is best left to the people who understand it. The rest of us just leave their pennies in those little courtesy penny cups on the sales counter so the next person who comes along whose bill totals $9.99 doesn't have to break a twenty.

Grrr. I can't resist. I'm trying not to, but I can't help it! AURGH!

<snicker!>

[Phalon]

"I must get a clock. Without a clock to make the day into certain times, a day is just a big bowl of mush..." ~ from "Joy in The Morning" by Betty Smith

I like that. It's a perfect description of how I feel about time. Without increments of time set aside for certain things, the day seems shapeless, like mush.

Time and I have an ongoing struggle with each other. LX gave me a daily planner for Christmas to help with this struggle - it wasn't a subtle, or even a not-so-subtle hint; I asked for it. Months broken down into pages of days; days broken down into lines of hours. I won't use it necessarily as intended - I've kept planners for years, and have rarely written down appointment times, or important dates in them (those go on the big calendar in the kitchen). I use the planners mainly as a guideline as to what I want to get done in a day. Sometimes what I've written gets neatly ticked off just as the hands of a clock tick off the minutes. Other times, the list of what I want to get accomplished goes untouched, and is moved to the following day. But it's still there, waiting for the time I get around to crossing off each task.

With the girls out of school for Christmas vacation, and Hubs off work for the week, barely any of my "must-dos" have been completed. This kind of bothered me, until I read the "big bowl of mush" analogy. My week has been a mushy one. The list of things to be accomplished got pushed back further into last week, and now into this upcoming one as the days turned into bowls of mush.

But although mush is shapeless, there is substance to it. Depending on what is stirred into the mush, it can be a rich, thick sweetness in which every spoonful is to be savored.

[Awesome Aphrodite]

Dec 27, 2009 9:19:30 GMT -6 Phalon said:

"I must get a clock. Without a clock to make the day into certain times, a day is just a big bowl of mush..." ~ from "Joy in The Morning" by Betty Smith

I REALLY like that, Phalon. sounds like my days lately. then again, I'm on vacation, so, at the moment, it's no biggie.