Gnurf

[altivo]

I don't remember feeling this tired in ages. Not sure why, other than a bit of a sleep deficit. Did the usual barn chores today, made some chili for supper, and went to Woodstock to help take down the fiber art show. Really, seems like that's all I did.

Gotta stay up another hour or so, then I think I'm done for. Oh, and there's dessert left from yesterday. I had bought four pears a month ago, and was patiently waiting for them to ripen. They never did. So yesterday I made them into a pie. Figured baking in the oven would soften them up and indeed it did. They're a little bland, but I added some apple cider and apple pie spices so not all that bad. Pear pie, it's what's for dessert.

Oh yeah, one other useful thing. I went around and adjusted clocks. Now that may not seem like much, but we have a lot of clocks. The weight driven ones shouldn't be turned backward and going forward for 23 hours takes forEVar because you have to stop and let them chime or cuckoo each half or quarter hour. So I stop those and restart them an hour or so later. There are five weight and pendulum driven clocks. Two spring wound mantle clocks. Six of those quartz movement clocks that run on a single AA battery (one in each barn, one in the garage, one on my office wall, one in the dining room that makes animal noises every hour, and one in the bathroom because it has a big face I can read even when I'm in the shower without my glasses on. Four computers, not all of which adjust themselves. Digital clocks on the microwave, VCR, kitchen range, and in both vehicles. And I have several wrist watches, some of which must be adjusted.

Only one clock remains that hasn't been set back. It's the one that is supposed to have done the trick automatically, a digital that is radio synchronized to the National Bureau of Standards. That one misfires a lot, actually.

Comments

[chibiabos.livejournal.com]

*Altivo awakens to find muddy wolf pawtracks in his kitchen and the dish the pie was in licked completely clean*

Errp. 'scuse me. :p

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Hmm. And here I'm always teasing my dogs when they beg for things like bread: "Where did your fierce wuff ancestors get their bread, huh?" So that was the way it started? Naughty wuffs robbing poor hardworking Clydesdales of the fruits of their labors? *snicker* If you were hungry you only had to ask...

[cabcat.livejournal.com]

It's all that sinful weaving and spinning, disgraceful what the older generation gets up to these days. What you need is another dose of national service XD

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Sorry. If national service means doing the will of this incredibly amoral and corrupt administration, then look out Canada, here I come.

[hartree.livejournal.com]

That's pretty usual for the cheapy clocks synced to NIST via WWVB (VLF radio station). They usually only update themselves once a day or so. And, they often miss the signal and go longer than that.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Yeah, this one is part of a weather station that reports and records barometer, humidity, and temperature readings indoors and out. Those functions are useful. The clock is always dubious. Even when it claims to have synced in past 24 hours, it sometimes has errors.

[hrrunka]

I figure it's going to take a week (at least) to get in-linr with the end of summer time. I was all organised, and changed most of the clocks Saturday night, only to find the power was out Sunday morning, and I had to re-set all the mains-powered ones. This morning I went into the kitchen and realised that I'd re-set them all 20 minutes wrong...

Pear pie sounds good. Hope it tasted good too.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

I think the only one we have that relies on the power mains is the one in the VCR unit. That one doesn't matter because I never record anything any more, but the blinking light makes me crazy after a power failure so I always reset it.

[hrrunka]

Yeah, I've got a video like that. Usually there's a tea-towal hanging over the shelf in front of it so I can't see it blinking, but recently I've been doing some tidying and the tea-towel went into the wash...

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Uh oh. You mean you don't know where your towel is?

[hrrunka]

...and it's driving me nuts! ;)

[doco.livejournal.com]

When I was still living near the Dutch border, my DCF77 clocks would routinely think they were in GMT. Now _that_ was annoying.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

This one has slipped a brain cell and switched to California time (it was born in Oregon) several times.

[goldenstallion.livejournal.com]

Poor Rider needs a break.

We can blame Ben Franklin for Daylight Savings Time.

Once something gets into the government it never goes away. It is kinda stupid these days, particularly for the West Coasters and Alaskans... it makes sure they both drive to work and back home in the dark. Costs the country millions twice a year, particularly because the rest of the world does not make the change. Oh well.

Mmmm, pie. The wolf has the right idea.

Oh, do not attempt to put a crock pot crock on the stove to heat... the entire bottom broke off yesterday. Bear yelled at me... what else is new?

Imp

[altivo.livejournal.com]

You silly flap pony. I'd have yelled at you too, probably. At least it's usually possible to order a new insert for those. Mine is so old the insert doesn't come out at all, so no risk there.

Yes, daylight "saving" is one of the more stupid inventions of humankind. So what does it tell us that the current republican regime wants to extend it at both ends? Michigan is one of the places that really gets messed up by it too. You're far enough west to notice that. You're already on daylight saving when you're on regular time, because the whole stupid state belongs in the central zone.

The pie is rather bland, actually. Should have put lemon juice or something like that in it, I think.

[wolfgrowl.livejournal.com]

No daylight savings here, no changing clocks!

[hrrunka]

Where? I want to live there! ;)

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Cayman Islands. If you have enough money, you can live there. Otherwise, good luck. ;p

[hrrunka]

I'm alternately sad and mad that Western Australia, which was one of the few parts of the world which seemed to have retained some sanity on the issue, has now caved in and looks set to start a three-year trial of DST this December. The stupidity spreads... :/

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Stupidity is a virus and may be incurable. You can only vaccinate against it.

Last time I checked, the Hopi Nation in the southwestern US still rejected the daylight saving nonsense. In fact, I remember being very confused myself when I visited there, because Arizona was not observing it, the Navajo were observing it, and the Hopi were not. The Hopi lands are completely encircled by the Navajo. So clocks kept popping back and forth wherever you went. Also, federal offices in the Hopi territories observed it, even though the local businesses and communities did not, so the time in the post office was different from the time in the restaurant next door.

Back during the Nixon administration, when it was first decreed that the whole US would observe this national stupidity, cartoonist Phil Frank lampooned Nixon in a cartoon. He showed the president holding a blanket and a pair of scissors. "I will now demonstrate how to save energy by cutting a foot off the top of your blanket and sewing it onto the bottom."

Various studies have been made both claiming that there really is a savings and that there is not. My own observation of most people's behavior suggests that there can't be much significant difference in electricity usage, and may be an increase in vehicular activity that consumes fuel.

[wolfgrowl.livejournal.com]

As you get closer to the equator Daylight savings would make no sense as the length of the days doesn't change that dramatically.

*lol* The Caymans can be an expensive place to live! Working here I'm fine but I can't say it would be an economical place to retire. And you'd go island happy. Flying off the island periodically to retain your sanity has to be costed into the equation. And I load up on toothpaste (Over $4 US a tube) and such things while away.

Eating at home and watching your utilities helps. Gas is $5 US/gallon, monthly electric on a 600 sq ft. home is about $240 US/month. On a 3 bedroom house, electric can run 600-1,000 US/month.

But if you can work down here, the income is tax free and there are no property taxes. Jewellry is quite reasonable here as its a duty free port.

[hrrunka]

Heh! Yeah, extended stays in tropical seaside locations can distort one's view of reality somewhat. I was born in Kenya, so I grew up knowing nothing of "daylight saving" clock changes. I suspect that early experience contributes to my belief that "daylight saving time" is stupid.

[doug-taron.livejournal.com]

I was very surprised the first time I visited Peru to find that they go on daylight savings time there. And they are so close to the equator- I believe that the southern part of the country is at about 12° S. Made no sense at all.

[pioneer11.livejournal.com]

I've been toying with getting ALL my clocks run by the WWV.

But yeah, sometimes it dun work.

And then theirs the microwave, the stove, the huge LCD
thing I got in the 80s, the flip number thing from the 60s my
sister gave me....damn, I really have no excuse to ever be
late.

Damn clocks.

>.<

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Actually, when you have this many, it's an excuse to be late. Because you had to take so long to wind them all, of course.

But I have them because I like them. While messing with the mantel clock, I switched it from Whitminster to St. Michael's chimes. Now I have the St. Michael's ditty running through my head and can't get rid of it. In a week or so, though, I won't even notice it going off.