Of Mad Mockingbirds and Clock Batteries

[tealin]

I.
Our neighbourhood has many interesting residents, but one of the most notable (or perhaps noticeable) is a certain mockingbird. I can only describe him as ... talented. I hear him practising his repertoire daily: not only does he do the local mockingbird standards but he can imitate the calls of other birds, several different remote-activated car lock signals, and a sampling of other sounds. But, as with humans, genius is often accompanied by madness, and he does this at one in the morning.

II.
A couple weeks ago I lost track of time. My turtle watch died, the clock in our living room ran out of batteries, the new pendant watch I got in the mail arrived similarly without charge, and I'd left my cell phone charger at work so when it inevitably died the only way I had of telling the time was by computer. Eventually this coincidence of timelessness was resolved, though the wall clock doesn't seem to like rechargeable batteries much. Today I moved desks at work and the little alarm clock I have above my workspace lost its battery. I found it and put it back in but it doesn't work now. Is this a test, or a sign? Or just random fluctuations in the space-time continuum? Anyone know where I can find an honest to goodness wind-up clock?
(Not the one Ikea had; it's sealed like a tin and doesn't last long)

Comments

[haderade.livejournal.com]

It's a sign.

[noodledaddy.livejournal.com]

My turtle watch died

Did it run slow?

[twirlynoodle.livejournal.com]

HAR HAR.

No it did not. It just trundled along as usual then suddenly turned on its back and died. L. has forbidden me, for the time being, from getting it a new battery. :)

[fani.livejournal.com]

Oh my. Did Lobsang attack your house with Deja Fu ?:D

[twirlynoodle.livejournal.com]

Surely this is the only possible explanation. (Gosh, I haven't read that one in a while...)

[mariahgem.livejournal.com]

ROTFL! How weird!! It must be some sort of sign! Or not. LOL! But it's cool.

[jeminisoul.livejournal.com]

My drama teacher used to do a trick where any watch she put on her wrist would stop as soon as it touched her skin. o.O really odd.

[twirlynoodle.livejournal.com]

My uncle does that too... he said something about chemistry but it sounds electromagnetic to me. The Force is strong with them!

[floramir.livejournal.com]

GGGRRR!!!! IKEA CLOCK!!! Let me know if you find an alternative.

[(Anonymous)]

The watch trick is relatively easy to do.. With an older watch, if you knock it hard against the wrist, the battery will come off the contacts therefore it's not getting any power, and it doesn't work.. Another way to do it is to have a relatively good magnet in your hand while the watch goes on your wrist. (But how many people carry a good magnet with them wherever they go?)

As for the clock issue, that's quite odd.. But in Canada, Walmart dose sell the wind up variety (So dose Ikea)..

There are also these nifty watches out that use your body's natural motion to power the thing.. By moving you cause a weighted dial to rotate, like a mini generator within the watch.. But there really hard to come by and VERY expensive.. I got one for a Christmas gift.. No chance of it having battery problems..

[twirlynoodle.livejournal.com]

I haven't seen any WalMarts within biking distance (kind of surprising, now I come to think of it...) but maybe Target will have some. Or I could drop by Canadian Tire next time I'm up north because I know you can find them there. THanks for the recs!

I don't think the fancy weighted watch would work for me as I hardly move at all. :)

Lyre Bird = insanity, or genius?

[plaidmonkey42.livejournal.com]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WuFyqzerHS8