My computer phones home every once in a while, and I set my watch from that. The ReplayTV periodically contacts the Mother Ship too, and while it’s transimitting all our detailed, sensitive viewing information, such as the fact that I watched 4 episodes of “COPS” last week, gets the correct time. If I’m home, and I’m not looking at my watch, I’m probably getting the time from the Replay.
I make sure the car clock matches my watch. Oh, and our alarm clock picks up the signal from the Atomic Clock in Boulder, and automagically sets itself to the right time, even if there’s a power failure, which makes is so freakin’ cool. That was the best wedding present we got.
My husband, who is Perpetually Early by nature, also has a watch that tends to run fast. We have a lot of conversations that go like this:
“We only have twelve minutes to get there!”
“What? It’s 4:45, we have fifteen minutes, and who the hell cares if we’re two minutes late?”
“I care, and it’s not 4:45, it’s 4:48. No, look, now it’s 4:49.”
“No it’s not. Your damn watch is always fast. My watch says 4:45.”
“Your watch is wrong.”
“No, it’s not. Look, my cell phone says 4:45, too.”
“But my watch says 4:49.”
“That’s because your damn watch is always fast. Look, the car says 4:45, too.”
“The clock in the car is always mumbldy mumble”
“What? What was that? Were you saying that the car clock is always right? That’s correct, because I set it to my watch, which I frequently check against reliable clocks, because unlike some people’s watches, my watch is not prepetually and for all eternity the ultimate unquestionable standard for the correct time, because it’s just a goddamn ten-dollar wristwatch!”
“[fuming]”
“[fuming]”
“My watch cost fifteen dollars.”