tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick…

I had planned to make full use of that extra hour gained by turning back the clocks on Sunday. What to use it for? There are so many options. Sleeping in. Getting a head start on the day. Slipping in that extra hour of online gaming.

Every year I have such lofty expectations for the extra hour. And every year I lose practically the whole hour as I track down and adjust every clock in my home. Why do they put clocks in so many things these days? Not a single room is free of a timepiece.

In the kitchen, there’s the digital clocks on the microwave and coffee maker, and an analog clock on the stovetop. There’s my Star Trek clock on my desk and the internal clocks in both computers, and the impossible-to-read black wall clock over the television. The stereo, television, and VCR all have internal clocks (my VCR never flashes 12:00). And finally my alarm clock on the bedside table and the Wallace and Grommit clock in the bathroom. Oh, and one in my cell phone (although that one seems to magically set itself).

I wouldn’t say that I’m obsessed with time — I don’t even own a wristwatch. I don’t usually care what time it is, unless it’s close to quittin’ time at the cube farm. So why is my home full of clocks? Always ticking or blinking or flashing. Crying out for attention. Ticking and flashing and blinking. Ringing and buzzing and ticking, ticking, ticking, ticking– AAAAAA!!!

I’m okay. I just need a moment to–

Dammit, now I’m late for work.

Somebody give Blogger a swift kick

For the last few days, Blogger has been completely uncooperative. First their servers were down for maintenance, and now FTP won’t work unless I use their old “pro1” server. Now I discover that if it does upload to my site, it inserts the paragraph tag in my entries, causing the left alignment to go wonky (that’s the technical term).

Is anyone else having bizarre problems with Blogger? I’d love to try Movable Type, but the installation is completely baffling.

Tako okonomiyaki, kudesai

Yesterday afternoon I met Sabine and her coworkers at their hotel. What a surreal moment. After months of communicating almost entirely by Internet chat, here’s Sabine in person, introducing me to the people who have been the principal characters in her weblog. And I didn’t have a thing to say.

I enjoy learning the odd phrase of Japanese. Like “Sumimasen ga wakarimasen” Sorry, I don’t understand. Or “Watashiwa Canada-jin desu” I am a Canadian person. Or “Ohayo gozaimasu” You’re up early. (Apologies for my spelling.)

There I was with the perfect opportunity to try out a couple of phrases, or at least gesticulate my way through a conversation, but all I could do was smile and nod stupidly. Sabine says that I know “sushi Japanese”. So basically, I know everything on the menu at a Japanese restaurant, but I can’t muddle myself through the most basic introductions.

On the other hand, I can make a mean okonomiyaki.

Blogger is down for repairs

Well, Blogger.com may be down for repairs, but that won’t stop me from squandering my precious coffee break for some blogging fun. Nosiree, something like that isn’t enough to stop the likes o’ me from adding an entry to my blog. While all you other Blogger.com users are down for the count, this guy is still writing.

So. Here I go.

Um. Okay, well I don’t have anything to say, actually.

A top secret business proposition

Today I recieved yet another plea for help from overseas, in which Mr. Abdul Dagogo requires my help to liberate $32.2 million that belonged to an important Nigerian oil merchant (now unfortunately deceased). Mr. Dagogo explains:

A foreigner, Late Engineer Mark Otagaki who was an oil merchant and contractor with the Federal Government of Nigeria until his death onboard the ill fated Kenyan Airways bus {A310300}was our customer at the AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT BANK and had a balance of US$32 .2million which the bank now expects his next of kin to claim as the beneficiary.We have made valuable efforts to get his people to no avail as he had no known relatives,due to this development our management and our board of directors are making arrangements for the funds to be declared unclaimed and subsequently paid into the federal government purse and to avert this negative development me and my colleagues have decided to look for a reputable person to act as the next of kin to late Mr. Otagaki so that the funds will be released and paid into your account and this is where you come in.

Such tragedy, and such sheer coincidence to follow so closely on the heels of Mrs. Gbagbo’s loss of $50 million. Mr. Dagogo, I would love to assist you, but really, I can’t at the moment. And to other African diginaries who may be reading: please try not to misplace any more money. I can only help so many at one time.