Watch This Space

Time. Do we really have to keep track of it? And how do we do it?

I tend to track the day either by using my Timex or the various clocks around school. My students, however, seem to have a more casual relationship with timepieces -- at least of the wearable variety.

While proctoring an Advanced Placement exam today (54 kids taking advanced calculus) I noticed that maybe 1/3 of the kids were wearing wrist watches. I say maybe because several were wearing sleeves long enough to cover one up if they had one on. Most arms were bare without even a strap mark to indicate that they ever wore one.

No, I did not ask them about it. They think I'm weird enough.

Is it a generational thing? Is it a cultural thing? (I suspect not on the latter as the lack of watches spanned the ethnicities in the room.) I'm going for generational as almost all of them had cellphones and other devices. This I know because I collected them all.

They seem to use their cellphones as timekeeping devices. Hmm ...

Squidette does that, too. Little Squid, on the other hand ... well you know that story. He is down to an average of 3 watches per day, rotating through them. On the weekends he tends to only wear the one with the alarm.

Watches and Sixth Avenue

Our goal today was to get to the Tourneau Time Machine on 57th Street. Why? To immerse Little Squid in his passion. They have a small "museum" and the lots and lots of watches for sale. While Little Squid was ogling at the huge variety of watches, I was actually shopping for a watch. I really wanted a nice one for my 40th birthday but am really picky when it comes to watches so my folks gave me money for it. The money is still in the bank and an inexpensive Timex is on my wrist. I saw a few that had possibilities but have to think on it a bit more.



I was not able to really capture the wonderful expression on Little Squid's face. He thought it was "extremely awesome!"
We then walked home via 6th Avenue, stopping for lunch at Jewel of India. Yum!







We also stopped for a spot of Geocaching near the public library and saw a double decker bus full of Santas dressed in blue.And now for a quiet evening at home.

From the Squid Family to you and your family, A Very Happy and Healthy New Year!!!

Time Boy!

Little Squid has developed a love for watches. It was all started by his grandmother who, herself, had an extensive watch collection (which I now own). She always insisted that the kids wear their watches, something that drove me a bit batty but was basically harmless. After all, why did the kids really have to know the time -- the adults in their lives controlled their schedule.

Now, however, I get on Squidette's case for not wearing a watch and Little Squid ... well he wears 7.

Except when he is sleeping. Then he only wears one.

Yes, they are all set to a different time zone. One is set to local time (the digital -- it has an alarm that he regularly uses), one to Casablanca, one to Jerusalem, one to the Galapagos Islands and one to New Zealand. (Two need new batteries.) When you ask him the time, he asks "where?"
Except