Alarm Clock

I have to admit that I have a odd love for our alarm clock. Not because it has an annoying beep that seems to always wake you up at just the moment when you are in the good part of the dream, or just managed to fall back to sleep. But, I love the alarm clock for it's stamina and longevity. We purchased our current alarm clock when we first moved to Australia about three years ago. I think we payed about twelve dollars for it. The poor alarm clock has travelled from Brisbane to the Territory and now to Isa with us. The kids have managed to add a bit of character to the poor thing as well. Although we try to keep the clock away from the kids, they always manage to pull on the cord, drop it on the floor or spill their milk on it. Through all this abuse the clock still runs like a charm, with the exception of a slight buzz it omits every now and then. A simple tap on the top of the clock usually fixes that! After all that abuse, I think the alarm clock is doing well as that is the only battle wound it presents. I must say that the twelve dollars we spent on the alarm clock has to be about the best value for our money.

While we are on the subject, I have to tell another story about an alarm clock. When Butch and I bought the fifth wheel and started travelling in America (years ago, before kids) we often lived on Butch's construction job sites and used a generator for power. We found that our old plug in alarm clock no longer fit our needs as we didn't run the generator 24 hours a day. We went out shopping for a battery powered alarm clock. Unfortunately, at the time all we could find in the battery powered alarm clock category was a little compact, kids, blue and yellow alarm clock. The store only had the display model left, so we took it. Sceptical about the alarm clocks lifespan we payed the fifteen dollars or so and gave it a try. Turns out that the alarm clock not only woke us up every morning for about five years, it travelled through 15 US states and even flew to Australia and back twice. I am pretty sure the little thing had to be one of the most well travelled alarm clocks going. Unfortunately, just prior to us moving to Australia the cheap little battery operated kids alarm clock decided it had had enough.