It's not real, by the way. Or old, I mean, since it is, in fact, an actual radio. It's a reproduction and it probably takes up way too much space in my apartment, but I like it so it stays. It sounds really good, too, which tells me that they at least put a decent speaker in the thing. A speaker, yes. One. It's showing a little authenticity by not being in stereo.
Incidentally, I do own an authentic old vacuum tube radio. Bakelite, even. My grandmother gave it to me. She bought it originally to listen to a boxing match, of all things. There's probably a picture or two of it here on the blog, knowing me.
Um, but that's not why you called. What's with the watch, Dee?
Well, I'm not wearing my watch today.
You're obviously not getting what a big deal that is.
I always wear my watch. Especially at work. Part of it is practical: when I'm programming, I need a watch. I need to check my pace. I need to make sure that I'm done on time so that the class makes its bus and gets back to the school all right. The watch? A necessity.
I wear a watch when I'm not programming as well, but it's probably not all that crucial. If I'm at the desk I can glance at the computer screen to check the time, after all. If I'm in a meeting I can look at the clock on the staff room wall. I should be able to be watchless on days like today.
Oh, before I go on, I can already tell that some of you are wondering why I don't just look at my cell phone, as so much of the world does these days. The fact is, I don't want to get into the habit. Looking at your phone in the middle of a program is very, very bad form. It can make your group think -- even if it's just subconsciously -- that they're not your primary focus. Glancing at a watch doesn't give nearly the same effect. One of the things that I always tell new interpreters is that they need to get a watch. Most of the younger ones these days give me a blank stare at that point, since they've almost never told time by using anything other than a phone. That's when I explain the no-phone reasoning and tell them that even if they just go to a bargain store and buy a five-dollar watch that they only ever use for programming, they still should have a watch.
Anyway.
Today, as an experiment, I put on a bracelet instead of my watch. I don't really have need of a watch today, and I wanted to see just how many times I'd unconsciously check my non-present watch during the course of the day.
The result?
I first looked for my watch about ten minutes after I got here.
Yeah, I lasted that long.
The tea I was making isn't supposed to brew too long, you see, and I when I put in the tea ball I checked to see what time it was so that I knew when to take it out.
My bracelet wasn't much help with that.
How am I making out since then? A bit better, since I've been mostly at the desk and the little clock is right there at the bottom right hand corner of the monitor. I've looked at my wrist maybe a half-dozen times or so.
Still have a few hours to go, though.
And this bracelet keeps knocking against the typing shelf and annoying the crap out of me.
I want my watch back.
Still have a few hours to go, though...
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