Thursday, June 11, 2009

Time stands still for no man

Getting back to my normal routine isn't easy after a vacation of spontaneous gadding about. Waking up very early is the hardest part. I came across some interesting alarm clocks which, I thought, might make my getting up a little easier, or at the very least more interesting. My favorite was the polite alarm clock. The Polite Speaking Alarm Clock "reproduces the subtle wit employed by P. G. Wodehouse's most famous character, the valet Reginald Jeeves." In fact, it plays back 126 wake-up messages in the voice of Stephen Fry, such as "Excuse me sir, I'm so sorry to disturb you, but it appears to be morning... very inconvenient, I agree... I believe it is the rotation of the Earth that is to blame, sir." At $99.95, it is a bit pricey, but unique nonetheless.
Then there's the vibrating pillow that does what you’d expect, it vibrates. It not only works for the hearing impaired but also for the couple who wake up at different times in the morning. With this handy gadget, the one who gets to sleep in a bit later doesn't have to be disturbed by the partner's alarm. It is also a less shocking way to wake up. So is the Wind Chime clock which wakes you up to soothing chimes. If that isn't good enough, try waking yourself up. There's the alarm clock which allows you to record your own voice.
My son has an alarm clock that employs a whirligig which is ejected into the air when the alarm goes off. The sleeper must retrieve the flying wheel in order to stop the alarm. This works on the same principle as the Puzzle Alarm clock which ejects 4 puzzle pieces into the air when it goes off. It's guaranteed to get you out of bed. Not surprisingly, this alarm isn't used too often.
There is a website dedicated to clocks as entertainment. Albert Einstein said that time is an illusion, why not measure it creatively? Illusion is just another form of reality since we all have our own perspective to reality. Our senses perceive the world around us. Then our brains interpret the stimuli. I may look at a garden and see the beautiful flowers whereas another person may see the green grass or the weeds which long to be pulled. Yet another may see the sprinklers which are begging to be ran through. Time is the same way. Waking up time is way different than evening time. I like gadgets that entertain as well as perform a useful function.
Waking up with ease helps you start the day with a smile, or at the very least, without the normal aggravation. This eliminates the usual stress involved in waking up. Then, you can start your day with a clear, creative mind.

1 comment:

Jen said...

I wish the Jeeves clock said madame instead of sir. I guess I'll have to invent one myself.