Wednesday, May 14, 2014

Even The Simple Things - An Alarm Clock

    I never thought I would need or want an alarm clock when traveling. I mean, the whole idea is to relax and slow the pace down for a restful journey. For the most part, I have managed to do just that. Although, sometimes you simply have to get up in the morning to be somewhere or get something done. As many of you are well aware, I am NOT a morning person. Oh sure, I'll get up, but I won't be happy about it ... well, until I get at least one good cup of coffee! So, what's the least intrusive way of being rudely awakened from a comfortable sleep? An Alarm Clock, of course!

Great Clear Plastic Cover
Many years ago, when I was traveling much longer distances - airplanes, mostly - I used a wind-up folding alarm clock. It worked. Well, except that it ticked so loud you really didn't NEED the alarm since it kept you up all night anyway! And when the alarm did go off, it was a grating simulation of a bell. A flattened bell. Sounded horrible. Later on, I "graduated" to an electronic version that was surprisingly easy to set and the light beeping wasn't completely obnoxious. It was so gentle, sometimes it failed to rouse me at all. Hmmm. Back to the drawing board. My RV has Velcro-ready, carpeted ceilings and most walls, so adhering things temporarily is a cinch. The problem was, most clocks were designed to sit on a table. (And get knocked over onto the floor where you have to contort yourself to reach over and down to pick it up when it rings in the morning and you're in a bad mood already.) Where to find a "nicer" version that worked on the vertical?

In The Sleeping Area
The Internet! Look hard enough and you can find almost anything there. I found a flat clock with a protective plastic cover that just begged for a small piece of Velcro to be stuck on the back. It was even a Timex(!) and had Indiglo (a soft blue glowing backlight for reading at night). I remember when Timex was thought to be a great, tough, time-keeping brand. They even attached a Timex watch to an outboard motor in a 55-gallon drum, revved it up and it still worked! Well, to be honest, the strap broke but the watch was still running. It did work in rehearsal though! Sometimes I miss live television where anything can happen and actors had to be on their feet.

I digress. One corner of my sleeping area was perfect for this little workhorse of a clock. I tried a bunch of attachment locations before I found one I could see, with one eye open, early in the morning. It's easy to reach to shut off the alarm. AND the alarm sound isn't obnoxious enough to make me want to smash it into bits, but just insistent enough to wake even me. Now THAT'S progress!

Be Seeing You...Down The Road,

Rich "The Wanderman"
www.thewanderman.com









6 comments:

  1. I would like to know where you bought this alarm clock. I have been looking all over for something like this for my RV but cannot find one flat so I can put it on the wall, small and with the night-lite. You either have to push the button for light or it is too big.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anon,
    I am sorry. You still have to push the big Indiglo button to get it to light up. I got mine by searching through Amazon and Ebay for "new Timex desk clock."

    Thanks!

    Rich "The Wanderman"

    ReplyDelete
  3. Rich - I'm with Anonymous. Your clock doesn't seem to exist on the internet anywhere, no matter the website, nor the seach parameters. The question is where did YOU buy your clock? What is the exact URL where this clock can be purchased? It doesn't show up on Amazon or eBay. Thanks.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sir Lensalot,
      You are correct there are currently no Timex 3904T clocks on ebay. I found a place that has the, but $39.95 seems a bit high for this clock. I paid $14.99. I am also NOT familiar withe vendor, so be wary.

      http://www.aroraelectric.com/ZC/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=354_412&products_id=3675&zenid=c241c316cd5c538e624ede6c8c9bf208

      Rich "The Wanderman"

      Delete
  4. Almost everyone these days has a cellphone and most of them have an alarm clock function.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hmmm. Why not use the alarm function on your phone?
    Make a little Velcro-backed pocket for your phone to stick to the wall if you lack a bedside table.

    ReplyDelete

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