Day 75

A reader asked recently why I collected watches. It's pretty simple actually. Probably pretty simple-minded as well. I went through a period where I was depressed. I hated getting up in the morning. When I did get up, all I would think about was how long it was till I could go back to sleep again. I started looking at clocks and watches a lot to see how much time I had left. Then I started buying them. After I bought two or three watches, I realized that they were quite intricate and beautiful little objects. I've always liked pretty things and when I would see a watch that looked even nicer than the one I had on my wrist, I would buy it too.

It didn't take long before I had more watches than I knew what to do with. Some of the watches quit working and batteries went dead on others. I realized I couldn't even begin to afford to keep all these things running, so I began to buy books about repairing watches. I learned how to change batteries and make simple repairs. Then I started buying more complex watchmaking tools. Within two years, I knew a lot about watches. I started repairing watches for friends. I had totally forgotten the depression that caused me to buy my first watch, but the depression had been replaced by something even worse: an obsession with watches.

Tomorrow is March 1st. At the height of my obsession, I would spend hours moving the date on every single watch from 28 past 29, 30 and 31, so it was back at 1 again. It was ridiculous.  I don't even bother to wind or set the watches anymore. The only time I need to remember tomorrow is 2 PM. That's when I need to be at one of my client's offices to take new employee pictures for their website. Like most of the obsessions I've had in my life, my obsession with watches simply collapsed of its own weight.

I certainly didn't need a watch to tell me what I needed to do today. Sunday's are always the same. It's all dogs, all the time on Sundays. We walked the rescue dogs up at K-9 University and I took new pictures of Kobe and LeBron in their winter sweaters. Next, Dash got his medicated bath over at Vhea's Laundromutt. We took Dot and Dash down to Unleashed to play, and after dinner they got their usual evening walk in the park. This was the entire day. I wonder if this is what it's like to be a soccer mom?

Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day