Today, 08-08-08, is the start of the 2008 Olympics. I consider it a good time to write the second part of my fascination with time. Today's time topic is TIMERS.
One of my old digital watches had the timer feature which I found useful for timing petty stuff. You know ... how long it took someone to get from here to there, how long it took to do this or that. Nothing exciting. Nothing exciting, that is, until I decided to turn the timer into a toy. Instead of timing things happening around me, I decided to time myself. I would start the timer and stop it as fast I could. The goal was to stop it after the shortest amount of time.
Hey, don't laugh. We didn't have computers, play stations, and DS back then. I think this was even before the Game And Watch era. The idea was not original, mind you. If I recall correctly, one of my classmate's calculators had this game which I figured could be played using my watch's timer. Yes, I know what you're thinking. Cheap thrills. The novelty wore off quickly because once I got the fastest time, there was nowhere else to go.
I never really had any urgent need for a regular timer. People that need regular timers are people who like to run the 100-meter dash, swim competitively, yes, Olympians and other athletes involved in any sort of race. They would need timers. Everything about them has to do with speed.
As for me, I am more of an endurance runner than a sprinter, the 'enjoy the water' and 'take my time to get to the other side' type of swimmer. I have little inclination to compete in sports or joining any sort of race. A regular timer would be of little use to me. It would be more of a toy than a tool.
Fortunately, I got introduced to countdown timers.
Now countdown timers are a different story altogether. I love countdown timers. I can't resist checking out stores to check if they have countdown timers. I can find a lot of uses for such a gadget. It is definitely more useful to me than its regular counterpart. I think every household should have one on hand. I'm not kidding. I can't imagine not having one at home. I actually have at least two countdown timers at home. (Yes, I know I only need one. Would I get struck down by lightning because of hoarding? I sure hope not.)
What do I use countdown timers for?
Well ... naturally, I use it to time things.
Primarily, it is used when I bake. Having a timer on hand reminds me that I have something in the oven that needs my attention. We don't want burnt cookies now, do we?
We also use it when we play Boggle or Word Factory. Though the games normally come with (egg) timers, the countdown timer gives us audible warning when time is up. No more bargaining for extra split second by shaking off little bits of sand. No questions asked whether time has run out or not. When the timer goes 'beep-beep beep-beep' finished or not finished, "pass your papers."
I have found the timer VERY useful for keeping peace. Whenever I hear RD or MyGirl say something like this, "Kuya, it's MY turn to play with ... (the DS or the computer), I know that it is time to bring out the timer. To avoid any hostile encounters, I determine how much longer GI can play and set the timer near him. Instructions are given explicitly, "GI, when the timer rings, your time is up and it is RD's (or MyGirl's) turn."
Obviously countdown timers do put a finite limit on things, it can signal the end of one activity to foster the way to the start of another. I have used my countdown timer on numerous occasions.
RD has learned this and often uses the timer to his advantage. When he wants me to do something for him and I am still busy, he would ask how much longer before I can help him. If I quote a time, he would set the timer and place it beside me. ("Soon" and "in a while" have become inadmissible replies to the question How long? in his books.)
I am somewhat reliant on timers. I can imagine myself running off to the store to get a replacement battery (pronto!) if ever I discovered that all of my countdown timers ran out of batteries at the same time.
I think I have given away at least half a dozen countdown timers over the years. I hope these people have found it as useful as I have.
Hey, don't laugh. We didn't have computers, play stations, and DS back then. I think this was even before the Game And Watch era. The idea was not original, mind you. If I recall correctly, one of my classmate's calculators had this game which I figured could be played using my watch's timer. Yes, I know what you're thinking. Cheap thrills. The novelty wore off quickly because once I got the fastest time, there was nowhere else to go.
I never really had any urgent need for a regular timer. People that need regular timers are people who like to run the 100-meter dash, swim competitively, yes, Olympians and other athletes involved in any sort of race. They would need timers. Everything about them has to do with speed.
As for me, I am more of an endurance runner than a sprinter, the 'enjoy the water' and 'take my time to get to the other side' type of swimmer. I have little inclination to compete in sports or joining any sort of race. A regular timer would be of little use to me. It would be more of a toy than a tool.
Fortunately, I got introduced to countdown timers.
Now countdown timers are a different story altogether. I love countdown timers. I can't resist checking out stores to check if they have countdown timers. I can find a lot of uses for such a gadget. It is definitely more useful to me than its regular counterpart. I think every household should have one on hand. I'm not kidding. I can't imagine not having one at home. I actually have at least two countdown timers at home. (Yes, I know I only need one. Would I get struck down by lightning because of hoarding? I sure hope not.)
What do I use countdown timers for?
Well ... naturally, I use it to time things.
Primarily, it is used when I bake. Having a timer on hand reminds me that I have something in the oven that needs my attention. We don't want burnt cookies now, do we?
We also use it when we play Boggle or Word Factory. Though the games normally come with (egg) timers, the countdown timer gives us audible warning when time is up. No more bargaining for extra split second by shaking off little bits of sand. No questions asked whether time has run out or not. When the timer goes 'beep-beep beep-beep' finished or not finished, "pass your papers."
I have found the timer VERY useful for keeping peace. Whenever I hear RD or MyGirl say something like this, "Kuya, it's MY turn to play with ... (the DS or the computer), I know that it is time to bring out the timer. To avoid any hostile encounters, I determine how much longer GI can play and set the timer near him. Instructions are given explicitly, "GI, when the timer rings, your time is up and it is RD's (or MyGirl's) turn."
Obviously countdown timers do put a finite limit on things, it can signal the end of one activity to foster the way to the start of another. I have used my countdown timer on numerous occasions.
Yes, the timer reminds people, especially me, that time is up.Bedspacers -- 28 April 2006
It was getting late and the boys wanted to sleep on the floor bed to get the draft from the aircon. We let them lie down on the floor bed, but they didn't want to settle down.
After a while, I set the countdown timer to 5 minutes and announced that if the timer beeped and I found their eyes open, there would two boys sleeping on the top bunk instead of on the floor bed.
RD added smugly, "And those two boys are Kuya and Dad."
RD has learned this and often uses the timer to his advantage. When he wants me to do something for him and I am still busy, he would ask how much longer before I can help him. If I quote a time, he would set the timer and place it beside me. ("Soon" and "in a while" have become inadmissible replies to the question How long? in his books.)
I am somewhat reliant on timers. I can imagine myself running off to the store to get a replacement battery (pronto!) if ever I discovered that all of my countdown timers ran out of batteries at the same time.
I think I have given away at least half a dozen countdown timers over the years. I hope these people have found it as useful as I have.
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