The saga that appears to be the life of the Flamingo Dancer continues unabated.

We have had solar panels installed on our roof. I think there are six or seven panels, the maximum our roof could hold and that the energy company will accept back into the grid (if any remaining after our own use. Technical issues will have to be directed to Mr FD). So when I went to bed that night I realised that the power had been disconnected during the installation and I needed to reset the electric alarm clock. Well, it wasn’t so much good organisation as the bright red numbers of the clock blinking at me from the other side of the bed that alerted me to the issue.

That being said, I had already reset the clock on the oven. Mr FD had been watering the lawn ( we have rainwater tanks, aren’t we just wonderful!)  and he uses the oven timer to remind him to turn the sprinkler system off.  Yes, a timer on the system would be more reliable, but it is one of the few forms of exercise Mr FD gets on any regular basis, so there is no imperative to change the program.  Anyway, that is not the point. My point is that for once I was technically superior to Mr FD.  I called instructions from my arm chair as to how to reset the clock – I think you hold down two buttons. It is either the first and second or the second and the auto button, I don’t think it is three buttons, no it is two. What do you mean you can’t do it? Leave it, I will fix it when I get up – clear, precise that anyone with half a brain could follow. Hence perhaps why Mr FD gave up and wandered away.

I did indeed reset the oven clock (it was dual pressing of the second and third buttons, and lots of pressing of the button on the far right) and also set the time to the remaining watering time. So, it wasn’t like I was totally devoid of expectation of having to reset the clock in our bedroom. It was mastered very efficiently(that is a holding down of the alarm button, and then continuous pressing of the time forward button (the possibilities of a time forward button are very inviting, are they not?), until I go past the correct time, so then it is alternating between back and forward buttons until I settle on an approximate time). Well pleased with my efforts I went to sleep.

I was deep in sleep when the first alarm went off. I have one alarm for the time I should get out of bed, and then a second alarm for when I MUST get out of bed.  The first alarm woke me and I felt so dreadful I couldn’t believe it. I was so tired. I thought, OMG I am so tired I can’t go to work today. I was so tired I think I even felt sick. Then I rolled over and looked at the clock. It was midnight! I had barely slept two hours no wonder I was tired!

If the power is disrupted to our alarm clock, then the alarm has to be reset also (Dah!) If it isn’t and the alarm is switched to on, then it will either go at 12 midnight or 12 noon whichever arrives first. So, yes I had reset the clock but not the alarm! I normally rise at 5.15am, so I had cheated myself out of a good five hours of slumber. The volume button was also VERY LOUD. Mr FD who was still downstairs could hear the alarm through the floor. He wondered whether I had the alarm on so that I could meet with a lover in the bushland next door. Well, I would like to think he thought that, but in reality he probably just thought I had taken leave of my senses, and that somehow he was going to get the blame for it.

And it was right, well, the part about Mr FD getting the blame, because we all realise don’t we, that if he hadn’t gone off saving the world by installing solar power, then the clock never would have needed resetting and the alarm would have been set for its usual time and I would have got to finish that nice dream that I am sure I was having, but totally can’t remember now.

As well as that, he is so responsible for me leaving the library keys at home. If I hadn’t been thinking how silly I would have felt if I had dressed and gone to school when the midnight alarm rang, then I would have realised that my keys, which I usually leave in my car in the garage, were hanging on the back of a dining chair because I had been so relieved at arriving home safely the day before. Lucky for him, one of the IT guys were in their office and I was able to bang on their window and borrow a key from them.

I was more prepared for the rest of my day though – I wore coffee coloured clothes to work.