This TIME I just might be crazy

***WARNING***

This was supposed to be a short post, but kept getting longer and longer. Read at your own risk!

I'm absolutely lost without a watch. It helps me get to stores on time, to make sure we're home for lunch and dinner with Doug, it even lets me know what time the kiddos wake me up in the middle of the night. Have you ever noticed how difficult it is to get a watch battery replaced these days? I used to be able to walk into any store or the military exchange, go to the jewelry counter and say, "I need a new battery." Presto chango! $10 bucks and a few min later, I'm walking out a satisfied customer. Not anymore. My original watch died before Christmas. I took it to our exchange only to have them tell me they could sell me the battery, but they're no longer allowed to change it out for me...but they have the tools that I'm welcome to use. Um, ok. Now, this is coming from the totally inept woman that still has a hard time figuring out which one is the phillips head screw driver. Duh, if one is the flat head, why can't they just call the other one the X head? Much simpler. Anyway, I go to remove the back off my watch and she yells, "Don't be too rough or you'll bend it and loose your water resistant seal." Yikes! That scared me and so then I was trying to pry it off ever so carefully, but couldn't get the thing to budge. Forget this. I gave up and decided to try the local Japanese store. Yea, Jusco! They do the customer service right. The nice lady took my watch and handed me a card that said in broken English to return in 10 min. $10 bucks later, I'm a happy customer. But it died again a couple days later. Long story short, Doug had to take it to Hawaii where they found the inside full of rust, darn water resistant seal. Oh well, it lasted me 10 years, so I felt ok with getting a replacement. Easier said than done. None of the watches "called to me" from the display window at the exchange. There is such a limited supply and it would take 2 weeks for them to measure my wrist and send the watch off (to who knows where) to get sized. I needed a watch immediately, so I settled for a cheap Timex. Flash forward 6 months...my el cheapo watch died while we were in Kansas City. Good thing, right? Easy to get the battery replaced in the States. Um, not so. No one does it anymore, except jewelry stores. Our last day there, I ran into a Helsburg Diamond at Legends and the salesman opened it up and pretty much told me they didn't carry that cheap a battery there and I'd have to go to Radio Shack and replace it myself. While I was waiting for him to tell me this good news (insert sarcasm), I happened to spy a gorgeous watch on display. Hmmm, been wanting to replace my good watch...can I try it on?...Oooo, it comes with the matching bracelet?...It's HOW much?...It's solar powered?...No more batteries? SOLD!!!!! I'm sure they were laughing at me for being the fastest impulse buyer ever. Poor Doug was waiting for me in the car and was expecting me to walk out $10 lighter, not an anniversary,birthday, Christmas present heavier. He took it well. Only turned a light shade of green. I never did get my Timex fixed. Yesterday, Thursday July 1st, I wanted to get my battery fixed, so I'd have my rough "everyday" watch in working order. We went to Jusco and I handed the kind Japanese lady my cheap watch and said I needed a new battery. She played with it for a second and then handed it back saying she couldn't do anything about it. Doug was just saying how we'd have to mail it to his mom to get it replaced when I looked at the dial and...it was working! Huh? What did she do? I had tried everything and now it works? I said she must think I'm some dumb American. Doug said, "Nah, she probably thinks you're some dumb Korean." Ha,ha,ha. And yes, it's still working today. I have to admit, this time I just might be crazy, but at least I have a beautiful new watch and bracelt to show for it.