Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Accounting for the second



After some debate and a tweet from Science Friday, I now know that we can add that extra second tomorrow at 3:59:60 pm PST, that's when the master clock at the U.S. Naval Observatory gets the second. Thank goodness I really don't have to take any action at all tomorrow. The computers will take care of themselves. The cell phones and TV's will do their thing as well. It seems like most of the clocks around the house are all different times plus a minute or two, so the second just doesn't matter. We still don't know what the big clock in the studio is going to do. Sometime tomorrow it will get a signal from the NIST radio station WWVB and will adjust. How? Will we notice? Truth be told I don't care but my husband (if he remembers) will most likely be watching the clock starting at 3:58 pm pst.




Living consciously...

For the practice today Hendricks suggests marking this year of 'living consciously' by giving yourself something - material or not - in celebration of the journey. This is going to be a challenge! It would be easy to "get" myself something but I don't feel that that would be as meaningful for me. I've already decided to pass along the book to a friend which is kind of a celebration of my journey.

I received a beaded bookmark as a Christmas gift from my sister (she made it!) and I love it. It's been marking the last few days of reading and it may be just the right remembrance of this year. I think I'll make a similar bookmark and send it along with the book. Yep, this is good.

3 comments:

Debra Dixon said...

Thank God for that extra second this year! Now I might get something extra done. *wink*

jenclair said...

I think I need an extra day! Or two.

Kim said...

Debra and Jenclair - Wouldn't it be great if we could just stop time... just for a couple of days. (Truth be told I'd settle for just a couple of days at home, alone!)