I mentioned a week ago that I was having a wee problem with my clock.

First it stopped chiming and when I fixed the chime it wouldn’t work at all.  Kind of frustrating.  But I like a challenge.

I dismantled it completely.  While I was sitting surrounded by all those cogs and wheels and bits and bobs, Herself was on the Interwebs and casually mentioned that she had found an identical clock and had put an offer in on it.  I really must get around to blocking the Interweb on her laptop.

I had a look, and certainly it looked reasonably similar and it was a very good price, mainly because the seller had lost the key.  I was a tad disheartened at her total lack of faith in my horological prowess, but it did cross my mind that the current clock was getting on a bit so it might be handy to get a second one.

I set about reassembling the original clock and of course it worked perfectly – chiming and ticking to its heart’s content.  But the offer on the other clock had been accepted, and amongst my many failings, I am honourable and my word is my bond.

I drove up to Dublin the following day to collect it.  The roads layout in Dublin has changed radically over the years and even though I was driving through an area I knew like the back of my hand, I got lost.  So much for the back of my hand.

Anyhows I eventually arrived at the designated house to collect the timepiece.  I had even brought the key from the old clock to make sure that it fitted.

There was no one in.

Bugger!

I rang the phone number I had been given and it transpired that he had nipped out to collect the kids.  Fair enough.  This was one of those rare moments where a mobile phone actually came in useful.

He duly arrived home, we went into his hall and he showed my the new clock.  It was a lot older than our old one but a hell of a lot better.  And the key fitted.  And even better, the seller had found his key so I now had two.  To cut a long story short, cash changed hands and I went home.

I hung the clock and it works perfectly though I had to mute the bong a bit as it was fucking loud enough to keep the parish awake, let alone me.  Herself loves it too, which makes it a rarity in anyone’s language.

I went to put the old clock away and discovered something – I had somehow lost the key!  At least I had the new one.  Karma can be a funny bitch at times.

I only have two problems now.  The bong is now so quiet we can only hear it when in the same room and it’s running slow.  For the last week I have been gradually shortening the pendulum but it’s still slow by quite a few minutes a day.  The seller had assured me that it kept perfect time.

I can only assume that we have a different gravity in the mountains?