Too Many Watches

WATCHES!

I started this year off with a resolve to declutter myself a bit more. Not completely, for you see that would be impossible. I like bric-a-brac and tchotchkes which I think bemoans the very essence of clutter.

I often joke that I schedule a social event once a season in my household just so I can attempt to get it all dusted 4 times a year. As I get older, a social event for me entails my sister coming for a visit. And when it all comes down to it, as long as I have the kitchen, bathroom and her guest room cleaned I feel I have done my job. I often hear my mother's voice in my head chastising me, "Now make sure the bathroom is cleaned for your sister!"

I decided to tackle my watches this past week and go through them trying to decide which ones to keep and which ones to toss.


I have several watch "faces" without bands. Two are silver toned Kenneth Cole. There are two others, no name watches which I picked up here or there. One has a black face, the other is a gold tone. There are two other sports digital watches which need batteries. Then I have a bunch of mis-matched watch bands, some leather, some plastic.


I figured I could match up the watch bands with these poor bandless watch faces. I tried mixing and matching and NONE fit! Of course none fit, why would they? GRRRR. I took the ones which were in need of a battery to Walmart to replace the battery and was told by the 20-something idiot behind the watch counter that they are not allowed to change the batteries because if they damage your watch, they're liable. Are ya kidding me? This is a $15 junk watch! I don't care! "Nope. Sorry Sir, against Walmart policy."  I left in a huff. Well that was four years ago and I still haven't bought batteries for them.


One word: TOSS!!!!

During my most recent visit to see my Dad in California he gifted me his black banded gold Gucci watch. I remember it way back to the early eighties when he and Mom bought matching watches. It is not too large, discrete, but so full of memories. That one is a keeper for sure. I wore it once over the holidays and will take it out for special occasions.

I just bought a Fossil brand watch at a yard sale this past Fall. It was new in the box, has a large brown metal face which is popular with the kids these days. It was cheap, only $10.00, new in box and normally retailed for $75.00! I was so excited.  I took it home in the box and opened it up and crystal had cracked. What the what??? It's not like I threw in a bunch of pebbles in the box with it to jangle around!  Seeing that the crystal broke so easy, I figured it was probably hot or fell off a truck somewhere. I never wore it. Just too much trouble to get the crystal replaced. TOSS!

A friend bought me a Western-style sterling silver watch with inlaid turquoise which ironically matches a Native American sterling silver turquoise ring which my Dad gave me a couple years back. I don't wear them often, usually just when I'm seeing my Dad in California. The watch and ring mean a lot so I'm going to keep them both.

My all-time favorite watch is my Grandpop's Gold Omega from the 1950s. It's beautiful and fits perfectly. I had it cleaned up back in the 90s. The problem is that I went away on vacation a year ago and hid it in the house. Now I can't remember where I hid it. Let me add that as #1 of the things I need to complete this month. FIND THAT WATCH.

I have a favorite old rugged black Timex I bought at a mall about 8 years ago when malls were still open. I like this one and will keep it. It's dinged up but still works fine. As they say about those Timex watches, "It takes a licking and keeps on ticking."  It will probably keep ticking long after all the other watches have died.


One watch that I loved which I no longer have was a flea-market find! One morning, I ended up finding a dirty Tag Heuer watch in a pile of old watches and snatched that puppy up for $20.00! I cleaned it up and found that the retail price was  over $500.00! I enjoyed it for several years and then had it stolen out of my locker at an old gym. I was pretty bummed but then remembered I only paid $20.00 for it. Easy come, easy go.

After spending all this time going through my watches, I then realized I rarely wear one anymore! I get the time off of my computer, the TV, my car, or my cell phone. Well at least I decluttered myself of several of them.


Now to tackle all of those old cell phones sitting in my desk drawer. I think it's time I trash that  Motorola Razr from 2005 not to mention the LG with the QUERTY  slide-out keyboard from 2010. I think my Grandpop's 1950's Omega is more reliable than any of the cell phones these days. My memory ... not so much.