Time and temperature signs have always fascinated me.

If you’ve ever thought I was weird, now you have the proof!

I grew up in a small town. One of the banks put in a time and temperature sign in my early teens. My father used to have a standing joke line about it — he would tell us to run down to the bank to see if the time had changed. It was quite a novelty when it was put in; traffic actually backed up trying to ride by it and watch it change (you have to have grown up in a small town to appreciate that!).

There is one of these wonders in front of my office. I find myself always looking out when I come to the front of the office to see if
a) it is on the time or the temperature
b) it is on fahrenheit or celsius, and
c) did they ever replaced the burntout bulbs

I’m one of those strange folks who knows what the celsius temperatures mean. This is a by-product of living in Brasil where the temperature is always celsius and no one has even heard of fahrenheit. How could you know if it was hot or cold if you didn’t know what the numbers meant? To me, 32 was really cold; in Brasil, 32 was getting quite warm. I have been in 42 degree weather there and can testify that it is dang hot.

So the change of the temperature — first fahrenheit, then the time, then celsius, repeat — has me rooting for which will come up next (when you’ve only seen the time, you don’t know which was on previously–I told you I was weird!). I’ve actually stood at the front door or sat in my car for almost five minutes waiting for the whole cycle to complete. Maybe I’m expecting something different to happen…

But my problem is with “Option C” above.

Check back a little later and I’ll tell you why. Right now, I think the time is getting ready to change and I’m rooting for fahrenheit this time…