6:15

It’s perpetually 6:15 in our house. It is either a sleepy 6:15 in the morning, or a yummy 6:15 in the evening. But unlike most places, we also have a noon time 6:15 and a 6:15 that closely resembles 2am. Either way, there is no point in asking either BP or I what time it is because we will almost automatically reply “6:15”. It’s been 6:15 here for three weeks.

Why? Well, we use rechargeable batteries in our house. What other option does a BNNing family have? Actually, we have been using rechargeable batteries for years. And that’s the rub. Rechargeable batteries have a recharging lifespan of about 300 – 500 charges. I reckon our batteries have probably been around for about six years and have been charged maybe once a month. Unfortunately all batteries need to be in the charger for it to work, which is probably not great for the batteries that are already fully charged. If you do the maths, we’re looking at about 70 charges so far.  There should be plenty of life left in them. But there isn’t.

Our clock takes one AA battery, and no matter which one we use it will only stay charged for about two weeks. Up until now we’ve been recharging and changing them regularly, but we’ve grown tired or lazy or something. The clock stopped at 6:15 and it’s stayed that way.

If I was not doing BNN I’d buy more rechargeable batteries. I sort of wish I’d stockpiled before BNN began, or at least bought a pack of new ones. I wouldn’t buy disposable, and I haven’t for years. I guess there must be a better way to get optimum life out of a rechargeable battery, and that’s what I need to find out. What’s the use of buying them if they are used incorrectly and therefore need to be disposed of long before they should be?

For the time being, it’s 6:15 in our house. That means you’ll either find us eating dinner or sleeping, probably in swift rotation. It’s not a bad life.