Oh how I wish someone would have been with me...I hate giggling by myself

I had to go today to get the batteries changed in a couple of watches for the K-man and Issei. The shopping center I happened to be in didn't have someone who could do that so the nice ladies at the information desk told me of a place that would be able to help me.

The shop was very small....only about 8 feet square, give or take a few. Walking into that room, I was magically transported back to, what I'm sure it must have looked like, about 30 or more years ago. The pictures on the wall were all old and yellowed. Watch bands in the glass case that had gone out of fashion more than a few years ago.

The owners lived in the building (I could hear the TV and dishes clanking) and upon walking in I hear from the back room (behind the curtain) "Welcome...I'll be right there." A few moments later, a little man, stepped from behind the curtain and after a quick double-take (not many foreigners go in there, I do believe!), he smiled and asked what he could do for me.

After I got over thinking that he really resembled the old toy repairman from Toy Story, I told him what I needed. He sat down at a small table in the corner, pulled these funky "I'm working on small objects" kind of glasses and got to work.

No music.
No talking.
Just the sound of the rain outside and the traffic on the street....and me trying not to giggle. Wondering if he would be upset if I took some pictures because, really, there were some things that were just screaming to be blogged about...I debated with myself if I should ask to take pictures or just take them on the off chance he had no clue as to what I was doing. The latter won and I got out my handy dandy cell phone and started to take some shots, then remembered that there is a little shutter sound. Damn. In that quiet room, you KNOW it was going to sound LOUD!! What to do? What to do?

Being one to think quickly in situations like this....as I was about to take the first picture....I coughed. And then....I sneezed for the second one. For the third one, I just cleared my throat. There was a fourth one I wanted to take, but I didn't want to chance it...there will always be another watch...another time.

I'm sorry...but, what time is it.....really?!?!

The whole time I was sitting there, that George Carlin routine where he would do the news kept going through my head:

"It's 10:00 in New York, 8:45 in Los Angeles and 2:47 in London."

Oh and yeah...that's a real tortoise carcass hanging up there...Nagasaki is big on tortoise shell items...pins, necklaces, earrings...personally, I'm pretty much against that, but....the man was changing the batteries in my watches....and well, it's his shop. He can hang whatever he wants.

I would like to ask him what that strange machine was....it was starting to look like the

Little Clock Shop of Horrors....and with that thought, I really had to leave because

"Feeeed me, Seymore." jumped into my thoughts and I really needed to giggle.

Note to self: next time, take a friend or Issei, he'd appreciate some of that stuff!