9 plus 7 equals 4 - September 17, 2011

Even if math is not your forte, that equation probably seems a bit impossible.  Adding nine to seven does not total 4!  Well, unless you are talking time!

When it is nine am in Nebraska (the time difference is seven hours) it is four pm in Tetovo, Macedonia. 

Nine plus seven is four!

Learning to calculate the time difference and be available to communicate with Jen in real time was a new math challenge.  I can  add seven to our hour on the clock and figure the time it is for her; but thinking and planning and then remembering what the time was the day before - gets to be a challenge!

Oh my word, a  little chart does help!

When we charted the time difference it became easy to see how different our waking and sleeping times really were!  She would go to sleep at 10pm or 11pm....  just about the time I would leave work!  If I would stay up until midnight, then it would be about the time she was getting up.  If it is dark in Nebraska is it dark in Macedonia?  When I am sleeping what time is it for her?

So, I decided to take my computer to bed with me!  If I left it on and open to e-mail.....  if she sent me an e-mail maybe I would here my “ding” of you’ve got mail and then be able to immediately reply.  Then maybe we could even facebook chat!  WOW!  Real time communications would happen!

Good sleep does not happen with a computer on a mini table beside the bed....  left open all night!  There has to be a better way of staying in touch!

And so it is, at times - our first try in searching for a solution can produce worse side effects than the condition we are trying to solve!  No sleep makes for a tired aching body!