Ode to a Timer

The titular timer. The brownies are just to show off.

I got this timer as part of a wedding gift from my Aunt Liz. At the time, she teased me for putting something so archaic on our wedding registry. Honestly, I don't know what I was planning to do with it, and I think I put it on there out of tradition or compulsion. My mom had two timers. She used the white one for time-outs, and the blue one as a backup. It must be genetic, because my grandma had at least five timers in her kitchen, all in various places for various uses. And my great aunt also has a few timers, one of which is a giant, awesome, recycled laboratory timer, that would probably sell for a thousand dollars in a hip hardware store. Clearly, a timer is an indispensable part of any household. 

So Aunt Liz gave me a timer. I was thrilled, but she was right that it's mostly archaic. For 3.5 years, that timer has sat in a drawer unused. Every oven we've ever used has had a built-in timer, and we usually have a timer on our microwave, as well. Even if we didn't, I guess we could use an online timer, or the timer on one of our phones. But my primal instinct is to use these clunky, ticking things, and I've been bummed to miss out on the opportunity. Today, at last, I can finally say that this timer has found its day in the sun. 

Our current oven, for some inexplicably horrible reason, has no built in timer. The microwave does, but it can't time and microwave simultaneously. I have been wanting and missing my timer terribly, even while using Google's online thing.  

We unpacked the timer yesterday, and I used it twice today. It is so great. I had to sing its praises. This post is both an ode to a timer, and an updated thank you to my Aunt Liz for this satisfyingly useful gift.