You all know how I don't like to skip more than one day when it comes to my daily walk. (I always skip Wednesdays because I go to mass with No. 1.) Well, (*sigh*) I think I'm going to have to fire my alarm clock. My nearly brand-new alarm clock that I was actually really excited about.

Here's the deal: I typically get up before The Mr. However, since he sleeps with his radio on, he can't also set the alarm. Therefore, I serve as his official alarm clock. Up until several weeks ago, I had my alarm clock set and sitting nicely on the table next to my bed. I had another alarm clock set that I kept under the bed until I got up. I'd put it on the bed next to The Mr. to wake him up before I returned from my walk. This kept me from setting and resetting my alarm clock and inadvertently forgetting to set it for my walking wake up. Well, my alarm clock seemed to be showing its age. My internal clock was waking my up at the right time, but I couldn't get the alarm to make the right noise no matter how much futzing I did to it.

I went searching for a new alarm clock. I didn't really have anything in mind, just something new and not expensive. And when I found a dual-alarm clock that sets itself even after a power outage I really thought I had hit the alarm-clock-jackpot. I got it home and loved it almost immediately, especially when I discovered that the alarm is progressive. In other words, it starts off soft and gradually gets louder.

Unfortunately, I think the progressiveness is going to be its downfall for me. You see, it gets progressively louder after you push snooze not louder before you hit snooze. So, you get very quiet beep, beep, beeps, snooze, sort of quiet beep, beep, beeps, snooze, quiet beep, beep, beeps, snooze...well, you get the point. I'm used to that blaring alarm that shocks me awake and makes me hit snooze so I don't wake up the rest of the house. The kind of alarm that makes my heart race because it has literally scared the crap out of me. That's what seems to wake me up.

Here's the real problem. This morning, I hit snooze probably three times before I was coherent enough to realize that it was my alarm going off. That darn thing is almost soothing. By the time I was "awake" it was too late to get up for my walk. Well, I could have still gotten up, but sleep just felt so good right then. That clock isn't aggressive enough for me. I need something that shakes the bed and screams in my ear.

Tonight I'll check the user's manual to see if there's a way to make it louder. If not, I'll try setting it 20 minutes earlier than it is now, but man that means I'll be stirred awake shortly after 5 a.m. Ah, the sacrifices I'm willing to make for the sake of a morning walk.