Annual Review of Clock Nobody Sets
The clock on the microwave shows 10:47. The time is 2:23pm. This has been the arrangement for four months. Everyone knows.
Year in review: the household clock that shows the wrong time. Period: Seven months since last accurate setting. Current offset from real time: four hours, thirteen minutes. Members of household who know the offset: two out of two. Members of household who have reset the clock: zero.
The Clock's History
The clock was set correctly after a power cut in February. This was the last accurate setting. Two subsequent power cuts in March and May caused the clock to reset to 12:00 and then be left there, because correcting it required the appliance manual for button sequence and the manual had been stored somewhere that was not the drawer it used to be in.
The clock currently shows 10:47am regardless of the actual time.
The Household's Adaptation
Within one week of the March power cut, both household members had developed a reliable mental correction. The clock shows 10:47. The actual time is 2:23. This calculation is performed automatically without conscious effort.
The clock is functionally a timer indicator (showing whether something is set to run) rather than a time indicator. This is acceptable because phones are visible in every room and provide accurate time.
Why It Has Not Been Reset
Resetting the microwave clock requires: finding the manual, or finding the button sequence online, or pressing the correct sequence from memory. This is a two-minute task. It has been described as "something to do when there's a moment" for seven months.
The moments have been occupied by other things. Two minutes has not been available in a context where the clock was also present and prominent enough to trigger the action.
The Status
The clock shows 10:47am. It will continue to show this until a power cut occurs, at which point it will show 12:00, which will be noted. The clock will then show 12:00 for some period until it is set.