As they say, timing is everything . . .

You wake up and check the clock on the nightstand to make sure you haven't overslept. In the kitchen, while making coffee, you have a dual reminder about your timing: the decorative wall clock and the digital one on your oven.

As you pass through the living room on your way to the door, the clock on the VCR says you're still on schedule.

On the way to work, the clock in the car is a ticking reminder to be on time, and you can call the office on your mobile – making sure its clock is in synch with your other time pieces – to tell them you're on your way.

At the office, the big clock on the wall tells you it's time to get down to business, so you turn on the computer and its clock confirms the hour, minute, second.

Just to make sure, you check the watch on your wrist.

So, my question is this: with access to nine clocks in the first hour of the day, why the hell were you late for our meeting?