The old cliché “even a broken clock is right twice a day” isn’t true for the relationship I have with Jenny. For us, currently suffering from a 13 hour time difference, our broken clocks hit the mark four times a day.

I’m not sure I actually own an actual clock. In fact, with computers, cell phones, and microwaves available I really don’t see the need for one. Jenny disagrees as her love of watches, which is just one of those old-fashioned things about her I adore so much, has given her the risk of having a broken one around her wrist.

Over here in the United States, where I take up residency because I was born here and it’s incredibly terrifying to move anywhere else, we’re still hours away from Christmas. This doesn’t mean my celebration is on hold as a few hours ago I wished Jenny a Merry holiday over Skype.

At 11AM Eastern Standard Time I celebrated my third Christmas with Jenny. Still 13 hours away from the earth rotating enough for me to actually say I’m living on December 25th, it was the beginning of the 37-hour period where I can claim it’s a holiday.

Living where we do on opposite sides of the world, Jenny and I celebrate Christmas one and a half times as much as the regular person. Other summer holidays, none shared by our two cultures, only get 36 hours instead of 37. We’ll only get 36 hours of Easter together, making this extra hour on Christmas even more special. When New Year’s Eve comes around next week, the timing will be the same with me welcoming 2016 before noon.

Oddly, it does actually feel like I get more holiday out of this arrangement. It already feels like Christmas to me. A holiday that I feel ends a little prematurely every year once the gifts are all exchanged and the food is eaten, it feels much more fulfilled getting the extra half day with Jenny.

Our Christmas so far has had a few roadblocks. Uncooperative Skype, the book I got her on Kindle not available in the Philippines, and then me almost thinking I had downloaded one of the fantasy baseball books she had gotten me to her phone (she’d have more interest reading a Dear John letter from me) have been a few of the technical difficulties we’ve faced in making this another memorable holiday. Thankfully with the extra time we can sort it all out and enjoy our Consumerism Day.

Today was also the first I’ve Skyped with her family. You can imagine how uncomfortably gratifying that was for it to end quickly without anything disastrous occurring. When I meet them later this year in person for the first time, Jenny will have to do more than move her phone to save me from embarrassing myself. Maybe etiquette school would have been a good gift to receive to ensure I’m on my best behavior.

I’m still half a day away from Christmas actually hitting me officially. Yet because I’m able to connect with Jenny even through the cruel teasing her internet service gives us, I’ve already been hit with the Christmas spirit. Christmas begins when it’s midnight in the Philippines.

Just because the time on my cell phone, computer, and microwave (not real clock) says it’s only the 24th doesn’t mean I’ve put a halt to the celebration.

Like the Amish in the movie Kingpin do with bowling, holidays for Jenny and I celebrate holidays half again as hard as everyone else.