Chuck the Writer and the Schaefer Beer Clock

Well, my plans on getting that Schaefer beer clock to light up and tell time has been halved. Apparently according to Lake Electronics, the people who are hopefully restoring my clock, I was told that it's not a malfunctioning switch that is preventing the clock from lighting up, it's something called "the ballast," which apparently they can't replace or repair. So they're giving me the clock back, only charging me my initial deposit plus NYS tax.

So for the moment I have a clock that tells time - but doesn't light up...

Yet. I'm just going to store the clock away until I can find a similar Schaefer beer clock and cannibalize the parts together - maybe the next clock I find has a working light and a malfunctioning clock. Hey, sometimes two halves can make a whole.