 
         stopwatch.reset()
 
-        let statusBar = NSStatusBar.system
-        statusItem = statusBar.statusItem(withLength: NSStatusItem.variableLength)
-
-        statusItem.menu = menu
-        statusItem.button?.toolTip = NSLocalizedString("Menubar Countdown",
-                                                       comment: "Status Item Tooltip")
-        showStatusItemIcon()
+        initializeStatusItem()
 
         if UserDefaults.standard.bool(forKey: AppUserDefaults.showStartDialogOnLaunchKey) {
             showStartTimerDialog(self)

        canPause = false
        canResume = false

        //statusItemView.isTitleBlinking = false
        showStatusItemIcon()
    }


        else {
            Log.debug("ignoring tick because timer is not running")
        }
    }

    /**
     Create `statusItem` and set its initial state.
     */
    func initializeStatusItem() {
        let statusBar = NSStatusBar.system
        statusItem = statusBar.statusItem(withLength: NSStatusItem.variableLength)

        statusItem.menu = menu
        statusItem.button?.wantsLayer = true
        statusItem.button?.toolTip = NSLocalizedString("Menubar Countdown",
                                                       comment: "Status Item Tooltip")
        statusItem.button?.font = NSFont.monospacedDigitSystemFont(ofSize: 0,
                                                                   weight: .regular)
        showStatusItemIcon()
    }

    /**
