 // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 // Function Name: get_time()
 // Parameters:    None
-// Returns:       None
+// Returns:       An unsigned long representing time in hours and minutes 
 // Description:   TODO ____________________________________________________
 // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-void get_time()
+unsigned long get_time()
 {
   sendNTPpacket(timeServer); // send an NTP packet to a time server
+  unsigned long epoch;
 
     // wait to see if a reply is available
   delay(1000);  

    unsigned long lowWord = word(packetBuffer[42], packetBuffer[43]);  
    // combine the four bytes (two words) into a long integer
    // this is NTP time (seconds since Jan 1 1900):
    unsigned long secsSince1900 = highWord << 16 | lowWord;  
    Serial.print("Seconds since Jan 1 1900 = " );
    Serial.println(secsSince1900);              

    // now convert NTP time into everyday time:
    Serial.print("Unix time = ");
    // Unix time starts on Jan 1 1970. In seconds, that's 2208988800:
    const unsigned long seventyYears = 2208988800UL;    
    // subtract seventy years:
    unsigned long epoch = secsSince1900 - seventyYears;  
    // print Unix time:
    Serial.println(epoch);                              


    // print the hour, minute and second:
    Serial.print("The UTC time is ");       // UTC is the time at Greenwich Meridian (GMT)
    Serial.print((epoch  % 86400L) / 3600); // print the hour (86400 equals secs per day)
    Serial.print(':');  
    if ( ((epoch % 3600) / 60) < 10 ) {
      // In the first 10 minutes of each hour, we'll want a leading '0'
      Serial.print('0');
    }
    Serial.print((epoch  % 3600) / 60); // print the minute (3600 equals secs per minute)
    Serial.print(':');
    if ( (epoch % 60) < 10 ) {
      // In the first 10 seconds of each minute, we'll want a leading '0'
      Serial.print('0');
    }
    Serial.println(epoch %60); // print the second
  }
  // wait ten seconds before asking for the time again
  delay(10000);
}

// ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

// ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
void loop(){

  if ((millis() - timeOut) > 30000) {   // Turn on backlight for 30 seconds, else turn it off
    lcd.setBacklight(OFF);
    editable == FALSE;
