Floating Text Based Timer

Okay I got this freebie prim LED timer.. it counts down from a given time, to a point specified, so like "timer set 10:00" and then "timer start" 10 minutes later the timer will reach zero. It's huge, it's bloated, it uses animated textures... which fail utterly to load.

I really like the idea.. but setting a timer in SL is pointless if I can't see the numbers. I'd change the numbers on the freebie to a smaller, simpler to load texture, but it's nomod. I'd like to build my own prim timer.. but frankly, I'd settle for one that used floating text. The function is way more useful than the form.

For that matter, I'd also like a stopwatch. SO I can count "how long it's been SINCE a certain event."

Can any of you uber scripters out there, help me with this?

Ps. I really need to finish that fridge, huh?