Daylight Savings Time

When I arose from my slumber yesterday morning I was confused. What time is it? My clocks were not in synch. What is going on? Then it hit me, daylight savings time took effect at 2 AM early Sunday morning. Oh how I hate the change of time.

I have between forty and fifty clocks here at Casa Tipton-Kelly. I love clocks. I can never get enough clocks. I have all types of clocks, even ones that done work. At least I don't have to change the time in those clocks. 

I have two rawther large clocks that require me standing on a ladder to roll back or fast forward the time. Me on a ladder? Very unsteady. I managed to change those clocks though by being very careful. 

My digital clocks are always a challenge. No two are the same on how to change them. By the time six months roll around to change the clocks again, I've forgotten how to change those clocks. And my Bose radio clock, somehow I always end up disconnecting my three satellite radios from the main radio unit. Somehow I manage to connect them all again but it's one of those "back into" corrections. I don't know how I did it but I always manage to disconnect them. I can't have that because my Pandora radio station music selection is what gets me through the day since I'm all her alone without anybody or pets. I used to have the TV on a lot but not so much anymore since much of the TV these days are just commercials interrupted briefly by content. 

I have a few clocks and my Apple products (watch, iPhone) and Alexa that updates automatically. That's a relief.

I'm telling you, the older I get the more annoyed I get with this semi annual change of time. I remember something my Mother told me years ago when I was just a mere sapling of a young boy. She said "They only have daylight savings time so the rich people can golf an hour later." I think she was right.

Day Light Savings Time 2021

Me relaxing at the Latham Hotel in Philadelphia 2013, the one year I didn't change all my clocks back from Daylight Savings Time to Standard time

 

This morning I had a rude awaking. All my clocks were wrong. Ah yes, Daylight savings time ending last night. "FALL BACK!"

I love clocks. 

I have too many clocks.

At last count I have about fifty clocks. Yes, FIVE-O.

Do I need all those clocks? Of course not. But for clocks are one of the few things that give me a sense of comfort and security. 

I don't go out seeking to buy new clocks these days but if I see one to appeals to my comfort fancy, I'll buy it. 

I can always find a place for it.

So there I was this morning, reading to sign on to my weeping 10:00 AM Zoom meeting with my friends Stuart, Larry and Pat.  I booted up my computer and the time was 9:00 AM! Whoops! Time to change all the time pieces Ron.

You know what's interesting and frustrating about all the clocks I have. Most of them have a different way to access the function they have to change the time. Digital clocks, batter operated clocks, thermometer clocks and I still haven't change my microwave and standard oven clocks. Just remembered them! And I'm sure I've forgotten a few clocks that I have tucked away. Once clock I'm not changing is the one above the door to our back deck. It's too high on the wall. Would require me to climb a ladder and I'm not that steady on my feet these days. I'll justify not changing that clock by saying I need one at Daylight Savings Time.

What does the photo at the beginning of this blog have to do with Daylight Savings Time change of clocks? Every year we change back to Standard Time (with the exception of the great state of Arizona) around my birthday in November. That photo was taken on my birthday in Philadelphia at the Latham Hotel with my first trip with Pat. That year Bill changed the clocks. 

Daylight Savings Time And Other Meandering Thoughts On This Sunday

 This morning I had to endure the twice a year aggravation of changing all our clocks due to the beginning of Daylight Savings Time. 

I love clocks and have way too many, but this is the time of year that I wish I only had one clock. 

I think I have at least fifty timepieces to change. Some change themselves but most of my clocks I have to change by hand. And wouldn't you know it, no two are changed the same way. Because I only change the clocks every six months, at least half of them I forget how I changed them. Clocks are not like typewriter keyboards, standardized but someone went out of their way to make no two the same.

As of this writing I've only changed about half of our clocks, I still have to change the one in my car. That's one I always forget. For some reason I have a mental block on that clock.

Two of our clocks are high up on the wall. Bill usually pulls out the ladder and changes those times but he can't do that now because of his stoke and weakness and balancing problems. That's all we need now for him to fall and break his leg or other body part and end up in the emergency room, again. Yesterday I received a summary of the bill that Bill's five day stay at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia.  That was a jaw dropper bill, six figures.  And that is just for his four day stay. That bill didn't include his emergency room visit here in Lewes, nor his helicopter airlift to Philadelphia (which he doesn't remember at all), nor his two week stay at the rehab hospital, nor all those (many, many) doctor's visits, nor his home health aid visits, nor all his medications and it goes on and on. Thank goodness insurance has covered almost all of the costs incurred by Bill's strokes but man oh man, what does one do without insurance? Go bankrupt.

Back to the clocks. This morning was Shower Day for Bill (every three days). Bill moans and groans but the bulk of the physical effort is from me, getting Bill undressed, into the shower, lathering him down, drying him off, they dressing him again. Bill is almost totally unable to dress himself, he's that weak. I don't think he will ever get his strength back. 

After giving Bill his shower, then medications then his breakfast and cleaning up after his breakfast, I started the rounds to change some of our clocks. Not in the mood folks to change all our clocks.  I think our country should just keep Daylight Savings time year round, or Standard time or whatever. 

In a few minutes I'm having a four way FaceTime call with my friends Pat, Larry and Stuart. We have Delaware (me), Claymont, DE (Larry), Ft. Lauderdale, Fl (Stuart) and Hamilton, Ontario (Pat) covered. Other multiple FaceTime calls I make are with Glenn (Chatsworth, CA) and Don (Philadelphia). Such is the status of getting together with friends in the COVID area. Hopefully sometime in the near future, after most of us have received our vaccinations, we'll be able to get together in person. And wouldn't that be wonderful?

Daylight Savings Time 2020

That time of year again folks, turn the clocks one hour ahead of "spring ahead!"  Seems like we just did a "fall back."  I don't know about you but to me this constant changing of clocks annoys me. Perhaps it's because we have so many clocks, thirteen in my bedroom and bathroom alone. Sure, I acknowledge that I have more clocks than the average bear (about sixty in the manse at last count) but this constant changing. We have two clocks that are set high on the wall that we need to bring out the ladder to change. One of us is eventually going to fall changing those clocks.

There is good news on the horizon though. Delaware is set to put into law to make Daylight Savings Time permanent. 

Hallelujah and amen!
  

Now that makes sense. But first it has to coordinate with our neighboring state Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and even New York.  I feel confident this time next year we will have a permanent Daylight Savings Time. Just makes a lot of sense.  This changing back and forth was just to mainly accommodate those moms who didn't want their kids standing in the dark waiting for their school bus in the morning. Hey, wintertime the days are shorter. Deal with it.  

My Mother used to tell me that Daylight Savings Time was enacted mainly to give rich people more time to golf. I believe her. But it was nice today at 5:30 PM to have the sun still shining brightly in the sky.  Spring is coming and the days are getting longer. Let's keep it that way.

Daylight Savings Time Ends

Did you remember to turn your clocks back last night? Or this morning to be precise (2 AM)?  

I hate changing time.  Probably because I have so many clocks.  At last count I have about 47 clocks to change.  Yes Virginia, I have THAT many clocks (and watches) at Casa Tipton-Kelly.  Why?  Because I like clocks.  It's one of my many weird fetishes.  

First thing this morning, groggy from a late night of binge watching "Breaking Bad" in the Tipton Cinema, I started to change the twelve clocks in my bedroom and bathroom. Even before my morning pee, I was changing clocks, that's how much I just want to get this chore out of the way.

What is especially frustrating is that there is no one standard way to change the time.  Some of my clocks are digital, and every one of them is different.  What's that all about anyway?  Can't somebody standardize these things like a typewriter keyboard is standardized.

After I finished changing my bedroom clocks, and performing my bathroom ritual (peeing, shaving, and seeing if my face was still there), I rounded the corner from my bedroom to the kitchen.  Here are another whole new set (seven) of clocks demanding to be changed.

I changed those clocks, leaving the two high on the wall for Bill to change.  He needs to pull out the ladder for those babies.

I took a break to have breakfast.  My usual bran flakes with almond milk and strawberries.  Thus fortified I headed to my home office to change those clocks (another seven).  

Did you ever notice that when you're on a mission like this there is always one clock that presents a major challenge?  This one was the crystal clock that Pat gave me that he received from his retirement.  Pat is a minimalist and thus didn't want the clock. And you know me, I always have room for one more clock.  Well, changing the time on that clock had me stumped. But you know me, I don't give up easily.

Pat's retirement clock

After about ten minutes of intense brainstorming I finally figured out who to get to the mechanism that changes the time (I'm not telling you).  But what still has me puzzled though is who do I change the battery?  Is there a battery? I do not know.  It's an expensive Swiss clock so maybe it runs forever.  I'll sure find out.

So, enjoy the extra hour of sleep that you're now going to get folks.  And now we begin the great countdown to spring.