Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Thanks a Lot, Mr. Fanklin

It's that time of year when time starts messing with my mind.  It always takes me about a week to get used to "falling back" and even longer to adjust to "springing forward".  Last spring, I missed the memo on the topic and showed up an hour late for yoga.  I was so PISSED!  So this time around, I made it a point to remember to change the dang clocks.  Unfortunately, I never just change them all at once.  I usually get the oven clock first, which is near the door and most often used for (ahem) timely departures.  When in the car, I get that one.  At some point, I might get the microwave, but then I tend to get mixed up.  Did I change the bedroom one?  Or not?  I might end up with as many as three hours difference in the times noted on various clocks, and then I have to consult the cell phone, because it knows all. 

My mom doesn't know how to change her car clock so she just leaves it.  It is correct for half the year, but I can't remember which half.  I know I "fixed" it for her once and she was unaware of my nicety, so she did her usual compensating only to be two hours late for dinner.

My cat, who is oblivious to time change, does know what time it is in the morning.  She has "Time to Stomp on Nicki's Kindeys So As She Will Get Up and Feed Me" time, she has "Time to Sit on Nicki's Lap While She is Trying to Eat So As She Might Give Me Some Food Time", and she has "Time to Avoid Nicki So As She Will Not Give Me a Pill Time."  So, kidney-stomping time commenced as usual on Monday, but it was ineffective because Nicki was sleeping for an extra hour.  Or rather, she was trying to sleep an extra hour, but that is difficult to accomplish once kidneys have been stomped upon.

Throughout all this confusion, I wondered:  Who thought up this crazy idea, and just how much crack was he/she smoking?  Sure, light in the evening, saving energy, blah, blah, blah.  But what about the fact that we willingly subject our bodies to a sudden and dramatic shift in its sleep patterns and eating times?  Regular sleep is the one thing that doctors agree could cure all ailments and save the whales.  Or something.  Anyway, its important.

Turns out, it was Benjamin Franklin who thought up daylight saving time - as a JOKE.  Seriously.  He wrote a letter about how people in Paris weren't getting up before noon and the sun was rising at 6am or earlier and they were missing at least 6 hours of daylight, so he figured Parisians should be banned from using blinds and they should make it 7am for the sun so they'd miss less daylight.  He also suggested loud church bells or, and I am not making this up - cannons be used to rouse people out of bed.  He argued that if people got up before noon they might go to sleep earlier and burn fewer candles thus saving a lot of money.

So, thanks a lot Mr. Franklin.  Thanks to your little joke, it is common practice to wake before noon, and the government is rationing my candles.

3 comments:

Tiffany said...

Noon!!!!!! Noon!!! Rise before noon...I thought "back then" was when they got up with the dawn of the day, the light of the morning sun...you know early bird and all.....NOOOOOONN!!! I want to get up at noon! My friend Franklin, who is on thin ice right now, should have considered those of us who get up at 4 am. So that despite this time change it still does not get light out for another 2 and a half hours and the only way I actually see the dawn of the day is if I am running late....because getting home before the 5 o clock sunset is next to impossible considering i finish work at 3:30 and have an hour drive..oh yeah...and my job is evil and I never actually leave until 6...which due to this time change feels like mid-night!!!!!!!!! NOON! I wish.

Unknown said...

Oh, Nicki, what a delight you are! I cracked up (more of a roflmao than anything) when I read the comment about your mother and her car radio (dinner).

Also, I get the cat thing. I have had several cats and they are one of my favorite types of pets.

I didn't realize the info on Ben. Boy he had his nerve!
Really messes me up too!

anderb (that's the WV today. Has a nice ring to it, I wonder what an derb is? or is it a derb?)

Unknown said...

Hey NickI....my daughter hooked me up with a giveaway. You interested? Go to my blog #40 and see. You already follow me (so I will put your name in the pot) but there are other ways you an enter.

take a peek!

Wow! the WV today is unhate. Having too much fun to hate anything so I can "UN" it. I know, I can unhate mountain oysters. Naaaaaa! Too disgusting!