So here’s my semi-annual daylight savings time rant. If you’ve been around for a while, you’ve heard it before so feel free to skip it.

I *like* the time change. I understand the cons (more auto accidents, etc.). I remember the days when the beach urchins were out of sorts for a week or so after the time change – didn’t matter if we were springing forward or falling back. It doesn’t bother me. Actually this year I hardly noticed it. I slept a wee bit late last Sunday like until 6:40 or so but hey it was SUNDAY? I only had to reset one clock this year. It was Gertrude’s (stove), and that’s five seconds of clickety click. My phone and bedside clock automatically change and I no longer own a vee-hickle that doesn’t change its own clock. Now, the flip side of that is that Cygnus was low on veeeendsheeeeld viper fluid this morning and reminded me literally every two minutes or so. Ping… Ping… Ping…

There’s yet another move to end the time change, this time nationally. One of the most egregiously stupid arguments I’ve heard for this was that it would mean more sunlight per day. Really? Who are these people we seem to be electing? Switching to permanent DST is NOT going to give us more sunlight. It is going to give us more sunlight AT THE END OF THE DAY. There’s a tradeoff there and it is LESS SUNLIGHT IN THE MORNING. I am on the west side of the eastern time zone and I am not looking forward to 9:00 AM sunrises in the winter.

I have experience with this phenomenon. Another year another legislature once decided that the Great Lake State’s upper peninsula was more aligned with Wisconsin, which is in the central time zone. So they moved us into Central time for a while and that amounted to year-round daylight savings time, meaning the sun didn’t rise until well after 9:00 AM in the winter. I was in high school then and getting to school meant walking four blocks south, then a couple blocks ACROSS THE TUNDRA (no sidewalk or street). In the dark, often with blowing snow and/or minus 32 degree temperatures.

I know a lot of people don’t like the time change but I wish our national legislators who are pushing it would spend a few weeks in Sault Ste. Siberia in January before casting their votes. I do not think a lot of people think this issue through. I also don’t know what the answer is. I just wish our elected officials would put some more thought into it. Or maybe we should put some more thought into who we elect.

Today was Tax Day here but I won’t rant about that. You’re welcome.

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