Times, they are a changin’

Several years ago, I bought a new alarm clock, a “smart” clock, the box said. Part of its smartness was that it would change itself to and from Daylight Saving Time.

Some people hate the time change for various reasons, and some hate it just because they have to change all the clocks in their house. Well, we only have about six clocks in the house and it’s not that big of a deal for me. I just have to have Dave change the one in the kitchen because he’s the tall person in the house.

I didn’t buy the alarm clock because it was smart, I bought it because it had two alarms. My getting-up time varies during the week and with this clock I can have two different times punched in and just have to turn on the appropriate alarm the night before.

Anyway, the clock-maker’s plan was that no one has to change it every spring and every fall.

Great idea. Until Congress rescheduled Daylight Saving Time from April to March. And they set Standard time to change in November instead of October.

The clock didn’t get the memo.

It changes faithfully the first Sunday in April and the last Sunday in October.

So, now I have to reset the clock in March to spring forward. And then on the first Sunday in April, when the clock automatically springs forward, I have to unspring it and set it back.

Same thing in October and November.

Instead of not having to set the clock at all – I have to reset it four times.

Today, I woke up and looked at my clock and thought “9:20, wow, I slept late.” Got up and looked at the clock in the living room – it was really only 8:20.