Spring Ahead

R.a.n.t. of week 03/09/14

Daylight Savings Time has begun and I couldn't be happier. It's the time of the year we set our clocks ahead one hour and in return receive an extra hour of light in the evening. But I'm not here to rant about how I hate when DST ends as I've already done so HERE. And, as I love DST, I'm not going to rant about that this week. Instead, I've decided to go on and on about the comments a few people who actually hate this time of year have made to me. For the record, I'm not ranting ABOUT my friends who hate this time of year. We all have our differences of opinions and my friends are welcome to theirs. I'm talking about the reasons these people hate this time of year, the comments. Who hates this time of year? And why? Polling a few of my friends who claim to hate Spring and love Winter, these are the responses I received to that question.

"I'll lose an hour of sleep." - Seriously, if this is your complaint, go to bed an hour early. You'll lose no sleep that way. If you ask me, losing one hour of sleep is a fabulous exchange for more evening sunlight the rest of the year.

"It signals the end of Winter." - Believe it or not, there are some people who actually enjoy cold, slippery, overcast days. I accept my depression as much as the next guy, that doesn't mean I want to enjoy or prolong it. And how can anyone enjoy the cold? I don't get it, I like to be warm. Maybe I'm crazy, or maybe that's just my newly infused KAYIN-SGAW blood in me.

"Spring is to dirty and mucky." - I picture in my mind the entrance to my apartment this entire Winter. Shoes, boots and what have you, drenched with snow and slush. Most of this disgusting mess has found it's way onto my kitchen floor, and so has salt from the roads. When you live in the North, the roads need to be salted to keep them from getting slick and slippery. As one drives around on the streets, this salt also builds up on the cars. It doesn't matter what colour your car is, by the end of Winter all are the hazy shade of grey.

"Bugs." - Granted, this is one thing about Spring I do not like. I once lived in a house infested with cockroaches. Not a favourite time in my life. Even now I have to battle with ants, I've already complained about that HERE. So on this one grievance, I'll give a pass. Still, it's ironic that just a month ago when we were experiencing zero degree weather, I spied a lone ladybug crawling on my kitchen window. It seems even among bugs, there are a few odd ones that actually like Winter.

"I'm allergic to Spring." - I could give this one a pass too since I also suffer from allergies. But there is medication if you find allergies unbearable. Personally, I just endure it. Again, I find it's a small price to pay for the sunlight, the warmth, the beauty and the fragrance of Spring.

Spring, It's a time of renewal and reinvigoration. It's a clean slate. New goals, new ambitions, new projects. It's time to put a song in my heart and a spring in my step.

Darkness Saving Time

R.a.n.t. of week 11/04/12

"Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise." - Benjamin Franklin

Was Franklin advocating Daylight Savings Time? Was his quote intended to praise an early morning sunrise? Actually no, so he's spared my wrath. How do I know this? Well research for one, but I've also picked apart his quote. To do this, I had to look at what he DIDN'T say. Notice he didn't say 'early to bed and late to rise', this would be an indication of someone depressed rather than wise. How about, 'late to bed and early to rise'? This could indicate a person not rested, consumed in too many projects, thus resulting in making poor decisions. Hardly a wise person. Also his quote is sound because getting adequate sleep does indeed make a person healthy. At least it makes for a healthier person than one who never allows his body to fully recharge. As for the wealthy bit, I guess that remains to be seen. I'll let you know after I make my first million. I wonder if Trump is an 'early to bed, early to rise' person.

So rising early isn't something I'm opposed to. But note, it doesn't mean I need sunlight first thing in the morning. No, neither does it mean I need the sun to help wake me up. That's what my alarm clock is for. If I needed to employ the use of the sun in my time keeping, I'd own a sundial.  My main problem (or rant) is never having enough light in the evening. In the winter months, I end my secular days and it's already dark. When this phenomenon happens, I rarely have the ambition to work on projects once I get home. When DST ends, the feeling is intensified, thus my rant. This causes me to start squandering time. Why? Because it's hard to motivate myself when the evening dark makes my body want to be 'early to bed'. With this squandered time, who can truly feel they made the most out of life? Wait, why did that sound so familiar?

"...do not squander time; for that's the stuff life is made of." - Benjamin Franklin

Ahhh, that's why. Well played Benny.