Photo by Agê Barros on Unsplash
Halloween falls on the Monday before the changing of clocks on November 6th. The post on that Monday will be devoted to Top Ten Things not to Do on Halloween. Therefore, it might be a good idea to discuss the fall back routine of Daylight Savings time. This post was first run on November 14th, 2016. I think the advice is still good.
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I dislike the time change situation and have to guard against doing some unnatural things during the “getting used to” period. I hope this list is not too late.
Top Ten Things Not to Do When the Time Changes
10 When there is a time change, do not think “fall back ” will really give you an hour of extra sleep. If you do, at best, you will be grumpy and disappointed. At worst, you will hold a grudge against the government until the “spring forward” time comes around. (Those threatening letters to the President have a way of coming back to haunt you. Don’t they felon?)
9 When there is a time change, do not expect your pets to understand the difference. If you do, at best, you will have a lot of whining around the house. At worst, those routines that are now disrupted will cause some significant animal errors. (What part of going outside by 7:00 did you miss trying to extend the visit by an hour?)
8 When there is a time change, do not expect your boss to understand your inability to adapt. If you do, at best, your boss has the same problem. At worst, the meeting called for your performance appraisal was an hour ago. (I’ll bet you are not happy with your raise this year, Ferd. Is giving back some of last year’s a thing?)
7 When there is a time change, do not think the rest of the world needs to understand your disorganization. If you do, at best, you will only miss a couple of scheduled events. At worst, your no-show profile will be noted, and the next event invitation will conveniently arrive one hour after the event is over. (There is only so much planners can take; after all, it’s been three months since the change.)
6 When there is a time change, do not forget to reset your timers. If you do forget, at best, there will be minor inconveniences until set. At worst, that oven setting will be an hour late, and you’ll be faced with raw chicken, and you invited your boss for dinner. (Lucky you, a Kentucky Fried outlet is just down the block. What you don’t know is your boss can’t eat fried food and just walked through the front door.)
5 When there is a time change, do not forget it gets dark earlier in the fall. If you do, at best, you’ll need to remember a flashlight next time. At worst, that sinkhole visible in the light somehow disappears in the dark. (That is until you manage to step in it and go up to your knees in freezing water, huh, Bunky?)
4 When there is a time change, do not take out on others the fact that you are out of sorts. If you do, at best, you will be ignored. At worst, you will insult those whose job it is to serve you. (You can’t tell, but Tiny, the WWF champ, is heading to your table to personally deliver the perfectly cooked meal you sent back. It seems that Tiny was on probation as a chef, and your meal was the test case. Hope your health insurance is in effect, Buster.)
3 When there is a time change, do not keep one clock on the previous time. If you do, at best, you might pay attention to that clock and miss something. At worst, you will keep reminding yourself of your unfortunate lack of ability to adapt and continue to measure your life in terms of what is missing as opposed to what you have. (A deep philosophical point that can be summed up with the word “stubborn.” Right, Clyde?)
2 When there is a time change, do not be concerned that you have to calculate scheduled times for your favorite shows. If you do, at best, you will miss a few shows due to your own error. At worst, you will employ a tremendous amount of effort only to discover the shows are on at the same time as usual. (Makes one feel foolish, doesn’t it, Homer)
1 When there is a time change, do not attempt to change your car clock yourself. If you do, at best, you’ll realize quickly you need help. At worst, you’ll make some adjustment that has never been seen before and will require a replacement clock to fix. (The clock reset is a little car manufacturer humor built into each car. Maybe this is the only exception to point number three.)
Fiction Favorites 
Lols! 😂 Our clocks go back on the 30th. Forward or back, the changes always mess me up, so I’ll be sure to refer to your sage advice, John! Have a wonderful week 💕🙂
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Thank you, Harmony. Have a super week too.
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Number three! Our daughter and I went one day-trip to NYC (on the spring ahead day). We stopped at a bar near Penn Station for a beer before our train home. The only timepiece that hadn’t been set was my wristwatch (because we both had phones, right). Realizing our mistake, we flipped some money on the bar, ran to the station to see the board indicating the only train to ever leave on time, was on its way to Connecticut. Exchanged our tickets and went back to the bar.
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Ha ha ha. At least there was the bar.
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True. The bartender even gave us a free beer.
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Good tip I’ll bet.
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I didn’t wait for change when we left the first time 😏
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That’s what I was counting on.
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I can believe they are going to stop changing the time next year. I’m looking forward to that!!
Great list, John.
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Thanks, GP. I will like that too.
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Didn’t realize we were getting close to that again. Thanks for the heads up.
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Yup. Just over the hill. 🙄
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I can’t wait until we put an end to all of this back and forth. Great advice, John!
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Me too, Jill. 😊
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Since moving to Arizona, I’ve grown attached to no time changes — except if you drive into Navajo Nation areas. The big problem is figuring out the time change in other states. BTW, I think Arizona has got it right. 😊 Why keep so many of us confused?
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I think the government likes us to be confused just for confused sake. Thanks, Gwen.
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👍🏼
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Totally agree, Gwen. We all need to be like Arizona.
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😊
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Would be a good idea, Joan
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Ugh. The horrors of time changes. At least it’s not the spring version. I can fudge this one enough to actually get more sleep.
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Spring forward is always dicey. You are right. The fall is a little easier.
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I hate the time change. I can adjust to this one a little better than losing an hour in the spring. The change accomplishes nothing. I can relate to the pets waking us up early. Happens every “time!” 🙂
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I hate it too, Joan. Yes, the poor pups don’t know what is going on.
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I think the time change is silly, but I cope in my own way. I ‘keep’ that extra hour until I need it. The longest I’ve ever gone may have been mid-December. Since most of my life is determined by the sun, including work hours, what the clock says makes no difference. Living in the 19th century isn’t all that bad.
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On the other hand, I do remember the cat’s inability to adjust. #9 is on target.
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Ha hah a. Thanks, Linda.
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I love the idea of saving the hour till you need it. Good one.
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#9 sure is true around here. You can’t fool Bond about the time.
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They all know.
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My bedside clock is the one that never seems to get changed. I don’t use the alarm, so that’s not a problem. I think I just like having to mentally calculate WHEN I am getting up. Go figure. But then I don’t have to change it in the spring.
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Sounds like a good plan, Noelle.
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I’ve always doubted the logic behind DST. I’m such a cynic! 🙂
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I don’t understand it either
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Ah, the changing of the car clock. That one always presents a problem — get out the manual, flip through the pages, follow the directions. Not hard, but more time-consuming than I’d like. Guess that extra hour does come in handy!!
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I love my car. It has an analog clock so changing it is a matter of pushing the + or – button. In the fall I hit the minus.
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Wow, what an outstanding feature!
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😁
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A great top-ten list. Changing the car clock is always the last thing I remember, after I panic thinking I’ve missed picking up the kids at school. 🙂 Thanks for sharing, John!
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I usually see it when heading to the gym. Like you it is the last one usually.
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Ha ha ha. #1 – the car clock – is my downfall, John. I just leave it at the wrong time for half of the year. Why oh why do we have to go through this twice a year?
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To be tortured why else?
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Arrgh. 🙂
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😁
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On the day before the change-over, I will change the time on the few appliances we have that “tell” time so we kinda-sorta get visually acclimated to what is coming the next day…an hour lost or an hour gained. I would compare it to being in a decompression chamber after operating in a differing barometric pressure environment. If nothing else it helps acclimate me to the change, while also helping to ensure I won’t miss the first scheduled event the next day…or be terribly early.⏰
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Sounds like a terrific plan, Bruce. Thanks for the suggestion.
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I prefer the fall, but if given my choice, how about neither?
Loved this post Boss . . . for a second time!
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Yup. Neither is a great choice
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The time changes & we don’t…Strange point, dear John! Thank you for the list. Number 9 is the top! Pets have no clocks! Can you imagine what our life would become of if they did?😏😨😨😨🍤🍤🍤🍻
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Yes, Imagine them standing over a timepiece indication that dinner is two minutes late. Thanks, Maria.
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😨😨😨😱😱😱 A human life would have become a true nightmare! They would have demanded more dinners…more snacks…more toys…:-)
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And more posts. 😳
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Whew! Reading what-all can go wrong with the time change has left me dazed and confused.
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Just be careful. Liz. 😊
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I guess I’d better! I’m befuddled enough as it is.
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😁
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We have a bulky, oversized clock in our kitchen that is a pain to get down and put back up. Some years we don’t bother removing it. It’s funny how one can get used to looking at the wrong time for six months and adjust the real-time in our mind.
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Our gym has a clock like that and you are right.
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Put us in the “we HATE DST” category…whether we’re springing forward or falling back. It’s dumb and doesn’t do anything but disrupt the biorhythms of everyone in the household. Plus it’s a constant pain in the neck for the Ninja whose medication delivery is time based every 12 hours. Grrrr.
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I feel your pain. Thanks for sharing.
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Great list, John! I, for one, just wish we could fall back and stay there. This messing with the clocks doesn’t fool Mother Nature. Best as I can tell, we still only get 24 hours in a day. It’s like changing time zones. My watch might read early afternoon but my body is like, “Nope, I’m going to bed.” 😉
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I hear you, Marie. Thanks.
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Haha, thanks for the smiles, John! Great list! The car clock and Copper the canine! When it’s meal time, he’ll let me know! Here we go again! I’d love it to stop, too!
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Yup. Maybe some day.
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😀⏰
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😊
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Wouldn’t it be great if they’d do away with the time change? It’s archaic . . . I mean, “Hello, Government! We have electric lighting now!”
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I would like that for sure. Thanks, Mark.
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Ah, dogs and kids will not get it for while, which is miserable for pet owners, parents, and teachers. Who likes dark at 4:30? And, I side with Tiny who cooked a perfect meal. Super, John!
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Thank you, Jennie.
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You’re welcome, John.
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😁
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Number 9 is so true. Also, I’d like to give an honorable mention to Dan Antion’s comment and the follow-up comments between you two.
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Thank you, Andrew
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