Tagged: daylight savings time

March 15th, 2010

My Annual Rant Against Daylight Savings Time

I am of the general opinion that whoever invented Daylight Savings Time should be drug out in the street and shot. I’ll be in a better mood next week (or next month) in July when my body has adjusted to one less hour of sleep. And I know you’re, like, Sarah, you don’t lose an hour of sleep every night–just the one night.

And I’m all, like, that’s a load of crap. And I’m all, like, using the word like because it’s “time” to go to bed, but my body says it isn’t, and so, like, I’m typing this blog post instead of, like, staring at my ceiling fan for, like, two hours. And I’m, like, super annoyed that this is how it’s going to, like, be for the next two months, so I, like, thought I might use the work like a lot in this blog post, so, like, you’ll be annoyed, too.

Because really this is what we do. After DST begins, we, like, get up at the same time, like, every day, but we go to bed, like, an hour later, like, every night. Right? Didn’t you ever find it weird in college that it was a lot easier to pull all-nights spring semester? And that whenever you were dating someone new in the spring, it was a lot easier to stay up until 5 AM falling in love with each other than it was in the fall? And that it was a lot harder to get to those 10 AM classes during the spring semester? Some people blame it on spring fever, which I have because I’m as sick of the last five months of winter as the next person. Seriously, when did Springfield turn into Bismarck? Anyway, I blame all these phenomena on DST.

Because really, who takes a two-hour nap at 6 PM? Me. That’s right, the afternoon foggies found me at 6 PM because they don’t honor DST, and they persuaded me to snuggle up under a warm blanket this evening to take a nappie-poo. And while I woke up around 7, I didn’t really wake up until 9:30, which is when I got my second wind and spent a few hours sewing curtains. Yes, I finally broke out the sewing machine the hubs bought me for Christmas. Yea! And now it’s 11 PM, and I’m wide awake. WIDE AWAKE.

And I’m sure you’re all, like, Sarah, just don’t take a nap. My response to this is DID YOU JUST START READING THIS BLOG? You want me, Nappy Napperson, to NOT take a nap. Has anyone asked you to just not breathe? How’s that worked out for you? If you say, “But Sarah, I need to breathe to live,” then you’ll understand how I feel about napping. And while your breathing doesn’t have a huge affect on the people around you, my napping does. If Sarah doesn’t get her nap, then everyone is going to know about, and ain’t nobody gonna be, like, happy.

So yes, yes, whoever thought DST was EVER a good idea should just crawl into a hole tonight because I can’t sleep, and darn it, SOMEONE SHOULD PAY.

P.S.1. I am thankful for the additional hour of evening sunlight. ‘Tis good for the running, which I’m not doing a for a few days because I have shin splints, which suck.

P.S.2. I’ll be less grouchy when my sleep schedule returns to “normal” and when hubs gets home from Chicago. Seriously, who goes to Chicago without taking his wife? That’s just mean. And I apparently use his body heat to regulate mine during the night because I’ve been sleeping with three blankets, socks, and a long-sleeve t-shirt the last two nights.

P.S.3. I’m channeling my inner Dooce tonight. Can you tell? Call it overflow from restraining myself while responding to student emails all morning. :) Thanks for, like, putting up with me.

March 12th, 2008

Kill Me, Kill Me Now

Ugh…I hate Daylight Savings Time. I know it’s four days after the fact, but I haven’t had a decent night of sleep since Saturday. Every night, I try to go to bed at my “normal” time, but I stay awake until 1 AM. Of course, I’m getting up at my “normal” hour, so I’m netting 1-2 hours of sleep less a night than I was last week, which is why I didn’t work out yesterday morning (and tomorrow isn’t looking good either). This was a good problem in college when I used the extra hour of up time to study; however, I did skip a lot of my morning classes when DST rolled around.

I’m trying to suck it up and deal with the time change. After all, everyone else has. And I don’t mind the extra daylight in the evenings…

November 16th, 2007

Running in the Dark: Safety Review

With the end of daylight savings time and the arrival of winter come darker mornings and evenings, cutting short our time to run outside in the daylight. Unless you’re able to rearrange your schedule for optimal daylight running, chances are you’ll spend a few miles running in the dark during the next few months, so allow me to review some safety guidelines for running in the dark.

Print your planned route and leave it on your refrigerator. In case your loved ones have to send a search party for you or come pick you up because you sprained your ankle in a pothole, you want them to know where to start looking, right? Google Maps and training sites like LogYourRun.com allow you to map, save, and print your routes. And make sure you stick to routes you know well or have run during the day; running a virgin route in the dark can be dangerous and scary.

Take your phone. This was the first rule my husband made for me when I started running in the dark, and as much as hated the extra weight in my pockets, I eventually got used to it and now rarely run without it. If for some reason I can’t finish my run or I stumble across the proverbial dead body (as runners always seem to do in the movies and on TV), I have a means to contact my hubby or the authorities.

Wear reflective clothing. This was the second rule my husband made for me. In fact, he bought me a light-weight vest to wear over my running clothes for Christmas last year, and I supplemented my wardrobe with a pair of reflective gloves and a reflective ear warmer. Let’s face it: Drivers can be stupid and don’t always expect to see runners on the road when it’s dark. Always run against the traffic and assume an oncoming car has a driver that doesn’t see you.

Carry an ID. A good idea for any outdoor activity, especially if you have a medical condition, but when you find the proverbial dead body and call the authorities, you’ll want to provide your ID so they can rule you out as a suspect.

Notice everything. Learn the patterns of the people of your neighborhood. Which houses have dogs? Who normally parks in the street? Who normally has their lights on when you run past? Maybe I watch too much CSI, but you need to know what’s normal so you will know when something isn’t normal. Be friendly to dog walkers and neighbors. Leave an impression with these people. If you run with headphones, keep the volume low and be aware of what’s going on around you. And know your exits; if you need to high tail it somewhere, take off between houses, but be sure you know where the fences are.

Wear a headlamp for dark roads or stick to well-lit areas. Even though you’ve chosen to run in the dark, you still need to see the road. Heaven forbid you would twist your foot in a hole or, even worse, plant your foot in the middle of a dead raccoon!

Get a watch with Indiglo. My watch’s Indiglo stopped working about a year ago, and now every time I want to check my time, I have to get under a street lamp. What a hassle! Just bite the bullet and buy a decent watch.

Run during peak sprinkler time. This is more of a summer tip, but the sprinklers in my neighborhood all come on between 9 and 10 o’clock, and I run fartleks to catch up with and run through the sprinklers. It’s like being 7 again!

I’ve been running at night for a while, and this is what I’ve learned over the miles. I’m eager to read what others do to stay safe when running in the dark. Tomorrow I’ll have a review of running-in-the-dark gear. Happy (dark) running!

November 15th, 2007

Running in the Dark: Why I Love It

I think it must be the end of Daylight Savings Time that is getting me pumped for winter, my favorite time of the year. But it’s not Christmas or New Year’s that get me excited; it’s the thought of running in the dark! And for this reason, I’m dedicating a few of my upcoming posts to running-in-the-dark safety tips and gear. But for today, here are the top eight reasons why I love running in the dark.

  1. I’m more aware of nature and the stars and the moon.
  2. Miles and time go by faster because I can’t see how slowly I’m passing my surroundings.
  3. Headlamps are sexy.
  4. Running during non-peak traffic hours means I’m less likely to be ticked off by stupid drivers.
  5. I save a ton of money on sunscreen.
  6. How else can I get my money’s worth from the reflectors in my running shoes?
  7. Running shirtless in the dark scares fewer children than it does during the day.
  8. Early-morning and late-night runs are perfect excuses for post-lunch siestas.

I’m eager to hear why everyone else likes (or dislikes) running in the dark. I’ll have some safety tips for running in the dark tomorrow. Stay tuned!

 

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