Falling Back

       Daylight Savings Time ended on Sunday, and five days later I'm still in a head-fog. I used to love it when we "fell back", gaining an hour of sleep. (Sleep, by the way, is my favorite hobby, and who doesn't like to spend an extra hour on one's hobby?) But the last couple of years, changing the clocks forward and back has become drudgery. I don't sleep an extra hour, if anything, I wake up at 3 a.m. and find myself going to bed at 7 p.m. At 9 a.m. I'm ready for a nap, yet I couldn't possibly take one, because I've drank too much coffee to keep myself awake after getting up at 3.
       Because I work as a writer full time now, I do get the privilege of staying in my pajamas most of the morning, but that doesn't do anything for my productivity. Padding around in bunny slippers means you're just one step away from being horizontal in front of the television. So if you work at home, and you're sleep-deprived from falling back or springing forward, nothing good can come of it.
       I have an acquaintance on Amelia Island, FL, though, who has tackled this problem successfully by never getting out of his pajamas. His name is Pajamadave Voorhees; he is a boat captain, and also a minister. My guess is that the time change doesn't matter much to him because his wardrobe knows no schedule, and he manages to get to work on time at Amelia River Cruises. I often see Pajamadave riding happily around the island on his motorcycle, obviously unaffected by Daylight Savings Time or lack thereof.
      Proponents of Daylight Savings Time include business owners, folks in the tourism industry, and guys who like to mow their lawns. But Daylight Savings Time is the foe of transportation workers, and farmers, who can't explain to their cows and chickens that because it's time to set their clocks forward, or back, please chill out and let the farmer sleep in a little bit. In a week or so I will have gotten into the groove of a regular day-night pattern, and just when my schedule is on a roll, it will be time to change the clocks again.
       Spring forward, fall back - why can't I leave my clocks the way they are? Heck, why am I writing about this anyway? I'm going back to bed....