Whoops!! DON'T do it this Saturday night.....it's NEXT Saturday, Nov 3.

So help me, our TV station even had a segment on it. It seems that about half of the calenders have it wrong. They swear that it really is NEXT Saturday (Sunday, 2:00am)

http://webexhibits.org/daylightsaving/b.html

November 4

Here is a link that might be useful: time change

Oh good,now I get to put on all the lights in the house shortly after lunch.

Crap.
I HATE EST more than anything in the world.
It makes no sense to me and puts me in a rotten mood for months---nothing FITS right, light-wise---it's all off-kilter---who the heck likes coming home in the DARK every night?!!!--I get a lot of evening gardening done in that space of time---which brings on a good mood after a usual
'day at work'.

I will say, don't like it if school kids have to wait in the morning dark, though.....always thought school sarted too early in the AM, anyhow....:o)

I refuse to change this year. Not going to do it.
I hate it, hate it, hate it.

This is one of the perks for being not only self-employed, but working right on your own property, and also in an occupation where there is never much reason to make on a light. rofl. The down side is you never get rich poking around in soil. I think the trade-off is worth it.

My typical work day starts after it gets light. When you can no longer see by the light of the sun, it's over except the book work.

I miss the sun's length too, but it's gonna be shorter whether we are on DST or EST. I don't even wear a watch. Mine is in the bottom of my purse with expired batteries. The only reason I even got one was to be able to make train connections in the U.K. My only real clock at home is my grandfather clock and it's accurate to within fifteen minutes after a couple weeks. I need to remember to adjust the pendulum. When I'm outside working, I don't even need my sun dial. I can just about eyeball the shadows and sun and hit it as close as a bad watch.

The alarm clock we have "somewhere" is upstairs in a dresser drawer I think under some junk. It gets resurrected once or twice a decade, as we have that combination of an early bird/night owl marriage. There are very few hours in a day when somebody isn't up and awake. About the time I am nodding off, I often hear my husband's feet hitting the floor and smell coffee brewing.

We have only one clock which alarms twice daily for DH's medication. It's in his bedroom because I wanted to be sure he would take his pills on time...too easy to think "I'll do it soon" and forget entirely. With the alarm he has to respond immediately..LOL plus I know he's taken them. Of course there's the option of taking the pills a few minutes early and turning alarm off...but rarely happens..which just reinforces the need for the alarm.

We are total opposites in time keeping, my DH wearing a watch even now after years of retirement. Though he is always saying "I didn;t kow it was so late"...LOL I rarely wore a watch even while working...it was fastened around strap of purse usually, but everywhere you looked there seemed to be a clock.

My sleep habits are erratic, whereas DH is pretty much a regular 8-9 hour nighttime sleeper. Like Suzy, I notice the sun... even indoors I can pretty well tag it because each window is filled with plants casting shadows.

I'm welcoming the fewer hours of sun since it has been such a fiercely hot dry lingering summer/fall. josh

I think for many of us it isn't a matter of what work we can or cannot do depending on the sun,but how we feel when it gets dark in the late afternoon. Yes,the days are going to be shorter regardless of changing the clock,but that one extra hour of darkness makes a world of difference in how my days will be for the next few months. Not easy to explain but some of you know exactly what I'm talking about. It doesn't seem to matter so much in the early morning,but
it certainly does in the afternoon. It's an awful feeling. My energy is less,I want to eat eat eat, and not being able to be outside after dinner,except to stumble around in the dark is depressing. Studies done by the U.S. Department of Transportation show that Daylight Saving Time trims the entire country's electricity usage by a small but significant amount, about one percent each day, because less electricity is used for lighting and appliances. It would be nice if the gov. looked at it from that angle...at least for us sunaholics.

Marda, I know exactly what you are talking about.
I need light and lots of it.
Some people have heavy curtains over all their windows
and blinds or shutters.
I have floor to ceiling windows most with nothing on them.
If I walk into a room that is the least bit dark, the lights are turned on.

Neil suspects that I spent my childhood locked in a closet. ;0)

Personally, I'll be glad when we change & it will be nice & light outside before 8:00 AM. I absolutely hate it when it stays daark for a long time in the morning.

Well Geez Louise..all you people who like walking around in the dark should come and stay with me for the week. I woke up this morning and most of the clocks and computers had reset themselves, based of course on the old Daylight Savings Time. It's too much trouble to go around and change them all back and then have to do it again next weekend. So lucky me...I get an xtra week of looking at clocks that are telling me the sun is setting at 5:00.

Lucky me..I retired from a formal job a year ago and haven't heard an alarm clock since! But I still wake up about the same clock time (and often take care of the necessities and go back to sleep)..and it depresses me to have to wait another hour for the newspapers to arrive. Has the delivery person switched early? I would prefer to sleep until the light wakes me up, but I guess old habits die hard. I for one will welcome standard time.

I woke up this morning and most of the clocks and computers had reset themselves, based of course on the old Daylight Savings Time.

LOL ! My puter and clock change themselves, except they change on the old DST, like you I aint going thru the trouble of resetting them. The microwave has the right time :)

I had forgotten that my microwave has a "time" feature. My old one used to blink and remind me to reset when power had gone off..this one just has two little lighted dots. It has been months since it showed the time. josh

I think having to endure all the fuss and bother of changing clocks is silly. And I've never understood that claim of 'savings' in the use of electricity. Either you turn the lights on for another hour in the morning or for another hour in the evening; whichever side of noon they're on is still an hour.

Lol, Josh. I haven't worn a watch since I was 20, and DH1 gave me a lovely little thing. I don't look at watches and rarely look at clocks, thanks to an internal timekeeper that is usually accurate to within 5 minutes.

The savings in terms of electricity is supported by data,but I can understand it,at least judging by the way I live. In the morning when it's dark,there is one light on...in the kitchen or family room. In the late afternoon,when it's dark,we have several lights on. We don't keep the entire house dark except for one room,other than in the morning and obviously other people do this too or there wouldn't be that savings.

I'm really wondering if it does have much of an impact at all on conservation of energy now. As a society we don't live the same as we did decades ago when DST came into existence.

Super markets then didn't stay open all night, nor did restaurants or box stores. One didn't expect any store to be open on Sunday. MOst workers were on day shift and the family was together in the evenings. Blue collar meant manufacturing and not retail jobs or service industry (and today that translates to you work any time they want you or you don't have a job).

The effect of increasing population pressure on our schools often mean the kids come in shifts to classes, extending the lighting of facilities from early morning to early evening, as kids come and go at non-traditional hours.

How many people do you know who have traditional work hours? I don't know many, and as a larger segment of our population joins those who may work at any hour, the business and service industries expand their hours to accommodate them. I think basically our society is becoming more and more one who doesn't sleep. The lights are on 24/7 anyway no matter how you tinker with time.

Years ago we had most window screens removed, since we found there were windows which were never opened. It made a difference of 10 to 15% in the light inside. I did it mostly because I grow lots of tropical plants, but I too enjoy the extra light. And a bonus is that it is easy o hose off windows often.

I've never used drapes, only miniblinds, because we like that crisp clean look...not for everyone but that too helps. And white walls as you'd expect in an architect's home..LOL Of course windows are filled with plants and walls with bookshelves so not too stark looking.

With my poor eyesight it's absolutely necessary that I have light at night, but 40 watt wall sconces or bookshelf lights are often enough in the evening other than our reading lamps. And wherever there is a light there's a plant so I get double duty. josh

I for one hate changing the clock back. I am one also who
needs light. I have mini blinds on the windows in the
living room and hubby thinks we need draps, wrong as long
as I am living, nothing is gonna cover them windows. If we
lived in the city that would be different, but we are out
of town.

--And another thing---it may be lighter earlier in the day with EST, but it's frigid out----I'll still do a quick walk---but too cold yet for any work.
(The EDT afternoon light allows just enough time to do SOMETHING outside to feel happy and satisfied after work)
Also, coming home to a house in the dark is a depressing ritual many people endure.
suzy, your way is the most perfect lifestyle going. It allows a person's workday to flow in a natural and sensible rhythm. WKNDS are the closest I can come to living that life--I come away feeling truly happy and productive, work-wise.
That made me think of how much I enjoy working once a week at this elderly gentleman's place out in the country. I arrive with my own tools and just start working where I feel it's most needed---what an emotional boost for both of us!! I make it look better and he gets to ENJOY it! I need to be doing more of this---it's so perfect.....

And, as usual, I will refuse to turn my clocks back----they like it just the way it is, also!

You'd be impressed to know how much heat those curtains/drapes can conserve. . . .

I like light too, but once it's dark, I'm closing the curtains and keeping my house warm, my fuel costs down, and my CO2 footprint smaller. :)

(The secret to making sure you get the full amount of light is to mount the curtain rail several inches above the window, and extend it several inches at the sides of the frame, so the curtains draw right back without covering any of the window. No valances.)

Sara, Like Josh, I'm not a big fan of curtains, but a couple of years ago we discovered the curtains that come with thermal insulation & decided to give them a try. They made a huge difference in both the heating & the summer electric bill.

Andie, do you just use the thermal drapes at night? I'm more concerned with keeping heat out in summer since our winters are so mild (in seventies today). But I just have to be able to see out..the many big windows (combined with privacy of garden) were the 2 main assets.

We are leasing and walls were newly replastered/painted and there is no sign of drapery rods. 2 huge picture windows in living room, 4 large windows in my BR, 3 in DH's, 8 x about 12 foot window almost floor to ceiling in kitchen...expensive to even contemplate. Plus we have already replaced faucets and light fixtures, several other improvements, plus more on my list LOL like removing the rococo ceiling fans.

It's a balancing act...limited funds and how best to use them. I'll look into cost but might be over spending for the benefit if just used at night. This brick house heats up like a kiln all day...and as it usually stays warm here at night, doesn't have a chance to cool down at all. josh

Window quilts are easily made. They're awesome to keep in warmth and of course are totally opaque, so they also keep out light. They can be rolled up tightly inside the window well and tied by ribbons, and unrolled each night. You make them much like you'd make a quilt, with simple quilt batting sandwiched between fabric of your choice. It's on my list of things to do as I'd like mine done with real quilt tops, but any cotton material would be suitable and the quilting done by machine. They can be purchased, but they don't come cheaply that way. If you are handy at a machine, the time spent doing a few of them, and hung on sturdy tension rods would pay you back many times over in comfort and energy savings. You can google them, or I can find a link if anybody wants one.

"How you can help stop this madness of changing the time twice a year.

"Write your congress person about this. A simple letter or email from enough people will get their attention. Just tell them you want to STOP moving the time twice a year and refer them to www.standardtime.com for more information."

Here is a link that might be useful: help stop DST

Josh, We use the thermal drapes in both winter & summer. In the summer I keep them closed over the southern & western windows & in the winter, the northern windows. In the in-between seasons, like right now & in the spring, we can keep everything open unless we get into a privacy attack. Actually, the summer down here is when we need the protection the most. It's amazing how the sun coming through the windows can fade just about anything, to say nothing of the thermal effect.

As to writing your Congressman to stop DST, I fear that would be a total waste of time. It's just not going to happen.

Thanks, Andie..After talking with DH I just don't think I want solid drapes as we have a small house wih few rooms and in and out of each room often. I really need light and views to keep sane...LOL

I've found info on solar roll-up shades which are said to block heat well but you still get some light and view...we may try these inside. They fit inside casement so no holes in walls. Also thinking about another sun sail for back outside kitchen. We could do both and then in a couple years my planted trees will be of more help too.

Didn't mean to hijack your thread, Suzy. Your plan for quilted drapes sound lovely for your house. If we had long cold winters I might cherish the snug feeling I'm sure they'll give. And I envy you for being able to make you own ...I am in awe of all you accompish but the "hand and heart" crafts you do are my favorites. josh

Here is a link that might be useful: Sun Shades

OMGosh, I love it when threads take twists and turns and go off on lives of their own, just like real conversations. I never could understand why people got offended by their threads being "hijacked".

If we have a bitter cold winter, and I am concerned it's headed that way this year, then for sure I'm going to take down the wooden blinds for the season and replace them with window quilts. Our old house has small windows for its size, as in those days when it was built even having glass in your windows was a luxury. So, like you, I opted for valances only to let in the maximum light in daytime. The blinds are let down on my dusk ritual. I check stats, make on the appropriate lights, let the blinds down. We have very deep window wells, most of them about 18" some more, some less since all the windows were hand crafted and none of them the same size, lol. The wooden blinds, although not airtight, do create a dead space and provide important insulation.

I do get very serious about the nickel/dime increases in everything coming at increasingly fast intervals. I have the material for the window quilts in my stash, and it needs to happen here. I review our income/outlays several times a year to see where we can save money through waste. It's an unneeded expenditure no matter what your income and I'd like to think I can retired someday. LOLOL.

Suzie, You're so lucky to have wooden blinds. I remember them fondly And deep window wells...here there is barely room (4") for the mini blinds to fit inside the casement, though oddly there are nice tiled sills at the bottom.
I've never seen so many large windows in a house...built in the 1950s I think. I'm hoping covering just the west and south facing windows with sunshades will help, maybe the others later.

Though we're leasing, we hope to stay...don't want either of us to have to deal with moving again and it's not too large or expensive for just one eventually. Thus we don't mind some expense but like you, try and make cost/benefit equalize if possible.

Going to be 75 here again today...I may go ahead and order my sunshades! josh

After all this discussion, to night is the night to "fall back." If you're on the Daylight Savings Time of this argument, enjoy your last day of evening light. If you're on the other, enjoy waking up to daylight tomorrow morning.