That Spring Forward...Thing

Although I understand time changes, I don't necessarily like or agree with them.  There are many other issues in life that can mess with one's senses, it doesn't need to be a time change. A prime example: last night or to be politically correct, just thirty minutes pass the stroke of midnight, I was finished with labor reports, inventory and anything else that needed to be done.  This allowed me, an ever so rare, but enjoyable opportunity of finishing my work week....early.  Only an hour, nonetheless it was early.  Heading home, with chilly temps, the car windows remaining closed, soulful music surrounding my tired bones, but thoughts of "yippee it's my Friday, I'm an hour early!" consuming my thoughts.  As I drive, reaching the outer limits of the tourist's area, the highway becomes quiet, no lights, no billboards, just the beautiful starry night with an occasional headlight in the distance.  Our Florida sky is so expansive, so easy to find the constellations.  Small shooting stars often seen, don't forget, "to wish upon a star", fills my mind with childhood memories of laying in the summer grasses of our backyard, looking up, just gazing at the star filled heavens in amazement. Absolutely soothing, it afford the body soothing serenity, an adjustment, a time to unwind.  Mr. Bill often questions....."aren't you so tired driving home.  Please be careful not to fall asleep!"  Sleep! When there is so much to look at, to wonder about, the heavens are an eternity.  The expansiveness of the sky totally consumed and perfectly arranged by the twinkle of millions of the diamond-like jewels, seemingly attached to lush velvet blackness that never ends.   Much like snowflakes that fall in the cold climates, the kaleidoscope of stars appearing in my sky seem to change with every breath I take.  None are the same!

Memories of my early mornings at Fred's News always include the sky.  But as the seasons come and go,the fact is we MUST change our clocks.  So, my hour departure from work has made my attitude somewhat smug until I reach home, realizing it is Sunday morning, my day off and I've already lost an hour.  So really, I am arriving home at my USUAL hour!  That does mess with my head.  The beauty and serenity of the ride, now just a distant memory, I am still home, late and I've lost an hour of my day off...Oh bugger, Mother Nature screwing with me again.

Time changes at Fred's, for the most part, went smooth.  Always a number of constants you could count on....Spring forward....the Sunday papers would be late.  Not just the hour late, but LATE!  Obviously the time change screwing with someone else's senses.  Fall back, the papers would be waiting for me....half of them missing although I never understood the justification for that.  More than likely, it was just because......!   Fall back...everyone arrived early and I mean everyone.  A true Sunday morning rush,  starting at the ass-crack of dawn, probably a good thing we enjoyed the extra hour sleep.  Sunday morning help, still fashionably late...justification.....just because!   Spring forward....we never got the Sunday morning papers, Mr. Bill lamenting, "it will be the afternoon edition, for God's sake"!  Justification...just because!   Help would arrive more than fashionably late...just because! Obviously, I am not the only person, that finds time changes twice a year...not so good.  Mother Nature provides us with such beauty, yet on the flip-side, she "taketh away!"