What is it with Daylight Savings Time that drags you down for so long? It seems to be more of a hassle to go through the exercise of changing all those clocks that aren't hooked into a satellite than it is worth. You get might 2 weeks of seeing a little bit of more "daylight" but typically the shades of grey around here can be close to black. Typically it coincides with a good rainfall which helps to dampen the mood.
On the way to work I pass a school in the morning. 6 blocks away an elementary school where the kids are running around playing chase, swinging and playing on monkey bars. Even in the rain, well most rain. I pass by the crossing guards who change every week. It is one of the true pleasures to watch my little corner of crossing guards of all personalities. Honest you can tell the future police officers, cheerleaders, fashionistas, artists, beauty queens, et al. Just by the way the act, direct the traffic, talk to each other, imaginary fight demons on the sidewalk, and I saw one write down a car plate on a guy who didn't pay attention. I'd imagine his family gets annoyed with all the tattling, but once he hones that down he has potential. Narc, reporter, spy, the world is open if he doesn't get the snot beat out of him.
When you leave the house typically at the same time you see the same people out for whatever reason they have. I have a neighbor you only see for the first month of school when she walks her son to school. Well she walks half way up the hill and watches him go the rest of the way. The rest of the time she loads their over fat asses into the car for the 1/4 mile drive. Driving by the same faces all year long you start to wave at the regulars. Some wave back, some think you are crazy even though drive by every day.
Still I like to wave and name them even if I have never talked to them. There is "stick guy" because he has a sturdy long walking stick. I have a hunch it was a branch from a tree that probably snapped off during a wind storm. It still seems to fit him. I pass a hospice before I head down the hill and there are a couple nurses that spend their break walking the hill. It's less than 1/2 mile each way, but the vertical climb gives all a work out. "Stick thin" lady goes up 1 side of the hill and down the other to turn around and repeat. A very good 2 mile hike. The man who sees his son off on the bus and walks the hill to wherever he works - "yellow REI guy". That's only within the first 5 miles. I still have 12 to go. I'm not totally crazy - I don't wave the entire drive into work.
However Daylight Savings has taken it's toll this last week. The regulars aren't out yet when I drive by. I can't seem to leave on time to see the crossing guards, The school kids aren't in the best of humor and are taking it out on their parents.
It's like moving the clock back one hour throws everyone off kilter. I certainly hope it puts itself in balance soon. I seem to be dragging my ass into work later and later every day.
