A Sunny, Caffeinated Version of Life

Ever since Daylight Saving Time in March, my energy has skyrocketed, refusing to cave under the snow and rain. Either that or I’ve magically stumbled across the perfect combination of sleep and coffee intake. Given the timing, I’m inclined to think it’s DST- and not caffeine-induced.

The extra hour of sunlight renewed my spirits, optimism, and energy. Life seems brighter, especially as I look ahead at my spring/summer calendar and start planning sandy weekends away.

Even during the winter I have plenty of energy. I don’t get home until 9:30pm many nights, get up the next morning, and do it all again—without turning into a zombie. But in the spring and summer, I’m far less likely to get frustrated by T transfers and long walks home, and less likely to shudder at the thought of a completely booked week.

Then there are my Energizer bunny friends. They possess unflagging energy year-round, energy that puts my schedule to shame. They sit on six committees, run marathons, compete in triathalons, work 12-hour days, and still maintain robust social lives. They even fit in yoga.

The difference between winter and spring, or Daylight Saving Time and the dark months preceding it, is that I’m far likelier to (attempt to) match pace with those Energizer bunny friends when it’s sunny. Which leads to my next mission: before next winter, find out what their perfect sleep/caffeine combinations are and start experimenting!

Weather: Gray skies with off-and-on rain.

Moods:

Anna – 6 out of 10 on the “so miserable I can’t get out of bed” to “jumping for joy” scale.

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The Perils of DST

Two summers ago, I made the leap. I got a Blackberry.

I had managed to keep my college cell phone for six years, until LG stopped making the battery for it, then the charger. After so many years of heavy use, it couldn’t hold a charge and would power down after 20 minutes of conversation.

So I bought cell phone #2. Cell phone #2 was a shiny blue Chocolate LG flip phone. It even had an FM transmitter so I could play my mp3s over the radio. It was pretty slick.

But then I got a Blackberry for work, which while not exactly slick, is no mere phone.

On phone #1 and phone #2, I had to reset the clock whenever there was a time change, so come last fall, I did the same on my Blackberry. What I didn’t know was that it auto-reset itself.

Nothing I did on the Sunday after daylight saving time was scheduled. I went out for brunch with my friend, we poked around stores, and then she headed to South Station to catch whichever bus was next departing for New York City.

It wasn’t until Monday morning as I was walking to the commuter rail that I realized something was off. “This is strange,” I thought. “Nobody else is out walking today.” I arrived at the commuter rail station to find…no one. Not a single person waiting for the train.

I was an hour early.

And confused. What time was it really? Could I actually be not one, but two hours early? What if this had happened in the spring and I had been late to work?

I discovered that it’s terribly disconcerting not to know the time, or only to know you don’t know the time. I felt like I’d fallen through a crack in the time-space continuum, which led to a slew of philosophical questions I didn’t feel like dealing with at 6:30am (7:30am? 5:30am?) on a Monday morning.

Ever since, before I head to bed on the night of daylight saving time, I reset the one clock I own that I know won’t automatically readjust itself. And when I wake up Sunday morning, I check all my devices and travel clocks against that one. And then double check so I don’t accidentally find myself with no time at all.

Weather: No longer raining! In fact, I even see the sun!

Mood:

Anna – 7 out of 10 on the “so miserable I can’t get out of bed” to “jumping for joy” scale. After a downright terrible day yesterday, things are looking up. And I’m going to see the Annie Darcy Band perform tonight!

Hannah – 7 out of 10. She’s well caffeinated.

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