DST

Okay...I try not to complain about too many things here in blog-land...but Daylight Savings Times (DST) is just one of those things that deserves a little attention.  It drives me batty...always has.  It seems that just when we get used to either being on DST or EST it is time again to change to the other.  Then it seems to take a week or two to adjust to the new time.  I think there are good arguments for having the time be in DST or EST but I just wish we would choose one and stick with it. 

To complicate it, the US now switches to DST at a very different time than the rest of the world.  Not too much of a problem unless you participate in teleconferences with the US, Europe, South America, and Australia...all of which switch in and out of daylight savings time at different stages.  Talk about a scheduling nightmare! 

This is an advantage to living in Singapore...we are always on the same time...no messing with daylight savings time...although not sure how much difference it would make being so close to the equator.  Regardless, you never have to make the adjustment which is nice after spending all of my US life springing forward and then falling back...then springing forward and then falling back...then springing forward...

I live in somewhat of a constant state of timezone hopping so can adjust relatively well to change in time.  But for some reason, DST still bugs me...who knows why?

Am curious...be warned audience participation required now...what are your thoughts on DST?  Like?  Dislike?  Lukewarm about the whole topic and hoping I come up with a better blog topic for next time?

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Boing!

It is quite springy in NC these days...Boing!

It seems that most of my past few posts have been about the weather or something weather-related.  As I've said before, spring and autumn are my favorite seasons.  I think I may have also mentioned that there really is no change in season in Singapore.  There are only two: monsoon season (occurs twice a year) and non-monsoon season.  This means that it is green year round and the temperatures don't fluctuate much.  Living all of my life in regions where there are four distinct seasons I really miss the changes when I don't get to experience them in Singapore.

This afternoon Alan and I took advantage of some nice pre-rain spring weather and headed up to Duke Gardens.  It is a nice walk around the gardens.  Some of the trees are starting to bloom:

Others are already blooming:

There are also some amazing flowers in bloom:

As I mentioned, it is a nice walk through the gardens.  If you haven't been before it is worth the trip.  If you want, there is a duck pond so bring some stale bread and feed the ducks, they looked pretty hungry when were there...not really.

They also have great walking paths...including this awesome zigzag bridge:

The zigzag bridge is worth the trip alone...mainly because zigzag is so fun to say and terribly fun for me to type.

Speaking of spring...a friendly reminder to spring your clocks one hour forward to enter Daylight Savings Time.  I could write an entire blog on how ridiculous I think DST is...maybe I will and I'll just save that for later.

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The possibilities...

Today we had to make a trip to Home Depot...oh the possibilities...and we didn't even enter the actual store...we were just in the garden department.

I haven't been to a home improvement store in quite a long time.  I'm sure they must have some sort of equivalent somewhere in Singapore but I certainly have never seen one.  Plus, manual labor comes pretty cheap there so I'm guessing there probably are not a lot of do-it-yourself projects around the house.  Kind of sad if you ask me...I think it is fun to hatch an idea, plan it, and then see it come to fruition by your own hand. 

I could walk around home improvement stores for hours...just looking at all of the possibilities.  Sometimes Alan and I do just that...for fun...we're dorks...we know...  I also think it is fun to watch everybody else in there and see what they are either looking at or purchasing.  (It is always a bonus when you get the couple that seems to be having a disagreement or one of them really DOES.NOT.WANT to be there...we've all had those moments in our relationships.)  If I had unlimited money I'm pretty sure that I could redesign or build a new house over and over again.

The weather here didn't disappoint today.  It was perfect for us to spread 25 bales of pine straw in the front yard.  Now to design that new patio for the backyard...

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Weekend ahead...

I am SO looking forward to this coming weekend.  It is supposed to be in the 60s and sunny here in NC...sorry for all my Midwestern peeps...spring will soon be in the air for you too...

It has been ages since I've been in mild, warm, sunny weather...I cannot wait!  It'll be fun to be outside in the weather and not be too terribly hot nor too terribly cold.  Spring and autumn are perfect for that...being just perfect...the in between weather that is not too warm but not too cold...  Most of the winter we want it to be warmer (not all of us but lots of people) and most of the summer we (totally me) want it to be much, much cooler.  Does anybody complain that much about the weather in spring and autumn?  Is there anybody out there that doesn't love both of them?

We actually have daffodil bulbs already coming up in the yard.  The buds aren't showing yet but the stalks are on their way...waiting to say hello and welcome us to spring.  I personally think that this weekend is the official beginning of it...  I'm totally looking forward to the weekend ahead...hope you all are too!

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