March 7, 2007
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We all know how Daylight Savings Time affects our kids: they’re cranky for a week as their little bodies adjust to the change. We, ourselves, are out of sorts for a day or two, but we spend at least a week, if not more, complaining about the effects of the change on our kids. But then the increased exposure to light kicks in and all’s good. However, when you’re in a rock band, the time change can affect things that we ordinary folk don’t think about. I sat down with Mitchell and Charlie, ShapeShifter‘s longtime tour manager, and asked them to enlighten us. Due to the fact that Mitchell’s already pulling a #5, I decided to summarize rather than expose you prematurely to his adjustment (or lack thereof) issues. Thus… Thirteen Things that Suck and Rock about the Switch to Daylight Savings Time 1. An hour less in the day means the band has to be on the bus and hitting the road sooner after a show’s end. That means that… 2. The after-show party has to be cut a bit shorter. After all, getting to the next town on time does take precedence over a party. Believe it or not. 3. A shorter after-show party means … you guessed it. Fewer beers consumed (leading to a less severe hangover) and … yes, it’s true. Fewer girls. 4. But on a good note, it’s in the band’s tour rider that the bus is to be stocked with food for the trip to the next city. Often, though, the food doesn’t get put away. An hour less of sleep means that the food is discovered an hour earlier, which means maybe the stuff prone to spoiling won’t. Since the guys often don’t discover the spoilage effect until it’s too late, this can often be a very good thing. 5. Another good thing is that no one sleeps well on a tour bus (and I don’t care if you say you’re the exception. You’re not! NO ONE sleeps well on a tour bus). The switch to Daylight Savings Time means one less hour of crappy sleep on the bus. 6. This lost hour of sleep makes Mitchell a very cranky boy, indeed. You thought kids were bad? They’re nothing on a sleep-deprived Mitchell Voss. Because, after all, this time switch was done just to fuck with him, don’tcha know. (That is how Trevor likes to put it, just before he ducks one of Mitchell’s swinging fists.) 7. And, of course, there’s the issue of time zones, states that don’t recognize Daylight Savings, and a band that already has no clue what time it is. Keeping track of such issues is a very important part of a tour manager’s job. 8. Daylight Savings Time heralds the onset of spring. If you watch the band’s road crew carefully, you’ll notice the smokers among them who, when coming outside for a smoke break, turn their faces to the sun, eyes shut. So much better than that weak wintry sun. 9. With springtime comes another important moment for the road crew — the day when the merchandise tables change. There are fewer sweatshirts for sale and more tank tops. The crew loves this change because, let’s face it, 100 tank tops in a box weigh less than 50 sweatshirts in a same-sized box. 10. New merchandise means more sales. Which makes everyone happy. 11. The shedding of winter jackets and other bulky clothes makes for a neater bus, as coats and whatnot aren’t left laying around. (It will be months before Eric’s missing glove reappears, and when it does, another band will be using this bus and poor Eric will never get his glove back because, of course, the finder of the glove is smart enough to recognize a souvenir when she sees one.) 12. Shedding of clothes is always welcome in the ShapeShifter camp. 13. Of course, when you’re ShapeShifter, the only time that really matters is show time. Part of the magic of a ShapeShifter show is that it happens at the same time every night, no matter what time zone you’re in: thirty minutes after the warm-up act ends. Links to other Thursday Thirteens! |
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Chelle Y.
March 7, 2007 9:15 pm
I dread losing the hour of sleep, but I love it when daytime is longer! Just get me past the first week, and I’ll be okay! 🙂
Duchess
March 7, 2007 9:25 pm
We are having enough trouble with the students this week with SOL testing! Don’t take an hour of sleep away from them.BR/BR/Love the header this week!
Susan Helene Gottfried
March 7, 2007 9:48 pm
Congrats, Carmi! Be sure to put a link to a transcript or something in your blog, so I can see what you have to say.
Vader's Mom
March 7, 2007 9:57 pm
Thanks for the reminder. I’m not looking forward to this weekend.
Vader's Mom
March 7, 2007 9:57 pm
Thanks for the reminder. I’m not looking forward to this weekend.
Vader's Mom
March 7, 2007 9:57 pm
Thanks for the reminder. I’m not looking forward to this weekend.
Janet
March 7, 2007 10:05 pm
“less severe hangover”s are always good!!!
Jane
March 7, 2007 10:12 pm
I just wish we could leave the time alone! And what’s up with totally changing the time of the month for MAKING the change. That messes up a lot of stuff!BR/Thanks for coming by my T13.
Thomma Lyn
March 7, 2007 10:17 pm
Daylight Savings time looms again, only this year three weeks early. Heh.BR/BR/Enjoyed the list from the point of view of your characters! BR/BR/Happy TT, and thanks for visiting my blog. 🙂
Christine
March 7, 2007 10:23 pm
I love your list! I also hate DST, especially this year. My day job is in IT. People have been going insane trying to get things ready for the early switch. That means more cranky people around the office. I’ll be glad when it’s all done.
scooper
March 7, 2007 10:26 pm
I forgot all about stupid Daylight Savings time. I live in Indiana and we just started recognizing it (which I absolutely hate)so I have probs. adjusting. I can only imagine people living in the moment like the band.
Jill
March 7, 2007 10:37 pm
Susan, even if I might sound stupid, are this real person or some of your characters??
Susan Helene Gottfried
March 7, 2007 11:06 pm
Nope, Jill, not a stupid question at all. They are fictional characters. I take it as a compliment that you’re getting confused. BR/BR/Thanks.
armywife
March 7, 2007 11:11 pm
i love it being lighter in the morning, just so much easier to get up at 5BR/BR/happy TT
Karen
March 7, 2007 11:17 pm
What an interesting TT… BR/not at all what I expected…BR/and, yes, thanks for the reminder…BR/I hate the time change, but I love having a bit more sunlight
Susan Helene Gottfried
March 7, 2007 11:19 pm
What were you expecting, Karen?
Wylie Kinson
March 7, 2007 11:27 pm
Don’t know why, but I totally had Sean Penn’s ‘Spicolli’ (sp?) stoner voice in my head while reading your list!
spyscribbler
March 7, 2007 11:27 pm
Ohmigosh, I HATE daylight savings time! It’s SO unfair! It’s how morning people maintain their edge. It’s a conspiracy!!!!
Raggedy
March 8, 2007 12:14 am
I dread losing that hour.BR/Terrific Thursday Thirteen!BR/Thank you for your visit.BR/Have a wonderful day!BR/Happy TT’ing!BR/*^_^BR/(=’:’=) BR/(“)_ (“)Å BR/Raggedy
Rashenbo
March 8, 2007 12:17 am
Nooooo it’s not already time for DLS again is it???? Didn’t we JUST change the clocks. I mean come on… it is still sooo totally winter. :)BR/BR/I always have to say: “Spring Forward, Fall Back” so that I can remember which way the time goes. If you want to hear something funny. I grew up in Indiana and Arizona… two of the only places in the US that do not observe Daylight Savings time. When I moved to New Mexio all these people were talking about “time changing” I was like… “WTF?” Time doesn’t change you dummy. Silly me 🙂
L^2
March 8, 2007 12:40 am
Fantastic list as always. BR/I don’t have any kids, but my dogs love the switch to daylight savings time, because it means they get to eat an hour earlier… and Labs LOVE to eat! BR/Happy TT. 🙂
Gattina
March 8, 2007 12:52 am
In my family nobody even notice one hour difference not even the cats, lol ! I appreciate that the sun comes out early and anyway it’s twice a year the same procedure.
whenn
March 8, 2007 4:17 am
We don’t have the daylight savings thingie here in South Africa. It’s a very weird system. I think I’ll get totaly confused…
Tink
March 8, 2007 5:39 am
I have to get used to the switch and that takes some days, but I love it when the daylight stays longer.BR/Thanks for visiting my cat quotes TT!
Darla
March 8, 2007 6:09 am
LOL! Oh, I love it. We’ve still got a couple weeks before we get daylight saving time over here, and I’m not looking forward to it. It’s just starting to get light in the mornings–I really don’t want to get back to waking in the dark again. *sigh*
gabriella hewitt
March 8, 2007 8:18 am
What a cool TT! They don’t do Daylight Savings time in Japan. I’m just happy dh gave me a watch that tells me the time in LA so I don’t have to try to figure out how many hours to subtract!BR/BR/I do remember though loving the extra hour in the summertime back in NY. We could play outside until much later in the evening.BR/BR/Happy TT Day. MY #9 is up.
crowwoman / rhian
March 8, 2007 8:46 am
hee – this was great. And i forgot that nasty old daylight savings is kinda the green flag for spring coming around the corner so YAY DLS! I’m tired of being cold.
karen!
March 8, 2007 10:48 am
Susan Helene Gottfried said…BR/”What were you expecting, Karen?”BR/BR/I wasn’t expecting anything in particularBR/It was more that I thought that the fact that you incorporated DST was an unexpected twist 🙂
Sparky Duck
March 8, 2007 11:10 am
Take the girls with them
Nancy
March 8, 2007 11:49 am
LOL! This is great. I am so looking forward to the time change. More light. And, note to self to clear the kids so they are not grumpy!
cheesygiraffe
March 8, 2007 12:19 pm
Spring is coming! Yay!
Vicky
March 8, 2007 12:50 pm
Great TT!BR/BR/I love it when I wake up to the sun shining… hate it when it’s still dark outside and I’m already at work! So, truthfully I’m not sure how I feel about DST! It just has too many pros and cons! 🙂
Robin
March 8, 2007 1:49 pm
#8 transported me straight back to high school spending early spring lunch hours in the smoking section behind the school! (Funny how romanticized something so unhealthy, antisocial and downright smelly can sound when you’re being nostalgic.)
Susan Helene Gottfried
March 8, 2007 1:50 pm
Robin, thanks. I was trying to conjure a concrete image; I’ll take it as an extra compliment for the time-travel! 😀
Cheryl
March 8, 2007 2:08 pm
Shedding of clothes…yay! Course we all know what those boys mean ;)BR/Welcome spring!
Gene Bach
March 8, 2007 2:10 pm
I wish they would just leave it one way or the other and not worry about it. Seems stupid to change it around.
Claire
March 8, 2007 3:38 pm
number 12 is funny,they do sound like real people, so all credit to ya.BR/i have put up the definitions now.
Mercy's Maid
March 8, 2007 4:14 pm
Sounds like you lead a very exciting life!
Mercy's Maid
March 8, 2007 4:14 pm
Sounds like you lead a very exciting life!
Mercy's Maid
March 8, 2007 4:14 pm
Sounds like you lead a very exciting life!
PJ
March 8, 2007 4:46 pm
Very interesting TT topic. In the UK they originally created DST for the benefit of farmers, but we really need to consider the needs of rock stars in our timekeeping! Happy TT!
Christie
March 8, 2007 5:28 pm
fortunately i’m not a rock star (although i like to think i am), so daylight savings means one less hour in my comfy, comfy bed. wah! happy tt! thanks for stopping by mine.
Joy Renee
March 8, 2007 6:45 pm
Spring forward and poof one whole hour is grabbed out of your life. Most people complain about loosing that hour of sleep but for this night owl, it has always meant an hour less of that quiet, by-myself time, the time alone with no demands from other people, writing time and reading time.BR/BR/That’s why I always loved Fall Back, when they give it back to you. One whole extra hour! It always felt like a gift. Now I see it is really a loan.BR/BR/my TT this week is 13 research projects impacted by the impending library closure. its part 1 of a projected three part series. Yeah there’s that many. At least.
ChupieandJ'smama
March 8, 2007 8:55 pm
I love the time change because it stays lighter in the evening. I’ll miss that hour of sleep. Very interesting list. I never thought about it from a bands point of view before. Less women and less beer would not be a good thing 🙂
ChupieandJ'smama
March 8, 2007 8:55 pm
I love the time change because it stays lighter in the evening. I’ll miss that hour of sleep. Very interesting list. I never thought about it from a bands point of view before. Less women and less beer would not be a good thing 🙂
ChupieandJ'smama
March 8, 2007 8:55 pm
I love the time change because it stays lighter in the evening. I’ll miss that hour of sleep. Very interesting list. I never thought about it from a bands point of view before. Less women and less beer would not be a good thing 🙂
Andrew
March 8, 2007 9:20 pm
Wow, Susan, I’ve never seen so much thought go into a post about Daylight Savings Time. *wink*BR/BR/Something else that sucks about it is if you sleep right through the time change (when the clocks go forward) – then it can seem like you haven’t gained an hour at all. That’s what happened to me last year… 😉
Susan Helene Gottfried
March 8, 2007 9:42 pm
Thinking about this beat some of the other stresses around here, so it was a welcome obsession for a few hours. BR/BR/Stinker. BR/BR/(btw, we LOSE an hour this weekend. We’ll get to the benefits of gaining an hour at a later date)
Bee
March 8, 2007 9:45 pm
The only good thing about dst is that it means spring is just around the corner. Very creative TT 🙂
Sybil
March 8, 2007 10:04 pm
Complex. It’s too bad we have to be trapped by the clock. It would be simpler to live by the sun.
she
March 9, 2007 11:52 am
#6 – hee hee heeBR/BR/If I could manage to get some sleep, I’d probably be annoyed about losing an hour of sleepy time. Since sleep is a fantasy I strive to make reality, I’ll settle for the longer daylight hours and more time to drink beer on the patio 😉
Sophisticated Writer
March 9, 2007 1:27 pm
But the day will be longer and there’ll be more light which means summer is so near 🙂
carli
March 9, 2007 6:10 pm
I wish it meant it was going to be warmer sooner, too!
Susan Helene Gottfried
March 9, 2007 6:12 pm
It warmed up nicely here today… I got in a few minutes of street hockey. *grin*
Suni
March 9, 2007 6:23 pm
what a different way to look at daylight savings time. awesome. and thanks for stopping by 😀
Catherine
March 9, 2007 9:23 pm
Daylight saving ends in New Zealand next weekend. I’ll be sorry to see it go, I enjoy my walks in the vening after work.
Jacqueline
March 11, 2007 12:52 pm
love your TT – but offically it’s “Daylight Saving Time” – no “s” on the Saving – see here: http://webexhibits.org/daylightsaving/b.html BR/BR/scroll down to spelling and grammar. Was pretty enlightening for me as well.