Every year it’s the same. I whine. I complain. I rail against the man.

I friggin’ hate daylight savings time. Going on it, coming off it–doesn’t matter. It messes with my schedule.

But this year I’m turning over a new leaf. I’m trying to beat the winter blues, trying to avoid my natural inclination to hibernate (although a colleague and I have come up with a delicious plan that involves feeding the “powers that be” to the lions after they bring us bon-bons which we will eat while lying on the settee, reading and watching Downton Abbey. Okay, I added the part about Downton Abbey, but I’m 100% certain my colleague will agree).

So this year was going to be different. I would go to bed at a reasonable time, and instead of getting up at my usual (of late) 5:30, I would get up at my preferred 5:00. But since it would really be 6:00 to my internal clock, it would not feel as horrible and would thus ease me back into the routine of getting up at 5:00–for the rest of the winter.

But Sunday came, and Sunday went, and I went to bed late not early (shock!), and I cannot get out of bed at 5:00. It just. Won’t. Happen.

So I’m giving you this one, Daylight Savings Time. You’ve bested me once again. And if I ever get elected to public office, my first act will still be to abolish your ridiculous practice–closely followed by all my other feelings: elector college reform, campaign finance reform, term limits for senators–oh who am I kidding? I’ll never run for public office. My poor little soul couldn’t take the trampling.

On the bright side, I’m sort of managing my anti-hibernation-league-attempts pretty well. I finished my novel (FINISHED!), which has basically made me feel that I’ve earned the right to hibernate all I like. So I’ve read 2 books, and started 2 others that I’m not totally sold on. The biggest problem is deciding what I want to read next.

It’s funny though. I thought that having a million anti-hibernation techniques would get me through the winter and help me keep writing. Turned out–well, maybe it was our lovely Indian summer and gorgeous but warm fall–or was it entering contests and writing writing writing that got me all excited and chased the winter blues away? Maybe that’s why NaNoWriMo is in the fall. Maybe everyone knew these secrets and I’m late to the game.

Either way, I’m going to go try to banish my headache and hope for good things as the election results roll in.