WEEKEND REVIEW

Being fed up with the rain, I finally decided to discover the new Shopping Center in Nivelles, the next "big" town near Waterloo.



It turned out to be very nice, and lots of people had the same idea as me, the shopping center was very crowded. I was lucky to find a parking space, somebody just left. I started to walk inside protected from the rain and discovered that all the shops we have in Waterloo on the main street were here under one roof. I took some pictures, sat on the nice seats and even found a nice cardigan for half price ! Madame GPS on my return went crazy and I did a sightseeing of places I had never seen. Unfortunately I couldn't stop and take pictures because of the rain. So I really don't know where I have been but suddenly I was in Waterloo and found my home !

As each year at the same time we sprang because of spring to summertime; And as usual there were the same complaints and interviews on TV because of one hour difference. Many countries have used it at various times, but it really started since the energy crisis of the 1970s, so we should used to it by now. They should record the yearly complaints and play them each year, because it's always the same. One hour difference, I don't even realize !



Even my cats don't care. Here is Arthur before and after the daylight saving time.

On Sunday late afternoon I went with two friends to the cinema to see the so much praised movie



Still Alice. Marianne was particularly involved because her husband has just started Alzheimer and I had thought that it would do her good to see the future and at least know and more understand this terrible disease and how to handle it. At the beginning she was watching quietly, sitting besides her I felt her fear. When  Alice started to get lost and it got worse and worse, she only saw the symptoms and didn't understand the movie and started to cry. I felt so sorry for her but tried to concentrate on this extraordinary movie.

But when we got out it was the catastrophe, she cried and cried and we tried to comfort her and went in a Tavern for a drink.

There she started to blame me because I had suggested her to see this movie.
She complained and complained about the future. Nicole and I suddenly understood that she was not crying for her husband, but because she pitied herself. It was always about what a life she would have, that she couldn't travel anymore that she had to take him with her now all the time etc etc. We told her that she has to pull herself together, and get used to cope with it now that she knew more about this disease, there she told us that she knew already everything because she had been at the Alzheimer association and is part of a group of people living with Alzheimer. It was useless to comfort her, she was so deeply sad about herself, and continued to whine and whine, so that Nicole at a moment got very angry, told her what she thought and that she should stop to pity herself ! That helped, we finished our drinks and returned home. I learned something of this experience. Don't try to help such selfish people, its just a waste of time, it ended that she was angry with both of us. Not even once she had mentioned her husband.

DAYLIGHT SAVING ??

This morning I had to sleep one hour longer ! What a shame ! Although I agree, I saved a little bit of electricity because when I woke up I had daylight and didn't have to use our electricity. I mean normally I shouldn't have used it, but as it was so grey outside I could hardly find my slippers and had to switch on the light anyway.

I had set my clock on the bedside table to winter time, checked my computer who had done it alone, Mr. G. had taken care of the rest, only he had forgotten the Microwave, but that didn't change anything in the warm up process.

The cats didn't care they don't have paw-watches, they want to eat when they are hungry which means at 6 am or during the whole night, but for that I have dry food.

Therefore we started our day as usual, and only realized the electricity saving at 5 pm, because it got dark and we had to switch on the light one hour earlier otherwise we would have to sit in the dark.

So honnestly why are we forced to change time if we have to use electric light one hour earlier ? I suspect that this is again the politician's way of saving money.

DAYLIGHT SAVINGS ?

more participants at Jenny Matlock's Alphabet Thursday

D = Daylight savings

Each year there is Daylight saving day, once in spring and once in fall. For some people it takes days to get used to one hour jet lag although they didn't move out of their beds.

We have to spring one hour ahead in spring and fall on our back in fall. At least this way I remember what I have to do with the numerous clocks and watches in this house, not to forget timers, the microwave, and other household appliances.

Personally I don't really see the reason. For the moment we still have summer time and at 8 am it's still dark and it gets dark again at 7 pm. Now in fall at 7 it will be even worse and in the evening it is not better.

Where the heck is the saving for people like me ? I mean I am not a farmer who has to get up at 5 am to milk his cows, although he probably uses a timer for his milk machines now. I don't care if it becomes day at only 9 instead of 8. Even those who are locked in an office the whole day would certainly prefer to come back home when it's still daylight.

My cats don't know any daylight savings they claim for food at 5 or 6 summer or winter time, when I stumble half asleep to the kitchen, fill in the bowls and return into my bed. Babies are fed now when they scream and not at fixed times, they don't need daylight savings either.

And what happens in your daily life if you don't pay attention ?

In spring you have to wait for an hour when you miss your train. In fall you also miss your train when you are late and you also have to wait. Result despite daylight savings you have the same problem.

In Spring you eat your lunch at 12.30 in fall too, only it's an hour earlier or later, but that doesn't matter if you are only eating because it is 12.30 and not because you are hungry.

In Spring you go to bed when you are tired, in fall too and you switch off the light anyway.

In both cases you also have to get up every day.

Apparently this exists in the whole world, everybody complains more or less, some people pretend that they suffer of one hour daylight savings from fall to spring and when they are finally used to the daylight jet lag, it's time again to change for fall and they start to suffer again !

Since years politicians all over the world rake their brains to find out if there is any energy saving. Therefore they think it over from spring to fall and from fall to spring and save at least their own energy because nothing has changed so far.

Meanwhile we save daylight and sit in the dark, but there is no saving on our electricity bill !