We went away for the weekend with some friends.
Halloween was over.
It was the end of a very stressful week.
It was a last minute excursion, but one that the On The Upside family decided was long over due - a bit of time to relax.
One of the best parts about the weekend - aside from the time spent with good friends, good food - including bunches of Halloween candy - and down-time, well deserved by all --- was the extra hour of sleep gained --- due to the changing of the clocks. The end of daylight savings.
The weather was unusually warm and beautiful for November. It was especially clear and on Saturday evening my good friend and I pulled the two green Adirondack chairs off of the front porch and out to the big yard in front of the ranch house.
We relaxed, talked and gazed up at the vast Texas sky.
We marveled at the beauty of the stars - the sheer abundance and the brilliance of the universe as can only truly be seen and appreciated, when you are away from the bright lights of the city.
It was amazing.
As the evening wore on, everyone wandered off to bed - as there was hunting to be done in the morning - leaving Little Billy, his friend and I, alone in the living room. I was watching Law & Order and drinking coffee. Billy and his friend were sitting in chairs across the room from me - each playing games on their Gameboys.
I was content.
They were content.
The house was quiet.
Then ... Little Billy suddenly says ... "Can we stay up and watch the leap thing?"
I glanced across the room. "Do you mean - the changing of the clocks?" I chuckled to myself.
"Yeah - when does it happen?" his eyes were wide with curiosity - and so serious.
I was already loving this conversation. "What do you mean - when does it happen?" I giggled.
"The time? The clocks?" he says.
"Well ..." I can hardly hold back my laughter, and before I have the chance to offer an explanation, his friend - sitting in the recliner right next to Little Billy - never taking his eyes from his Gameboy - says ...
"It's not like a ... magical event, or anything ..." and, he continues to play his game.
Then ...
I laughed.
On the upside ... Poor Little Billy - he was under the impression that all of the clocks suddenly just changed time - all on their own. Like it was a magnetic occurance or cosmic or .... something. After realizing it was nothing near all that exciting - he smiled, lowered his head and ... was sucked quickly back into the mesmerizing glow of his Gameboy. Me ... I wiped the (giggle) tears from my eyes, changed the hands on the face of my watch and then ... wandered off to bed to ... enjoy my extra hour of sleep.