Turning the clocks ahead an hour in the middle of the night isn't really fair to us night people. We lose an hour of precious time, and then we're ridiculed the next morning for sleeping in even later than usual. Even for morning people, it's not right. Why should anyone lose an hour of sleep, when there's an alternative?

Daylight savings time should start Monday morning at eleven o'clock. Not only is the worst day of the week an hour shorter, but it's suddenly lunch time! It could be an annual ritual — change the clocks, go to lunch.

In the fall, when we set the clocks back, it doesn't matter as much. An extra hour's sleep is probably the best answer. But why couldn't we do it on a Monday, at one o'clock, and have an extra hour of lunch? I think this would be much less disruptive to my personal sleep cycle, which is of course the most important consideration.

And you could make up for the lost episode of All My Children in April with a two-hour long episode in October. If that's what you're worried about.

When I looked out the front door this morning (okay, this afternoon), I saw something that sent a chill down my spine. I've been obsessing over the gigantic oak tree in my yard. Most of the other oaks in the area have been showing a lot of green foliage for a week or more now. As we rode the bus through Marin yesterday, I looked out the window and mentally recorded the condition of the oak trees I saw. I was happy to see that most of them looked healthy, but it made me despair even more for "my" oak.

So when I saw the sudden display of green on this tree, I was moved. I heaved a big sigh of relief to know that it would live for another season. It's a kind of miracle, because I was out there last night, after I got back from the game, and there was no sign of new growth. That's how quickly bad news can turn to good.

They say it might rain Monday. That's a relief, since it gives me another weekend when I have an excuse not to wash my car. Not that I need much of an excuse.