Spring forward, fall back. Sounds simple enough, right? Maybe not.

The first indication this change would not be easy occurred last week. We had gotten into the car after church only to find the clock had changed time all by itself.

“Either that sermon was so good we’ve gone back in time or our car has jumped the gun on the time change,” I said.

No offense, preacher, but it turns out the car had acted on its own. In 2006, Daylight Savings Time started in April 2 and ended Oct. 29. In 2007, it was March 11 and Nov. 4, changing to March 9 and Nov. 2 in 2008. This year, those dates were March 8 and Nov. 1.

All this changing left my car confused and it just picked a date on its own. That should have been a sign of things to come.

Greg was out of town last weekend, so Sutton and I were holding down the fort on our own. I awoke early, wondered into the kitchen and glanced at the stove. It said it was 6:44 a.m. The microwave above it said 7:44 a.m.

Wait a minute? Which one was correct?

I turned on the television, thinking that would help. It didn’t.

The television time said 8:44 a.m.

Wait a minute…what was I supposed to do? Pick the one I like best and go with it.

Flummoxed, I went to my purse and pulled out my cell phone. That was no help. It said the time was 11:14 and I was pretty sure that was wrong and probably had more to do with the facts I never charge my phone, it gets dropped on a daily basis and I have a 2-year-old who thinks it’s a toy.

Time, as they say, was ticking. Sutton was starting to stir and it was time for us to get ready for church. I don’t think the congregation would appreciate it if I wondered in halfway through the offering, all because I didn’t know the correct time.

And then I remembered the only standby, the battery operated clock in the kitchen. I looked at it (it showed 7:53 a.m.), moved it backward an hour (to 6:53 a.m.) and sat down to enjoy a leisurely breakfast, basking in my extra hour.

It turns out the stove was correct.

According to US officials, the time change has served various purposes in the past, everything from helping with the harvest to conserving energy.

As for me, however, I can’t really see that it serves any purpose at all, except to confuse people.

Mainly me, that is.

– Leada Gore is publisher and editor of The Hartselle Enquirer. Her column appears each Wednesday.