the buzz log

We'll admit it: We run late. We wander off. We get distracted and don't pay attention. But not this time around. This season, we're planning ahead and marking our calendars -- the government won't catch us by surprise with its sneaky changes of the hour. Not on this occasion, anyway.

On October 30, the nation will retreat from daylight-saving time by turning back the hands of its clocks by one hour. And we're not the only ones determined to stay alert for it. Already this month, searches on "daylight savings time" have jumped up, "time change" has stirred, and "fall time change" has roused itself from a long slumber.

Concern over Congress's recent move to extend daylight-saving time by one month also sparked searches. News queries such as "daylight savings time change," "daylight savings delay," and even "daylight savings bush" all spiked. But friends, never fear. That change won't happen until 2007. We're impressed, though, that you're thinking that far ahead.

If past seasons are reliable guides (and we always have faith in days gone by), we'll also see a rise in searches such as "what time is it," "current time," "atomic clock," and "official u.s. time" as the big day nears.

So don't be caught by surprise. Remember to reset your clocks on Saturday night and catch that blissful extra hour of snooze on Sunday morning.