Where's Einstein When You Need Him?

OK, this is CRAZY. We left Ft. Lauderdale Florida, Eastern Standard Time. Sailed east to Cartagena, Colombia, which technically was one hour ahead of us, but we did not set our clocks forward. We then sailed west to Panama, certainly crossing back into our original time zone, and going through at least one in the other direction, probably two (central time, mountain time). We did not change our clocks. Last night, after going through the Panama Canal and sailing into the Pacific Ocean, we set our clocks back one hour. We are now sailing up the Pacific coast of Central America, where everyone is living on pacific Time, yet we are on U.S. central time. Twice more on this cruise, as we sail north, we will set our clocks back one hour, until we arrive in San Diego at US Pacific standard Time. We will then get on a plane, fly to New York and be back on Eastern Standard Time. Our time zone has nothing to do with location and everything to do with “I said so, that’s why.” I need Mr. Einstein to explain this whole time thing to me. Who came up with this whole 24 hour day thing anyway? Why aren’t there 10 really long periods of time instead, divided by ten shorter (but longer than a minute) or 100 longer than a minute units of time. Why this twenty four, divided by sixty thing anyway? Most of the world is on the metric system, but universally our time is on this 24-60 system. I’m not even sure I get this seven days a week thing. Why aren’t there six or eight days (I could use that extra day for laundry and yard work). We would simply adjust our months accordingly. As of now, things don’t always quite work out. We do have leap year, after all. The Hebrew Calendar, a lunar-based system has a leap month every seven years, for Pete’s sake! (actually we know it’s not for Pete, especially if by Pete, we’re referring to St. Peter, who might have started out Jewish, but certainly didn’t wind up that way – but I digress). You’ll have to pardon these ramblings, but as I write I am staring at the blue-grey Pacific as it meets the white-blue sky at the horizon, moderately early in the morning. Is it &:00am? 10:00am? 8:00am? 9:00am? HELP!!!!!!!! I’m caught in a whirlpool of timezones.