Hey, who turned out the lights?

People always talk about December 21st being the shortest day of the year and I've honestly never really noticed.  This year I'm pretty darn sure I'll notice.  The days have definitely been getting shorter and a few minutes off of each day does make a difference.  It's weird, but so far it's not all that bad.  Although I do have to drink more coffee these days!  I leave the house and it's totally dark, the sun rises around 11am and sets around 1, there's decent light before and after, but when I leave for work it's dark again.  You know how sometimes in the winter you go to work in the dark and come home in the dark?  Well, it's like that here, just also on the weekends, hehe.
It's also interesting that when the sun rises, it doesn't rise too high.  It just travels a little over the horizon and then sets.  This also means that it doesn't heat anything up while it's out.  So weird.  Yes, sometimes I miss the always-out Colorado sun!

This was around 12 noon

Another problem is the pollution, uggghhhh... With that whole inversion thing (remember?) it keeps in the gases.  It also makes it really foggy- they call it Ice Fog!  So even when the sun is out, it's hard to see that far.  However, I live up on a hill and above the inversion area so it's a little warmer and less foggy!

The good news is that after tomorrow the days only get longer!

Up in Barrow, the most northern city in Alaska, they announce when the sun "sets" in November and doesn't rise until February- now that would be a little too much for me!