Gray Skies

I've always been taught not to waste electricity by turning on unnecessary lights during the day. But when the weather is gloomy and gray, that extra light can make a big difference in your mood. David noticed that several of his residents have so-called "sun lamps" in their rooms, which mimic natural sunlight. He thought they were kind of goofy, but now he's beginning to think it might not be such a bad idea. Apparently depression during the winter months is pretty common up here. They call it "Seasonal Affective Disorder," or SAD. I guess that means even if you grew up used to it, the weather can still have an effect on you. That's bad news for people like Dave, who live for sunshine. An admitted "sun worshipper", Dave has a feeling that months of rain and clouds on end might put a damper on his moods. He hates being indoors on a sunny day, and is always eager to get out and soak up every ray of sunshine that he can. Even in SoCal, he never could get enough, so this is going to be a tough adjustment for him.

I, on the other hand, don't mind cold weather or being indoors, so long as it doesn't involve shoveling snow off my driveway. I burn so easily and am so self-conscious about my pale skin and postpartum body, I prefer long pants and sweaters anyway. The only bummer for me right now is that we don't have a fireplace to make things cozy. Talk to me in a few months, though, and I'll probably be sick of the rain by then.