Timely OCD and SAD

OK, it is the time of the year to get a little OCD about my SAD. For you sane people, that means being Obsessive Compulsive about my Seasonal Affective Disorder. Last year I first addressed the issue that December 21 isn’t the be all and end all for those of us with this particular affliction. We looked at such issues as sun rotation and tilt of the earth. Now it is time for just facts. I have saved on my favorite places the US Naval Observatory website for determining the rising and setting of the sun for Youngstown, Ohio, so I can track the progress.

Now, there are two things one has to be concerned about. First, the rising of the sun. This year, the sun continues to rise later and later until December 31 where it stabilizes at 7:48 AM. It continues to rise at 7:48 AM until January 10, where it begins to rise a minute earlier every few days. It will be February before the sun rises as early as it is rising as of today, November 26.

HOWEVER, even as we speak, we are close to the bottom of the valley for the setting of the sun. As of today, the sun sets at 4:56 PM. It reaches its earliest setting of 4:54 PM on December 3, and stays at 4:54 PM until December 14, where we actually pick up a minute in the evening. It sets at 4:55, and by December 31, it is setting at a glorious 5:04 PM.

Adding the above figures together, we actually don’t start to get longer days until December 31 when the sunrise stabilizes as the sunset continues to grow later, although we probably think the days are longer as we are more aware of the amount of darkness in the evening than in the morning, unless , of course, you deliver papers, or milk, or are a teacher.

Now that you understand all of this, the bottom line is that spring is just around the corner. With the change as to the start of Daylight Savings Time earlier in March, why bother to put your summer clothes away. Before you know it, it will be time to mulch the beds, and June will be busting out all over.