248/365 Shorter days

When it comes to the dark days of winter, it seems to me like the days shorten very quickly prior to the winter solstice -- but the speed at which the days lengthen afterward doesn't seem proportionate. It takes forever for the days to get longer again.

Does it feel that way to you?

The sun sets here around 5:45-6:00 p.m. right now. That's early. I go to work while the sky is just beginning to lighten, and I get home after the sun has set.

We measure time with New York, on Eastern time. It would seem to me, though, that geographically we should mark time with Chicago instead. We're 700+ miles west of NYC, but we're less than 200 miles southeast of Chicago. Does that make sense to you?

Camera: Canon 40D, 1/125s, f/4 at ISO 400 at about 5:45 p.m.