The Slice: We’re moody, to a degree

I have a theory about why people here tend to be grumpy at this time of year.

It has to do with our latitude.

This far north, the angle of direct sunlight can be wicked at certain times of the day. As a consequence, we routinely find ourselves temporarily blinded by the laser-like rays.

That’s why so many friendly waves and other silent greetings go unacknowledged. And the resulting feeling of having been dissed makes people testy.

Do you follow me?

Let’s say Person A is walking or driving directly toward the sun. Person B is headed toward Person A, with the sun to his or her back.

When Person B waves to Person A, chances are Person A cannot see the gesture and so does not respond.

This prompts Person B to mutter bad words. And that residual anger spills over into our overall civic vibe.

People around here love to talk about how they love summer. But they don’t realize it’s not really warm weather or water sports that make them feel that way.

No, it’s being able to wave at someone and have that person see you well enough to wave back. Makes all the difference.

So, if the wintertime angle of sunlight creates tension here, why aren’t Canadians homicidal at this time of year?

Well, I’ll tell you. Canadians have Don Cherry. The bellicose blowhard adored by fans of the CBC’s “Hockey Night in Canada” allows our neighbors to the north to channel seasonal rage simply by listening to his two-fisted blather.

Cherry, who played a year of minor league hockey in Spokane in the ’60s, is a vicarious pressure valve.

Down here we have to settle for Groundhog Day.

Today’s Slice question: How many people around here have fashioned special stairs-like steps that enable an aging dog to get up on the bed?