Today's foggy morning foreshadowed that we're nearing four months of continuous cloud cover. As November nears December, I find myself bunkering down. After being a chatty Kathy all spring, summer and early fall, it seems like I won't see my neighbors until March. 

For some of us, winter and it's lack of opportunity to soak up sunshine brings our mood downward. There are a lot of ways to help ameloriate the winter blues: exercise, full spectrum light bulbs, and of course your commute.

Although now I bike, walk or ride transit to work, I thought back to my time in California and how carpooling had created a great way to start and end my work day. It provided the social interaction that I might have otherwise not had. The money I saved gave me a little more motivation to head out with my friends.

Carpooling seems to open us in ways that regular conversation doesn't. It has been the inspiration for the TV show Carpoolers and the successful UK web series, Carpool, where the host interviews a different celebrity while they carpool. It also plays a pivotal role in Mr. Mom with Michael Keaton.

I bet that one of your co-workers or neighbors, respectively, lives or works near you*. If you're both driving alone to work, why not ask them to carpool? It might make for an easier winter.

*Of course you can also find a carpool partner through www.CarpoolMatchNW.org