Four Days Til Equinox

First. Here's what I wish I would've titled last night's blog, but didn't think of it until today: "Silent Bob Spoke...To Me!"
Maybe someday my wit won't have a twelve-hour delay.

Okay, so! The time I yearn for all summer long is finally here and I couldn't be happier. Even better, we've gotten the delightful treat of having Fallish weather come a little early which has the weatherpeople jumping around like little fancy boys, but I can't say I blame them. I'm jumping around like a fancy boy too. I figured out though, last night when I was not-sleeping at 3:30 a.m. but instead out smoking on the front porch: It's not just the cooler temps that puts the hitch back in my giddyup. It's that, yes, but also all the stuff that goes along with it (and, here comes the list):
1. The color of the air. Don't laugh at me. What I mean to say is the light quality in the air. Instead of bright hazy yellow, the mornings and late afternoons have a more golden hue to them and it makes the blue sky freaking VIVID, man. I believe the scientific term they use around here is "Carolina Blue."
2. The dog is so frisky, it's like he took a big hit off a crack pipe. All he wants to do is run around the yard and play. He runs with his butt low to the ground so it looks like he's riding a landcruiser chasing Ewoks. It's awesome. I'm going to try to get it on camera soon.
3. Low humidity = kickass hair. People with normal hair don't really notice this, but I'm not one of those people. I don't take good hair days for granted.
4. The smells. Cold air by itself smells good enough but also chimney smoke, spices that only seem to be used in Fall and Winter like cinnamon, apple and pumpkin, garlic from whatever I'm cooking because I suddenly love to cook again, the long-dormant heat kicking on for the first time, the fireplace, and for some subconscious reason, the smell of Eternity perfume is totally Fall to me. Can't remember why, but I'm sure there's a reason.
5. We three go back to sleeping in a pack instead of miserably sweating in our own private corners of hell. Cuddly Weather rocks my thick wooly socks.
6. Seeing all the holiday decorations start going up. Yes, I know it's annoying that they go up so early, but it also makes me happy too. I figure if I'm not the one stocking the shelves I really don't have a reason to be annoyed by it. Capitalism works.
7. Football. And it's a damn good thing I like it, because it can literally be found on in my house - if I let it - five days a week. When I've had enough of the same repetitive sounds of cheering and announcers, it gets shut off. For a little while, anyway.
8. Darker colored, more structured clothes look a lot better on me than flimsy, light-colored clothes. Also it's finally time that if I don't feel like doing maintenance on my toenails, I DON'T HAVE TO. Throw on socks and closed-toe shoes and done. I have an unnatural love of socks. Trouser socks, thick cotton socks, knee socks, Brian's socks - I love sliding around the house in socks. Soon it will be Sock Time again.
9. Soup! Stew! Chili! Coffee at other times of the day besides morning!
10. No longer having to worry about rushing the frozen groceries home before they liquify or finding the one shady parking spot at work - my car becomes a much more pleasant place to be starting now.

So yeah. I can't complain too much about the Summer, as the weather was surprisingly not that bad. However, that takes nothing away from the fact that I am singing show tunes and dancing jigs daily for the arrival of my favorite season. I think it's going to be a great one.