Sneaking Up On Autumn

Oh no, Labor Day is over. It’s back to work or school or whatever it is that makes you miss relaxation. But don’t forget, the weather is still fantastic, restaurant patios are still open, and the hardcore Autumn drinking hasn’t even arrived yet. There’s less than a month of summer left, and that means all the excitement and nostalgia of cooler weather is getting close.

I’m generally a big poo-poo’er of any months not involving warm, sunny weather (growing up in Michigan left me bitter as a November wind), but I’ve decided this is my year to give the cold months a second chance. They shouldn’t be neglected or mistreated simply because I can’t go swimming, wear t-shirts and shorts, or tan my body from an unhealthy pastiness to a robust pale. Fall has much to offer and I’m eager to take advantage of it.

In no particular order, here are a few things we should all be looking forward to:

-High-Quality Movies:
There have been some good ones this summer, but the meatier ones are still to come. Most notably: Wes Anderson’s The Darjeeling Limited and the Coen brothers’ No Country for Old Men. I can already smell the popcorn.

-Them Funny-Colored Leaves:
Having lived in Atlanta for over two years, I haven’t experienced the great northern display of foliage in quite a while. The only thing that makes their breathtaking reds and oranges more glorious is knowing I don’t have to rake them up.

-Football:
I know a lot of people can’t stand it, even I missed all of last year’s NFL season, but it is the one sport most Americans are still passionate about. A sports bar on a Sunday afternoon will display both the best and worst things die-hard fans have to offer.

-An End To Being Sweaty:
I’ll take 90° over 50° any day, but a thirty-block walk will make even myself long for a few clouds and a nice breeze. Goodbye t-shirts, hello light sweaters.

-Delicious Beers:
When that cool air does start creeping in, a vibrant Octoberfest will seduce you into staying for one more beer on a chilly night. All the fruity summer stuff is phased out while the richer, hoppier brews make drinking the cold away that much more fun.

-Halloween:
The greatest holiday. No, we don’t get candy like when we were kids, but as adults we can go to parties the weekend before as well as the night of. Costumes can be elaborate, intelligent, creepy, or head-scratchingly ridiculous. Some of the childhood innocence is gone, but that leaves more room for true spookiness.