The infallible cure to the summertime blues

I may be in the minority here, but I think summer is just too long. True, in February, summer sits on a glorious but unreachable pedestal, and I greet the first bursts of warm, dry air with the gratitude of one who has recently shed a heavy burden.

But then leisure turns into boredom, sunny skies turn into hazy heat waves, and my energy level falls into a continuous downward spiral. My subconscious knows that summer is about to end and I should relish the gloriousness I dream about during the dank winter months, but too much of a good thing prompts me indoors in front of the TV screen, my stores of creativity and motivation depleted.

Just when it seems like there is no cure to the summertime blues, the cosmic powers of the universe shift just slightly. The sun starts to set a little sooner. The unbearable 100+ degree temperatures give way to pleasant highs in the 80s and 90s. Kids suddenly start looking more well groomed, and stores like ShopKo and Walmart make a small fortune off of notebook and pencil sales. The guys at the office start throwing the football around. And soon you can no longer deny it--those trees in front of your office building aren't wilting from the heat; their leaves are changing color.

The infallible cure to the summertime blues? Autumn. Works every time.