25 things you can do again once fall hits
Here are 25 things you can do again once the daily highs finally dip into the 80s, the surest sign that it’s fall in the Valley.
1. Park without first searching 10 minutes for shade.
2. Launder the shirt you’ve kept in the backseat for sweat emergencies.
3. Fire up the stove and enjoy food that does not have to fit in the toaster oven.
4. Make a note to get your AC unit checked at discounted fall prices, knowing you’ll still put it off until June like you do every year.
5. Walk the dog without having to set the alarm for way-too-early o’clock.
6. Prepare smug Facebook posts for inevitable winter-weather comparisons with your East Coast friends.
7. Visit your coffeehouse and order a beverage that doesn’t begin with “Frap-“or end with “-latta.” You want your drink hot, the way nature intended it.
8. Enjoy the post-dryer warmth of bed sheets.
9. Throw open blinds, curtains and shades, allowing sunlight to shine on areas not illuminated since May. Have cleaning supplies ready.
10. Enjoy wearing closed-toe shoes for the first time in months. (If you’re a man 30 or older and this applies to you, it’s time to rethink your footwear choices.)
11. Five words: Patio dining. Finally. Patio dining!
12. Prepare the coldweather gear. Temps will plummet into the 60s before you know it.
13. Answer the usual “What do you want to do this weekend?” question without starting, “We’ll head north…”
14. Put together the annual “10 reasons we should trade in the minivan for a convertible” list.
15. If children are still living at home, practice the annual “But I wanted to drive with the top down” pout.
16. Note that while M&Ms still melt in your hands, they retain their original condition much longer than they did in summer.
17. Confidently place your sunglasses on the dashboard, knowing they will not be a puddle of plastic when you return.
18. Start your morning on the patio, hands wrapped around a steaming cup of coffee or tea. Wear noise-canceling headphones to block the sound of your kids fighting over the last toaster waffle.
19. Roll down the car window, and not just because you’ve been pulled over.
20. Time to rock those flannel jammies, too. Ideally, a onesie with the flap.
21. Breathe deep the rich scent of manure as neighbors prep their lawns for winter seeding.
22. Dads, ditch the cargo shorts for the even more dad-ly cargo pants.
23. Raise your arms over your head without fear of anyone playing “Pit-stain Rorschach test.”
24. Call your friends in San Diego to reserve their guest room for next summer.
25. Devise excuses other than “It’s too hot” to avoid mowing the lawn. 47 METERS DOWN PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MEN TELL NO TALES GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 2 CAPTAIN UNDERPANTS: THE FIRST EPIC MOVIE THE MUMMY BEATRIZ AT DINNER VALERIAN AND THE CITY OF A THOUSAND PLANETS TRANSFORMERS: THE LAST KNIGHT STEP