You had it. I had it. We all had it. Actually, some of us are still having it.
You know, "End of Summer, Icky Blechy, For the Love of Pete Why Is This Happening?" disease. It's highly contagious and comes around like clockwork - or flu season - every year.
It actually begins - in its most basic form - around the Fourth of July.
You can detect the faintest hint of desperation wafting in the air among the firework smoke and debris - and so it begins.
Invariably, some brave soul will verbalize the fear creeping slowly into all of our souls like a cold winter chill:
"Well, that's it. Summer's halfway over!" he or she will say.
Quintuple hmpf.
Now, there are only two possible responses to this evil ascertainment.
The first is denial.
"What are you crazy? Summer just started! We have all of July, August, and heck, even into September. I mean, just because school starts doesn't mean the summer's over. It actually doesn't end for another three weeks after that!" some glass-is-half-full guy or gal will say.
Poor defiant souls. They're the same ones who wear tank tops and shorts to opening day at Progressive Field.
Anyway, the second possible reply is affirmation.
"Oh, I know, right? Haven't you noticed that the days are getting shorter already? And just yesterday I increased the temperature on my air conditioner by two degrees. Oh yeah, the kids'll be back in school in no time. Summer's pretty much over."
Optimists these are not.
In fact, they are certain that morning dew is just lazy snow.
By August, the naysayers have donned parkas and are planning their Christmas meals while the rose-colored-glasses people are romping around in their bikinis and Speedos planning outdoor Labor Day weekend excursions that will likely end in disappointment and discontent.
Some of us, completely despondent at the sight of the first turning leaves make frantic attempts to hang on to the last bits of summer by pulling crazy stunts that include refusal to put up our convertible tops although our fellow passengers are slightly hypothermic, keeping the whole-house fan on throughout the night even though icicles have formed on the interior window sills, and burning out the pool heater by setting it to the root temperature of the sun's surface.
It's OK, everybody. I know we're all feeling a little under the weather as it morphs from hot to cold in about 14 seconds.
Autumn's not that bad and winter is so beautiful in its way - OK, who am I kidding? I hate winter like poison.
But just think, only nine months till we're back into the Good Old Summertime - for a week or so, anyway.
Kimerer is a Tribune Chronicle columnist. Contact her at pkimerer@zoominternet.net.