The Color of Summer

The Color of Magic and Modello Especial!

Napa is cooking right now. I spent the day in the sun arguing with a contractor at my house, swimming with the kids and running at soccer practice. Let me sum it up: I was right, white men can't dive, and yes I can still out dribble five year olds.



Blah, blah, who cares? Talk about the beer and books! Well, since it was so hot I decided to go with a little Modelo Especial. Yes, it is that hot. No, I'm not joking. There is a time and place for everything, and today was the day for some Especial!



The head was weak and reminded me of Budwiser. Me staring at Modello analyzing the head like a fifteenth level wizard (out of 100 total levels!) making a first level shield spell (3.5). The wizard sits back, studies the intensity of color, wafts the aroma, swirls it while checking viscosity, and then goes back to making his flesh golem!



So the head lacked a certain robustness, and the smell seemed a little underwhelming. What the freak do you expect? They sell it in a can and call it especial! The taste, as I sat back in my recliner and made my kids do chores, was amazing. Thin, watery and refreshing. You think I'm mocking, but this beer is my go to mexican cheap beer. When I'm on my boat at the lake, or when I'm mowing the lawn this is a great beer. Time and place... time and place.



Okay now onto books and I think it best if we stick to the theme. Time and place. Terry Prachett. I'm a huge fan, but I've never had a heated argument about Rincewind's parentage and whether or not Carrot Ironfoundersson's mother was raped by the mad king! Pratchett writes a light hearted series that I love to pick up now and again. I'm not ashamed to say I haven't read the entire 38, soon to be 39 book series. I have however read a bunch and will continue to read a bunch on days where I have to explain to a contractor what an O-ring is. Pratchett has moments of pure brilliance in his writing and obviously I would do a white whale belly flop on youtube to have a career like his.



So where to start? How about The Color of Magic? 1983!! 1983 humor may not be what tickles your fancy, but I am down with the likes of National Lampoon's Vacation and Monte Python's The Meaning of Life, both comedy flicks produced the same year!



The Color of Magic follows Rincewind, a wizard who can't cast spells, around the world on an epic adventure to save the Disc World. The humor is two parts brilliant to one part thready and goes perfect on a warm day with a glass of Modelo! If you are ever in doubt play soccer with my kids for an hour in the august heat, crack a cold one and bend a binding... that's what life is all about.