It's Quiet in COMO Tonight

Graduation is over. A fourth of COMO's population just moved out. This town is quiet again.

Maybe the best part of living in a college town is summertime. The streets are quiet. The lines are short at the art house theater. The bars aren't crowded and the occasional rock show is easy to to attend without getting crowded by a bunch of hipsters.

Don't get me wrong. I've met in-person and virtually a great group of students at Mizzou. They'll be missed, especially those who just graduated and are moving on. Their energy and creativity keep me going.

However, I won't miss the reckless driving, collar-poppin', date-rapin', Bud Light-guzzling, no-coat-wearing undergrads that hopefully did not miss their rides back to STL, KC, Springfield, Box Elder, and BFE, MO. They can go. I need my quiet summer to begin.

With the town's slowdown, my posting rate often winds down a bit. Of course, I can't imagine it being any slower than my 2-3 posts a week pace that I currently produce. We've got other plans in the works that should both keep me from blogging while simultaneously giving me plenty about which to write.

There is a possible trip to ATL for R to be a part of some panel for two days. I've started scoping out the town for my couple of days, but that trip's still up in the air.

R's dad is treating us to a nice beach vacation in North Carolina. It should be a good time, but for all my beer and music readers I won't be anywhere near Asheville nor Chapel Hill. It might be pictures of Lu on the beach for a week. Who knows?

Aside from those trips, there may or may not be one or two jaunts east. Those trips should give me plenty to share.

I'm taking three courses this summer to help me become certified as a school administrator, but that's a long down the road. The point is that I will be busy with coursework all summer. Ugh.

What this all really means is that I will have time to put together a few thoughtful and worthy pieces on music or generally non-COMO topics. At least that's what I've done with my summers in the past: fewer posts, better quality.

Look for a return to one of my most visited posts of last year: The Best of 2009...So Far. If you remember, someone really took offense to my comparison of Zooey Deschanel and Nico/Neko Case and my ass hat. Whatever that is.

So, yes, I will continue to post on this blog. Bear with me as I fiddle with the look. I should start cranking out some decent posts in the coming weeks.

The Summer Beer Project

One of my favorite pastimes of the summer (well, any season really) is the consumption of beer. Each year, I get hooked on a particular beer or other recreational beverage (mojitos come to mind) and am always on the lookout for something to both quench my thirst and lighten my mood.

I was thinking about this summer's drink du jour as the sun decided to visit Misery today. What will be this summer's drink? Will it be an old stand-by or something new. I've decided to explore the possibilities throughout the summer. But before this project begins, let me cover a few favorites or possible winners for the summer.


Cream Ales
This is a style that I barely knew existed. Then my mom delivered some New Glarus this evening, including some of their cream ale Spotted Cow. Cream ales are top-fermented beers that go through an extended period of cold-conditioning or lagering. The Spotted Cow I had tonight was light and refreshing, perfect for summer.


Summer Beer
This one will have beer purists gagging, but it's a good option if you want refreshment and alcohol without the heaviness of several beers. First, you fill a typical pint glass about 2/3 full with an unfiltered wheat beer. Boulevard Wheat works the best for this. Then, pour in a shot of vodka and top it off with lemonade. My friend TJ introduced me to the summer beer a summer or two back. Apparently, it's a big thing in Lawrence, but I won't tell if you won't.


Stout Float
I love ice cream. I love stouts. However, until I came to COMO, I would have never put the two together. Somehow, it makes sense. This is a drink with which I may have to experiment. Should I use dry stouts or over-the-top imperial stouts (like the Dogfish Head World Wide Stout that nearly knocked me on my ass this evening)? This could be either the most fun of the summer drinks or the most disappointing.


Oberon with Orange Slice
Here's another drink that makes beer purists gag, but I swear by this combination. It was customary in Columbus to toss a slice of orange into a wheat beer, but none compare to Bell's Oberon. The best part might be eating the orange slice at the end.


Dogfish Head Festina Pêche
This is the first beer that cannot be had in Misery, but a quick trip to Illinois will make this terrible reality go away. This is one of the few beers I've had that is light enough, low enough on the alcohol (4.5% ABV), and features just the right amount of fruit to be a one-and-done summer drink. It has rather complex layers of flavoring with a touch of sourness that satisfies after one bottle. I still have three of my four-pack, waiting for warmer weather.


Negra Modelo with Lime
Mexican drinks are often synonymous with summer. I prefer the darker Negra Modelo with a slice of lime. The trick is to see whether you can properly get your lime from the neck of the bottle to the bottom without spilling it all over the place.

I realize that these drinks are beer-specific, but I write about beer. What are you willing to try? What do you think will be this summer's drink du jour? Let me know if you try any of these suggestions. Leave me something in the comments.