Paul Ryburn's Journal

I had a GREAT first-time experience at Room in the Inn last night!

RITI is a nonprofit organization that connects those without housing to comfortable, safe places to stay for a night at partner churches. If there are more guests than there are spots at the partner churches, a lottery system is used. I have tried to get in before, but haven’t made it past the lottery.

Saturday nights, I’ve heard, are good nights to try to get in RITI because there is a church that takes men only. So yesterday afternoon about 4 I went to the RITI headquarters at First Presbyterian Church on Poplar and threw my name in the hat.

This time my luck held up. There were 14 spots for men and only 13 showed up. At 5 PM I got on a bus to Emmanuel United Methodist in Germantown.

They had beds set up for us in the church gym – real beds, not cots. They also had dinner tables set up in the gym. We put our things down on our beds and then sat at the table for dinner. There was fried chicken, cornbread, cabbage, pinto beans and neckbones, and mac & cheese. For dessert, I had cherry cobbler with vanilla ice cream.

After dinner, guests could take advantage of a shower, a clothes closet, and Wi-Fi. I chose to go straight to bed and got 10 fantastic hours of sleep. In the morning there were breakfast sandwiches and Ziploc gallon to-go bags with lunches for us. They dropped us off Downtown at 7 this morning. They gave each of us a day-long bus pass for today.

Best of all, not one person from Emmanuel preached to us. They didn’t tell us about Jesus’ love. They DEMONSTRATED it through their actions.

I’m going to try RITI again tonight, when they will have a different men–only partner church. Then on Monday, back to the Mission. Or tonight, if my lottery luck runs out.

News tidbit I picked up while out there: Starting November 16, all of MATA’s services will be free for 90 days.

Book recommendation engine: book.sv

We made hand turkeys at Bardog yesterday. If you look carefully, you should have no trouble figuring out which one’s mine.

Back tomorrow with more news.

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Penny Hardaway’s Memphis Tigers host San Francisco this afternoon at 2 at FedExForum. TV: ESPN+

I made it to the Saucer for their $12 Downtown Dining Week special, the Doc Holiday burger with loaded fries. Those jalapenos lit me up! You can get the DDW deals through Sunday.

WWE Monday Night Raw returns to FedExForum on Monday, February 16. Tickets go on sale Friday.

Play some Billy Joel in observance of World Pianist Day.

The CA has photos of dive bars around Memphis including Max’s Sports Bar, Earnestine & Hazel’s (DANI!!!!!), and Momma’s.

Ja Morant looked good and our rookie Cedric Coward did too in the Grizzlies’ 118-104 win over Dallas last night.

Next up: the Grizzlies host the OKC Thunder Sunday at five. It’s Military Appreciation Day. TV: FanDuel Sports

Today is Aid and Abet Punsters Day, a holiday I know Jack about.

It’s also Harvey Wallbanger Day. Learn about this cousin to the mimosa.

The Florida Gators have a basketball player who is 7’9″.

Journey brings their Final Frontier Tour to FedExForum on March 21.

I stayed out all night last night, figuring it was one of the last days of the year when the weather would be cooperative. As usual, I sat on a park bench in front of the Moxy Hotel. There’s a woman about 50, dirty blonde hair, resembles a toad, who for some reason likes to sit on the park bench with me. She got in a shouting match with a passerby last night, waking up every guest in all 3 Court Square hotels as she called him the N-word and he threatened to beat her ass. After about five minutes I moved so I wouldn’t be there when the cops showed up.

Back tomorrow with more news.

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The Grizzlies host the Dallas Mavericks tonight at 7. It’s HBCU Night. Fans attending receive a Classic Edition Grizzlies hat. There’s a Buckets & Brews specialty ticket. Tonight’s game counts as a West Group B game in the NBA in-season tournament nobody cares about. TV: FanDuel Sports

Today is International Merlot Day.

ESPN has a long piece on Ja Morant: his suspension, his future with the Grizzlies

ESPN FPI has the football Memphis Tigers a 73% favorite to beat Tulane tonight. (8:00, ESPN)

There will be a Goner Records pop-up at Wiseacre Downtown Sunday afternoon. Live music by local acts, Wiseacre beer, cocktails, wine, Little Bettie pizza.

Itta Bena will be closed for a private event tonight.

Has anyone witnessed the making of sugar packet lemonade at any Downtown restaurants this week? If you know, you know.

The MemphisWeather.net blog says we can expect weather whiplash over the next week. Warm (for November), then storms, then a short-lived cold spell.

NFL fans, your Sunday starts early this week. NFL Network will broadcast Atlanta vs. Indianapolis live from Berlin at 8:30 AM Central.

Check out the fall cocktails that just landed at Memphis Chess Club.

Road trip: The free, 3-day National Folk Fest is just a few hours down I-55 South in Jackson, MS this weekend.

Coca-Cola Holiday Creamy Vanilla is about to be released.

Thinking about trying to stay at Room in the Inn Saturday and Sunday. Churches around the city host small groups (no more than 15) for dinner and a safe night’s sleep. RITI has two major advantages over the Union Mission:

1. No six dollar cover charge – RITI is free; and
2. Guests are not forced to attend a chapel service.

I tried to get into RITI a couple of times last season (it runs November 1-March 31) but space is limited and women & children have priority. However, a buddy of mine who’s stayed at RITI this season tells me there’s a partner church that accepts men only on the weekends. So I’ll give it a try and see if my name gets drawn in the bed lottery.

GO TIGERS beat Tulane and strengthen your grip on that CFP spot.

Back tomorrow with more news.

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The Union Mission has changed its rules for new men. Previously they gave men staying there for the first time 60 days before they started charging the six dollar nightly cover. Now men get 10 free days and

• Then they have to visit one of the pastors, who asks them if they’ve considered what will happen to them in the afterlife. (“Have you given any thought to where you’re going after you die? Do you know for sure where you’ll be going?”)  That visit earns them 15 more free days, for a total of 25.
• Then they have to visit Christ Community, which comes out to the Mission Monday and Thursday mornings, for a basic medical check-up. That visit earns them 35 more free days for a total of 60.

Since it was already past my 60th day when the new rule was adapted, it didn’t apply to me. I still have to pay six dollars every night.

Get ready for cold! We’ve got lows in the 30s coming. That presents a bit of a dilemma for me. I will have access to the winter coat I had last year, but I won’t be able to get it until about November 29. Until then I’m gonna have to get by with a windbreaker jacket and hoodie. Pray for warm weather, please.

I want to tell you about good Downtown Dining Week deals at two of my favorite places. I haven’t eaten either of these (yet) but I’ve seen them come out of the kitchen and they look delicious:

• Flying Saucer has their Doc Holliday Burger for $12 – 100% beef patty, bacon, cheddar, a fried onion slice, BBQ sauce, and beefsteak tomato. That price is only 50 cents below regular – so why am I pronouncing this an excellent value? Because you get an upgrade on the fries that come with the burger. They’re loaded fries covered in cheese and bacon.
• Bardog has a 3-course dinner for $20.25. You start with a salad, the main event is lobster poutine, and the finish is your choice of blueberry bread pudding or gooey butter cake.

The city of Memphis has finalized the purchase of the Sheraton Hotel. A city’s convention center hotel is such a big part of the overall first impression that city makes. The Sheraton under its former owners wasn’t making a good one.

It’s International Stout Day. Celebrate with a Guinness at The Brass Door.

It’s also National Nachos Day. Celebrate at Huey’s.

Join Memphis Social Bicycle Club for Critical Mass, a free, family-friendly 5-mile ride around Downtown Sunday. Meet at Wiseacre at noon. 1 PM ride.

From Choose901: Fall brings greenery to the Pinch District

The CA has a list of where to pre-order Thanksgiving meals to take home.

Brian Blake, Erin McLendon, and Jeff Hulett play South Main Sounds Friday at 7 PM.

There’s trivia by Papa Bear Trivia in the lobby of the Moxy Hotel 7-9 PM the first Friday of every month, including this Friday.

Back tomorrow with a Frupdate.

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The first official CFP committee rankings of 2025 are out, and Memphis didn’t make the top 25. But neither did any other Group of Five team, and Memphis is projected as the G5 representative, slotting into the playoff’s 12 seed.

Let’s have a look at games of interest this week…

Thursday

• UTSA at South Florida, 6:30 PM, ESPN

Friday

• Tulane at Memphis, 8:00 PM, ESPN

Saturday

• 5 Georgia at Mississippi State, 11:00 AM, ESPN
• 7 BYU at 8 Texas Tech, 11:00 AM, ABC
• James Madison at Marshall, 11:00 AM, ESPN2
• Southern Miss at Arkansas State, 11:00 AM, ESPNU
• The Citadel at 6 Ole Miss, noon, SEC Network
• 3 Texas A&M at 22 Missouri, 2:30 PM, ABC
• 9 Oregon at 20 Iowa, 2:30 PM, CBS
• Auburn at 16 Vanderbilt, 3:00 PM, SEC Network
• LSU at 4 Alabama, 6:30 PM, ABC
• Navy at 10 Notre Dame, 6:30 PM, NBC/Peacock

The exteriors of the Orpheum and the Halloran Centre are getting a makeover.

Congratulations to Downtown’s Felicia Suzanne Restaurant and The Lobbyist, both of which were recently recommended in Michelin’s guide to the American South.

The government shutdown is now the longest in U.S. history.

It’s Civic Engagement Night as the Grizzlies host the Houston Rockets tonight at 7. TV: FanDuel Sports

The Grizzlies seek a systems administrator to join their IT team.

Hollywood Feed seeks a social media coordinator.

Automatic Slim’s is hiring bartenders, servers, and a front-of-house manager.

Back tomorrow with more news.

I gratefully accept tips: 
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Today is National Candy Day. And former vice-president Dick Cheney died. Eat a candy dick to commemorate both events at the same time.

There’s a Johnny Cash tribute show at the Halloran Centre Friday.

The Dirty Dozen Brass Band plays the Halloran Centre Saturday.

Too busy to send out cards for the holidays? Give MIFA your list and they’ll do it for you. Minimum $10 donation per card. Their programs are more vital than ever in these times.

Cordelia’s Market hot lunch specials this week

• Today: Enchiladas with rice and beans
• Wednesday: Sloppy Joes with fries
• Thursday: Turkey tetrazzini
• Friday: Shrimp basket with slaw and fries

There will be a Veuve wine dinner at Itta Bena on December 11 pairing multiple courses with champagne. $150+ per person. ittabenadining.com to reserve your spot.

There’s a whiskey wine & dine benefiting Special Olympics Greater Memphis this Saturday at The Kent.

Ja Morant got a double-double in his return to the Grizzlies last night, but told the media post-game he’s not playing with the same joy he used to. CBS Sports looks at possible trade landing spots for Morant.

I had some delicious homemade fried chicken last night that New Salem Missionary Baptist Church brought to the Union Mission, along with sides of dressing and gravy, mac & cheese, corn, and green beans. Rounding out the meal were a dinner roll and cake. Thank you New Salem MB for coming out! The sermon by Rev. Dr. Love about dealing with issues was on point!

Back tomorrow with more news and a look at this week’s college football games of interest to readers of this blog.

I gratefully accept tips: 
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Downtown Dining Week begins today and runs through Sunday.

The Memphis Tigers have moved up to 22 in the latest AP poll… one spot ahead of the Tennessee Vols, who bid adieu to the CFP conversation with their loss to Oklahoma on Saturday.

I’ve been doing college football game listings on Tuesdays, but effective this  week I’m going to start waiting until after the weekly CFP committee rankings come out.

Memphis Chess Club is now offering an egg nog latte for a limited time.

Featured shot at Bardog:

COGIC General Assembly members are said to be fed up with the hotel “hustle” here in Memphis, and that’s why after this year, their Holy Convocation won’t be back until at least 2029.

There’s always a diverse array of food trucks parked on Exchange Ave. during COGIC week, especially soul food trucks. You do not have to be a member of that congregation to buy from the trucks.

Today is National Sandwich Day. Front Street Deli and Hard Times Deli would be my recs.

The Majestic Grille now has free parking for lunch guests 11 AM-3 PM in the 100 Peabody Place tower garage. Ask your server for details.

That cool-looking building on Jackson next to Westy’s is for sale. It looks like a duplex/quadruplex but is zoned for retail.

What Now Memphis has details on the new pizza concept planned by the owners of Good Fortune Co.

The Grizzlies will have Ja back tonight as they host the Detroit Pistons at 7. TV: FanDuel Sports

There’s an international food tasting benefiting the Montessori school on Mud Island 6-10 Saturday.

Streetdog Foundation’s annual Howl at the Moon fundraiser is Saturday at The Warehouse on the northeast corner of Front and G.E. Patterson.

Get familiar with this new term: the K-shaped economy

Back tomorrow with more news.

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Please forgive me if this post sucks. I’m on day 4 of a back-to-back-to-back staying up all night & out of the Union Mission. I’m about to collapse, but it’s Halloween weekend and it had to be done.

As I walked through South Main around 5 this morning, I snapped this pic.

Festive for the holiday season! I like it.

Ja Morant has been suspended by the Grizzlies for 1 game for conduct detrimental to the team. He appeared to be of little help to his teammates – on purpose – for Friday’s game vs. the Lakers. Then in a post-game media appearance, Ja seemed to blame the coaching staff for his actions. The suspension will cost him about $270,000.

The Grizzlies play Toronto in Canada today at 5 PM. TV: FanDuel Sports

The first official CFP committee ranking show for 2025 will be Tuesday at 7 CST on ESPN. Good news: Navy lost this past weekend. But that was their only loss so far; will Memphis’ loss to UAB be viewed as a worse loss by the committee?

Back tomorrow with more news.

Trick or treat! I gratefully accept tips: 
Venmo: @Paul-Ryburn (8113 if it asks for digits)
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Congratulations to my friends Ariel and Kenny, who won a hearse in Bardog’s Halloween giveaway last night.

The last regular-season Memphis Farmers Market of 2025 runs til 1 today under the pavilion at Front and G.E. Patterson.

The Memphis Samhain Irish Festival is today 1-7 at the Brass Door and the pocket park across Madison. Celebrate the original Hallowe’en with Irish music, dancing, food, and drink.

It’s 50% markdown day on Halloween candy at drugstores and grocery stores.

901 Hot Wing Fest is today at Grind City Brewing. Taste 20 teams’ wings (donation to the Memphis Child Advocacy Center required to taste) and vote for People’s Choice.

Today is National Cinnamon Day.

The 8-day-long COGIC Holy Convocation begins today.

Back tomorrow with more news.

Trick or treat! I gratefully accept tips: 
Venmo: @Paul-Ryburn (8113 if it asks for digits)
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Zelle: paul@paulryburn.com
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Well, that menu I linked to yesterday for the Moxy Hotel bar may be out of date. My buddy Shrek is staying there this week and he tells me the flatbread section of the linked menu doesn’t match up with what he saw onsite.

He did give me his recommendation, though – the naan with three dipping sauces – hummus, tzatziki, and romanseco.

Shrek and our friend Allison and I met for lunch at the Majestic Grille yesterday and I got that mushroom flatbread I’d been craving.

A marvelous confluence of flavors. If you like shrooms but have never had this Majestic creation, go there and treat yo self.

Shrek used to be a producer for Grizzlies broadcasts. Allison asked, “How come you never hooked me up with Steven Adams when he was on the team?” Geez.

Undecided how to celebrate the holiday tonight? Consult the DMC’s list of Downtown holiday happenings.

Good news! Tulane lost to UTSA last night. That means one less team to vie for that CFP Group of 5 berth that will hopefully be filled by the Memphis Tigers.

The Grizzlies host the Los Angeles Lakers tonight at 8:30. TV: Amazon Prime

The Flyer has the story of the new Downtown Tonica location. Go see the #baldbeardedbartender there.

The DMC has deemed Saturday, November 8 to be Family Day downtown including Downtown Dining Week. From the email they sent:

National Civil Rights Museum
Memphis & Shelby County residents receive $2 off admission with a valid ID. Each adult ID allows discounts for up to 5 children.

Sun Studio
Half-off tour admission for all Memphis & Shelby County residents.

Edge Motor Museum
Half-off admission for Memphis & Shelby County residents.

Stax Museum of American Soul Music
Free admission all day.

Memphis Rock ’n’ Soul Museum
Half-off admission for Memphis & Shelby County residents.

Explore Bike Share
Use promo code DDW25 for a free 3-day pass during Downtown Dining Week.

Backbeat Tours
Buy One, Get One Free admission for Memphis & Shelby County residents.

Blues Hall of Fame
$5 off adult and student admission; children 12 and under are free. For Memphis & Shelby County residents.

Fire Museum of Memphis
50% off admission.

A Tour of Possibilities
$22 off each ticket for the Essence of Memphis Tour. Use promo code ATOP50.

Back tomorrow with more news.

Trick or treat! I gratefully accept tips: 
Venmo: @Paul-Ryburn (8113 if it asks for digits)
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