Paul Ryburn’s Journal

No, not the hokey pokey.

Yesterday we spent the day showing a dear friend how incredibly loved she is on her birthday. I know that feeling well, because I’ve experienced it myself many times. Except, for me, the experience comes in November and on much higher numbered birthdays.

And that’s the thing that sets Downtown Memphis apart from any other neighborhood in the world.

No offense to the Grizzlies or the Orpheum or the Civil Rights Museum or Downtown’s BBQ restaurants – all awesome organizations – but it isn’t you that sets Downtown apart.

It’s the PEOPLE.

There’s this vibe of connectedness down here that just doesn’t exist anywhere else, at least not that I’ve seen. It is so easy to meet people and get plugged into that vibe.

Know what I need to post one day on here? A letter from Current Me to 32-year-old introverted me who just moved Downtown on how to plug into this awesome community in 2023.

Very happy to look at the Weatherbug app on my MacBook’s system tray and see a temperature of 33. We’ve had enough ice for a while.

The Grizzlies fell 122-112 to Portland at home last night. They hit the road to play Cleveland tonight at 6:30. Tha NBA trade deadline is a week from today. Will Memphis make a move?

FedExForum announced that the March 10 Future & Friends Tour stop there is no longer happening due to circumstances beyond their control.

Downtown bartenders: There’s a man who’s been running up huge tabs (100 or more) and then “his credit card doesn’t work” and he can’t pay. I heard him say he was 58 but I woulda guessed 60s. 5’8″ or so, thin frame, glasses, balding, gray hair where he has it. Pre-auth his card before you serve him anything.

Who cares if a stupid brown rodent sees its shadow today? We have more important things to celebrate. It’s Tater Tot Day. Get ’em at Huey’s.

Holy crap the Saucer has carne asada fries!!! Why has nobody told me this?

The fried pickle chips with Sriracha ranch at Blind Bear are amazing. $5.

OH — that reminds me – the aforementioned birthday girl informed me she hates pickles even more than she hates condiments like mustard and mayonnaise. You realize you shouldn’t have told me that? You realize, at some point in the future, I’m gonna force-feed you a pickle chip, right?

Tom Brady retired yesterday.

Cheers to Chef Tam for feeding the Nichols family following Tyre’s funeral.

Be one of the first 1000 people through FedExForum’s gate Saturday for the Tigers game vs. Tulane and receive a Larry Finch bobblehead. It’s also Lorenzen Wright jersey retirement. 1 PM tip. TV: ESPNU

That’s it for now. Gonna go enjoy another snow (ice) day. Back tomorrow.

So, let’s say I’d gone to a gypsy fortune teller on August 1, 2022. And she’d told me, “Paul, you’ve been an only child for fifty-plus years. But in six months’ time you’re gonna have a little sister.”

I would have said, “Go home, gypsy, you’re drunk.”

But now I have (an adopted) little sister. And I love her very much. And today’s her birthday.

Happy 29th little sis. There’s another name I call you on this blog but I won’t use it today because I worry your dad might see this post. I hope you win a 600-pound jar of mustard at The Price Is Right Live two months from today.

Vice-President Kamala Harris will be in town today for Tyre Nichols’ funeral.

Portland TrailBlazers @ the Grizzlies tonight, 6 PM. TV is Bally Sports South.

Today is Hula in the Coola Day.

Summer League sensation Kenneth Lofton Jr. has made the NBA Rising Stars game as a G League star. Former Tiger Jalen Duren has made the game as well.

The Ice Storm Warning has been extended another day.

The dodo, extinct since the late 17th century, might soon be de-extincted.

There will be a Lady & the Tramp cookie decorating party at Primas this Sunday.

That’s all the news I could scrounge up for today. It’s a snow day (ice day) and you know what that means for me: BARDOG!!!!! I sure hope WordPress doesn’t mangle the photo and embed in this post. Back tomorrow with more news

All right, folks. Let’s see how well you know me. It’s 29 and wet outside. What footwear am I gonna wear when I go out today?

a) A pair of rubber winter boots
b) Sneakers with thick soles to handle slippery surfaces
c) A pair of slide sandals with a hole in them

But seriously, folks, winter weather will be an issue today. Follow @memphisweather1 on Twitter for updates.

Whose company has already announced it will be closed for the day? And if so, who’s going to Bardog this morning? $2 Fireball when it’s snowing and we turn The Price Is Right on at 10, sometimes with sound.

Blind Bear experimented with a couple of dishes yesterday, fried pickles and meatloaf. Jeannette indicated she wants to take the place back toward more of a classic bar menu. I like that idea.

New shot: The Angry Ball. It’s part Angry Orchard, part Fireball.

Today is Brandy Alexander Day. The lobby bar at the Peabody makes a good one. I drank one with my friend Terance (RIP) there on Christmas Eve 2004.

Check out Good Morning America tomorrow for a segment with Alcenia’s owner B.J. Chester-Tamayo.

RIP Cindy Williams AKA Shirley from Laverne & Shirley.

An emergency warming center is open at 190 Mill in The Pinch.

There will be country music bingo at STIX on February 9.

That’s it for this post. Tomorrow will be a day to celebrate, so check back.

I HATE, HATE, HATE the NFL.

There was a Tigers game that came on at 4 and a Grizzlies game that came on at 5. But people wouldn’t let us turn either of the bar TVs to those games because the stupid San Fran 49ers were playing the stupid Philadelphia Eagles.

By the time the Grizzlies started, it was obvious Philly had the game in the bag. But NO we couldn’t change the channel.

I shoulda gone to Max’s Sports Bar. Wouldn’t have been a problem there.

Blind Bear news: Mama Bear herself will be tending bar 3 to 7 today. Come see her. $5 dos tacos, chicken or beef. Also it’s Moonshine Monday with many flavors available for $5.

New moonshine shot: The Clorox. You’ve heard of the bleach, which is half blackberry, half peach. The Clorox is the bleach topped off with a dash of 128-proof Blue Flame moonshine.

Recommendation to my readers: Don’t go to The Gold Club and get blackout drunk then go down the street and get matching “STAY WILD” tattoos on your butt with another dude.

There’s a Memphis Pickle Fest at Jerry Lee’s on Beale on February 25.

Get the 2023 Memphis Redbirds jersey giveaways without standing in long lines.

It’s Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day.

The Tigers have moved up to Last Four Byes in Joe Lunardi’s Bracketology. They are the 7th last team projected in the field for the Big Dance.

The Flyer’s Michael Donahue has an article about Chef Jake Behnke at IBIS.

The CA has a look at the International Blues Challenge winners.

That’ll do it for today. I sure hope this publishes without WordPress errors.

Spent 3 hours typing a post this morning, but it wouldn’t publish and now I can’t get it back in the editor.

So I gotta start with a story about my boy Coyote.

He showed up at the Blind Bear at 7 last night ready for business. Black dress shirt, black belt, black slacks, black shoes. He was totally ready to rock that Wednesday shift.

Except it was Tuesday.

He had the night off.

Gray Canary is closing. You have until the end of the week to get by there.

Danny Green has targeted February 1 for his debut. He’s been out injured since the Grizzlies acquired him via trade 8 months ago.

Grizz center Steven Adams will be out 3-5 weeks with a knee sprain. Will we see JJJ get minutes at the 5 in his absence?

The Grizz play Golden State at 9 tonight, nationally televised on ESPN. The Warriors’ James Wiseman is expected to return from injury tonight.

Cow therapy is a thing.

Loflin Yard is holding a Super Bowl party on February 12. Squares game with monetary prizes each quarter. $16 local beer buckets.

Belz has announced that part of Pembroke Square, currently office space, will be converted into apartments.

Stock & Belle is having a Galentine’s Day party Saturday, February 11 noon to 4. $25 ticket includes a 25% off coupon that can be used in store.

Today is Irish Coffee Day. Come join me at Bardog and let Allie Cat make you one.

The Shelby County clerk’s Downtown office will be closed for motor vehicle registrations and titles this week and next. You’re doing a great job serving the public, Wanda!

St. Jude has added a new Family Commons space away from treatment and staff.

Wiseacre Downtown is having a Blues and Bleus, and Brews bleu cheese and beer pairing Saturday. $25. Limited space, so make a reservation.

The International Blues Challenge is happening on and around Beale Street this week.

And that’s it for today. Back tomorrow with more news.

Gimme until like 11:30-11:45 this morning. Got a pretty large backlog of news.

Thanks to my friends Mark and Coyote for walking me home in the pouring rain last night. After all these years, that’s still my #1 reason for remaining Downtown – you get to hang out with some INCREDIBLY awesome people.

They won my poll and I did indeed root for them, but they lost to the 49ers in the NFC (I think? I really don’t care about pro football) Divisional.

So relieved I don’t have to listen to Butt Slut #1 talk about her stupid Cowgirls for 7 months.

I have no news to report. You basically came here to read a garbage post today.

Back tomorrow. Somebody do something so I have material to write about.

And on the off-chance he still reads this blog, happy 50th to my friend KH.

I have legit reasons for hating the Tennessee Vols. Their fan base is the shittiest in all of college athletics. They throw golf balls and mustard bottles onto the field. They tear down goalposts and throw them in the river. I personally know Vols fans who are pretty horrible people (although, to be fair – I know Vols fans who are awesome people too).

Lately I’ve been rooting against the Dallas Cowboys, calling them the “Cowgirls” and such.

It’s not that I hate Dem Boyz – really, I don’t much care one way or the other about ANY NFL team. The only thing NFL I TRULY root for is for the season to hurry up and end so I can watch basketball.

And I have nothing personal against the Cowboys’ fan base as I do the Vols.

I’ve been talking trash about the Boyz to irritate one person.

And, in the past 10 or so days, that person has

• Given me two badass T-shirts as belated Christmas presents
• Bought me a ticket to see The Price Is Right Live on April 1
• Told me she loves me at least 15 times
• The one night I forgot to text and tell her I made it home safely, she told me she got anxiety

She’s a huge Cowboys fan. Should I root for Dem Boyz today in support of her? They play the Niners at 5:30 on FOX.

I’ll check the poll results at 5:29 and what the majority says to do, I will do.

Let’s get on to the news…

The Tigers travel to Cincinnati for a noon game vs. the Bearcats. TV: ESPN2. Preview

The World Famous Glenn Miller Orchestra plays the Orpheum on Monday, January 30. Isn’t that like an old people thing? I wonder if the folks who sit at the corner table at Max’s are going. They could pre-game with liver & onions at Picadilly at 4:15 (if they go to the one in Whitehaven, they might see King Willie) then head to the theater.

“Boy, the week Glenn Miller played” was the opening line Archie Bunker sang in the theme song of All in the Family.

There’s a Mendelssohn violin concerto by Memphis Symphony Orchestra at the Cannon Center today and tomorrow.

If you’re a Daily Memphian subscriber, they have a really good 3-part series on Grizzlies guard Desmond Bane this weekend.

The Grizzlies play at Phoenix 7 tonight. TV: Bally Sports South

Today is National Hot Sauce Day. I’d tell you to go to Maciel’s, but they’re closed on Sunday! I’ll let you in on a secret though: The green sauce in a bottle at Bardog.

Order a Bardog Breakfast and put it on your scrambled eggs and your breakfast potatoes.

This is pretty cool: Buzz Aldrin, the second astronaut to set foot on the moon, got married last week. Aldrin is 93.

South Main Sounds will have its 8th-anniversary show on Friday.

More details on the return of poker on Mondays at the Silly Goose: 7 PM main game, $125 in prizes; 9 PM turbo, $25 in prizes.

Daaaaang… Will Graceland have to be sold to pay off Lisa Marie’s debts?

Food & Wine: The 8 essential items that keep restaurant customers coming back. ALL OF THIS and I’ll add one: Footrest (appropriate height) at the bar. Friday I stayed home from one of my usual spots due to lack of a footrest. Saturday I sat at a bar whose footrest was so low, they might as well not have had one at all.

That’s it for this morning. Probably back tomorrow with more news.

But before we get to the Bear news, a DOWNTOWN PRO DRINKING TIP: I have it on good authority (from an ex-employee) that Michael and Yari will be filling in at the brunch shift at Bardog today. Two weekends ago Michael made me the most incredible spicy Bloody Mary I’ve ever had that I did not make myself. HE MUDDLED THE JALAPENOS. OMG so good. If you like spicy, get up there and ask him to make you a Bloody.

The guy has phenomenal taste in music too. I use my Shazam app a lot when he’s behind the bar.

The latter half of this coming week is going to be a big one at Blind Bear:

• Thursday, from my hometown of Little Rock, Joey Barrett comes to play live. Also it will be Myrical’s last night
• Friday, FreeWorld makes their return to the Bear!!! So excited to hear them in that venue… and a bit sad that Dr. Herman Green won’t be on stage with them

“But, Paul,” you’re asking, “Friday is normally burlesque night. What about burlesque?”

Glad you asked!

• On Saturday, January 28, there will be a special Saturday performance of Velvetina’s Speakeasy Burlesque. The show starts at 10 PM and James & The Ultrasounds will be their backing band

But, enough about next week. What about tonight?

• Brimstone Jones Unplugged play 10 PM-1 AM

Mountain Dew Baja Blast hot sauce is a thing and I want some.

Today is Squirrel Appreciation Day.

The Grizzlies’ win streak came to an end against the L.A. Lakers last night, 122-121. Up next: at Phoenix Sunday night at 7.

Kevin Keough, owner of Cafe Keough in my apartment building, appears on a DM podcast this week.

80% chance of rain tonight.

WREG: Police catch a man casing cars with burglary tools in Harbor Town

Springhill Suites, a hotel on the Main Street Mall facing Court Square, seeks a bartender.

That’ll do it. Headed to Bardog for brunch with Randy and Butt Slut #1. I want some more of those strawberry pancakes. Or maybe I’ll try the blueberry this week.

Y’all. Butt Slut #1 is going out of town next weekend. I hate to admit it but I’m gonna miss her SO MUCH.

Anyway, if there’s news to report, I’ll be back tomorrow. Otherwise, Monday.