Month: October 2010

So tonight I went to the Silly Goose to play poker. Brick, on her night off, showed up to play. She survived a long time for her skill level – two hands.

I eventually got put out as well and went to the bar where she was sitting, and where the poker players were watching intently every time she leaned over to order a drink. She asked if I’m a pro football fan. I said, not really, and told her I’m more into college.

She said, “Well, I like the Vols.”  I asked, “It’s not football, but do you know what my Halloween costume is going to be?”

She said no. “Bruce Pearl,” I told her.

“Oh,” she said, “13 men on the field?”

“Yes,” I replied. “And what’s the difference between 13 and 11?”

“A lot of men,” Brick replied.

Once she realized I’d taken out paper and was taking notes, she chased me around the bar trying to rip my note paper up. Doesn’t matter, Brick. I have a mind like a steel trap.

Good playing darts with Mark from MarksMenus earlier tonight. Wanted to introduce him to the Nuh-Uh Girl but she didn’t show up.

Tonight I played poker at the Silly Goose. After I lost I ordered to-go food off their new menu. I got the parmesan chicken rolls, pictured above.

The real story at the Goose, though, was not the poker or the food, but the fact that I got a new “Brick” Quote of the Week. Check back soon for another post.

The Memphis Redbirds have been nominated for the Triple-A Minor League Team of the Year. You can help the ‘birds win it by going here to vote for them.

This is the final week for the MIFA Store. Go by there to pick up some great deals on clothing, furniture, books and more. It’s at 910 Vance inside the MIFA building.

I’m glad we got some rain, but did it really have to happen yesterday? Seeing red on the radar, I decided to park myself at the Saucer and wait for it to move through before heading south. By 2:30 I was still waiting, and I saw a tweet that the festival organizers had given up and they were shutting it down at 3. Too bad. Great job to the folks who put RiverArtsFest together – absolutely excellent event.

Short post this Monday. I’m tired from the weekend. Maybe I’ll post more after work before I head to Pint Nite. Considering the 9:00 poker game at the Silly Goose too… will see how I feel about it when the time rolls around.

If you didn’t make it to RiverArtsFest yesterday, I highly, highly recommend that you go today. And once you get there, I highly, highly recommend that you find this booth:

They make flavored roasted nuts that are absolutely delicious. I got cinnamon roasted pecans and strolled around the festival munching on them. Even if you are not a big fan of nuts in general, you really ought to give these a try.

I didn’t take a whole lot of RiverArtsFest photos, because many artists don’t like having their work photographed, and I respect that. However, I did want to take some photos of the food vendor booths – the food selection is among the best I have ever seen at an outdoor street festival.

I’ll be back at the festival today, weather permitting… hope to be there around noon. If the weather is bad I’ll stop at the Saucer for a few rainy day beers before heading south.

RiverArtsFest happens on South Main today, centered at Main and G.E. Patterson and extending a couple of blocks north and south. This is one of the best fall festivals of the year, running 10-6 today and 10-5 tomorrow. There will be 180 artists selling their works in just about every medium imaginable. These are the best of the best – more than twice that number applied for booth space. I love wandering around, looking at art, running into people I rarely see.

Good music too – check this CA article for the full line-up of bands. (Attn RiverArtsFest: Don’t you think you ought to have the full schedule on your own site, under the Live Music link? Just sayin’.) Wow the National Civil Rights Museum stage has some really good bands today.

Beer value tip: If Max’s Sports Bar (formerly Calhoun’s) is within the boundaries of the festival, and I think it is, you can buy $2 PBR there and get a to-go cup.

What to wear? It’s a rare late October weekend when the highs are predicted to be in the mid-80s. Therefore, ladies, my festival clothing recommendation would be a TUBE TOP. Guys, I don’t really care what you wear, although I will suggest Arkansas Razorbacks attire.

Time to remind everyone of my festival rule: When there’s a street festival going on, I tend to spend most or all of my time at the festival, not at side parties near the festival. Although, I might make an exception and spend a little time in Max’s watching the Arkansas-Ole Miss game, which kicks off at 11:21.

I’m getting a free T-shirt at the festival today, after smoothing things over with the new business owner who called me Thursday afternoon to complain about a blog post I did. I hope to have more details to post about his business soon.

Should be a fantastic RiverArtsFest! Hope to see you there!

This week I got most of the pieces ready for my Bruce Pearl costume. I figure most people will recognize who I am when they see me dressed in a loud orange jacket and orange tie. I’m also going to have a UT emblem on the jacket for further clarification. However, in case some people still don’t get it, I wanted to buy one additional prop – an orange basketball.

I didn’t want a full-size one… too hard to carry around when I’ll be carrying a beer most of the time as well. I wanted a mini-basketball, something I could easily hold in one hand. I went to a couple of sporting goods centers and struck out. Oh, they had mini-basketballs, but they were Grizzlies basketballs or they were red white and blue. I wanted a basketball that looked like a basketball that would be used in an NCAA game.

Then I went to Target and found this:

“That’s as close as I’m going to come,” I thought. “I can get a Sharpie and paint the black stripes on the Nerf ball.” So I bought it.

Today I took it out of its case and this is what I found:

WTF????? Why would anyone produce a basketball that looks like this? Half orange, half blue? Except in Florida Gator country this thing is useless. No one has a real basketball that looks like this. I can’t take this out with me – I’d look like a bigger idiot than the real Bruce Pearl! Nerf should be brought up on truth-in-advertising charges for their packaging of this product.

If anyone knows where I can get a mini-basketball that looks like an official NCAA ball (or close enough, orange with black stripes), let me know.

Long blog post today… I had most of this saved in Drafts before work, but couldn’t get it done and had to wait for my lunch break to finish it.

Good blog post by Dan Wolken this morning about Tennessee men’s basketball head douche, er, head coach, Bruce Pearl. Looks like the Bruchebag is in even more trouble than we knew, according to a letter from UT to Pearl released today. He invited high school students on an unofficial visit to a party at his house. He told them it was an NCAA violation and encouraged them to lie. He told one of their fathers to lie. He failed to self-report the violation and signed a compliance statement covering the period. He lied and said he did not know the location of a photo taken at his house. He lied and said he did not know a woman in a photo shown to him; the woman was the wife of one of his assitant coaches. As Wolken says on his blog, read the letter from UT to Pearl (it’s linked from his blog) and tell me the Vols are not in deep, deep trouble.

I am so going to enjoy dressing as Pearl for Halloween this year. His level of douchebaggery is reaching Calipariesque proportions. Maybe I can sell my orange jacket to whomever replaces him as UT head coach, after the university finally shows him the door.

In other sports news… the NBA is considering contraction as a way to return to profitability. Contraction is the opposite of expansion – meaning, the NBA would shrink to fewer teams. That might not be good news for the Grizzlies.

Looking for a job at a very cool company? archer>malmo is hiring. Click here for info on four positions: PR Account Exec, PR Account Coordinator, Art Director, and Copywriter.

This article in the CA covers RiverArtsFest, with a schedule of entertainment for all the festival’s stages. There were over 400 applicants, and through a juried process 180 were selected to exhibit at the festival. It happens on South Main tomorrow and Sunday.

Shelton Clothiers has a November sale with 20% off the entire store, but they’ve decided to go ahead and start it early… it starts today. As I mentioned recently, I bought a pair of pants there recently and was quite pleased with the service I received from Tom and his staff.

County Mayor Luttrell is looking for citizens to serve on local boards – see this CA article for details. Some positions require specialized skills or knowledge, but many just require the time commitment. If you want to get involved in local government, this is a very good way to get started. Also, service on a board looks great on a resume.

The Flyer’s Hungry Memphis blog had an article about Elliott’s new hours. The restaurant, on Second next door to Paula & Raiford’s Disco, will open from 11 PM to 4 AM Friday and Saturday nights, serving a limited menu for Raiford’s patrons and anyone else who wants a late night snack.

The Majestic Grille is having a Jam Jar Jazz dinner on Monday, November 1 at 6 PM to benefit the Memphis Farmers Market. Speakeasy price of $65 includes vintage cocktail wine pairings with dinner; temperance price of $45 includes dinner only. Call 901-522-8555 to make reservations. Advance reservations are required, and online reservations are not accepted for this event.

That’ll do it for now. I’ll be at RiverArtsFest this weekend… no idea what I’m getting into tonight though.

This is my first draft of Halloween parties I’m aware of that are open to the public Downtown. More to come probably… if you’re having one and I left you out, e-mail me at paul@paulryburn.com.

Friday, October 29

Halloween party at Hollywood Disco with costume contest

Saturday, October 30

Night two of Halloween party at Hollywood Disco with costume contests

Friends For Life, the largest HIV/AIDS service organization in the Mid-South, will have their annual fundraiser at BRIDGES. This year’s theme is “Shipwrecked!” There will be music by DJ Steve Anne, a cash bar, music, and a costume contest for cash prizes. Tickets are $35 in advance, $45 at the door. For an extra $100 you can get additional perks including access to a VIP room, premium liquor, a private bartender and signage recognition. Last year over 500 people showed up. Visit FFL’s website for more information.

The Flying Saucer’s annual Halloween party will start at 8 PM. There will be a $2 mystery beer tub – pay your $2 and reach in and grab one. Maybe you’ll get an expensive premium beer; maybe you’ll get a Schlitz. You never know. Music by DJ Porter and Scotty B. Costume contest with best costume getting $500 cash. Runner-up prizes for Saucer Girl look-alike and most original. Free if you’re a UFO member, $3 if not.

South of Beale will have its Halloween party Saturday night, with a costume contest from 10-midnight, with judging at midnight. Ghost River Brewery will be giving away prizes, with the grand prize being a private tour of the brewery for 12, including food and drink. They’ll have $3 Ghost River Black Magic all night.

The Silly Goose will have its party on Saturday. Costume contest with prizes $200 overall, $100 sexiest and $100 funniest. Live DJ with BCON, happy hour from 5 to 9 PM including $3 Fireball. If you want seats call 901-435-6915 and make reservations in advance; after 10 they cannot reserve seats. This would be worth attending just to see what Brick is wearing.

Sunday, October 31

There will be a family event at Mud Island River Park from 6:30 to 8:30 PM. Kids can trick-or-treat along a haunted River Walk. There will be candy, prizes, games, hayrides, and haunted train rides.

One of the best parties of the year is always the Kooky Canuck Halloween party. This year they’ll be kicking it off at 6 PM, with $2.50 34 oz. Super Cold Bud Light, as well as drink specials and a costume contest.

Bardog Tavern will have its Halloween party. Costume contest at 10, and at 11 they’ll have the drawing for the Cadillac hearse parked out front. There will be door prizes and drink specials.

Blues City Cafe will have a Halloween party with FreeWorld, with music starting at 10:30. Prizes will be awarded for the scariest, hottest, freakiest, and most creative costumes. FreeWorld will be throwing on some Halloween jams; they’ve played there almost every Sunday night since 1991.

Driving home, I got a phone call. I don’t like talking on the phone when I’m driving so I let it kick to voice mail.

I called it back when I got home and found an irate message from a Downtown business owner claiming I said something untrue about his business. *Sigh* I can’t win. This is really not my week. The good news is, after I called him back and listened to some of the worst English I have ever heard in my life, it looks like I’m gonna get a free T-shirt out of this.

More details to come. Will get a pic of the shirt as soon as I get it.

And by the way: Attn our mutual friend who gave him my number: Thanks for asking my permission to hand out my phone number! Geez.

One of my readers e-mailed to ask about a “french fried raccoon smell” that shows up Downtown once every 2-3 weeks, give or take a week. He asked what it is. I haven’t worked Downtown in a year and a half, so I guess I’m not familiar with the smell. Anyone know what he’s talking about?

If you’re having trouble deciding what you’re going to eat tonight, here’s a site that can help – whatthefuckshouldimakefordinner.com. Surely a site that cooks and foodies will want to bookmark. Thanks to Otto for finding this wonderful site and tweeting it.

Kudzu’s is celebrating its 20th anniversary this Sunday. They will have an all=day celebration starting at noon, with Nancy Apple, Roy Brewer, Lamar Sorrento, Campfire Boys, and Maria Spence among the names who will be performing.

The chef at Chez Phillippe is leaving at the end of this month to take a job in Philly at a Cuban restaurant. A national search will be conducted for a new chef. More details in this CA article.

The CA also had an article about a hidden gem of Downtown: Nice as New, a consignment shop in November 6th Alley, just north of Monroe. November 6th is between Main and Second. I only knew about it because I cross that alley every day from the parking garage to the back door of my building. In addition to the items for sale, he has all kinds of artifacts of Memphis history. Ladies, the article said he recently acquired an odd lot of COACH purses, so you might want to check that out.

I haven’t early voted yet and I’m glad I haven’t… I was leaning toward Bill Haslam for governor, which would have made it a very odd year that saw me vote for Republicans twice (Luttrell being the other). However, after Haslam said he’d rubber stamp the plan of the right-wing wackos in the legislature to let anyone walk around carrying a gun without a permit, I’m starting to reconsider. Got nothing against McWherter… just thought Haslam had more relevant experience. If he can’t stand up to his own party, though, maybe he’s not the man for the job.

Taking a week off from poker night at Max’s Sports Bar, due to the Third Thursday party at Main and Peabody Place. A couple of beers there, a couple of beers at the Saucer, maybe a couple of beers somewhere else are my plans for tonight.