Wed update: Food Bank needs turkeys, Turkey of the Year glass, car hits gas main near Aldo’s, Thanksgiving pizza, cameras that can hear gunshots, new Memphis vodka, pop-up gift shop

Starting off today’s post with an urgent plea for help. The Mid-South Food Bank needs turkey donations. As of yesterday afternoon, they were 1700 turkeys short. You can drop off a turkey or $15 at 239 S. Dudley through the end of business today.

Thanks to the Flying Saucer for their Beerknurd appreciation party last night. We had a buffet of BBQ pulled pork, slaw, rolls, and cupcakes. (I cleaned my plate by myself but some of my friends had “help” eating their food.) Each Beerknurd also got a free glass of Yazoo Sue. We were told 8 glasses had black dots on the bottom, and those glasses won a prize. I finished my beer, and there was a black dot. The prize was a Memphis Made Brewing Company T-shirt – a very nice prize, but since I already own one I gave it to one of the bartenders. Thanks to the Saucer for a very nice gesture toward its beer club members.

Tonight, by the way, is the “Turkey of the Year” glass night at the Flying Saucer. Buy the glass and see who is 2013’s biggest turkey. Glasses are on sale at 7:00, or earlier if you’re a Master of the Universe with 5 or more plates on the wall.

About 7:55 last night I left the Saucer and walked up the Main Street Mall to my Tuesday poker game at the Blind Bear. I saw two fire chief SUVs in front of Aldo’s Pizza Pies, with a fire truck on standby. Then I noticed that Aldo’s had been evacuated. A car had driven down Main Street and hit a gas main. From what I hear MLGW did an excellent job fixing the damage quickly, allowing Aldo’s to re-open.

The “Slice of the Day” today at Aldo’s is “A Slice of Thanks from Aldo’s,” with house-roasted turkey, stuffing, cranberry, and light mozzarella on giblet gravy. Thanksgiving pizza! Here’s a pic.

Two cameras that can listen for gunshots have been placed in Downtown Memphis, with 10 more coming to other parts of the city soon. The cameras can “hear” gunfire, and swivel and capture an image within 1 second. The cameras were paid for with grant money and no taxpayer dollars were spent on them.

From the Flyer’s Hungry Memphis blog: A new Memphis-based vodka called Roaring Tiger has hit the shelves.

A pop-up gift shop called Metal and Mink is coming to South Main beginning Friday night for South Main Trolley Tour. According to their Facebook page, they sell “Unique handmade gifts, jewelry, home decor and art from local artists. Vintage and antique one of a kind jewelry and accessories including fur and leather.”

The office closes at 3 today. In possibly related news, I will be at happy hour at 4. That’ll do it for now. I don’t take Thanksgiving off from blogging, so there should be a post sometime tomorrow.