Wed update #2: Aquanet on Peabody rooftop tomorrow, new file sharing concept not yet in Memphis, growl towels, Court House Deli, another Brewery Untapped article, Iron Sheik movie released

One of the best acts to play the Peabody rooftop, Aquanet, takes the stage tomorrow night at the Thursday rooftop party. This band does ’80s hair band cover songs and dresses in authentic costumes. Come hear Poison, Ratt, Bon Jovi, Warrant, Winger, Motley Crue, Def Leppard, and more performed as only Aquanet can. Special guest My Crazy Girlfriend will perform as well. Doors open at 6, ladies and hotel guests free until 7, $10 admission otherwise. Admission includes a make-your-own nacho bar. If you’re in VIP you also get a buffet of tamales, a fish taco station, and quesadillas. The drink special will be Malibu Sparklers for $6. Here’s a video of Aquanet rocking it out on WREG Live at 9.

I am sad to report that there are no known dead drops in Memphis. Our city is missing out on the latest and greatest innovation in file sharing.

Game 6 growl towel will have “All Heart, Grit, Grind” on it. Now that’s a collector’s item. Game will tip off at 7 PM vs. the OKC Thunder tomorrow night at FedExForum.

Court House Deli has begun accepting credit and debit cards. This is one of my favorite lunch spots. Great Cajun chili, red beans and rice, crawfish etoufee, mushroom swiss burgers, deli sandwiches and salads, and Voodoo wings. Check it out if you haven’t already. It’s on Main between Madison and Monroe, and is open for lunch only. It’s inexpensive and they know how to keep the line moving so you can eat and get back to work.

The Daily News has another good article about Brewery Untapped.

Wrestling fans: You can now buy The Sheik, the movie about retired wrestler The Iron Sheik. He the real and the legend and if you not buy his movie you jabroni like the B. Brian Blair and the Virgil and you have the sex with dead dog. Buy it at sheikmovie.com.

That’s the end of the day news. Time for a PBR at the Goose. Coming soon: A Music Fest weekend guide for people who don’t do Music Fest.

Wed update: Bill that could badly hurt local restaurants, royal visit, trolley hours, Eric Clapton, basketball camp Groupon

My friend Deni who owns the Majestic Grille made me aware of a piece of legislation that could badly hurt local family-owned restaurants. A bill about wineries was making its way through the Tennessee House of Representatives when Rep. Curry Todd stuck on a last-minute amendment that had nothing to do with the rest of the bill. The amendment would force restaurants to pay for liquor cash-on-delivery, rather than have the 10-day window to pay that they have now. For a lot of locally-owned restaurants, that 10 days is vital and is the difference between being able to keep the doors open and not. The amendment was added to the bill last-minute, and it was not put to committee or discussed. The entire thing was done in a very underhanded manner, and because of this the bill passed the House and it is now on its way to Gov. Haslam to sign. We have 10 days to convince Gov. Haslam to veto the bill.

So here’s what you need to do. Email bill.haslam@tn.gov the following:

Gov. Haslam: I support the Memphis and TN Restaurant & Hospitality Community and the $16 billion impact they have on the state. Please VETO HB2027 / SB2415.

There are still rumors of a royal visit to Memphis this weekend. A friend of Princes William and Harry is getting married here this weekend, and it’s said that they will be in town and possibly Kate Middleton too. Mayor Wharton is preparing for their visit even though it hasn’t been made official yet. Part of the weekend’s itinerary includes dinner on Beale Street. Um, you realize Music Fest is happening this weekend? Good luck with that!

MATA will run the trolleys for extended hours for Music Fest weekend. Trolleys will run until 1 AM Friday and Saturday and until 10 PM Sunday.

Eric Clapton plays Mud Island tonight. Buy tickets here. Tickets are $75-145.

There’s a Groupon for a Memphis Grizzlies basketball camp going on right now. The camp is for ages 6-17 and is run by the National Basketball Academy. Admission to the camp is a $199 value but you can get it for $115 with the Groupon.

The Grizzlies return home with a 3-2 lead over Oklahoma City, after winning 100-99 in the fourth straight game that went to overtime last night. Game 6 will be at 7:00 Thursday on TNT.

Up early this morning, so I figured I’d go ahead and get the news update done. There may be another post around lunchtime, so check back.

Tue update: BBQ T-shirts, Sterick emergency, parking tickets, Brewery Untapped, Grantland article, get paid to use Bing, recipes

The Moody Ques team T-shirts are here. They will be distributed in team member bags, but the team leaders gave me mine in advance for publicity purposes. Here’s a look. The shirts are beautiful royal blue – my favorite color and Memphis Tigers color as well. They fit well and aren’t super-tight like last year’s shirts were.

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This is the small image on the left front of the shirt.

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This is the image on the back of the shirt.

These were done by my friend Josh Cottrell who works out of Winfield’s at 2 South Main. If you need a bulk T-shirt order done, keep Josh in mind. I’m going to ruffle some feathers here, and I speak only for myself and not the team, but I think Josh did a much better job than the company that printed our shirts last year, both in terms of quality of material and getting the shirts to us on time.

There was an emergency situation at the Sterick Building this morning. The CA reports that window washers were left dangling 20 stories above Third Street when a motor broke on their rig. The two men managed to break a window and get inside, as firefighters were on their way up the stairs to reach them.

The city is implementing new regulations for parking tickets. Violations carry fines that average about $21. However, beginning May 1, if these tickets are not paid in a timely fashion (within 15 days), fines and other costs could make the cost of the violation to $246 total. Cars can also be immobilized or impounded if there are unpaid fines. There are parking kiosks on some streets that cover multiple spaces. These use a “pay and display” technology where you print out a receipt and display it on your dashboard as proof of payment. Receipts can also be used to dispute parking tickets.

The Memphis Flyer reports that the first weekend of Brewery Untapped at the Tennessee Brewery was a huge success with even larger crowds than expected. Untapped re-opens for its second weekend Thursday at 11 AM.

There’s a nice article on Grantland about four days in Memphis for the NBA playoffs.

Google is the most popular search engine, but Bing will pay you to use it. Users can expect to earn in the ballpark of 500 credits per month, equivalent to $5 that you can cash in for rewards.

On Pinterest: The Memphis Farmers Market has posted recipes you can make with ingredients from the market.

Grizzlies play Game 5 tonight in Oklahoma City at 8 PM. Series is tied at 2-2. I’m going to watch the game at the Blind Bear, but am going to take the evening off from poker so I can focus my attention on the game. Go Grizzlies! Let’s steal another one on the road and get home-court advantage back.

Monday update

This morning I woke up to the patter of large hail against my window, the BANG of thunder produced by lightning strikes very close by, and then tornado sirens. I took the day off and was very happy to not have to drive to work in the storms that passed through. Friends of mine in the Claridge had a window blown out. I hope everyone is safe. Downtown is on a double power circuit and it must have switched over to the backup leg of that circuit about 9:30, when the power flickered for a moment in my apartment. I hope everyone out there is safe and sound.

This is the second day of storms. Yesterday’s storms were predicted to be out of here by noon, but they stuck around way longer than that. Getting cabin fever about 11:30, I made the run from my apartment to Bardog and figured I’d wait it out there, then have a short walk to Rajun Cajun. That short walk never happened. I was there for two hours, and it showed no sign of stopping. Friends of mine had gone to the Blind Bear, so I decided to tab out and make a run down there. I walked/jogged down the west side of the Main Street Mall, and right as I was crossing Gayoso about 20 feet from the Bear’s entrance…

BANG!!!!!!!

Lightning struck on the opposite side of Main Street. That’s about as close as I’ve ever come to getting hit. That’s it, I decided, I’m not going to Rajun Cajun until the rain has entirely moved out. Which it didn’t. No crawfish for me this year, and no photo album of Rajun Cajun which I expected to be posting today.

Back to this morning… I looked out the window after the rain cleared and saw a beautiful sight.

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What’s so beautiful about this? Well, if you look carefully you’ll see a bunch of rubble and two yellow bulldozers to the left of the Doubletree Hotel. That’s where the Greyhound bus station used to be. So happy to have the bus station removed from Downtown Memphis.

A plane en route to Memphis departing from Newark Friday night had a close call with another plane that was landing. The landing plane was told to circle the airport but it did not and instead came on in. There was a space of about a half a mile between the two planes, when two miles between the planes was the standard. A friend of mine who was on the plane said that it took a dip and then they saw another plane flying over them. Glad he and his family are safe. The FAA and NTSB are investigating.

Keep an eye on this NBA investigation of racist comments made by L.A. Clippers owner Donald Sterling, because it could have implications for Memphis. If the Grizzlies win their series vs. the OKC Thunder and the Clippers win out against Golden State, the Grizzlies and Clippers would meet next in the conference semifinals.

You may have seen smoke coming from the southeast if you were Downtown Saturday. An abandoned warehouse near Crump caught fire and four firefighters were injured, including one with a broken back. My thoughts and prayers and wishes for a speedy recovery go out to the firefighters.

In case you haven’t heard, two new ride-sharing services, Lyft and Uber, are coming to Memphis. The cab companies are likely not too happy about it, but I have heard good things about both and look forward to giving one a try the next time I’m in the mood for a field trip to Midtown.

My trip to Rajun Cajun didn’t happen, but my post-Rajun Cajun vacation day is happening today. Time to get a few errands done then hit Bardog and the Saucer and enjoy my day off.

Friday recap: Brewery Untapped, South Main Dirty Dozen Carnaval de Panama, and more

I got my first chance to check out Brewery Untapped, the project to turn the old Tennessee Brewery building into a community space for six weeks, last night. The weather was perfect, sunny and about 75. I walked down there about 7:00, taking the long way down Main Street through South Main Trolley Night and then G.E. Patterson over to Tennessee Street.

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There are three rooms open in the brewery. This is the main room, with what I guess could be called natural skylight, or to put it another way, there ain’t no roof.

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The brewery is open Thursday-Sunday through June 1, and food trucks have a rotating schedule throughout those days. The Stickem truck was a popular destination for dinner last night.

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The Truck Stop truck was selling tacos.

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Popcorn by Doc Popcorn

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A view from the back of the main room where the food trucks are, looking toward the front door and the stage. I wish I’d realized this pic was blurry and re-taken it. Picasa’s Sharpen tool can only do so much.

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Standing in the same place as the last photo but looking up.

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Live music. The brewery is surrounded by The Lofts condos, the South Bluffs community, and houses overlooking the river on Tennessee Street. In order to be a good neighbor, Untapped books acoustic music only so it won’t get unpleasantly loud in the neighborhood. Music ends by 8, although Untapped stays open until 9 Thursday and Sunday and 11 Friday and Saturday.

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There are two rooms off to the left that are covered (and therefore very dark; work your magic, Picasa’s Fill Light filter). This room is the front room which is the beer garden. There local beer is sold. I couldn’t get near the taps because the lines were so long, but I think I counted 10-12 taps, all local and regional beer.

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The back interior room is the game room. In this photo we have ping-pong, cornhole, and air hockey. There is also a dart board that I couldn’t fit in the picture. Note that Untapped is kid-friendly. This would be a great place to bring the kids on Saturday or Sunday afternoon and have a local beer while they play.

I bet my buddy Pete, who likes to brag that he is the ping-pong champion of the Mad Earl, will be glad to see the ping-pong table. He will probably also be glad there is not a pool table.

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The front of the brewery building. Beer was last brewed here in 1954. There will be talks at 12:30 and 3:30 today about the brewery and the Goldcrest 51 brand.

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Front of the brewery, looking up

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Untapped’s mascot. I hear he’s available on a T-shirt that will be sold in a pop-up shop in the brewery on some days.

Okay, let’s back up to the beginning of the evening. I started to walk to Untapped a little before 6. Of course, given that Untapped is nearly a mile from where I live, I decided I should take a break at the Flying Saucer before proceeding. I cut through the parking lot on Gayoso to get to the Saucer from Main Street. As I did, I saw a man holding newspapers and talking to everyone walking by. He made eye contact with me from about 30 feet away. “Oh boy,” I thought. “Some bum has grabbed copies out of the Memphis Flyer out of the box and is trying to sell them to tourists.”

However, that was not the case at all. I noticed a badge around his neck. I realized that he was a licensed vendor of The Bridge, a Memphis newspaper featuring stories, articles, and artwork by Memphians who have had experiences with homelessness. Those Memphians can go through a process to get licensed as vendors who sell the newspaper on the street for $1. They get 20 copies of the paper for free to sell, and can buy more at a discounted rate. So the gentleman told me a little about the newspaper and asked if I wanted to buy a copy. I gave him $2 and took my copy in the Saucer and read it. Very well-written and a good introduction to issues the homeless face that you and I might not think about.

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If you see a vendor on the streets of Downtown or Midtown selling The Bridge, please consider buying a copy. It’s a good read and you’ll be supporting people who are working to get to a better place in life.

Getting back to Untapped: I was very impressed with what was happening there, but I didn’t stay long because it was so crowded. With perfect weather and Trolley Night going on, I knew that would happen. I will be back soon to try some local beer and food truck grub. It’s a bit of a long walk but I plan on supporting Untapped as much as I can.

I camped out at Max’s Sports Bar until after 9, then walked over to The Warehouse for the Dirty Dozen’s Carnaval de Panama. A $10 donation to two charities that help the homeless got you a bottomless cup and music by DJ Joe Carey.

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Bubble machine was in full force

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The dance floor. (For those of you who watch WWE – doesn’t this remind you of the Adam Rose Experience?)

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Partygoers

A fun party indeed. Dirty Dozen parties, and Warehouse parties, are great because they draw people from all walks of life. It’s fun to look at the photos on the wall and see all the famous musicians that Kris knows.

On to today… the big festival Downtown is Southern Hot Wing Fest at Jefferson Davis Park on Riverside. I’ll lead off at Bardog at 11 then walk over there for a little bit. Grizzlies game on ESPN at 8:30.

Fri update: Jeopardy!, Porter-Leath, wing recommendations, BBQ team news

TV alert: If you can get in front of a TV at 3:30 this afternoon, tune it to WREG, channel 3 in Memphis. Former Memphian The Nuh-Uh Sister will be on Jeopardy! this afternoon. She has previously competed on, and won on, Wheel of Fortune and The Price is Right.

You probably know about the Rajun Cajun Crawfish Fest happening this Sunday on the river, but do you know about Porter-Leath, the nonprofit for which the festival raises funds? Holly has a great post about Porter-Leath.

The founder of Saturday’s Southern Hot Wing Festival gave the Memphis Flyer some tips about his favorite wing joints in Memphis. Downtown restaurant Double J Smokehouse made the list.

Some of my BBQ teammates have been asking me if there is any Moody Ques news. There’s not much – and that’s a good thing, because we have things much better under control than we did at this time last year. Here’s what I’ve got.

The Moody Ques team bags, that we will use to distribute team materials, came in yesterday. Here’s Clay with one of the bags around his neck. That logo will be on the front of our T-shirts as well.

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Looks a lot better than the brown paper bags we’ve used in the past, huh? You can take these grocery shopping and be all environmentally friendly and stuff.

We also got a supply of lime green Start Co./Moody Ques plastic cups that look awesome. I didn’t get a pic of those.

We won’t have the situation where the team T-shirts were delivered to one of the team leaders at 4:30 AM the day of Friends & Family Night as happened last year. Team members will be able to pick up shirts and other materials in advance. Details to come. We did not use the same vendor who printed last year’s T-shirts.

People have asked about load-in on Saturday, May 9. It’s being streamlined this year with two lanes of Riverside open instead of one. We are the third team on the schedule to load in, so we should be in and out with a minimum of hassle this year.

That’s all I’ve got for now. I plan to check out Tennessee Brewery Untapped this evening, and will bring the camera and get some good photos. After that I’ll head to the Warehouse for the South Main Dirty Dozen’s Carnaval de Panama at 9.

In lieu of a blog post today…

I would like to ask you all to read this story.

Untapped!: Life returns to the Tennessee Brewery for six weeks. Is this the last hurrah for the historic building or the start of something new?

Please support Untapped as often as you can for its 6-week run.

Reading this article made me understand the project a lot better than I did before. It’s important that the investors in this six-week project turn a profit for two reasons:

1) It will demonstrate to potential investors that the brewery can be re-opened on a small scale profitably;

2) It will demonstrate that this tactic can be used in other historical buildings in Memphis facing demolition to possibly save them too.

It would be nice if both objectives are met, but if either is, it’s a win for Untapped. Again, please support this. What a very cool, community-driven project. I wish I lived in South Main so I could hang out there every day. I will get down there as often as I can.

Wed update: Beer, food truck rodeo, Civil Rights Museum break-in, plaza playoff parties

Sorry, there wasn’t a longer post at lunchtime. I was catching up on work, and besides I wanted my alert about this coming big fun weekend to remain near the top of the blog for a while.

Yesterday evening turned out to be a very enjoyable one. I was out a few minutes early and was on my way to the Flying Saucer, when I got a text from one of my friends. “There’s a couple here who just moved to Memphis,” he told me. “They were looking out east but decided to move Downtown because of your blog.” I love hearing that, so I detoured to the Goose. They live a few blocks from me and are looking to meet Downtowners and the lady was looking to volunteer for some nonprofits. I told them to come to the party at the Warehouse Friday night, Carnaval de Panama hosted by the South Main Dirty Dozen. Great place to meet a lot of like-minded people. As for volunteer opportunities, I told them to check out Volunteer Odyssey.

After the Goose, I went over to the Flying Saucer and tried several newly-returned Dogfish Head draft beers. My favorite was the Dogfish Head 120 IPA, which checks in at a massive 21% alcohol by volume. To compare, Bud Light, the most commonly sold beer in North America, is only 4.2%. It wasn’t even possible to get above 12% until some recent advancements in brewing. Most IPAs are bitter but this one had so much alcohol that it turned the beer sweet. Delicious. The Saucer had 12 Dogfish Head beers on tap yesterday. Most of them are only here for one keg, but many will stick around in bottled form after that.

Speaking of high-alcohol beer, the Tennessee legislature passed a bill to raise the cap on what is considered beer. Previously it was 6.2% ABV; in 2017 it will go up to 10.1%. That will allow grocery stores to sell high-gravity beers, although you’d still have to go to a liquor store to get a bottle of the 120 Minute IPA I had last night.

The monthly food truck rodeo happens tomorrow in Court Square at lunchtime. Eight food trucks will be on hand to serve you.

A man broke into two rooms at the Civil Rights Museum last night. He broke windows in two rooms near the one where Dr. King stayed in 1968, and was found sleeping in one of the beds. Those sheets probably haven’t been changed since the Lorraine Motel closed in the early 1980s. Ewww.

There will be parties in the plaza outside FedExForum starting two hours prior to all Grizzlies playoff games, including the ones tomorrow night and Saturday.

That’ll do it for now. Happy hump day and I’ll be back tomorrow with more news.

 

 

Alert: Downtown will be stacked with fun events this weekend

There is so much going on this coming weekend that I wanted to go ahead and post about it now. Except possibly for the first weekend in December, there is no other weekend on the calendar with such a huge variety of big events.

Tip for Memphians who don’t live Downtown: Why not get a hotel room for the weekend, and experience Downtown as the locals do it, walking, biking or trolleying to all these events?

All right, let’s get started. This is not a comprehensive list (go to DowntownMemphis.com and look at the event calendar for that), but these are the big ones that are on my radar.

Thursday, April 24

Grizzlies vs. Thunder, FedExForum, 7:00: It’s game 3 of the seven-game playoff series, currently tied 1-1. If the Grizzlies can defend the home court this game and next, the Thunder will be in a world of trouble when they head back to OKC. PRO TIP: If you’re going to the game, park at Double J on G.E. Patterson about 6 blocks south of the Forum. You can pre-game there with a drink or dinner, and they have a limo that will shuttle you to the game and back. Good way to avoid heavy traffic around the arena.

Peabody rooftop party: Aces Wild will be the headlining band. Come party with host CJ from The Q 107.5/96.1 and House DJ Mark Anderson spinning the tunes between the band’s sets. The Grizzlies game will be shown on the big screen in the adjacent Peabody skyway. Doors open at 6 PM. $10 admission includes a hot dog buffet with potato chips. If you’re in the VIP section you also have access to a hamburger buffet with chicken skewers and tater tots. Ladies and hotel guests free until 7.

Spring Fling at Twilight Sky Terrace: This is the inaugural Thursday rooftop party atop the Madison Hotel. This party offers live music with amazing views of Downtown Memphis as a backdrop. There will be spring cocktails and a photo booth, and you can enter a drawing to win a weekend at the Madison. 7 PM – midnight. Rain date May 1. $10 cover.

Friday, April 25

Tennessee Brewery Untapped: We’ll have one of our first looks at what can be done in this beautiful space. From the Facebook page: “Untapped will include regular and spontaneous programming, including a cafe serving locally-sourced beverages, food trucks, live music, movie screenings, workshops, and other kinds of do-it-yourself, makeshift fun.”

South Main Trolley Night: Happens the last Friday of every month, in the South Main shops, galleries, and restaurants. The name is a bit misleading because most people walk and mingle with friends and neighbors rather than ride the trolley. Live entertainment will include

Pistol and the Queen @ D’Edge
Po Boys @ Green Beetle
Mara Danielle @ Sache
Crissy Owen @ Charlotte
Melinda Milligan @ Main Law
Eric Crays/Steve Black/Danny McGregor @ Rizzo’s Patio
Steve Reid @ Memphis Thing
Chelsea Chandler @ Douglas & Associates
Tim Plunk (6-8), Nick Garrison (8-Midnight) @Double J
Delta Joe Sanders @ SMA Member Area
Live Music on the Trolley sponsored by Memphis Music Commission
More music at Earnestine & Hazel’s and Grawemeyer’s

There will also be an art opening: Adventures in Love by Sue Layman Lightman, 125 G.E. Patterson Suite 3, as well as multiple artists and vendors on the street. Although Trolley Night happens once a month, the nice-weather Trolley Nights especially tend to get huge. Temps should be in the mid 70s and rain is not expected.

South Main Dirty Dozen presents Carnaval de Panama at The Warehouse: $10 donation at the door supports two awesome charities, Hospitality Hub and Urban Bike Ministry. The Dirty Dozen decided to celebrate Memphis in May’s honored country, Panama, with an authentic Carnaval. Festive attire is encouraged. OPEN BAR (!!!!!) and music by DJ Joe Carey.

I have never been to a bad Dirty Dozen party, and this is the first one they have thrown at The Warehouse. Furthermore, I have never been to a bad party at the Warehouse. Double recommendation to go based on that. The Warehouse is a unique performance space which is part of the home of Kris Kourdouvelis at the northeast corner of G.E. Patterson at Front.

All of these events are within a 3-block walk. It goes without saying that the South Main area is the place to be Friday.

Saturday, April 26

Southern Hot Wing Festival: Hot wing cook teams compete to see who has the best wings. This event is on Riverside Drive around Jefferson at Jefferson Davis Park on the river. Open to the public 11 AM to 8 PM. Food trucks, live music on two stages, hot wing eating contest, and of course awards for the best wings. This is the festival that was located in South Main a few years ago, but it outgrew that space.

PRO TIP: If you want to see me in my native habitat, pre-game for the festival at Bardog Tavern on Monroe between Front and Main. I will get there at 11 and will stay for an hour or two.

Tennessee Brewery Untapped: Notable today is Kenn Flemmons, author of Finest Beer You Ever Tasted, the definitive book about the Tennessee Brewery and Goldcrest 51, the beer that was brewed there. He will answer your questions about the brewery at 12:30 and 3:30.

Memphis Brewfest: Beer festival at AutoZone Park from 4 to 7:30 PM. Many beers that are not normally available in Memphis will be on hand for you to sample. This is the main event of Memphis Beer Week which has been going on since Monday. Get tickets here. I’m taking the year off from this festival simply because there is so much going on, but I’ve been to it in past years and it’s worth checking out. PRO TIP: Lines get about 6 deep during peak times, so get in line for your next beer sample before you finish the one you’re drinking now.

Grizzlies vs. Thunder, FedExForum, 8:30: Game 4 of the best-of-seven. Atmosphere at the Forum should be electric, especially if the Grizzlies win Thursday’s game and come to this game with an advantage.

Sunday, April 27

Rajun Cajun Crawfish Fest: This yearly event happens on Wagner and Riverside between Union and Beale, noon to 6. Crawfish are sold by the bucket (get there early to avoid long lines, although they keep the lines moving quickly). There’s live music, including zydeco bands, as well as cornhole, a gumbo cookoff, and bobbing for live crawfish. For the kids, there are crawfish races. Not into crawfish? There will be several food trucks there as well serving festival and gourmet food. The festival benefits Porter-Leath, one of Memphis’ finest nonprofits.

PRO TIP: By mid-afternoon the lines for beer and restrooms get quite long, especially on Wagner which is the main path. Get off the beaten path and use the facilities on Riverside for less time in line.

If you can’t find something to do Downtown this weekend, you just aren’t trying! I’ll leave you with one final PRO TIP: Take a vacation day Monday.