Mon update: Flood, Peabody rooftop party, Liberty Bowl, BBQ Fest article, USA-BEL, Ernest Withers Museum and more

Days like yesterday make me think I live a sheltered life in my Downtown high-rise apartment building. I woke up yesterday morning, did a blog post, looked out the window and thought, “Oh, it rained?” I didn’t know how bad it rained until I got to Bloom’s bar at Bardog, got bored, and started surfing Twitter and Facebook on my phone. Several of my friends posted images of their flooded houses, and MemphisWeather.net posted that we got more rain Saturday-Sunday than we normally get in the entire month of June. Yikes! My sincerest sympathy to those of you dealing with water damage or who were otherwise affected by the flooding yesterday.

The Peabody is having a special edition of its weekly rooftop party this Thursday, July 3 to kick off the long July 4 weekend. A popular band on the college party circuit, The 17th Floor, will play high-energy dance music, hip-hop, and R&B. The party lasts from 6 to 11 that evening, and your $15 admission includes a buffet that is a tribute to the all-American backyard barbecue, with fried chicken, hamburgers, potato salad, deviled eggs, pasta salad, and potato chips.

From AP News: The Liberty Bowl is moving up to December 29 this year. For the past four years it had been played on December 31.

There’s an excellent Thrillist article about BBQ Fest. It’s a very detailed look at how a hog team competes, and it’s a fun read too.

The Silly Goose has announced an early opening time for tomorrow’s USA vs. Belgium soccer match. The match begins at 3:00. I would imagine that all the other Downtown bars that opened early for last week’s USA-GER game will follow suit. In case you haven’t heard the breaking news, Jozy Altidore will be available for tomorrow’s match.

You know, I watched soccer both Saturday and yesterday, with temps in the 80s and heat indexes in the 90s, and I did not see even one tube top in the stands. What’s wrong with Brazilians? Go to an NFL game at similar temperatures and I guarantee you will see some tube tops. One more reason why American football is better than soccer football.

Holly has a really good post about The Ernest Withers Museum and Dorothy Mae’s on Beale Street between Third and Fourth.

I had a good time watching WWE Money in the Bank on the WWE Network last night. Here’s a fun fact for you wrestling fans: Terry Funk turned 70 today. I was too young to be watching wrestling during his NWA championship reign, but I saw his feud with Ric Flair in 1989 which was one of the best ever, and he went on to be ECW World Champion in his mid-50s. He was also a mentor to an up-and-coming Cactus Jack/Mick Foley.

That’s all for now. I will be bringing my wooden nickel to Melissa Monday tonight at Bardog after work, followed by Pint Nite at the Saucer.