Yesterday was the completely awesome day that I expected. Start to finish, I enjoyed every minute of it. Well, maybe not the minute where I banged my big toe against a temporary traffic sign on Beale and split my toenail in half, but all the other minutes. My right foot looks like something out of a horror movie today.
I started off the day at Panda Time at Bardog. Wing Fest was down the street on Riverside, and people kept coming in asking to use the restroom without ordering anything. “There’s a restrooms for customers only sign around here somewhere,” Panda said, but she couldn’t find it. She called someone, presumably Aldo, to ask what to do. “There’s a computer downstairs with Microsoft Word on it,” she was told. “Find someone tech-y (Panda pointed at me) at the bar and have them print you out a new sign.” Panda took me down to the office and I made her a sign.
Type four words in a document, change the font to 60 point Arial Black, hit the Print button, get bought a beer. I can live with that.
Friends of mine were at Bardog pre-gaming for Wing Fest. They left, then came back 10 minutes later. “There were at least 60 people in line to get in,” they told me. “And it’s a $12 cover, and you have to pay even more to eat or drink anything.” I must admit, I don’t understand Wing Fest. I mean, I get it that it’s a fundraiser, but when it costs more to get in Wing Fest than it does BBQ Fest, it kind of makes me not want to go.
While at Bardog I got a Facebook message, alerting me that not only was the brewery staying open late to show the entire Grizzlies game, but they were handing out blue “Revival” growl towels at 9:15, 15 minutes before the start of the game. I immediately knew what my game watching plans for the evening would be.
My second stop was Blind Bear. “I read your blog,” Mandy Marie said. “I’m the one working the double,” taking over for my favorite pair of librarian glasses who was working the Memphis Made party out in Midtown. Mandy totally rocked it and did an awesome job. Class clowns Rahul and Tony were there. Tony was playing with his stick – his new selfie stick, that is.
Next stop was the brewery, where my friend Bad Shane offered me the chance to buy a $5000 painting. Unfortunately I was about $4960 short and had to decline.
It was a beautiful day and Bella was hanging out in the beer garden.
By about 5:30 I was getting hungry. I went to Central BBQ but it appeared that every table in the house was full, so I started walking, looking for a place to go. As I walked past South of Beale, I saw that my friend Kaylea (who told me to “eat a dick” in response to yesterday’s post) was bartending and the place wasn’t busy. So I went in and took a seat. Remembering that I had heard good things about the duck patty melt, I ordered it for dinner.
My friends weren’t lying about the patty melt. REALLY good. I recommend it if you find yourself at SOB. I let Kaylea pick my side and she picked mac & cheese. It was good too.
Finishing dinner around 6:30, I realized I might as well stay in South Main to ensure I would be at the brewery for game time. I paid a visit to Max’s Sports Bar then wandered over to the brewery around 7:30.
At 9:15 the growl towels came out. I got not one, but two. I might be willing to give away the second one if the right offer comes along.
Here are some pictures of members of Squeal Street BBQ posing with their growl towels with 2014 award-winning Moody Ques team member “Mr. Load-in”:
Thanks to shots of Fireball throughout the day I gradually started to go downhill.
On a side note… I hear that one of the biggest imbeciles in Memphis doesn’t understand why my BBQ team uses a Van Halen logo when our team name is a play on the Moody Blues. Hey, there are all things we don’t understand. For example, I don’t understand why you’re almost 50 and still living in a room in your dad’s house.
The brewery stayed open through the end of the game, but their beer permit cut off at 11, so at halftime I walked north to the Saucer to watch the rest of the game. Nice to see the Grizzlies looking good. I hung out until about 1, and I heard some of the girls talking about Purple Haze after-hours. I considered it but realized that was a sure way to sleep through Wine Race today.
Oh, speaking of Wine Race… IT’S DEBAUCHERY DAY!!!!!! If you are a prude or a teetotaler I would recommend staying the hell away from Handy Park this afternoon. Wine Race has taught me many important lessons. For example, it taught me that 4 Call-a-Cabs from Wet Willie’s in one afternoon is not a very good idea. The BBQ team definitely shouldn’t let me operate the flamethrower after drinking Call-a-Cabs.
(I mentioned the flamethrower 
)
D-RANKS with B-RAD at 11 where I will pick up my Blind Bear shirt for Wine Race. Over to Handy Park around 12:45 and I have all three batteries charged up for the Tube Top Cam. Rest of the day TBD, but I have tomorrow off so I do not plan on making it an early night.