SNOW DAY!

I want to pass on a recommendation from a buddy of mine. He has an appointment next week for which he wants to look super sharp, and he needed to get a pair of pants altered and his suit and a couple of shirts pressed. After calling around a bit, he went to Pyramid Cleaners & Tailor Shop near Front and A.W. Willis (Mud Island bridge). He said they could not have been nicer, and they were quick, they do good work, and they were inexpensive. He asked if he could come back and bring some jeans in to be altered. They said they would have them for him the next day, and they have the thread that matches the jeans’ original hemming. Sounds like a good place if you need cleaning or alterations done.

I called my company’s inclement weather hotline this morning and was told that the office is closed. SNOW DAY! Bardog has $2 Fireball when it’s snowing. I sure will miss being in a cubicle today! The temperature was supposed to hover around 32-33 all day but it got colder than expected and WeatherBug is reporting 27 Downtown. I like it!

Gould’s at Main and Union is either open, or close to it. Walking down the Main Street Mall last night, I saw a hair stylist washing someone’s hair. Could have been another employee I guess but the place sure looked open. Nice to have that corner occupied.

If you’re a fan of the Memphis prints Reel2Real Photography sells but can’t get to South Main, you now have an option in the core. Life is Good is now selling R2R’s prints.

Checking Twitter, I see that Felicia Suzanne’s will be closed for lunch but will try to open for dinner. Out in The Edge, Trolley Stop Market is open. The Orpheum’s box office and administrative offices are closed. The National Civil Rights Museum is closed. McEwen’s is open for lunch and dinner. Bluff City Coffee is open. Green Beetle opens at 11.

Here’s a list of 10 of the cheapest countries to travel to. I especially recommend number 9, ROMANIA!!! The girls are really hot, you can get a hostel for $8-12 or a hotel room for $40, the girls are really hot, small meals run about $5, the girls are really hot, beers around two bucks each, the girls are really hot, and you can catch a city bus or train for $1. Also, the girls in Romania are really hot.

I don’t normally blog about things happening in Olive Branch, on account of Olive Branch kinda sucks. However, this time I am making an exception. The grand opening of Painting with a Twist is a week from tomorrow, Saturday, January 30 from 4 to 6 at 5338 Goodman Suite 107. Meet the staff, tour the studio, and complimentary refreshments will be given away. It’s a little bit of paint, a little bit of wine, and a whole lot of fun. Those of you who hang out at the Blind Bear may have noticed the fabulous chalkboard designs announcing the day’s happenings. Those were done by my friend Mandy who is one of the instructors at Painting with a Twist.

Bill Maher will be at the Orpheum this Saturday. Tickets $47.50-$102. Show time is 8 PM.

The Daily News reports that the Dermon Building at Third and Court will be turned into a boutique hotel.

Tickets are officially on sale for the International Blues Challenge finals, Saturday, January 30 at the Orpheum at noon. Get tickets here.

@MemphisJobs has tweeted several Chef Shuttle jobs recently, if you are interested in being a delivery driver.

Time to go check out weather conditions and set up shop at the Monroe Avenue Branch Office. Possibly back later today with more news.

Thursday news and official Moody Ques 2016 sponsor packet

From time to time I have mentioned my BBQ team, the Moody Ques, that competes in BBQ Fest (World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest) during Memphis in May. We compete in one of the “big three” divisions, pork shoulder. Since the first year we have been known for throwing a great party, with four consecutive top-three placements in Best Booth, including two firsts. This year, our goal is to make our competition meat as good as our party. We have purchased a new smoker, we have cooked for two fundraisers for the Memphis Farmers Market, and our pitmaster, president, and vice-president have attended the festival’s judging school. We plan to cook in two regional cooking competitions in April to get our cook team ready for the “main event” in May. We are seeking a sponsor for 2016; not just a company who writes a check and has people show up, but who wants to be part of this experience with us. To see what we have to offer, click the link below to download our sponsor packet (PDF). We can also send you a hard copy; email moodyques@gmail.com to request one.

Moody Ques 2016 Sponsor Packet

A Winter Storm Warning has been issued for the Memphis metro for tomorrow: Andrew Kozak says it best in this tweet:

Follow @KrogerBread for updates from the Kroger bread aisle during this winter storm. Updates on milk too.

The winter weather means that for once, Delta has a legitimate excuse for its flights being late or canceled. If you are traveling to a cities in the Northeast this weekend, you may be eligible to reschedule your flight without a fee.

The Orpheum is having its next Dinner on Stage on Thursday, February 25. This is one of your first chances to sit down with new Orpheum president Brett Batterson and get to know him. There will be a cocktail reception, a tour of the theater, a short film about the theater’s history, Broadway trivia, Q&A, and a three-course meal. $75 per person or $550 for a table of 8.

Almost 14 years Downtown, and I’m still learning new things: Michael Donahue’s Best Bet this week is a dish I did not even know existed. You can call the Rendezvous a day in advance and order a 5-pound, massive skillet of BBQ shrimp that serves 4 to 12 people for $150. It’s been an off-menu item at the restaurant since the 1960s. Anyone want to get a group together and try this? It sounds really good.

If you’re in the medical profession, @MemphisJobForce has been tweeting a lot of job openings today.

Several times on this blog I have mentioned Carbunkle Trumpet, written by Robo, a Memphian who this summer moved with his wife to the Upper East Side of Manhattan. Robo is doing a series titled “Fellow Bloggers You Should Also Read” and today I am featured. Robo interviewed me about who I am and why I write this blog. Damn, I clearly needed to proofread my answers for typos a little better!

The Memphis Tigers men’s basketball team plays Cincinnati on ESPN2 tonight at 6. A road win at Cincy would look really good to the NCAA tournament committee. If not for the weather I would go down to Max’s Sports Bar to watch it, because Arkansas plays Kentucky on ESPN at the same time.

However, given the weather, I am keeping it close to home tonight. I will lead off at the Silly Goose to watch the game.

Significant winter weather expected Friday, yoga pants news and more (Wed update #3)

The Mid-South is now under a Winter Storm Watch for Friday, with a weather event of “significant” impact expected. My favorite weather source, MemphisWeather.net, now has a blog post about what to expect Friday, with rain early in the morning transitioning to sleet and then snow. The area around the metro is expected to get up to 1/4″ ice accumulation (which by itself is enough to shut the interstate system down) followed by 2 to 6 inches of snow. There will be a Google Hangout hosted by MWN about the approaching storm tonight at 9 and you can join it here.

The temperature is not supposed to recover above freezing until the afternoon of April 12, so you better run to Kroger and stock up on bread and milk.

Don’t forget that Bardog has $2 Fireball when it’s snowing.

If you do manage to get out Friday, you can pick up a limited edition Memphis Grizzlies growler at the Madison Growler inside the Cash Saver (Madison at Avalon) beginning at 4 PM.

@Gil_Brandt reports that the Big 12 presidents are meeting in the near future to discuss expanding the number of football schools to 12 so the conference can have a playoff game. That could be good for the Memphis Tigers. West Virginia and Oklahoma are said to be in favor of the expansion.

Here’s the job listing for the director of the Memphis Animal Shelter. The position is open after Mayor Strickland failed to reappoint former Mayor Wharton’s unqualified and incompetent crony.

High Cotton Brewery tweeted that they will now be serving their beer in 16-ounce and 7-ounce glasses, as well as the four-glass sampler board.

For those of you who do Bendy Brewski Yoga at the brewery or yoga elsewhere around Memphis, these smart yoga pants will let you know if you’re doing the postures incorrectly.

Time to hit the Silly Goose for some PBR. Back tomorrow.

Wed update #2

Keep an eye out for more winter weather early Friday morning. The temperature will be right about freezing and if it dips below, we could get a lot of snow dumped on us. If it doesn’t, we’ll get rained on. No telling what will happen for sure since we’re still two days out, but it bears monitoring. MemphisWeather.net is my preferred source in situations like this one. Follow them on Twitter at @memphisweather1, and they have a smartphone app which is worth the price of purchase.

This is good news: Shelby County has launched a mental health court. It will address the “frequent fliers,” the ones who are in and out of jail 8-10 times a year on minor crimes like public drunkenness and shoplifting. Many of the street people we see Downtown every day are part of this group. When they are charged, the judge will agree to drop the charges if the defendants complete a year-long mental health treatment plan.

Locally-brewed Memphis beer is receiving more national accolades. Playboy has included Wiseacre Tiny Bomb on its list of the ten best craft beers brewed in the Deep South.

There’s a new art project coming to South Main. There are many individuals in the city of Memphis who achieve great things in the face of injustice. Facing History and Ourselves and the Urban Art Commission are coming together to celebrate those individuals in the art project. You many nominate any Memphian to be included from February 3-29.

Do you have a neighborhood improvement project for which you would like to crowdsource funding? Crowdsource your citizen-led community improvement project on ioby.org and you could get matching funds from Livable Memphis. They have $33,000 in matching funds available as part of the Green Up Memphis Match.

Good SI.com article: For the Gasol brothers, basketball is a small part of a larger world

Here’s a photo of South of Beale’s new chef’s seasonal menu offerings for the winter. The menu rolled out today,

There’s an Account Manager, Corporate Relations position available at the American Cancer Society in Memphis.

Great comment in an article about Sarah Palin endorsing Donald Trump: “Searching for meaning in this spectacle is like trying to find enlightenment in the ball pit at Chuck E. Cheese.” Hahaha.

Report: 10 percent of college graduates think Judge Judy is on the Supreme Court

Did you know there are craft beer cruises nowadays? Not too surprising.

That’ll do it for now. Possibly a third update after work. I will lead off at the Silly Goose for happy hour this evening, followed by a Blind Bear stop, then back to the Goose at 10 to hear Charvey.

Wednesday morning update

Getting a post done before work… not too crazy about driving in this weather.

Tonight is the debut of CharveyMac’s weekly gig at the Silly Goose. He takes the stage at 10 PM and will play until 1.

A Facebook event has been created for the grand opening of LYFE Kitchen at the Chisca on February 1.

New trend in parts of New York City: The chopped cheese sandwich. Described as “practically a drug dealer sandwich,” it is sold at bodegas in parts of Harlem and the Bronx. It consists of ground beef, onions, peppers and seasoning, chopped with a spatula and covered with slices of cheese. These ingredients are placed on a roll or toasted hero and topped with traditional condiments like hot sauce, mayo, and tomato. Sounds yummy; wish this food trend would spread to Memphis. Robo, you ever had one of these?

MLGW has announced that it will extend pension benefits to same-sex partners. Kudos to the utility for doing the right thing.

This is unfortunate: The face of the Memphis Says No More campaign, an effort to stop rape, sexual assault, and domestic violence against women, says police did not listen to her until she became the face of the campaign. She said that although the movement is well-intended, it’s basically “a PR stunt” until police start doing more to listen to the victims. That sucks; ending violence against women is an issue that matters personally to me. I emailed the contact person for Memphis Says No More in November asking to be put on the email list for media updates, but I never heard back from them. If this is a real campaign, I would like to help them get this important message out.

Important political news: Donald Trump’s lead has widened among the segment of the U.S. population known as idiots following Sarah Palin’s endorsement.

For those in Memphis who feel the Bern, there’s a Memphis for Bernie Sanders Facebook group that has been created.

Big opportunity for Downtown poker players: The 8:30 PM game Monday, February 8 at the Silly Goose (free to play) will have a $100 award for first place, double the normal weekly amount. The reason is the Goose will be closed for a private event the week before, Monday, February 1. With twice the cash value up for grabs, that makes coming on the 8th a priority and possibly making some moves that wouldn’t be worth the risk for only a $50 prize.

Off to work. I get to spend the day writing acceptance tests, which may not sound like a lot of fun but it actually is. Possibly back at lunch or after work with another post.

Tuesday update

In case you haven’t been keeping up with sports news, there was a clean sweep for the Tigers this week: American Conference men’s basketball Player of the Week went to Shaq Goodwin, and Rookie of the Week went to Dedric Lawson. Congratulations to those players. The Tigers are well into their conference schedule now, and it is time to put together some wins that will impress the NCAA tournament committee.

In the mood for some Jamaican food Downtown? Well, today’s not your day. Evelyn and Olive (@EvelynandOlive on Twitter) out in The Edge is closed today for urgent repairs, and will reopen tomorrow.

Job news: The Redbirds are hiring a Guest Services Supervisor

Not a Downtown job, but this is a really good company to work for so I wanted to mention it anyway: Running Pony is looking for a video editor.

Great article by the Flyer’s Kevin Lipe on the Grizzlies and deferred maintenance.

The Grizzlies have a photo gallery from yesterday’s MLK Day game.

Gilbert Arenas claims he was present when Matt Barnes and Derek Fisher fought and provides details here.

From the MBJ: Bill that asks Tennessee to ignore the Supreme Court’s ruling on gay marriage could cost the state millions. Hey, there’s a price to pay if we want to continue to be known as a bastion of ignorance and intolerance.

Felicia from Felicia Suzanne’s has a bacon and hot sauce deviled eggs cooking demo. Good recipe for Super Bowl parties.

Yoga and Yoda: There’s a lightsaber combat class taught in Florida that combines elements of yoga and martial arts.

First Tennessee made an investment in Tri-State Bank recently. The influx of money will allow Tri-State to expand the opportunities the bank pursues.

There’s going to be an official after-party at Club 152 following the MMA event at FedExForum Saturday night.

Puscifer, a band of Maynard James Keenan, performs Saturday, April 23 at the Orpheum. Keenan is known for his work with Tool and A Perfect Circle. Tickets go on sale Friday at 10 AM.

There’s a Winter Weather Advisory for counties north of Shelby for overnight. Right now Memphis is not included, but you might want to check the weather in the morning before heading out, especially if you have business in the northern ‘burbs.

That’ll do it for now. Possibly a second post this evening, so check back.

MLK Day update

Whew– what a weekend! Happy MLK Day everyone! If you have the day off, switch the TV over to ESPN at 1:30. The Grizzlies take on the New Orleans Pelicans in a nationally televised game to celebrate the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

In not-so-good Grizzlies news, Matt Barnes has been fined $35,000 for comments deemed to be detrimental to the best interests of the NBA.

Max’s Sports Bar will open at 1 today for the Grizzlies game. The Silly Goose will also open at 1 for the game with Dusty bartending.

Inside tip from one of my friends who lives down here: When you go to Maciel’s Tortas and Tacos, buy extra carne asada tacos and scramble the meat into your eggs the next morning.

A Facebook event listing has been created for the Southern Hotwing Festival to be held on Riverside Drive Saturday, April 23. Fifteen dollars to get in, and then you have to tip for wings? I still don’t understand how this festival gets away with being more expensive than BBQ Fest. I’m sure they pay the city a pretty penny to close Riverside though, and have to make that back.

Moody Ques members: We are planning a team cookout and meeting for Saturday, February 13 with time and location to be announced. Also, we have to write a big check to Memphis in May next month. We have enabled the PayPal widget on the team website so you can join. If you know you will be on the team this year and have the money right now, we would really appreciate it if you could go ahead and pay your dues. Not surprisingly, our Yankees were among the first members to step up. I will update the team website with news later this week.

If you live on Mud Island, you will no longer have to leave the island to get your teeth worked on. Harbor Town Dental opens a week from today.

Rogue Squadron has a post about the importance of buying season tickets to Memphis City Football Club games. By becoming a season ticket holder, you are putting your money where your mouth is, making a commitment to sustain soccer in Memphis.

I’m not sure if I have any readers who are fans of mac & cheese, but if I do, here’s a list of stove top mac & cheeses you can make yourself that are better than boxed. There’s even a kale mac & cheese for those who like to eat healthy.

Memphis MMA takes the national stage this Saturday at FedExForum.

The CA’s Jennifer Biggs checks out chili in Memphis, talking to Patrick from the Majestic Grille and Brad from Court House Deli about chili recipes. I would recommend both of those, and Bardog’s as well. Note: The Majestic’s chili is a winter special during the cooler months; at the other two places it is a full-time regular menu item.

From the Daily Beast: The RNC is prepping for ‘chaos’ at the convention. LOVE IT.

I’m at work like any other Monday, so I will go with the usual Monday routine after work: Melissa Monday at Bardog, then over to the Blind Bear. Maybe a Saucer Pint Nite stop as well. For now, it’s time to grab some lunch. Go Grizzlies!

Saturday recap: A return to the Tap Room

2003 and 2004, my second and third years Downtown, were magical years for me. At that time I did not yet have a large friend group which I hung out with every day, although the beginnings of that friend group had started at Sleep Out Louie’s Sunday brunch. Sometimes I would go to Sleep Out Louie’s for happy hour, but that crowd was mostly lawyers and more often than not I would end up sitting there by myself. On the weekends I would wander south to Earnestine & Hazel’s and hang out there; it was an eclectic enough place that I found it easy to meet people. I would go to the original Raiford’s at Main and Vance. I had been going there since 1997 so the place already felt like home to me. I went to the Flying Saucer a couple of times a week, and became a member of their UFO Club during this period. I was much more shy than I am now, and the place intimidated me a little. However, I would go when Jim was behind the bar (he’s still there) or when John Haley was managing (he now manages Bardog), or when my favorite servers Jenn B and Jean (Slider Inn Jeannie) were working.

One day in 2003, I was sitting at the window of the Saucer when my friends Shane and Leigh, two of the members of the Sleep Out’s Sunday brunch crew, walked past. “Hey Paul, we’re about to roll up to the Tap Room and shoot some stick,” Shane said. “You’re welcome to join us.”

The Tap Room is a hole-in-the-wall bar on Beale Street, the sidekick of King’s Palace Cafe that serves the same menu. They have about 25 beers on tap, including the Cadillac of beers, PBR. There’s a long bar with about 15 seats, TVs, tables, and a pool table. It’s one of the least touristy places on Beale, although given the location, the place is bound to get them. It’s about 50% locals/50% tourists, or at least it was in 2003. They have a mug club where you buy a mug that they hang behind the bar. From that point on, you get a dollar off every beer you order, and the mugs are 22 ounces so you get an extra six-ounce pour when you are in the club.

I immediately took to the place. I became friends with the bartenders who worked there at the time. The first one I met was Darrell (NightHawk). He was also a wrestling fan and he and I would watch WWE Monday Night Raw together. “That’s a big boy,” he would often say as wrestlers like The Big Show and Brock Lesnar made their way to the ring. Another bartender, Maurice, liked to put the Cartoon Network on, and I would watch cartoons with him. They had two other bartenders, Heather and Niles, working there too. As I’ve said before, if you hire and retain good people, your bar is likely to be a success.

I became a member of the mug club, purchasing mug #52 and writing “Professor Paul” on the bottom with a green marker. (My friend Shane has mug #1). I met some of the other regulars and played a good bit of pool there. I started popping in the Tap Room most nights, including weekend nights. I met quite a few women there and took a few of them home.

You know, I feel bad about one thing though… there was this girl who worked at the Peabody Place Mall who I took home from the Tap Room one night. She really, really liked me and I knew it, but I just wanted to hook up with her. That wasn’t cool, looking back in retrospect. I hurt her and I feel bad about that.

(On a side note: You know what I just realized? I don’t really go out with the goal to meet women the way I did in 2003-04. These days I just want to be among friends. I don’t hook up nearly as much as a result, but you know what I do have that I didn’t have 12-13 years ago? Many women who are my good friends and who have my back when I need it, who love me and would do anything for me. I would not trade them for all the hook-ups in the world.)

So, anyway, in 2004 I was hanging out at the Tap Room approximately as much as I hang out at, say, the Silly Goose in 2016. However, all good things must come to an end. By 2005, Darrell, Maurice, Heather and Niles had moved on to other jobs. 2005 was the year Beale Street started to get ghetto, and I started to feel unsafe being on the street after about 11 PM on weekend nights. Also, my comfort level at the Flying Saucer rose that year and I became an every-day regular there. Although the Tap Room hadn’t changed, I just didn’t have time for it anymore. I began scaling my visits back in 2005. When Max’s opened in 2007 and Bardog in 2008, I pretty much stopped going to the Tap Room altogether.

Yesterday I led off with my usual 2016 routine. I got to Bardog right at opening, meeting my “DAWG” John D to catch up on the Downtown news, then over to Blind Bear to see my favorite pair of librarian glasses and catch the end of the Tigers game on TV. I surfed Facebook post-game and noticed several of my friends, including Shane and Leigh, had checked in at the Tap Room. I thought, maybe I should go down there and check the place out. So I did.

2016-01-16 14.33.57

2016-01-16 14.34.00

(Bright sunlight and a dark bar is not a combination the iPhone camera does well with. There probably are settings I could adjust on the phone to compensate, but I never bothered to learn to use them.)

It was like I had never left. Darrell was working next door at King’s Palace and went and found my mug, which I had not touched in 8 years. It still has “Professor Paul” and the number 52 on the bottom. My friend Gary challenged me to a game of pool, and although I have not played much in the past 12 months, it came back to me like riding a bicycle and I picked up the win. However, Shane prevailed in the game that followed. Later there was a rematch and although I ran the first five balls off the break, Shane made a comeback to beat me for the second time.

(On another side note, I wonder if anyone got a “Hey, just FYI, Paul just showed up” text from one of the people in these photos.)

I really enjoy that place and don’t intend to wait a matter of years before going back again. Perhaps it is time to expand my “Big Five” to the “Big Six” and make a place for the Tap Room. It would be nice to spend more time on Beale Street, and it has a different vibe than my other spots.

All right. Time to look at the stuff I threw into Evernote yesterday and see if I have enough material for a news post. If I do, I will be back shortly, if not, see ya tomorrow.

Doubleheader day update

It’s a doubleheader today at FedExForum. At 11 AM, the Memphis Tigers take on South Florida in men’s college basketball. Tonight at 7, the Grizzlies take the floor against the New York Knicks. Don’t forget that if you’re one of the first 4000 at the Grizzlies game, you get the first of four pieces of Mount Grizzmore, Tony Allen.

The Beale Street Big Wheel Race was supposed to happen last month but had to be postponed due to crappy weather. It looks like it has been rescheduled for today at 1. It’s a benefit for the Salvation Army Angel Tree program. Kids, I hope you don’t mind that Santa came a month late this year! I may go check this out; I know that the Flying Saucer has a team.

These are pretty good: Airline worker confessions

“Ravishing Rachmaninoff” happens at 7:30 tonight at the Cannon Center, presented by the Memphis Symphony Orchestra. The concert features Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3.

Three day passes to Music Fest are now on sale.

If you’re a fan of The Who, School of Rock is doing a tribute to that band tomorrow afternoon at 2 at the New Daisy.

That’s all I got. Headed to Bardog for brunch with Bloom at 11.

West Coast resident praises Wiseacre beer and more Friday news

A restored vintage sign is now up over the main entrance to the Chisca Apartments, formerly the Chisca Hotel. (credit @f8inMemphis)

Speaking of the Chisca, you can now “Like” Catherine and Mary’s on Facebook to keep up to date on news about the restaurant to open in the Chisca soon.

Alert for those with kids: Doktor KABOOM! comes to the Halloran Center at the Orpheum Friday, February 19. The Doktor, in his latest show Live Wire, will explore the fundamentals of electricity and the history of scientific achievements. The show is recommended for all ages. $15/$30 VIP.

If you enjoy learning about beer, Wiseacre Brewery out on Broad Avenue has a class Thursday, January 28 that may be of interest. The class will explore British beer and brew methods. Topics discussed will include cask conditioning (with a cask of beer for you to sip on), barleywine, and parti-gyle brewing. Get tickets here. $20 ticket includes the class, multiple glasses of the cask beer, and a bottle of Snowbeard Barleywine to take home. The Fresh Gulf Shrimp food truck will be on site for class attendees who get hungry.

While we’re on the subject of Wiseacre: I met up with my friend Kevin at the Flying Saucer last night. I was in Kevin’s wedding 20 years ago and he moved to Oregon shortly after that. Being the mecca of craft breweries that Oregon is, he has learned a thing or two about beer. He was drinking the Wiseacre Astronaut Status and commented, “This is a world-class beer.” It’s a high-gravity bottled beer, so be prepared if you plan on trying this one.

Someone vandalized the sign at 5th and Bowie Street in Austin, changing the sign to read “David Bowie” street. City officials decided to leave it up.

This is really cool: Mozzarella shot glasses make marinara consumption simple

The Daily News reports that four management companies have submitted applications to manage Beale Street.

Yikes:

Gamers: You can get David Bowie’s only video game free for the next week. It runs on Windows computers.

Seen on Facebook: With Jack & Coke being renamed “The Lemmy”, Jack Daniels has released a single-barrel Motörhead Limited Edition. A fine tribute to the man who kept the company in business for 40 years.

For my fellow Bernie Sanders supporters: Bernie will be on CBS’ Face the Nation Sunday.

That’ll do it for this post. Cardinals fans, don’t forget that the Cardinals Caravan is tonight at 5:30 at AutoZone Park. As for me, I have not yet decided where to do happy hour this evening, but I will be out at one of my usual spots.