It’s still Tiger Time

Time to alert my readers to an absolutely screaming deal in South Main. Reel 2 Real Photography sells beautiful prints of iconic Memphis scenes. This weekend only, they are doing a Rain Sale where you can get any 14 x 20 canvas print for only $100. If you have been on the lookout for art to decorate your home, this is your chance to pick some up at a very reasonable price.

I had a typo on yesterday’s blog. I said that the winner of the Memphis-Tulane game would play in the AAC semifinals at 5 today. I forgot to convert Eastern time to Central time, so the game actually starts at 4. The Tigers will be in it! They trounced Tulsa 89-67 yesterday and looked like a team that belongs in the Big Dance. More good news: In the game to decide the Tigers’ opponent for today, 10-seed Tulane beat 2-seed Houston. So the Tigers are favorites in today’s AAC semifinal today. The game will be on ESPN2.

I watched yesterday’s game at my home away from home on the south side, Max’s Sports Bar. Before the game started, Max announced that if the Tigers won, he would open at 3 today. If it is not raining terribly hard, I want to go to the Beale Street parade, but I may head south to Max’s after that to catch the game.

I almost ended up in an entirely different location yesterday. My friends Feeny and Chicken Fried Steak Rodger went to Silky’s to see our friend Russian Aleks who was bartending. I was already settled in at Max’s, though. Good thing I didn’t go. Rodger made multiple reports on Facebook that he had pooped his pants. That must have been very embarrassing for Feeny.

I do want to get by and see Alexs sometime soon. I like Silky’s and am always looking for an excuse to go there. I see him at the Blind Bear now and then and next time I do, I will ask his schedule.

This is not a Downtown restaurant but check this out. Worth the drive, and those who work in Whitehaven or North Mississippi need to pay special attention.

Memphis is best known for BBQ and has many food-related festivals (crawfish, wings, breakfast, burgers to name a few). I have said for a while now that the city has enough diversity in egg rolls to have an egg roll festival. My friend DJ Lil’ Eggroll could supply the music. I am pretty sure that The Bistro would win.

The Big Hog Run, America’s premier 0.2K festival, happens again this year at Memphis in May on Friday, May 13. Only the strongest of the strong can survive this two-tenths of a kilometer run. You know, now that I am my BBQ team’s Director of PR and am no longer expected to be the Moody Ques workhorse at load-in, I will be in much better physical condition that day than I have been in past years. Perhaps I will enter the race. I plan on practicing every day between now and BBQ Fest. In other news, the Blind Bear is approximately 0.2 kilometers from my front door.

Wait, the Friday of BBQ Fest is Friday the 13th? We might as well go ahead and start making the “Welcome to Memphis, tornadoes” signs.

Photo Mar 12, 7 20 07 AMThis is over a month away, but save the date: GrowMemphis is having an edible plant sale Sunday, April 17 from 1 to 4 PM at Idlewild Presbyterian at 1750 Union. If you’ve thought about growing a garden of your own, this is the place to get started. They will have all kinds of veggies, including heirloom and organic. They will also have herbs, flowers and more. Proceeds benefit GrowMemphis and they take cards, cash, and checks written to GrowMemphis.

The Grizzlies watch party organized by Choose901 and 3 Shades of Blue is tonight at Kooky Canuck 6:30-9:30. Food and drink specials, giveaways, and you can enter raffles to support the Memphis Grizzlies Charitable Foundation. The Grizzlies play in Atlanta tonight.

I got a post up on the Moody Ques website with final details for next Saturday’s MEAT & Greet. Since it’s the official team site, I went a little bit more in-depth about the team mixer than when I announced it here.

One thing a lot of people don’t realize is that a contested Republican convention is not guaranteed if no candidate reaches 1237 delegates at the end of the final primary in California. In modern times the convention is supposed to be four days of advertising for the chosen nominee, and the Republicans will miss out on that advertising if they have to spend the time negotiating to pick a nominee at the convention. There is six weeks of wheeling and dealing leading up to the conventions where some of the delegates can legally change sides according to their state’s rules.

I personally hope for a contested convention, though, because 1) it would be a fascinating civics lesson for our children, and 2) If Trump or Cruz gets the nomination, then I think the Republican party will be where the Whig party was in 1852, and we’ll get to watch it self-destruct before our eyes.

Plans for today: I will start off at Bardog with my “DAWG” John D. I want to maximize my John D time, so when I get low on my beer, I will start drinking it real slowly and look at John’s beer out of the corner of my eye to see how much he has left. If he orders another one, then I will have one more with him. If he asks for his check, then I can ask for mine too.

After that, a stop at the Blind Bear to see my favorite pair of librarian glasses. Weather permitting, I will wander down to Beale a little bit before 3 to stake my spot for the parade. Post-parade activities TBD. Max’s to watch the Tigers is the most likely option, but Pam and Terry are playing Rum Boogie at 4 and that sounds good too. Feeny works at Rum Boogie so maybe we could sit in her section, although Rodger needs to run by Walgreens for a box of Depends if he plans on joining us.

One thing I do want to do sometime soon is visit the bars in what I call my Overlooked Zone. Most of the time I hang out in the Downtown core, with the Silly Goose and Flying Saucer being my farthest bars south in my neighborhood. When I make the trek to South Main, I tend to go straight to Max’s and walk right past some really good places on South Main. I have never been to Cafe Pontotoc and I need to, not only because I have heard the food is great but because I told a friend I would go there to repay a favor. I want to go to the Green Beetle more often. I want to try Ray’s Barbecue. I do stop at South of Beale occasionally, because there’s a bartender who secretly loves me calls me a turd. It’s been too long since I’ve been to Nate’s bar at Earnestine & Hazel’s. I have yet to go to the reopened 5 Spot, and I have an inside tip that they have $2 PBR. Obviously I won’t make it to all those spots this weekend, but now that we’re getting into nice March-April weather, all of these places are on my agenda in the weeks to come.

Time to dig through my cabinets and find some green beads so I have something green to wear for the parade. Back tomorrow with more news and maybe some photos.