When I was a child I dreamed of Saturdays as an adult. I dreamed I would sit down in my cardigan sweater to a fine dinner of ham, green beans, and rice casserole prepared by my wife, then afterward I would help my children with their homework as I laughed to the antics of our dog. Or maybe a cat, I was more of a cat person growing up but either would work.
So as an actual adult I walked out of Blind Bear around 6 yesterday and did the chihuahua walk (*) to City Market, where I purchased a fine dinner of Tostitos Scoops and Las Delicias guacamole. I came home, took off all my layers of clothes and threw them on the couch, and proceeded to scoop up my dinner. Then I lay down for a nap.
(*) There was no need to do the penguin walk because almost all the ice has melted on the Main Street Mall. However, it was 16 degrees outside. Anyone who has ever seen a chihuahua knows they shiver constantly. That was my walk home.
Hours later I woke up. “1:40,” the clock read. The adult I dreamed of being as a child might have gone to the refrigerator, made a pimiento cheese sandwich along with a glass of milk, and thought, “If it were a couple of weeks later the Girl Scout cookies would be here, and I could sneak a Thin Mint without the Mrs. knowing.”
The adult I actually became saw “1:40” and thought, the bars close at 3. I’VE GOT 80 MINUTES! Clothes on, back to the Bear.
It was a very entertaining second venture back out. East Memphians have no concept of personal space, I learned as an amateur wedged herself in between me and the person sitting to my right to order another drink she absolutely did not need. After she moved I reached to make sure my wallet was still in my pocket. Actually, I wasn’t so concerned for my wallet as I was for my troll, also in my pocket. Debit cards and drivers licenses can be replaced. There was a catfight up front and I got to watch two girls get thrown out.
Late night on the weekends, the mood gets more relaxed, and you learn things about your bartenders you didn’t know. I learned that Colin, although he grew up in Tacoma, Washington, was actually born in (if I can be serious for a minute) Calgary, Alberta, Canada. “Western Canada east of Vancouver is cattle country,” he told me and the others at the bar. “Every summer we have the Calgary Stampede rodeo, which is a huge drunk fest. Paul, you should go this summer. You accidentally bump into someone and they go, ‘Sorry I bumped into you, let me buy you a beer.’ and you go, ‘No, sorry I bumped into you, let me buy you and your wife a beer.’ That’s the way Canadians are.” The Stampede is July 7-16 this year, also known as “those 10 days it’s above freezing in Calgary.”
Colin told me that in winter, it gets so cold in Calgary that when people drive to the grocery store and park, there are stations where they can plug in their cars. No, these are not electric cars. These are plug-ins to block heaters which keep your engine from freezing while you shop. Article: How cold should it be before I plug my car into a block heater?
Related: Why you shouldn’t leave soda in your car when it’s freezing outside. Yep, learned this the hard way with the Saturn the year after I bought it, probably taking $1000 off its trade-in value after messing up the interior. Good thing I keep the Saturn until its trade value was practically zero.
I have more information on this Flying Sobies food truck that serves brunch at Ghost River 12-3 Sundays. I knew they had Cornish hen, but here are the details, as posted to the Ghost River Facebook page.
Flying Sobie’s offers three $10 combos: Hen & Waffle, Hen & Fries, and Hen Platter (Beans & Slaw) They also have items a la carte. You can get your hen 1 of 5 ways: Buffalo, Memphis Gold, Spicy Memphis Gold, Hawaiian Teriyaki, and Lemon Pepper.
From The Southern Weekend: Cheeses to take your grilled cheese to the next level
And, from Food & Wine, another comfort food: The best mac & cheeses in the US. None of them are from Memphis, but I thought I would link it in case I have any mac & cheese loving readers who travel for their jobs.
Beatles fans: The Mersey Beatles will return to Memphis on February 18 with a show at the Halloran Centre for Performing Arts. There are many Beatles tribute bands, but only this one features all four lads born in Liverpool. They were the resident band at the Cavern Club for over a decade, the place where the Beatles themselves had a residency from 1961 to 1963. No less an authority than John Lennon’s sister has called them the most authentic tribute she has heard.
Loflin Yard will old a Singer-Songwriter Night in the Coach House this Wednesday from 9 to 11. The acoustic event will be hosted by Nick Redmond and this week featured talent will include Jana Misener and Mark Stuart.
Go Grizzlies, YOGA! Grizzlies Timeout for Yoga happens Saturday, January 21 at FedExForum from 12:30 to 2. Yoga tickets include a professionally instructed yoga class, a Grizzlies/Methodist Healthcare yoga mat, and a ticket to a Grizzlies game. Buy yoga tickets here and the deadline to purchase is 2:30 PM the day before.
Elmwood Cemetery will host What Lies Beneath: Stories & Secrets of the Elmwood Cottage Saturday, January 28 from 1:00 to 2:15. This will be a tour of the historic 1866 cottage and its furnishings. You’ll hear stories such as “Frozen Charlottes,” the mysterious dolls left on Elmwood graves more than 100 years ago. Other artifacts you’ll see include pen-and-ink burial records from more than two centuries ago. Advance registration is required. The cost is $15 and refreshments will be served.
The Grizzlies are back home tonight after a wild week on the West Coast. They will host the Utah Jazz tonight at 7 at FedExForum.
That’s it for this post. In a couple of hours I will be back at the Blind Bear for D-RANKS with B-RAD aka Hung Over Like a Bear Brunch. Plans after that to be figured out.