Yesterday I went to see B-RAD for Sunday brunch at Pontotoc Lounge. “So, Paul, how’d your team do?”
(Barely audible voice)
“We gotCOUGH COUGH COUGH”
I tried again.
“We got nineCOUGH COUGH COUGH”
“Nineteenth COUGH COUGH COUGH COUGH COUGH”
A big piece of phlegm came flying out of my lungs and onto my hand. I wiped it on my pants. That’s how yesterday went. That’s how much of the weekend went.
For the first time ever I’m considering retiring from BBQ Fest. It just takes so much out of me. My body’s reaction to all of the dust and pollen prevents me from fully enjoying an experience for which I paid a lot of money.
I probably won’t retire. And I certainly don’t have to decide now. I can put off my decision as late as February probably. If I left the team I would want to do it by then so a new Director of Public Relations would have time to take over.
Whatever my decision, I want to make it clear that it will have nothing to do with my teammates. I love being on a team with all of you. If I come back in 2020 it will be because of you.
On to the news…
The Daily Memphian reports that there is a lot of concern over the plan to demolish the parking garage at Front and Monroe to make room for the Brooks Museum. Losing those 600 spaces would affect valet services for hotels and restaurants, the Little Tea Shop, Bardog Tavern, and other businesses on Monroe and elsewhere nearby.
looking for some action? A Nextdoor contributor reports that a lot of prostitutes work Saffrans Avenue, 3 blocks north of A.W. Willis. I have not been up there so I can not attest to the quality of these prostitutes.
Idea for Malco Powerhouse, from Distractify: A movie theater replaced its seats with double beds
Local poker league the River Rat Rounders have announced their first-ever Pot Limit Omaha tournament Downtown, to be held at Sleep Out Louie’s on Saturday, May 25 at 7 PM. This is different from the No-Limit Texas Hold’em usually played in bar games. You are dealt four starting cards rather than two. You must use two of your four cards and three from the board to form your best hand; you cannot use one of yours and four from the hoard. That can trip novice players up and make them think they have a straight or flush when they actually don’t, so be careful. Also, realize that AAAA is not a good starting hand because you have a pair of pocket Aces that won’t improve. AAKQ double-suited is much better, with the possibility to improve to three or four of a kind, a flush, or a straight.
As for betting, you can’t go all-in at any time as you can in Hold’em. The maximum bet is the size of the pot. All-ins are only allowed if you have less than the size of the pot in your chip stack.
The Saturday night game at Sleep Out’s will feature double starting stacks and 5K more than usual bonuses for shots. If you’ve never played Pot-Limit Omaha before, this guide can help.
The Brass Door is looking to hire a skilled line chef/cook.
As your #1 source of news and information about The Edge District, it is my pleasure to link to this release by The Daily Memphian saying that a Nashville hip-hop themed pizza restaurant is coming to the neighborhood. Slim & Husky’s Pizza Beeria, a gourmet pizzeria, is rumored to be coming to the building at 634 Union.
Cheers to my friends on Squeal Street BBQ, who celebrated the end of their 10-year run as a team with a sing-along at Max’s Sports Bar yesterday evening. Newer people Downtown may not be aware, but our team and theirs were once one. We all competed as the Ques Brothers 2007-09, then they split off as patio porker team Squeal Street in 2010 while we transitioned to The Moody Ques in 2012. Squeal Street moved up to the Shoulder division in 2016, competing alongside us. They brought many good times, tastes, and memories to Downtown. I’ve been told that it is likely a new Patio Porker team will rise from the ashes, if wherever BBQ Fest is held in 2020 has space to accommodate patio teams.
Allergies are bad to the point that staring at a computer screen is tough, so that’s it for now. Back tomorrow or Wednesday.