Monday update

Governor Bill Lee has declared to-go and delivery alcohol and wine sales legal for the time being in Tennessee. This is good news that will allow some businesses to stay afloat that wouldn’t have been able to on just to-go food sales. Note, however:

  • Food must be purchased in the same to-go or delivery order as the alcohol purchase
  • The alcohol container must be sealed
  • Single-servings of alcoholic beverages or beer may be sold
  • Single or multiple bottles of beer or wine, that are normally sold by the restaurant, may be sold
  • Bottles of spirits or liquors may not be sold

With that announcement in place, Silly Goose is re-opening today for to-go cocktails, beer, wine, and food including pizza pies. Their hours will be 3 to 11 PM daily. 901-435-6915

Online book and audiobook service Scribd, which lets you read as much as you can for a monthly fee, is offering 30 days free to help people fight boredom during the coronavirus quarantine. You don’t even have to provide a credit card to start reading; just create an account.

From Tawanda Pirtle, co-owner of Jack Pirtle’s chicken:

JACK PIRTLE’S CHICKEN..BUY ONE 2 PC DARK MEAL GET ONE FREE with purchase of 2 Drinks …AS OF TODAY..UNTIL FUTHER NOTICE.. YOU CAN TELL THE CASHIER WHEN ORDERING THAT YOU HAVE A FACEBOOK ‘BUY ONE GET ONE FREE’ coupon… and ALL STORES WILL HONOR IT..(NO PAPER COUPON NEEDED) Thank you.. and you can upgrade to WHITE or MIXED DINNER for a small charge) THANK YOU… please share a smile with someone.. AND, TRUCK DRIVERS ARE WELCOME ON OUR LOTS..PLEASE DONT BLOCK DRIVE THRU… please SHARE with everyone!!!

From the Rendezvous:

From the Orpheum:

The YMCA will take over distribution of meals to Shelby County students this week. The Shelby County Schools were unable to carry out that task after an employee in its Nutrition Center tested positive for COVID-19. Meals are available 11 AM-1 PM to all children under 18. The child must be present to receive the meal. Distribution sites in or near Downtown:

  • Fogelman YMCA, 245 Madison
  • St. Patrick’s, 277 S. Fourth
  • Hope City Church – Oasis Enrichment, 232 Bickford
  • Crenshaw Branch, Memphis Public Libraries, 531 Vance
  • Memphis Community Center, 233 Henry

Cordelia’s Market is changing its hours. They are as follows:

  • Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday – open 7 AM-8 AM only for seniors, expectant mothers, those with underlying conditions; 8 AM-8 PM open for everyone
  • Tuesday and Friday – open 9 AM- 8 PM for everyone
  • Saturday and Sunday – open 8 AM-8 PM for everyone
  • Cafe hours 9 AM-4 PM – pick-up, curbside pick-up and take-out only

The Broom Closet is now offering live tarot readings via Skype.

From the Wall Street Journal: Coronavirus and your job – what your boss can, and can’t, make you do

After offering take-out and curbside service over the weekend, the Majestic Grille owners have decided to close the restaurant for a bit, for the safety of the remaining employees as well as customers.

The Majestic Grille’s owner/chef Patrick Reilly and the Rendezvous’ John Vergos are among those interviewed by the Daily Memphian on what restaurant owners are doing to help their employees while restaurants are closed. Both owners are in the same boat: They can lay their employees off so they are free to file for unemployment, but if those people are no longer employees, they can’t keep their health insurance.

Rachel’s Salon and Day Spa has made the decision to close to protect its employees and customers. Well damn… absolutely the right decision, but that’s where I get my hair cut… and my last haircut was September 25. Guess I’m gonna have some long hair for the time being.

More and more I am coming to agree with this USA Today editorial: America needs an immediate 5-week national lockdown to defeat COVID-19. Don’t get me wrong, that will really suck, but the experts say 5 weeks is the shortest we can get the threat under control – and that’s only if every one of us does it together. If it is done piecemeal across the country, it will be 8 to 12 weeks or even longer before things get back to normal.

Put it another way to get some of you emotionally invested in the idea: A 5-week national lockdown would pretty much guarantee the 2020 NFL season won’t be affected. Now do you understand why this is so important? It’s one thing for the elderly to be endangered, it’s one thing for those with compromised immune systems to be endangered, but if we don’t fight this bug together your 2020 fantasy football league might be endangered.

Yesterday Rand Paul became the first United States senator to test positive for COVID-19. He had been tested several days before, and ignored the warning to self-quarantine until the results came in. He attended meetings following the test, causing another senator, Mitt Romney, to self-quarantine. Sen. Paul was seen in the Senate gym yesterday morning, including the swimming pool.

That’s it for now. Off to work. When I get home I am going to sign up for the 30 free days of that Scribd service and find some books to read.