Sunday update

I’m building a list of Downtown bars & restaurants that are opening early and/or doing something special for the St. Jude Marathon this coming Saturday, December 2. Email me at paul.ryburn@gmail.com or message me on Facebook with your information.

If your Downtown bar/restaurant is doing anything special for Conference Championship Saturday, let me know that too.

The folks at Local on Main have told me they’ll have an IV station for runners, but I need to confirm the time and details.

Memphis basketball this week:

  • Sunday, November 26: Grizzlies at home vs. Minnesota Timberwolves, 5:00 PM. TV: Bally Sports
  • Wednesday, November 29: Grizzlies at home vs. Utah Jazz, 7:00 PM. TV: Bally Sports
  • Friday, December 1: Grizzlies on the road at Dallas Mavericks, 6:30 PM. TV: Bally Sports
  • Saturday, December 2: Tigers on the road at Ole Miss, 1:30 PM. TV: ESPN2
  • Saturday, December 2: Grizzlies on the road at Phoenix Suns, 8:00 PM. TV: Bally Sports

Note that there are NO Grizzlies games the following week as the NBA in-season tournament wraps up. Anyone besides me think the in-season tournament is kinda boring and pointless?

The Grizzlies have signed guards Jaylen Nowell and Shaquille Harrison to 10-day contracts.

Nurse Blake SHOCK ADVISED Comedy Tour comes to the Orpheum Thursday at 8 PM. Tickets are $39.50-$79.50 and there’s a VIP meet & greet ticket for $189.

Today is Small Brewery Sunday.

A man was found shot to death on the I-55 bridge this morning.

Memphis Music Initiative seeks a manager of fundraising and special projects.

I’ll be at Butt Slut #1’s bar in the Underdog Room at Bardog this evening if anyone wants to hang out. She ended up not being able to come to our Thanksgiving in Eads because she had to work her other job. While in Eads, I made a liquor discovery I wanted to share with my readers:

Chocolate peanut butter whiskey creme! This was so good! I would recommend stopping at a grocery store on the way home from picking this up to get a banana. Slices of banana would make an ideal garnish. Elvis would approve. So would monkeys.

Considering a trip to Memphis? Tomorrow would be a good day to book a room at the Peabody, because from 6 AM to 8 PM they will have a Cyber Monday special: 40% off the Best Available Rate for bookings now through March 31.

The Memphis Symphony Orchestra will present Magic of Memphis Saturday at the Cannon Center.

The Renasant Convention Center will host the 2023 St. Jude Marathon Health and Fitness Expo Thursday and Friday. Floor plan

Storyboard Memphis has a history of Union Avenue.

The Cossitt Library will host a pottery party this Wednesday at 1 PM. All supplies are provided, but wear clothing you don’t mind getting paint on.

The big news during my 5 days away from blogging is that Memphis River Parks Partnership is going to allow the organizers of the Mempho music festival – moving to Tom Lee Park the first weekend of May, 2024 – to also hold a BBQ festival in Tom Lee.

And the new BBQ festival will be held the third weekend of May. The same weekend Memphis in May holds its World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest (abbreviated WCBCC but usually referred to as “BBQ Fest” by Memphians) at Liberty Park/Tiger Lane.

Daaaaaaamn. The BBQ teams are gonna have to choose which festival to compete in.

Stick with tradition, or go with an unproven upstart which has no legit claim to call itself the world championship of BBQ?

or, if you look at it from a different point of view…

Cook BBQ on a shitty parking lot, or in a park with beautiful river views?

I have such mixed feelings about this. My heart is with the Memphis in May organization… but a festival that could have “They paved paradise, and put up a parking lot” as its theme song does not have the appeal of one whose theme song could be “Ol’ Man River.”

I’m glad I’m no longer on a BBQ team and therefore don’t have a difficult decision to participate in/argue about.

All right, that’s enough for today’s post. I’m probably making a mistake telling my readers that a cute, popular girl will be behind a bar that seats maybe 4 or 5. I better get there well before 7 PM to claim one of those seats. Back tomorrow or Tuesday with more news.