Monday update

I tried something I’ve never done before Sunday morning – I “checked in for the day” at 9:30 in the morning at the Union Mission. Normally I go Downtown in the morning and come back in time to beat the get-in-free deadline of 2 PM. What was different with my four-hours-earlier-than-usual checkin?

  • I got a much nicer than normal dorm assignment for Sunday night, because it’s first-come, first-served. I slept like a baby!
  • I had to go to 10:30 morning chapel service. The speaker was Larry Baskin who preaches at 201 a lot. 
  • I got a hot dog, a bag of potato chips, and a cup of applesauce for lunch. 
  • I got in the shower line right when it opened at 1 and didn’t have to wait most of the afternoon for my name to be called. 

So there are advantages to checking in early. Am I gonna start doing that regularly? HELL NO for 2 reasons:

  1. Once you’re checked in, you can’t leave – you’re stuck at the Mission for the rest of the day! Which would be tolerable except…
  2. The Mission doesn’t have Wi-Fi, so I’m cut off from the Internet when I’m there. If you tried to contact me yesterday, sorry for the very slow reply!

That’s why there wasn’t a blog post yesterday. Let’s get on to the news. 

Red sauce Italian restaurant Cocozza, which has enjoyed success on Mud Island, is opening a second location on Yates Rd. in East Memphis. 

There’s also a new Maciel’s, in Bartlett at 3108 N. Germantown Parkway. You can’t go wrong with anything on the menu, but my rec would be the chorizo huarache.

Behind the Headlines takes a look at the immersive “River of Time” exhibit being installed by artist Chris Reyes on Mud Island.

D.J. Jeffries, a former Memphis Tiger, will be on the Grizzlies’ NBA Summer League team.

Grind City Brewing will present the Downtown Memphis fireworks on July 4. Doors open at 3 PM with food trucks Chi Phi, MemPops, El Mero Taco, and Champs BBQ. Drink specials. Live music 6-9 by Mike Hewlett & The Racket and others. $20 secured parking or park for free on the street at your own risk.

Today is International Chicken Wing Day. I recommend the smoked wings at Central BBQ or Momma’s.

The Redbirds host Nashville in a rare Monday game tonight at 7:05.   

Wimbledon begins today. Watching I as I type this. Carlos Alcaraz versus an Estonian with weird hair. The Estonian is not gonna advance but he’s surprisingly competitive.

The weather is beautiful today… it could easily be a stay-out-all-night day, but I don’t have an agenda of stuff to write. I don’t want to stay out without a to-do list, so back to the Mission I go around 1.  I should be back tomorrow with more news.

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