Author: paulryburn

I stayed out all night Tuesday and Wednesday, choosing to avoid the $6 nightly cover charge at the Union Mission now that there are no more blocks of time when you can get in free there. It was HEAVEN having control of my schedule back.

There was no way I was going to miss last night – the third Thursday of the month – at the Mission, though. That’s the day when Crossroads Baptist comes out to guest-preach. They always bring dinner from Commissary BBQ:  pulled pork sandwiches, slaw, BBQ beans, and individual bags of Keebler Fudge Stripe cookies. It hit the spot and got me ready for a sound night of catching up on sleep.

I keep notes in my phone about what can be expected there each day of the month. Those notes indicate we have a guest preacher tonight named Tony who is succinct, clearly cares about us a lot, and doesn’t spend his time on stage shouting and lecturing. So, yeah, I’ll pay the $6, especially because I want a shower so I can look (& smell) good for my friends at brunch tomorrow. I’ll head back over to the Mission around 2 PM when the shower line tends to be short.

On to the news…

Saturday is National Daiquiri Day. Wet Willie’s on Beale will celebrate with daiquiri flights all day long. Try four different varieties of the frozen beverage and find your new fav.

Backbeat Tours seeks an evening ghost tout guide. The guide will lead a tour around Beale Street and South Main past the Orpheum, E&H, and some other places believed to be haunted. Generous base pay plus tips.

You and me, baby, ain’t nothin’ but mammals, so let’s do it like they do on the Discovery Channel… however, the week starting Sunday will be all about large predatory fish as Shark Week returns.

The WNBA skills challenge and 3-point contest are on ESPN tonight at 7. The league’s All-Star game will be Saturday at 7:30 on ABC. Unfortunately, Caitlin Clark will be out with an injury.

Beale Street Bears: The Grizzlies’ front office showed genius in the way they structured Santi Aldama’s new contract

Back tomorrow with more news.

I gratefully accept tips:
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The Cossitt Library was a miserable place to work yesterday, with its AC unable to get the temperature below 78. I decided a trip to the old-fashioned soda fountain at A. Schwab was necessary.

Vanilla milkshake. Go ahead and call me basic if you want. It was so good.

Yesterday I learned that blueberry Moon Pies exist and Schwab has them.

Flying Saucer will have a Christmas in July party this Saturday including

• An ugly sweater contest
• Food and cocktail specials
• Gifts from Santa

Penny Hardaway’s Memphis Tigers men’s basketball program has been put on probation for 2 years. The NCAA found that an academic counselor who was employed at the university paid softball players $550 to do assignments and take tests for a basketball player.

The Grizzlies battle the Atlanta Hawks in NBA Summer League action today at 6 PM on NBAtv.

Back tomorrow with more news.

I gratefully accept tips:
Venmo: @Paul-Ryburn (8113 if it asks for digits)
Cash App: $PaulRyburn1
Zelle: paul@paulryburn.com
Apple Pay: paul.ryburn@gmail.com

Voting opens in the 2025 Memphis Flyer Best of Memphis poll at 9 this morning and runs through August 13. This is not the city’s only “best”/”most” poll, but it is the one with the most credibility.

The Orpheum’s summer of sing-a-longs continues Saturday at 2 PM with a screening of Sing 2. Tickets are $12. The song lyrics will be displayed on the screen for your singing convenience.

Today is National Hot Dog Day. My recommendation to celebrate would be Max’s Sports Bar. They have a chili cheese dog, a Chicago-style dog, and a Memphis-style dog with BBQ pulled pork. Wash your dog down with a PBR.

LANCO with KC Johns headlines KIX on Beale Thursday night at 7:30. The show is free and all-ages. Listen to KIX 106 for an opportunity to win VIP passes.

Seeing Red will headline the Peabody rooftop party Thursday with DJ A.D. spinning between sets. Special performance by singer/songwriter Sarah Reeves. $15 general admission, $40 VIP. Those in VIP get a buffet of crispy chicken meatballs, buffalo chicken dip, hot spinach & artichoke dip, pita, and crostini.

Remember, folks… Seeing Red = good, Peeing Red = not good.

Central Station series Live at the Tracks is on heat break for the rest of July and will return Thursday, August 6.

i visited Earnestine & Hazel’s last night, where the bar was staffed by #VoteForAllison and first-day trainee Dani. Of course, I had a Soul Burger.

As good as always. Those grilled onions are the magic ingredient.

Lenny’s now has Korean BBQ subs. Choose from regular or “fiery.”

The Dinstuhl”s location on Main is hiring. Must be able to work weekends (Friday, Saturday, Sunday). Inquire within if interested.

Possibly worth a Lyft or Uber to Crosstown: There will be an oddity & curiosity market at the Hi-Tone 4-10 Saturday.

Brent Hopper, Adam Buczyna, Sam Raines, and Angelina David play South Main Sounds Friday from 7 to 9.

Memphis Made will have a Mahjong Night in its taproom Friday night from 5:30 to 8:30. Lessons and open play hosted by Mahjong Merriment.

From GoTo Destinations: How Kooky Canuck won the hearts of locals in Memphis

Back tomorrow with more news.

I gratefully accept tips:
Venmo: @Paul-Ryburn (8113 if it asks for digits)
Cash App: $PaulRyburn1
Zelle: paul@paulryburn.com
Apple Pay: paul.ryburn@gmail.com

Readers, I owe you an apology.

This blog, in my opinion, has SUCKED the past 10 or so months.

it all started last September when the Union Mission changed its deadline to check in to get in free for the day to 11 AM and then later to 10:30 AM. (Previously it was 2 PM.) That left me scrambling in the mornings to check all my news sources and type up a post before it was time to get back to the Mission, where there is no public Wi-Fi. Plus I’ve been dealing with early-stage Parkinson’s, affecting my ability to type. My posts felt short, forced, and rushed.

That changes today.

There is no more free entry time at the Mission, unless you’re a newbie or you’re on one of several “tracks” (drug/alcohol recovery program, volunteer worker, veteran, etc.)

While that’s bad news for me financially, it gives me OODLES of additional time to write this blog. Expect posts to be later but better going forward. Let’s do this!

Grizzlies vs. Golden State Warriors, NBA Summer League, 9:30 tonight, NBAtv. In other Grizzlies news, triple congrats are due to power forward Santi Aldama. Not only did he sign an extension with the team recently, but he got appointed to the NBA Players Association board of directors. And he got married. Not a bad summer for Santi.

Restaurant franchise Playa Bowls will open a new location in The Edge at 732 Madison. The chain is known for its “superfruit bowls” and other healthy options. Look for a January or February opening date.

A public celebration of life has been announced for Fred Smith, the founder of FedEx who recently passed away. Appropriately, it’ll be at FedExForum on August 11.

There’s going to be another lemon drop festival Downtown. This one will celebrate the end of summer on Sunday, September 21 in Fourth Bluff Park.

Starbucks has made its secret menu available on its app.

Congratulations to Hi Neighbor Cafe in Tom Lee Park on its 100 on last week’s health inspection.

Stax Museum will roll out a new B.B. King exhibit next week, including never-before-seen footage of a 1982 concert he did on Mud Island.

The Memphis Medical District Collaborative announced news about two area businesses in its latest Vitals newsletter. First of all, Body by Daavon at 405 Monroe is expanding. It’s a gym led by bodybuilding and fitness pro Daavon Grayson.

The MMDC also announced that Peach Cobbler Factory, which already has locations in Collierville and East Memphis, is coming to The Edge at 632 Madison. Dudes, this is a place to take yo’ lady on date night! All 12 varieties of cobbler sound divine, but I’ve got my eye on that sweet potato pecan cobbler…

There will be a benefit for the Texas Hill Country flood victims at Slider Inn Downtown Wednesday, July 24. All funds raised will go directly to flood relief. $20 Mich Ultra buckets.

A pedestrian was hit about 6:35 this morning at the intersection of Danny Thomas and Adams. I betcha anything it was someone who stays at the Union Mission 2 blocks to the north. Y’all, please be careful when driving near shelters. A lot of homeless people completely disregard traffic signals. They shouldn’t, but it’s a fact of life that they do.

A former Memphis Tigers baseball player is headed to New York. MLB’s Mets selected pitcher James Smith IV in the 14th round of the draft. Like Shohei Ohtani, Smith is a hitter as well.

It has been a JOY to write this blog post for all of you. I haven’t had the time to lean back and enjoy that feeling since last September. Please pray for me, as I’m probably going to stay out on the streets of Downtown tonight and tomorrow.

Back tomorrow with more news.

I gratefully accept tips:
Venmo: @Paul-Ryburn (8113 if it asks for digits)
Cash App: $PaulRyburn1
Zelle: paul@paulryburn.com
Apple Pay: paul.ryburn@gmail.com

Check back.

I learned a Bardog life hack yesterday.

1. Order the shrimp cocktail at brunch.
2. Eat the shrimp, but hang onto the glass.
3. Order a side of fries.
4. Dip the fries in the remaining cocktail sauce.

Congratulations, you now have a dipping sauce much better than ketchup. As I’ve said many times on this blog, ketchup is a child’s condiment.

Today is National Mac & Cheese Day. I honestly don’t know where to tell you to go now that the Blind Bear is no more.

Today is the last day men will be admitted for free at the Union Mission. Tomorrow between about 8:00 and 10:30 AM is going to be a circus outside 383 Poplar as men show up there expecting to get in for free, finding out they can’t, and not having six dollars to pay. I hope the media comes out and covers this.

Downtown rideshare program Groove on Demand has had a large portion of its fleet undergo recalls. Wait times may be longer for a while.

That’s all I’ve got.

I gratefully accept tips:
Venmo: @Paul-Ryburn (8113 if it asks for digits)
Cash App: $PaulRyburn1
Zelle: paul@paulryburn.com
Apple Pay: paul.ryburn@gmail.com

There will be a Tie Dye Takeover at the Redbirds this afternoon. The first 500 kids will receive a shirt and the opportunity to dye it in the 3rd Base Cove. Kids’ Zone inflatables and games will be out. All kids 12 and under will receive a free ice cream treat from Prairie Farms as they enter the ballpark, and after the game concludes they can run the bases. 1:05 PM vs. the Charlotte Knights.

Today is National French Fry Day. Flying Saucer would be my recommendation. They have great fries.

Jeremy Stein of Lucky Heart Cosmetics will share his business’s story in a free Meet the Manufacturer presentation 11 AM-1 PM Thursday at the Memphis Medical District Collaborative office, 656 Madison. Lunch will be provided. Wow, Lucky Heart has cosmetics for horses as well as humans!

A friend of mine recently returned from an Indianapolis trip, and he reports that apple Fireball is a thing there. YUCK!!!!

Pop stars with number-one hits are getting older… again.

That’s all I’ve got.

Many bloggers take weekends off. I don’t. I gratefully accept tips:
Venmo: @Paul-Ryburn (8113 if it asks for digits)
Cash App: $PaulRyburn1
Zelle: paul@paulryburn.com
Apple Pay: paul.ryburn@gmail.com

The folks at The Peanut Shoppe posted yesterday morning that the store will be closed until further notice, and asked their fans to keep them in their prayers. They said they would post an update to social media today.

They are most definitely in my prayers.

The CA reported this week that ramen restaurant Good Fortune Co. is expanding into the space next door formerly occupied by Sauce Marketing. In addition, they will launch a new fast-casual pizza kitchen concept in part of the space.

In Summer League action, the Grizzlies play Portland at 9:30 PM on ESPN2.

The Memphis Chess Club now has pizza martinis.

Downtown Neighborhood Association is launching an 8-week summer movie series on the patio of Slider Inn. 20% off food during movies for card-carrying DNA members. First up: Taylor Swift Eras Tour this Wednesday at 7:30. Come make a free friendship bracelet.

There’s a Tennessee Titans Takeover tonight at the Redbirds. Meet mascot T-Rac and the Titans cheerleaders. Enter for a chance to win a Tony Pollard jersey. Fireworks after the game. First pitch is 6:35.

Gia Welch and JD Westmoreland play the front porch of South Point Grocery today at noon.

Spies in the Cemetery, a presentation by Kim Bearden, happens Sunday at 2 PM at Elmwood. Come meet the spies buried there and hear tales of espionage.

That’s all I’ve got.

Many bloggers take weekends off. I don’t. I gratefully accept tips:
Venmo: @Paul-Ryburn (8113 if it asks for digits)
Cash App: $PaulRyburn1
Zelle: paul@paulryburn.com
Apple Pay: paul.ryburn@gmail.com

The Grizzlies are having a Summer Blowout Sale in their store at FedExForum today with prices up to 50% off. Doors open at 11. DJ, smash burger and snow cone food trucks.

The Grizzlies play the Boston Celtics in Las Vegas Summer League action today at 3. TV: NBAtv

The Cabinet Shop apartments at 436 South Front St. are being converted into a boutique hotel.

The city’s riverboat landing, currently located at the foot of Union, will be relocated half a mile north to be near Bass Pro at the Pyramid.

StyleBlueprint put the Edge Motor Museum on its list of 24 epic experiences for car enthusiasts.

The Ed Murphey Classic track and field competition is on Beale Street today and tomorrow.

Tonya Dyson plays Soulin’ on the River at Fourth Bluff Park tonight at 8.

Tamara Jones Monger plays Sunset Jazz in Court Square Sunday at 6 PM.

The new MPD command center near Beale Street is leading to more arrests.

That’s all I’ve got.

I gratefully accept tips:
Venmo: @Paul-Ryburn (8113 if it asks for digits)
Cash App: $PaulRyburn1
Zelle: paul@paulryburn.com
Apple Pay: paul.ryburn@gmail.com

DJ A.D. and the Vibe Tribe headline tonight’s Peabody rooftop party. $15 to get in, $40 VIP. Those in VIP get a buffet of jumbo wings: buffalo, honey, golden, BBQ, and seasoned. Tater tots and fried pickles will also be on the menu.

Doug MacLeod will have an album release party for his new CD, Between Somewhere and Goodbye, at South Main Sounds Friday at 7. The new CD will be half price for this one show only.

Today is National Piña Colada Day. Wet Willie’s is the place to celebrate.

There will be a wiffleball tournament in The Ravine Sunday, July 27.

The Downtown Memphis Commission brings its Alley Dayz series to Uptown the evening of Wednesday, July 30.

ALSAC, the fundraising arm of St. Jude, has named a new president.

The Edge District will host an art crawl July 26.

There are plans to turn the Old Daisy theater, recently damaged by fire, into a historical education center.

There’s $2 PBR tonight as the Redbirds host Charlotte. First pitch is 7:05.

Vlad Putin is no longer the Trumpster’s BFF as the president pivots toward Ukraine.

That’s all I’ve got.

I gratefully accept tips:
Venmo: @Paul-Ryburn (8113 if it asks for digits)
Cash App: $PaulRyburn1
Zelle: paul@paulryburn.com
Apple Pay: paul.ryburn@gmail.com