Author: paulryburn

Yesterday I predicted that President-Elect Donald Trump’s Twitter account would be a dumpster fire on MLK Day (I mean, even more so than it is every other day), as Trump appropriates MLK’s legacy to make the day all about himself. We shall see what happens, but would anyone really bet against me that this will happen?

Now I have another prediction: On April 4 of this year, whoever turns out to be Trump’s biggest lap dog in the House of Representatives will introduce a bill. The bill would make it illegal for any U.S. citizen, under penalty of fine and jail time, to observe the third Monday in January as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. In its place a new holiday would be added to the calendar, President Trump Day, to be observed every year on January 20.

On to the news… if you’re an animal lover, you were probably sickened by photos and videos of dogs and cats being abused on their way to being put to sleep at the Memphis Animal Shelter a few years ago. Thankfully those days are behind us, thanks to Mayor Strickland throwing the bums out. Do you want help make sure that animals are treated humanely there? There are volunteer opportunities at MAS, several different positions. The first step is to attend the volunteer orientation at MAS on Saturday, January 21 at 10 AM at 2350 Appling City Cove.

Did you buy milk or milk products anytime in the past 14 years in Tennessee? You’re owed cash back because of a class-action lawsuit against milk producers. There’s a form you have to fill out to join the lawsuit as a plaintiff. Some of you are probably thinking, “Is there any Tennessee resident who has NOT bought milk in the past 14 years?” Actually there is. Me. I don’t cook, and I don’t like the taste of milk besides. I was the kid in kindergarten who wouldn’t touch his milk carton that was handed out as an afternoon snack. I guess I could fill out the form anyway and get some free money; I can’t imagine them requiring receipts. However, I am not the type of person who would ever commit perjury on a court petition. So, no free money for me.

Here’s a look at the MLK Day celebration events with the Grizzlies leading up to tonight’s 8 PM tipoff game as the Grizzlies host the Chicago Bulls.

Zeke Johnson will bring the blues and stories about bluesmen and blueswomen to the Center for Southern Folklore store today from 3 to 6 this afternoon.

Kooky Canuck is hiring for both the Downtown and the Cordova location. Good people to work for.

Jerry “The King” Lawler has announced that The King’s Court will return to WWE Smackdown this Tuesday night, broadcast live from FedExForum. Smart move by the WWE to put Lawler on the show.

The International Downtown Association and Springboard for the Arts has awarded the Downtown Memphis Commission a $5000 grant. The grant will support the DMC funding buskers, street musicians, to fill one of 50 slots performing on the streets of Downtown Memphis in April and May of this year.

Arf… for Art happens this afternoon from 2 to 6 benefiting Dogs 2nd Chance, a rescue organization. Come take a look at original artwork and adopt a castaway that needs a home.

That’s it for now. Back tomorrow.

 

Surely the successor to the highest office in the land wouldn’t take a day celebrating the life of a civil rights icon and make it all about himself, would he?

Would he?

Today on grizzlies.com, there will be a live stream of a discussion on the intersection of race and sports by National Civil Rights Museum Sports Legacy Award honorees Grant Hill, Steve Smith and Lisa Leslie starting at 5 PM. The panel will be hosted by ESPN’s Mark Jones. The discussion will follow a invitation-only 4 PM tour of the museum led by the honorees. The honorees will be joined for the discussion by Memphis Grizzlies coach David Fizdale, Marc Spears from ESPN’s The Undefeated and other special guests.

This sign was found on the door of Oshi Burger this week:

Oshi is rebranding as a new restaurant, although I understand some of the concepts of Oshi may be retained. Sad news for people who loved meeting on the patio for group lunches in the warm months. They won’t be able to do it when it warms back up in 2017, at least not under the Oshi banner.

The Memphis Tigers host South Florida this afternoon at 5 at FedExForum.

There’s a “Memphis vs. Everybody” dance competition featuring 15 elite dancers at Hard Rock Cafe tonight from 7 to 11. The event was founded by a “So You Think You Can Dance” season 12 contestant and founder of “Memphis Jookin,” Montrell Britton. Dancers will have a chance to visit different parts of the city and taste the food to get that Memphis authentic feel. Donations will be collected for the Hard Rock Heals Foundation.

Job news: Latino Memphis is looking for a full-time Events Planning and Production Manager.

Childsplay Theatre brings its smash hit musical Rock the Presidents to the Orpheum’s Family Series Friday, February 3 at 6:30 PM. It’s a high-octane, multimedia musical review looking at the 44 people who have held the nation’s highest office. There will be songs like “Sons of Washington” celebrating our greatest presidents, as well as numbers like “Who in the World is Millard Fillmore?” to salute the lesser-known ones.

The MBJ reports that the original Raiford’s location at Vance and Mulberry is being remodeled to prepare for a showstopper upscale restaurant and bar concept. The owners have been approached with several ideas, and are determined to choose the concept that is the right fit for the space and the neighborhood.

FedExForum has a look at the matches planned for Tuesday night’s WWE Smackdown show broadcast live from FedExForum. The main event is scheduled to be Intercontinental Champion Dean Ambrose and the returning John Cena facing off in a tag team match against The Miz and WWE World Champion AJ Styles. In addition there will be a cage match for the Smackdown women’s championship as Alexa Bliss defends against former champ Becky Lynch. Will the cage keep the mysterious La Luchadora from interfering once again? Also filmed that evening will be 205 Live, the weekly WWE Network-exclusive show featuring WWE’s cruiserweights. Note that the card is subject to change.

 

The Grizz beat The Beard on The Beard’s home court in Houston last night. Can you believe there are analysts who, pre-season, predicted the Grizzlies would win 38 games and end up in the draft lottery? The fact that Tony Allen is getting minutes at point guard shows what a fantastic player development coach Fizdale is.

All right. Time to go out and do things. Back tomorrow.

I hope Friday the 13th doesn’t live up to its reputation in your life or mine today! I have several really interesting events to write about in this post. Hopefully one of them will bring you luck.

Before I got on to them though, one announcement – Friday the 13th has already affected one event today. Unfortunately bad weather in the St. Louis area has caused the cancellation of Cardinals Caravan tonight at AutoZone Park. An ice storm is headed toward St. Louis and travel in and out of the area is dangerous.

Coffee lovers, there’s an event coming up for you on Trolley Night Friday this month. On Friday, January 27, Memphis’ first latte throwdown will take place at 387 S, Main. This will be a bracket-style latte art competition between baristas. For each head-to-head competition, a panel of three judges will pick the best creation made with steamed milk and espresso. Prizes of $400, $100, and $50 to the top three finishers.

In addition to the competition, Memphis roasters will be serving up their favorite roasts for free. Roasters confirmed so far include Dr. Bean’s, French Truck, and J. Brooks. These latte throwdowns are common in other cities, and are a phenomenal way to bring coffee professionals together for a day. The latte throwdown is free to attend. If you want to compete, signups are at 6 PM with a $5 fee to enter. The first pour will be at 7. This event is open to all.

Holy handstands, Batman! There will be a hand balancing workshop with Laurie Jean (“LJ”) at Downtown Yoga Sunday, January 22, from 1 to 3:30 in the afternoon. Course fee is $40. Since I don’t speak the language of yoga, I’m just going to paste the course description from Facebook.

This workshop will focus on the fundamentals of hand balancing, beginning with Bakasana (Crow or Crane Pose). We will progress from this pose into other arm balances, in order to explore and build strength in the shoulders, upper arms, and core. These poses will allow us to explore taking the weight of the body into the hands, building strength, balance, and confidence. From there we will move into inverted poses. We will spend time discussing proper form, alignment and breath, as well as different ways to enter and exit these poses.

Mix-Odyssey IV will happen on Saturday, March 4, on the second floor of 88 Union from 7 to 10 PM. This is a competition among the city’s finest mixologists to see who can craft the best cocktail. The event benefits Volunteer Odyssey, whose mission is to build pathways to volunteering that enriches our lives and communities. Learn more about Volunteer Odyssey’s programs here. The all-star lineup of mixologists competing:

Justin Dobbs & Grant Whittle
Vincent Hale, Bari & Dodici
Aaron Hanna, Hog & Hominy
Colbie Jones, Catherine & Mary’s
Dan Price, Proper Cocktails
Andrew Ratts & Matt Lexow
Cady Smith, Cafe Pontotoc

Save the date, because early bird tickets will go on sale the first of February.

The Fourth Bluff Ice Rink will be back in business today after being closed Tuesday and Wednesday (wind) and yesterday (too warm). Hours will be 2 to 10 PM with Brennan Villines performing 5 to 8.

What a classy move by President Obama to surprise Vice-President Joe Biden with the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Biden may have said he didn’t deserve it, but many Americans including myself would disagree.

The city has been awarded a $400,000 grant by the National Park Service. It will be used for the renovation of Clayborn Temple, an important site in the history of the Civil Rights Movement. It served as a starting point for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s campaign in the Memphis sanitation workers’ strike of 1968. The grant was secured with the help of a recommendation by Congressman Steve Cohen.

Congratulations to Congressman Cohen, by the way, on being appointed to the House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee.

Netflix users: There’s a pretty sophisticated phishing scam going around. You may get an email saying you need to update your customer information. If you click the link, you’ll be taken to a fake login page that looks like Netflix’s login. Somehow this login page is flying under the radar of web browsers’ phishing detection ability, so be careful.

That’s all for now. Back tomorrow.

The Red Hot Chili Peppers bring their tour to FedExForum tonight, supported by Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue and Jack Irons. Show starts at 7 PM.

Trying to figure out where to pre-game for the Chili Peppers? The King has a suggestion:

This is the place before Red Hot Chili Peppers concert to try our famous deep fried ribs. #bealestreet #ribsinmemphis #jerrylawler pic.twitter.com/JPgK1a6EGS

— Jerry Lawler’s Place (@JKLBarBeale) January 12, 2017

High Cotton posted that there will be no Bendy Brewski Yoga tonight because so many of the regular participants are going to Red Hot Chili Peppers. NOGA! The brewery is rolling out High Gravity Imperial Stout and Belgian Strong Ale in the taproom.

The MBJ reports that the first part of the new ServiceMaster headquarters, in the old Peabody Place Mall, will be ready for occupancy in the second quarter of the year. The first occupied part will be a technology and innovation center.

There will be a dog adoption event called Personal Trainers & Running Buddies at The 101, 101 S. Main Street, on Saturday, January 14 from 11 AM to 3 PM. Memphis Animal Shelter will have dogs there who would be an excellent fit for people with an active lifestyle; dogs that would do best in a home where they’ll go for regular walks and runs or other physically and/or mentally challenging activities. Adoptions will be $35 (nearly half off usual adoption fee, and include spay/neuter, microchip, vaccinations, customized ID tag (to be picked up at the shelter), and collar/leash, as well as a goody bag from Hollywood Feed. Not a bad deal at all!

By the fall of 2018, you will be able to arrange your FedEx package drop-offs and pick-ups at Walgreens. Very convenient for people who don’t want packages left at their door where they could possibly be stolen.

Growing up, in the winter I would read the weather page every day and see, “Yesterday produced an energy demand equivalent to ___ HDD.” HDD stands for Heating Degree Days, a measure of how hard your heater had to work to keep your home comfortable. You take the average of the day’s high and low and subtract it from 65 to get this measure. So if the high was 50 and the low was 34, that’s an average of (50 + 34)/2, or 42, and 65 – 42 = 23, so the day would have produced an energy demand equivalent to 23 Heating Degree Days.

Yesterday produced an energy demand almost never seen in January. With a high of 72 and a low of 60, that’s an average temperature of 66. 66 – 65 = 1. so yesterday produced an energy demand equivalent to 1 Cooling Degree Day (CDD), a measure of how hard your air conditioner had to work to keep your home comfortable. In this climate you normally don’t see Cooling Degree Days until about March.

FedEx is hosting a job fair Saturday to fill positions throwing boxes at the hub here in Memphis. The positions guarantee at least 17.5 hours a week, with hourly rates starting at $12.62. Now, why would you want to consider a part-time job involving physical labor that pays a couple hundred bucks a week? Because these jobs are the keys to the kingdom! FedEx is well-known for hiring from within. If you stand out as a hard worker, you’re probably going to be promoted in 12-18 months. You will also have the opportunity to bid on corporate jobs within the company. In many cases the fact that you already work for FedEx is more important than having a college degree or years of experience relevant to the position on which you are bidding. Want to build a future? Go throw some boxes!

Great cover story in the Memphis Flyer this week about the musicians who earn their living on Beale Street.

Recommended footwear if you’re attending Trump’s inauguration:

Boots recalled after they’re found to leave Swastikas behind https://t.co/IMrPzSlbt3 pic.twitter.com/CmGPTwhnb1

— WREG News Channel 3 (@3onyourside) January 12, 2017

From the Huffington Post: Alabama wins Electoral College, declared national champion. Disregard all those fake sports news sites like ESPN that reported Clemson won.

That’s it for now. Maybe a second Thursday post after work. Downtown’s gonna be hoppin’ tonight because of the Chili Peppers!

This weekend, yoga comes to the Downtown core. There will be classes Friday, Saturday, and Sunday at The 101, 101 S. Main. Here’s the schedule:

Friday, Jan 13
Wine Down with Libby & Leah
6:30 – 8 pm

Saturday, Jan 14
Rock & Roll with Leah
7 – 8:30 pm

Sunday, Jan 15
Restore with Libby
9:30 – 10:30 am

Renew with Stephanie
11:30 am – 12:30 pm

Cost is $14.99 for yoga and wine, $9.99 other classes, or get a 3-class package for $24.99. Visit www.yourinneryogi.com or call 470.344.YOGA for more information.

This is, what, the third piece of yoga news I’ve had in four days? Yogis love my blog!

Small Shop Saturday happens once again this Saturday, January 14, from noon to 4 at the Ghost River taproom. Every week a vendor sets up shop, and you can learn about their craft while drinking Ghost River beer. This week’s vendor is Cosgrove and Lewis Luxury Handmade Soaps, produced with organic, natural, and free-trade products free of animal products and harsh chemicals. The soaps are made at a home in Eads, TN, where they have chickens, dogs, birds, and a herd of semi-tame deer. Their gardens and greenhouses in Eads supply many of the ingredients.

Are you a fan of Felicia Suzanne Restaurant? Would you like to learn to cook some favorites from the restaurant at home? If so, shoot an email to felicia@feliciasuzanne.com. She’s hosting a pop-up cooking class on January 19.

A very happy birthday to The Grindfather, Memphis Grizzlies guard/forward Tony Allen, who turns 35 today.

My friend Michael B. of One901 thinks that the Shepherd’s Pie at Brass Door is the best Shepherd’s Pie he’s ever had.

Help make the Memphis Farmers Market even better! They are inviting 2016 Market shoppers to fill out a survey giving feedback about their experiences. One of the questions is, “other than our awesome vendors, what else did you enjoy about the Market?” They forgot to add “yoga pants” to the dropdown list of answers.

The Rusty Pieces will take a break from recording their debut album at Royal Studios for a performance at the Blind Bear this Friday, January 14, from 10 PM to 1 AM.

In case you missed the press conference: President-Elect Cheeto refused to let CNN’s Senior White House Correspondent ask a question, saying “You’re fake news.” He’s still not going to release his tax returns. He said he’ll be the greatest job producer God has ever created. He ended the news conference with his reality show catchphrase, “You’re fired.”

Here’s the exchange where CNN’s Jim @Acosta tries to ask Trump a question and the President-elect refuses pic.twitter.com/LlwmhPj5w3

— Bradd Jaffy (@BraddJaffy) January 11, 2017

Has @realdonaldtrump ever stayed in your hotel room? Find out with this $6 blacklight flashlight. https://t.co/cenXw10qd7 pic.twitter.com/r3MBnRVAU1

— Kinja Deals (@KinjaDeals) January 11, 2017

Taco Bell is going national with a fried chicken taco shell. It’s coming January 26.

That’s the news for now. I plan on hitting the Silly Goose happy hour after work as I usually do on Wednesday. This is my second post today, so keep scrolling for more Wednesday news.

Monday night, I was watching the national football championship game at the Blind Bear, when a friend of mine checked in at the King’s Palace Tap Room on Beale Street. “Dollar PBR on Mondays,” she posted. Back in my early days as a Downtowner, I would go there every Monday night and drink dollar PBR and watch wrestling with NightHawk, the bartender at the time. Around 2005 the Saucer became my main spot and I started going to the Tap Room less frequently. I was happy to hear they still had dollar PBR on Mondays, and when my friend said “Come on down,” I decided I would.

A couple of things about the Tap Room haven’t changed. For one, they still had wrestling on one of the TVs! That was excellent, because I was much more interested in Roman Reigns’ U.S. Title defense against both Kevin Owens and Chris Jericho than I was watching the team in orange and the team in white.

Also, the Tap Room still has its mug club, where you buy a beer mug, decorate the bottom to make it your own, and then ask for it every time you come in. You get discounted beer prices, and your mug holds more beer than the standard pint glass. The mug I bought in 2004 still hangs on the wall, with “#52 Professor Paul” decorated in green on the bottom. Since it has not been washed in many years, I didn’t want to drink out of it, but I asked if my troll and I could see it.

By the way, my buddy Shane owns mug #1 in the mug club. There are now several hundred mugs.

One thing has sure changed though. They said, “another 25 minutes or so and we’re going to do last call.” I don’t remember the exact time, but wrestling was still on so it couldn’t have been after about 10:10! (Monday Night RAW officially ends at 10, but they do an overrun to make wrestling seem less fake.) Back in the day, I remember being out at the Tap Room playing pool til 1:30, sometimes even 2 in the morning! Shane, what happened to our bar?

Congratulations to Clemson on a shocking come-from-behind victory. I was rooting for Bama because they are SEC, but Clemson earned that one. Also, congratulations to Chris Jericho on becoming the new WWE United States Champion. And of course, congratulations to the University of Tennessee football team on being Champions of Life.

On to the news… Memphis Brewfest returns to AutoZone Park Saturday, April 22. This is one of Memphis’ larger regional beer festivals, with attendance capped at 2100. There will be beer sampling stations in the ballpark concourse, and they are really good about bringing in beers not normally found in our city. ’80s hair band cover band Aquanet will provide the live music. 100% of net proceeds go to Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy.

Miss Cordelia’s is changing its store hours. Beginning this week, the Mud Island grocery store will be open 7 AM to 9 PM.

Aldo’s Pizza Pies Downtown is hiring hosts, counter staff, and delivery people. They have full-time and part-time positions. Apply in person between 2 and 4 in the afternoon Monday to Friday.

This is BRILLIANT:

Pro Tip – Use a fax machine dial up tone as your voicemail greeting to deter people from leaving messages.

— Bebop Bobby Digital (@freeDone01) January 9, 2017

If you have any friends who visit Memphis and are into yoga, Downtown Yoga has announced that they have travelers’ packages for those who want to maintain their practice while in town. Travelers can purchase 4 classes for $45, or unlimited classes for one week for $60.

Thanks to Daniel from Silly Goose from sharing this Buzzfeed article: How “stouting” whiskey is changing the game

Popular women’s-only event Cupcakes, Cocktails and Cursing returns to The 101, 101 S. Main, tonight from 7 to 9 PM. Enjoy cocktails, cupcakes and talk to ya girls about women’s issues, relationships, or whatever you want. Admission is $8.

The Downtown LYFE Kitchen, currently under renovations, will be the first in the country to go full-service when it reopens. There will be some menu changes but they will stick to the overall concept of healthy eating.

That’s it for now. Off to work. Possibly I will do a midday post.

To kick off the new year, Mayor Strickland’s office has issued a Call to Action. No matter how many police we hire, we will never solve generational problems like crime and poverty unless we all come together as a community. Here are three things Strickland challenged citizens to do to improve the community:

1) Mentor a younger person. A younger person staying off the wrong path in life is often the result of the guidance of an older person. Strickland is challenging citizens to spend one hour a week, in a program in which the Grizzlies Foundation is a partner, which provides mentors.

2) Read to a second grader. Studies have found that when a child arrives in third grade still not knowing how to read, they quickly start to fall farther and farther behind. It becomes nearly impossible for those to catch up. Strickland challenges citizens to spend an hour a week helping children learn how to read, so they will have this most important skill that they need.

3) Adopt a block. Although the city has come a long way in eradicating blight and keeping lots clear of grass, they need the community to come forward and assist in this effort. The Adopt-a-Block program will be getting underway in full gear once spring weather arrives.

A couple of days ago I posted about Grizzlies Timeout for Yoga, a special ticket which includes a yoga class at FedExForum, a yoga mat, and a ticket to a Grizzlies game. Well, yesterday Verno tweeted a photo of the mat – it will have Chandler Parsons on it,

This is the @ChandlerParsons Yoga Mat being given away the 21st vs HOU. 😂 pic.twitter.com/PuMlBuyIOP

— Chris Vernon (@ChrisVernonShow) January 9, 2017

South of Beale has made a popular item a permanent part of the menu:

back by demand, we’ve got our bar pie permanently on the menu! served w/ roasted tomatoes, homemade mozzarella, garlic oil, & fresh basil! pic.twitter.com/UH6kS9PuVc

— South of Beale (@southofbeale) January 9, 2017

A man was found dead near Loflin Yard at Carolina and Florida Friday, the day it was bitterly cold and snowed for a good part of the day. A lot of the South Mainers are worried that it could be a homeless man in his early 60s who has become kind of the mascot of that neighborhood. I sure hope that it is not.

The CA gets even more corporate, telling its freelance writers this week that they no longer have jobs. Some of these freelancers had decades of experience. The Flyer and the Daily News ought to be giving some of those folks a call.

Memphis Made will be the featured brewery at Miss Cordelia’s Food Truck Wednesday tomorrow from 5 to 8 PM. The Creamery and Stanley’s Sweet Treats will have their trucks there.

I have a work thing at lunchtime, so probably no post then. Possibly back with more news after work.

The South Main Association will have its first meeting of the year tomorrow, Tuesday, January 10 at Makeda’s Cookies, 488 S. Second. Representatives from MATA will speak, including Chief Communications Officer Nicole Lacey and Chief Administrative Officer Gary Rosenfeld. Cookies, milk, coffee, savory finger foods and beverages will be served. Social at 6, meeting at 6:30. I wonder if anyone will ask when (or if) the trolleys will be back?

Also tomorrow, Cafe Pontotoc reopens. They’ve been closed since before Christmas remodeling and it will be interesting to see what they’ve done with the place. Based on recent conversations with friends, this is a place I believe I should be spending more time.

Want a chance to check out Old Dominick Distillery at 305 S. Front Street before it’s open to the public? The Memphis Flyer is having their annual party to celebrate this year’s 20 Under 30 there Wednesday evening. There will be classic Memphis tunes, giveaways, and complimentary beverages. If I have any readers who are mac & cheese fans, they might be interested to know there will be a mac & cheese bar provided by Iris Etc. Catering. The event is 6:30-8:30 PM and is free and open to the public.

This isn’t a Downtown event, but it sounds like it might be worth a drive out to the Memphis Botanic Garden on January 21: Oshii Japan, a celebration of Japanese traditional home cooking, ramen, dessert, and sake. You can purchase a book of tickets to sample food: $10 (tasting) or $20 (hungry).

The panel of judges has been announced for the Tennessee Equality Project’s annual gumbo cook-off, to be held on February 19.

Keurig and Anheuser-Busch are going to team up to build an in-home booze brewer.

If you’re looking for a job, Downtown agency RedRover has several positions open. Great place to work, especially if you are a dog owner.

Did you know that there is a Little Rock to Memphis bicycle tour? It uses back roads, to avoid heavy traffic.

I had no idea there was a pet store Downtown! (But then, I don’t own any pets.) Taming the Wild is on Harbor Town Square.

That’s it for now. Probably I will hit Melissa Monday happy hour at Bardog after work.

When I was a child I dreamed of Saturdays as an adult. I dreamed I would sit down in my cardigan sweater to a fine dinner of ham, green beans, and rice casserole prepared by my wife, then afterward I would help my children with their homework as I laughed to the antics of our dog. Or maybe a cat, I was more of a cat person growing up but either would work.

So as an actual adult I walked out of Blind Bear around 6 yesterday and did the chihuahua walk (*) to City Market, where I purchased a fine dinner of Tostitos Scoops and Las Delicias guacamole. I came home, took off all my layers of clothes and threw them on the couch, and proceeded to scoop up my dinner. Then I lay down for a nap.

(*) There was no need to do the penguin walk because almost all the ice has melted on the Main Street Mall. However, it was 16 degrees outside. Anyone who has ever seen a chihuahua knows they shiver constantly. That was my walk home.

Hours later I woke up. “1:40,” the clock read. The adult I dreamed of being as a child might have gone to the refrigerator, made a pimiento cheese sandwich along with a glass of milk, and thought, “If it were a couple of weeks later the Girl Scout cookies would be here, and I could sneak a Thin Mint without the Mrs. knowing.”

The adult I actually became saw “1:40” and thought, the bars close at 3. I’VE GOT 80 MINUTES! Clothes on, back to the Bear.

It was a very entertaining second venture back out. East Memphians have no concept of personal space, I learned as an amateur wedged herself in between me and the person sitting to my right to order another drink she absolutely did not need. After she moved I reached to make sure my wallet was still in my pocket. Actually, I wasn’t so concerned for my wallet as I was for my troll, also in my pocket. Debit cards and drivers licenses can be replaced. There was a catfight up front and I got to watch two girls get thrown out.

Late night on the weekends, the mood gets more relaxed, and you learn things about your bartenders you didn’t know. I learned that Colin, although he grew up in Tacoma, Washington, was actually born in (if I can be serious for a minute) Calgary, Alberta, Canada. “Western Canada east of Vancouver is cattle country,” he told me and the others at the bar. “Every summer we have the Calgary Stampede rodeo, which is a huge drunk fest. Paul, you should go this summer. You accidentally bump into someone and they go, ‘Sorry I bumped into you, let me buy you a beer.’ and you go, ‘No, sorry I bumped into you, let me buy you and your wife a beer.’ That’s the way Canadians are.” The Stampede is July 7-16 this year, also known as “those 10 days it’s above freezing in Calgary.”

Colin told me that in winter, it gets so cold in Calgary that when people drive to the grocery store and park, there are stations where they can plug in their cars. No, these are not electric cars. These are plug-ins to block heaters which keep your engine from freezing while you shop. Article: How cold should it be before I plug my car into a block heater?

Related: Why you shouldn’t leave soda in your car when it’s freezing outside. Yep, learned this the hard way with the Saturn the year after I bought it, probably taking $1000 off its trade-in value after messing up the interior. Good thing I keep the Saturn until its trade value was practically zero.

I have more information on this Flying Sobies food truck that serves brunch at Ghost River 12-3 Sundays. I knew they had Cornish hen, but here are the details, as posted to the Ghost River Facebook page.

Flying Sobie’s offers three $10 combos: Hen & Waffle, Hen & Fries, and Hen Platter (Beans & Slaw) They also have items a la carte. You can get your hen 1 of 5 ways: Buffalo, Memphis Gold, Spicy Memphis Gold, Hawaiian Teriyaki, and Lemon Pepper.

From The Southern Weekend: Cheeses to take your grilled cheese to the next level

And, from Food & Wine, another comfort food: The best mac & cheeses in the US. None of them are from Memphis, but I thought I would link it in case I have any mac & cheese loving readers who travel for their jobs.

Beatles fans: The Mersey Beatles will return to Memphis on February 18 with a show at the Halloran Centre for Performing Arts. There are many Beatles tribute bands, but only this one features all four lads born in Liverpool. They were the resident band at the Cavern Club for over a decade, the place where the Beatles themselves had a residency from 1961 to 1963. No less an authority than John Lennon’s sister has called them the most authentic tribute she has heard.

Loflin Yard will old a Singer-Songwriter Night in the Coach House this Wednesday from 9 to 11. The acoustic event will be hosted by Nick Redmond and this week featured talent will include Jana Misener and Mark Stuart.

Go Grizzlies, YOGA! Grizzlies Timeout for Yoga happens Saturday, January 21 at FedExForum from 12:30 to 2. Yoga tickets include a professionally instructed yoga class, a Grizzlies/Methodist Healthcare yoga mat, and a ticket to a Grizzlies game. Buy yoga tickets here and the deadline to purchase is 2:30 PM the day before.

Elmwood Cemetery will host What Lies Beneath: Stories & Secrets of the Elmwood Cottage Saturday, January 28 from 1:00 to 2:15. This will be a tour of the historic 1866 cottage and its furnishings. You’ll hear stories such as “Frozen Charlottes,” the mysterious dolls left on Elmwood graves more than 100 years ago. Other artifacts you’ll see include pen-and-ink burial records from more than two centuries ago. Advance registration is required. The cost is $15 and refreshments will be served.

The Grizzlies are back home tonight after a wild week on the West Coast. They will host the Utah Jazz tonight at 7 at FedExForum.

That’s it for this post. In a couple of hours I will be back at the Blind Bear for D-RANKS with B-RAD aka Hung Over Like a Bear Brunch. Plans after that to be figured out.