Author: paulryburn

A new allegation has been brought forth in the lawsuit six women have brought against the University of Tennessee. The women claim that there is a campus culture at UT, and in the athletic department and football team in particular, that enables sexual assault. The latest allegation came from UT football player Drae Bowles, claiming that head coach Butch Jones called Bowles “a traitor to the team” after Bowles aided a woman who said that two other UT football players raped her.

Fansided has a list of five candidates to replace Butch Jones after the university fires him. The list is wishful thinking though. Why the hell would Nick Saban leave Alabama to take a job at a school with such a f’d up campus culture? Why would ANYBODY take that job?

I wonder how many female college seniors are crossing UT off their list of prospective schools? If I had a daughter I certainly would not let her go there.

Carbunkle Trumpet recently attended a home game for the Brooklyn Nets as they took on the Memphis Grizzlies. CBT moved to New York City from Memphis several months ago, and having attended Grizzlies home games in Memphis, a “small market,” he was curious to see what a game would look like in a “large market.” The Nets had no mascot, no halftime performance, no Bongo Cam contests, no pyro for home team introductions. I bet there are no dancing Grannies and Grandpas either. I guess New Yorkers take having pro sports teams for granted and the Nets don’t feel the need to make every game an experience. Just goes to show, we have it good here in Memphis.

Want an early taste of Old Dominick Distillery, which will open in the Front Street Chicken District at 301 S. Front? The Memphis Daily News has a photo gallery.

The Orpheum Family Series brings a performance of Moby Dick to the Halloran Center tomorrow evening at 7. This will be a kid-friendly performance and tickets are $15-30.

Jeff Reed returns to the Cannon Center Saturday night at 7:30 for a tribute performance to the 50th anniversary of the release of the Beach Boys’ 1966 album Pet Sounds.

That’s it for now. Could be a third post today, you never know.

The famous Cerrito Trivia is coming to a new location – The Arcade at Main and G.E. Patterson, every other Thursday beginning March 3. The theme that night will be Seinfeld trivia, with all questions about the hit ’90s TV show as The Arcade transforms into Monk’s Cafe for one night only. This will fill up, so reservations are required. Make reservations here. It’s free to play and there will be prizes for 1st, 2nd, 3rd and Best Team Name.

By the way: Cerrito Trivia will still happen at the Green Beetle that night; Kevin and his radio sidekick CJ will be alternating.

Gus’s is hiring. Apply at the Downtown location on South Front St. Tuesday, March 1 and Wednesday, March 2 from 2:30-5:00 PM. Brief sit-down interviews will be conducted. The restaurant is hiring for part-time managers, servers, dishwashers, and kitchen staff. More info here.

Exciting fresh produce news: Downtown’s Bring It Food Hub had a record-breaking fall season, with 241 subscriptions. The way it works is, you sign up here (sign-ups now being accepted for summer 2016) and select a pickup point. There are a variety of pickup points around the city, each with its own dates and times. One of the pickup points is in The Edge, at The Bring It Hub’s headquarters at 694 Madison. Every week a bag of locally-grown fruits, veggies, and other staples that have been locally produced is dropped off for you.

The Hard Rock Cafe is having an Oscar Night viewing party Sunday, February 28 at 6 PM. There will be TVs all over the restaurant showing the Oscars, and attendees can pose for a photo on the red carpet and have a chance to win prizes including local movie passes and merchandise. It’s free to attend, but a donation to Ronald McDonald House would be greatly appreciated. All ages are welcome.

The Memphis Union Mission is seeking a part-time driver to pick up and deliver food donated to the Mission. The days are Tuesday and Thursday. Contact Pastor Randy Daniels at 901-526-8434, ext 1008 or rdaniels@memphisunionmission.org if interested.

Off to work. Possibly another post later today.

It’s the annual “Post to Facebook how awesome Beale Street Music Fest’s lineup is”/”Post to Facebook how much Beale Street Music Fest’s lineup sucks” day, depending on your perspective. Memphis in May announced the lineup for Music Fest this morning. The festival is Friday, April 29-Sunday, May 1 at Tom Lee Park, the first Memphis in May event of the season. It is held in Tom Lee Park by the river with multiple stages, attracting crowds of 40,000-55,000 each day.

Pro tip if you’ve never been to Music Fest and are going this year: Invest in a couple of cheap disposable ponchos that can be carried in your pocket or purse. The weather has a way of being cursed during Music Fest, and there are few years when it does not rain at least once.

One other note: The normal high for Memphis April 29-May 1 is 77. Do not expect 77 during Music Fest. Typical Music Fest weather sees highs of about 65 and lows about 50. Again, there is no other explanation than that the weather is cursed. Also, expect bright, sunny skies with highs of about 83 for the periods April 26-28 and May 2-4.

South Main Trolley Night is this Friday starting at 6 PM, with many shops and galleries open late. It’s a special Oscar-themed Trolley Night, with South Main businesses rolling out the red carpet. If you’re a South Main Association member, there will be a special area for you in The Arcade, the most-filmed building in Memphis, for complimentary appetizers and beverages and a movie trivia contest with a first-place prize of two Malco movie passes. Non-SMA members can join the fun for $10.

Also at Trolley Night will be South Main Sounds Songwriter Night #22 at 550 S. Main, with performances by Andrew Cabigao, Anna Melvin, Kyndle Elizabeth McMahan, Stephen Sciara, Kris Acklen and Tony Manard. Stock & Belle at 387 S. Main will have Turnrow Letterpress Art. Art Village Gallery at 410 S. Main will have an event called Diva Power for a Woman in the White House with actress Garcelle Beauvais.

I plan on being at Trolley Night, headquartering myself at my “home away from home on the south side,” Max’s Sports Bar, although I do plan on venturing out to check out the galleries and probably Songwriter Night. Since I #FeelTheBern, perhaps I better stay out of Art Village Gallery.

If you #FeelTheBern too, you can now order the Bernie Sanders action figure.

The Southern Circuit of Independent Filmmakers Tour comes to the Halloran Centre for Performing Arts tonight with Dorothea Lange: Grab a Hunk of Lightning. Tickets are $10. Film starts at 7, 90 minutes long, followed by a Q&A session with the filmmaker.

For those who take I-55 southbound to work from Downtown: I noticed traffic counters on the off-ramp onto Mallory and the on-ramp from Third. Water pools really bad under the bridges between Mallory and Third, and I guess TDOT is counting how many people take the detour to avoid the pooling water. (I do.) I wish they would find a way to provide better drainage in that area.

Glad we only had to deal with heavy rain though. My BBQ teammate Duck was down in Louisiana with tornadoes whizzing by. Glad to hear Duck stayed safe.

Lexington, Kentucky’s “Food for Fines” program lets you pay off parking tickets with canned goods. Every 10 cans donated gives you a $15 credit. This supplies local food banks with thousands of cans each year. It would be nice if Memphis would do this for Mid-South Food Bank, but I guess given the state of the budget, the city needs all the ticket revenue it can get.

The Daily Downtowner on Instagram today is not even a person. It’s the “Cry Me a River,” one of the new drinks you can get at Qahwa’s nitrogen bar.

Oh my goodness… “The Wild World of Nextdoor.com” is the cover story for the Memphis Flyer this week. If you follow publisher Bruce V on Twitter, you know he is a big fan of Nextdoor.com. I can’t wait to read this story.

That’s the news for now. Getting a lot done at work today. I will be out at happy hour at the Silly Goose for a well-deserved PBR. Probably I will be back at the Goose for CharveyMac at 10 tonight.

I came across a great website, Make Memphis, whose slogan is “Shepherding Ideas into Action.” Recent posts have featured two people I know personally, and I thought I would share the links.

I first met Mark Akin at a P-Funk concert at the Gibson Lounge in 2003. He was bartending one of the outdoor bars. He told me about the band he played in at the time, and years later I found myself sitting at his bar at the Majestic Grille often. Mark is now the co-owner of Envision Memphis, the gym on the top floor of the Cadre Building. Mark wrote a post for Make Memphis on how a change in attitude can change everything.

Frank Rouse found a way to combine his love for biking with his love for Memphis by becoming a leader in Urban Bicycle Food Ministry. The ministry makes nutritious burritos to hand out to anyone who is hungry, particularly the homeless. The volunteers ride their bikes to get around town quickly and to make personal contact with their audience easy.

Here’s the the menu at the Calvary Waffle Shop, which operates Tuesdays-Fridays during Lent (this year through March 18) at Calvary Episcopal Church, 102 N. Second.

Starting March 5, the Cossitt Library at Front and Monroe will be open Saturdays from 10 AM to 5 PM. There will be no change to the hours for the library the other days of the week. Jamie Griffin has been the library’s manager for about a year, and and has done a great job improving library services. Expect several concerts on the promenade behind the library in the months to come.

Olate Dogs, winners of America’s Got Talent, will perform live during the halftime show of the Grizzlies-Lakers game tonight. Last chance to see Kobe play in person in Memphis.

Dessert suggestion: Fireball cheesecake shots

Possibly another post later today, so check back.

Yesterday I wondered on this blog what happens when an NBA player gets traded – how he moves out of his home, transports his vehicles, etc. when he has to be in a new city in a day. A former employee of FedExForum who now lives in Canada emailed me an answer. The teams take care of everything, as per terms of the collective bargaining agreement. All the player has to do is pack a bag and go. The team puts him up in the new city for a certain period of time, or until the end of the season depending on when the trade occurs. The old and new team make arrangements to have his house packed up, vehicles shipped. Makes sense. Why would you want the player’s mind to be focused on anything other than basketball?

Bardog Tavern has announced its 8th annual Erin Go Braghless party on St. Patrick’s Day, Thursday, March 17. Throw your bra on the bar and get your first drink for a penny.

Yesterday it was rumored that Donald Trump would appear at FedExForum Saturday. Later in the day it was announced that The Donald will appear in the Memphis metro, but not Downtown – he will be at the Millington Jet Port at the old Navy base at 6 PM. It is terrifying to think that this time next year, we could be living in the United States of Trump.

I blasted Bluefin Sunday about the grammar on a sign they posted over the weekend, but to be fair, I heard a couple of good things about the recently-reopened sushi restaurant yesterday. A friend of mine ate there and texted me that the sushi was really good. Also, I heard from a trusted source that the bar has reopened and they have a good bartender back there.

From Thrillist: 10 untapped craft beer cities ready to blow up. First on the list: Memphis. The co-owner of Memphis Made Brewing Co. is quoted in the article.

Want to work for one of Memphis’ best nonprofits? Porter-Leath has three positions open.

There will be a 3 Shades of Blue watch party for the Grizzlies vs. Suns game Saturday, February 27 at 8:30 PM.

That’ll do it for now. Hitting the Blind Bear after work. Should be rainy.

This article has been much-discussed the past day: Juicing is bad for you and the Earth. The article calls juicing “a privileged, wasteful form of food consumption” and makes the following points:

• A basket of fruit, when juiced, serves less than half the people than if it were served whole
• The skin of the fruit, filled with heart-healthy and cancer-fighting flavonoids, is lost when juiced
• Fat is also lost. The body needs fat to absorb many vitamins including A, D, E, and K. Without fat, the vitamins are not absorbed and pass right through you. (I wonder if this is why people who juice poop a lot?)
• The liver is the body’s cleanser; human-invented cleanses are not necessary to maintain health
• Pulp is left behind after juicing and thrown into landfills, emitting methane, a greenhouse gas 21 times more powerful than carbon dioxide

So you can put down that glass of disgusting kale-avocado-banana juice and pop open a Mountain Dew instead. It’ll be okay. Really.

Random thing I learned this weekend: Bicycles were considered a moral threat in the 1890s. The outfits women wore when riding were considered indecent by many. Also, on Sundays – the one day off work for many people at the time – people skipped church to ride their bikes instead. I wonder if Grover Cleveland or William McKinley had an anti-bicycle plank in their party’s platform.

The Flyer has Soup Sunday winners and a photo gallery of the event by photographer Frank Chin.

Sunday is Senior Day for the Memphis Tigers basketball team, and the Memphis Flyer pays tribute to four-year starter Shaq Goodwin. I will miss seeing Shaq on the court when the 2016-17 Tigers take the floor. As the Flyer writer points out, he has one of the best smiles in the history of the program. I too admire the way he has stuck by Coach Pastner when many of his teammates left for perceived greener pastures. Thank you for the four years you gave Memphis, Shaq.

Memphis is perhaps the only city where you bring Shaq up in conversation, and someone stops you to ask, “O’Neal, or Goodwin?”

In other basketball news, Grizzlies point guard Mike Conley becomes a free agent this summer. It’s almost unthinkable that he would leave Marc Gasol and the foundation those two have built in Memphis. However, his former coach Lionel Hollins believes Conley will chase the money if other teams offer him more than Memphis wants to spend. The Grizzlies do own his Bird rights, so they can sign Conley even if it sends them over the salary cap; but will the team be willing to pay luxury tax to keep him? (I hope so.)

Once a month Wiseacre Brewing Co. out on Broad Avenue does industry nights, and then next one will be a Leap Year Masquerade from 6 to 11 PM on Monday, February 29. If you are in the industry (and show proof) you get 20% off beer and merchandise, and those in costume get $1 off beer. The Mighty Souls Brass Band will play 7 to 10, and the Rawk’n Grub food truck will be there. $50 gift card to the winner of the blind tasting game.

If you’re wondering what the crepes at Scoops are like, they tweeted a photo of their veggie crepe.

The MBJ has an inside look at the futuristic new branch of Regions Bank set to open at the corner of Main and Union next Monday. It’s said to feel more like an Apple Store than a traditional bank.

Time to get to work. Possibly another post around lunchtime or 5:30.

I was thinking about something this weekend. When NBA players get traded and have to move to another city in as little as a day, how do they handle it? How do they get their vehicle(s) to their new city? How do they pack up all their clothes in such little time? If they rent or lease in their former city, how do they break the lease? Are there consultants whose job is to help players with these things? Anyone know?

Congratulations to Downtown neighborhood bar Bardog Tavern, which now holds back-to-back victories at Soup Sunday for Best Soup. Their Chicken Velvet soup won again yesterday.

Downtown Yoga will hold a special class called Glowga Saturday, March 12 from 7:00 to 8:30 PM. They will turn the lights down and get the fluorescents out for glow-in-the-dark yoga. $25 per person, with space limited, so visit the class schedule page on downtownyogamemphis.com to sign up and reserve your spot.

While we’re on the subject of yoga (sort of): My favorite pair of librarian glasses posted to my Facebook timeline last night. She said she was sure that it was because of me that an ad for dress yoga pants appeared in her news feed. If my activities lead to women wearing yoga pants more often, then I have served the world well.

Carbunkle Trumpet has a good post on dressing for the day vs. dressing for the weather. It was 60 in New York City this weekend and people were walking around in heavy wool overcoats and scarves. Yeah I don’t get that either. I had short-sleeved shirts and shorts on all weekend.

Memphis Flyer writer Lesley Young visited the Downtown LYFE Kitchen recently. They have a full bar and their patio will open next month, so it will be a nice spot for March Madness and South Main Trolley Night. The mahi tacos are the number-one seller at the Downtown location.

The airport is hiring for a couple of seasonal positions.

The Friends reunion was said to be a bust but Jennifer Aniston rocked a tube top, so there’s that.

Oh my God. Someone started a GoFundMe account to raise money to buy out Josh Pastner’s contract.

The Moody Ques had a board meeting yesterday and there are a couple of items I wanted to pass along to team members who read this blog. First of all, if you have a lot of vacation time accrued, it would really help if you could take part or all of Monday, May 9-Wednesday, May 11 off to help with the build at Tom Lee Park. Team president Clay is going to have to be at his job those days, and in my new role as Director of Public Relations I will have to be off-site much of that time. With two people who had in past years been key factors for load-in out of the park, we need teammates to step up. Travis from Holiday Flowers will be leading the effort and he is hoping to have a good crew with him.

We also will need some help with prep work for the Atoka regional BBQ festival. I don’t have my notes here with me, so more on that in a future post.

If you haven’t paid your dues, pay them here. We can get you a mailing address if you need to mail us a check instead of paying online.

After a couple of weeks off, I am returning to Melissa Monday at Bardog for happy hour tonight. Blind Bear after that. Possibly another post before I get out this evening.

Expect heavy traffic around FedExForum between 10:30 and noon today as people arrive for Youth Villages’ fundraiser Soup Sunday. Thousands of people will show up to sample soups, gumbos, baked goods, and desserts from the city’s best restaurants.

Soup Sunday is not the only fundraiser Downtown today though… it’s also Throw Me a Bone at the Green Beetle from 1 to 4 this afternoon. This event benefits Alive Rescue, which offers assistance to dog owners who need help caring for their pets, but aren’t ready to give them up. $6 admission includes your first beer.

Sign on the door of Bluefin:

Okay. My issue this this is not about whether they can or can’t take gift cards. It’s the egregious grammatical error in the first sentence. Now, if this sign were on the front door of Golden Asian Dragon Palace II at Shelby Drive and Elvis Presley Boulevard, that would be okay. It would probably even be a sign that good authentic Chinese food is served there. However, Bluefin is a swanky sushi lounge in the most cosmopolitan area of the city. You mean to tell me they don’t have ONE employee who is a native speaker of English, and the creator of the sign could not have asked for a minute of that person’s time to confirm that the grammar was right? Lack of attention to detail. Bad first impression.

If Josh Pastner is fighting to keep his job, he didn’t do himself any favors by losing to a team that had won a quarter of its games yesterday. The Tigers lost to the USF Bulls (7-21). Es no bueno. Not only does the University of Memphis face the issue of not receiving $800,000 from the Grizzlies due to poor attendance… not only does the university face having to pay Pastner $10+ million to buy him out… not only does the university face having to spend an additional million or two for a new head coach while still paying Josh… but sports writer and radio host Gary Parrish pointed out an additional problem. Assistant coach Keelon Lawson may be the most sought-after assistant in the country right now. If he leaves Memphis, his kids K.J. and Dedric will likely follow him, and younger brother Chandler probably will too when he reaches college age. Losing Dedric especially would be a huge blow to the basketball program.

Speculation is already out there about who will replace Pastner if it happens. Let me just say this: If the university hires Bruce Pearl away from Auburn, I will have to seriously evaluate whether I want to continue being a Tiger basketball fan.

I have also heard Arkansas head coach Mike Anderson’s name mentioned. A protege of the great Nolan Richardson, I think Anderson would be an excellent fit for Memphis, someone who would know how to motivate and develop players in a way Pastner does not.

Anfernee Hardaway has also been mentioned. I’d promote Damon Stoudamire to head coach before I’d make an offer to Penny. Either way you’re getting someone who had a great career in the NBA. Stoudamire could likely be had for a lower price, and he has coaching experience in both college ball and the NBA.

My apologies for not announcing that Max’s Sports Bar opened at 10 yesterday for the Tiger game… I just didn’t know until the game was nearly over. I will have to keep a better watch on Saturday game schedules. I went down to Max’s mid-afternoon and Maggie had an Arkansas “Never Yield” shirt on. Very happy to see bartenders with good taste in teams.

The NBA has posted a video of my absolute favorite thing about attending Grizzlies home games – The Grizzlies Grannies and Grandpas. This 50-and-over dance squad performs during game breaks and they’ve got moves like Jagger. They never fail to put a smile on my face.

This is going to be somewhat of an unusual Sunday. Normally I park myself at Blind Bear for most of the day on Sundays for D-RANKS with B-RAD. However, I found out around 6 last night that I will be starting my day with a BBQ team board meeting at Silly Goose. I also want to go by Bardog and see new bartender Suzy, who is filling in while Bloom is on maternity leave. Also, the Green Beetle’s event seems worth a brief trip south. The dog rescue sounds like a worthy cause I wouldn’t mind dropping six bucks on.

So, this could be like the summer and fall of 2014 when B-RAD worked Saturdays. There would be days when I would lead off at Bardog and then do Silly Goose and the Saucer next, not getting to Brad’s bar for D-RANKS until 4:30 or 5, confounding people who came up there earlier in the day, hoping I would be there so they and I could talk. No telling when I will get to Brad’s bar today, although I will be there at some point in the afternoon.

Left over carne asada nachos from Maciel’s are calling my name, so I better get on those. Just the fuel I need for a long Sunday Fun Day.

Percussion extravaganza STOMP returns to the Orpheum today only for two shows at 2 PM and 8 PM. A cast of many uses every object imaginable to create sound and beat out rhythm. I have personally seen this show at the Orpheum and recommend it strongly. It’s a lot of fun.

Memphis is happy to have Chris “Birdman” Andersen on the team, but the original Bird Man from Memphis, Koko B. Ware, will make a local radio appearance today. He’ll be on Cerrito Live on AM 560/FM 8.7. at approximately 12:15 PM.

The Redbirds seasonal job fair is happening right now at AutoZone Park. It will be going on until 2 this afternoon. Come prepared to interview.

The Memphis Symphony Orchestra performs Bolero! tonight at 7:30 at the Cannon Center.

The City of Memphis is accepting applications for 10 part-time video analyst positions. Pay is not bad: $20.45 an hour. These “video paralegal” positions will assist local law enforcement.

Tin Roof is now offering a loyalty card to its regulars, giving them a $10 credit for every $50 spent on food. The card credits can be spent on anything at Tin Roof. Cardholders also get in free to non-ticketed events.

Chef Shuttle talked Downtown expansion with the Memphis Business Journal recently. The shuttle service vastly expands Downtowners’ food delivery options.

Holly from I Love Memphis recently ate lunch at the Flying Fish, having the grilled rainbow trout with rice and beans and grilled veggies, tilapia tacos (catfish tacos also available), and fried okra. Great place to eat and kid-friendly too. Check out the Billy Bass wall while you’re there. I was one of the first to donate a Billy Bass to the Fish and you can find it on the wall’s bottom row.

Random thing I read about recently: Numbers stations, shortwave radio stations used by spies to transmit information. These are broadcasts of seemingly random numbers and phonetic alphabet letters – “Five, nine, three, hotel, foxtrot” – at regularly scheduled times of the day. The coded information is usually read in a female voice, sometimes a child’s voice. Sometimes music precedes the coded numbers and letters.

Congratulations to Bardog bartender Bloom on the new addition to the family, Adelaide. Bloom will be out on maternity leave for a while, so for the next few months, Brunch with Bloom on Saturdays will be replaced by a classic: PANDA TIME! Panda will be back behind the bar slingin’ dranks. The Panda Welcome Committee, consisting of my “DAWG” John D and myself, will be there at 11 AM.

(Note: All plans this weekend are tentative. I really hope I am at Panda’s bar this morning at 11, and I really hope I am at my vocal Facebook friend B-RAD’s bar tomorrow at 11, but I can’t guarantee it. We did some server upgrades at work this week that are simply awesome, but we still are finding loose ends. It is possible I will be called away to take care of stuff. Also, apologies to those to whom I have been slow to respond to texts or emails. It has not been a normal week, although it has been a good one.)

All right, outta here, time to make sure I haven’t been tagged on HipChat (our work chat room) about anything and put some laundry in the dryer. With a high in the 70s and a low in the 60s, it is T-shirt and shorts weather in February and I will take every bit of that I can get. Time to get this day off to a good start!

 

I’m told that Victoria’s Secret has a deal going on where if you spend $50, you get a free fanny pack, and if you spend $40 you get a free koozie. Here’s a photo of Mary proudly wearing her new fanny pack. I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone so excited by a fanny pack in my life.

I made a typo on the blog earlier this week – the Grizzlies host the Minnesota Timberwolves tonight at 7, not last night as I had previously reported. It’s your first chance to see P.J. Hairston and Birdman in Memphis Sounds throwbacks, and maybe Lance Stephenson too. If you’re a season ticket holder, you will have a Memphis Forever growl towel on your seat tonight. The Memphis red script tee is the special at the Grizzlies Den shop inside FedExForum tonight: get it for $15 (regular $22).

Imagine Vegan Cafe in Midtown is hiring for two cook positions.

Meanwhile, Downtown, Lokion has several positions open. This is said to be a great place to work and the benefits are outstanding.

A significant piece of Tennessee Brewery construction is about to get underway. A 339-space parking garage will be built at 502 Tennessee Street, across from the brewery.

Quench is best known for its wine and liquor selection, but did you know they have beer too? Just arrived are Ghost River Midnight Magic and Straight to Ale Brother Joseph’s.

Update on Memphis Tigers men’s basketball attendance: If the average is 6812 or higher for the Tigers’ last two home games, the university could get as much as $480,000. Below 6812, that figure is reduced to $0.

Memphis Barbeque Supply is offering a free rib class Saturday, March 5 at 1 PM. Limited to 50 attendees.

Fun night at the Saucer and Jerry Lee Lewis Cafe last night. I left at 10:30, ready to go home and get some sleep for a 7 AM start time at work today. I didn’t get far. “Hey! There’s Dyer’s!” Of course I had to get a double-double with fries to take home.

I will probably lead off at Mary’s bar (yes the Mary pictured above) at Blind Bear for happy hour this evening. Plans after that TBD. So ready for the weekend.