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When I come to Little Rock to visit family, I book my hotel room very carefully. It has to be within close distance. Not within close distance of the retirement community where my mother lives – that’s what the car is for, after all – but rather, within walking distance of the Little Rock Flying Saucer. I used Kayak.com to book a room at the Legacy Hotel & Suites in Downtown Little Rock for $55 a night, considerably below the standard rate.

Last night I made the walk to the bar. It was about 12 blocks, but the weather was nice so I didn’t mind. For those familiar with Little Rock, the hotel is at 624 W. Capitol. I walked up Capitol to Broadway, then took Broadway to Markham, which turns into President Clinton Avenue where the Saucer is located. I got there a little after 9.

When I go there, I always like to notice what’s similar and what’s different from the Memphis Saucer. The layout is somewhat similar. When you enter, you’re in the outdoor Garden area with patio windows. Pass through a set of doors and you’re in the main bar. The differences are that the Little Rock Garden is a bit smaller, the music performance area is in the interior bar, and the pool tables are downstairs in a separate room.

One reason I like going to the Little Rock Saucer is that I can try beers not available east of the Mississippi. The Fire Sale was Breckenridge Avalanche, an amber ale with a touch of caramel maltiness. I asked the bartender for a beer menu, and saw that it normally sold for $5.50 a pint. Nice to pick it up for only $3 on Fire Sale.

On the very slim chance I might get robbed on the walk down there, I left my debit card in the hotel room and brought only enough cash to pay for several beers and (if needed) a cab ride home. Since bartenders normally ask for a card to run a tab if they don’t know you, I expected to have to pay per beer as I went along. However, the bartender never asked me for a card. I found that odd.

A few minutes later, he came over and asked how long I was in town. I told him, then asked, “How did you know I’m not from here?”

“I remember seeing you in here before,” he said. Considering the last time I was in the Little Rock Saucer was 366 days before, that’s a pretty impressive memory.

I looked over the beer menu and decided to order local for my second beer. I went with a Diamond Bear Southern Blonde, a pilsner brewed right here in Little Rock.

Boulevard beers, brewed in Kansas City, are also among the beers available in Little Rock but not in Memphis. I chose a Boulevard Pilsner as the third beer that counted toward my plate.

As I drank, I read the menu to compare Little Rock prices to Memphis prices. Dos Equis Lager is $4 in Little Rock, 50 cents cheaper than in Memphis. WTF? I’d ask Kirk, the Memphis GM, about it, but I already know what his response would be: “Little Rock doesn’t have increased fruit costs due to a regular putting nine limes in every beer.”

I was sitting at a seat in front of one of the coolers, and I looked at the bottles it held. As much as I love the Little Rock Saucer, I have to call them out on a serious party foul.

I know the photo is blurry, but do you see it?

Look carefully at the second shelf. That’s a SMIRNOFF FREAKIN’ ICE sitting there, third from the right. A bar that prides itself on being the city’s premier beer bar sells that swill. And I didn’t check, but I assume it counts toward a plate. Unbelievable. Memphis would never put that in their coolers. I guess they do it for the benefit of girls who don’t like the taste of beer, but still, it’s just wrong. Ugh.

(And yes, there was a time many years ago when I used to drink Smirnoff Ice at the bar at Blues City. That was before I had any plates on the wall at the Saucer. I’m older and wiser. And besides, Blues City has since started carrying PBR in 16 ounce cans.)

I saw that there was a beer called Tallgrass Buffalo Sweat on the menu. I didn’t try it, but I wondered if that was Abita Turbo Dog re-packaged under a more accurate name.

With my 3 plate beers done (you don’t have to drink all the beers toward your plate at your home Saucer), I decided to play “Bartender’s Choice” for my next two. He recommended Kostritzer, a schwarzbier (black beer) from Bad Kostritz, Germany. It was pretty good. For my fifth beer I had Tallgrass Velvet Rooster, another bartender’s choice. I had a pretty good buzz by the time I finished it, not surprising since it’s 8.5% ABV.

While I drank the last two, I walked around and looked at the plates Little Rock UFO Club members had earned. Looks like Little Rock has more artistic flair than Memphis:

Another neat thing about Little Rock is the “stairway to nowhere” at the back of the bar.

By the time I finished the Velvet Rooster, the hour was getting late. The Saucer was set to close early, at midnight. I didn’t want to be “that guy” who tried to place an order 10 minutes after the posted closing time, so I asked for my check.

There was a cab waiting outside the Saucer, and I didn’t feel like dealing with the long walk and the bums, so I got a ride. As I entered the hotel lobby I saw this on the cover of the local news, arts and entertainment weekly:

Hell yeah! Bobby mf’n Petrino! Not long until we beat Kansas State in the Cotton Bowl. It’s time to CALL THOSE HOGS!!!

If you live in the Downtown core, you might pass these trees quite frequently as you walk down the Main Street Mall. You’d pass them on a walk to South Main, or to the Civil Rights Museum, or to the Orpheum.

Or, if you’re me, you pass them every day on the way to the Flying Saucer.

The trees are located on the left side of the mall (if you’re walking south). They are in front of the One One O’Six Lofts and Dream Berry Yogurt. So, why should you avoid these trees, especially around sunset?

Here’s why:

A flock of blackbirds roosts in these two trees every night. There are hundreds of them. They’re there to sleep, but they wake up throughout the night to do their business. Fortunately, if you forget they’re there, they’ll remind you. Around sunset there’s a chorus of tweets coming from the trees. Even in the middle of the night you’ll hear chirps as you walk by. Blackbirds apparently aren’t very deep sleepers.

So, do yourself a favor and give these trees a wide berth. They say that it’s good luck if a bird dropping lands on you, but you know what? I think I’ll rub a rabbit’s foot instead. These two trees are for the birds.

(What, you were expecting a mushy, sentimental Christmas post? You ought to know me better than that by now.)

Downtown’s new speakeasy, the Blind Bear, had a preview party for its Facebook fans last night. I’d been eagerly awaiting the opening of this bar for several months. I knew it would be a smashing success because it’s owned by three of Downtown’s best bartenders – Jamie and Jeannette, formerly from the Silly Goose, and Colin, formerly from Blue Fin, along with Jeannette’s dad as a silent partner.

The Facebook invite asked attendees to bring an ornament to hang on their tree, “and yes Paul it can be a PBR can on a hook.” So about 7:40, right before the party started, I stopped by the Silly Goose, ordered a PBR, drank it, and had them wash out the can. So if you go this weekend and see the can on the tree, yep, that’s mine.

Knowing it would get crowded, we got there right at 8 and I managed to grab the corner seat at the bar. Here are some pics I took.

Looking toward the entrance, from the corner seat at the bar.

Poker and blackjack tables are along the wall opposite the bar. I am going to love sitting at this table for Tuesday poker nights with Jamie. I asked about the start time – he said 8 PM.

Sandra: “I thought we were all dressing up” in Prohibition-era fashion. Apparently she was the only one in our group who got that memo.

The menu (click the photo for a larger image). Nothing on the menu is over $8. They hired Michael Bean away from the Goose to run the kitchen. Bean makes some good food. He can be a real pest at a poker table though.

Whitney and Sandra. It’s good to be hanging out at a bar where Whitney works again.

The entrance ramp leading up to the bar. There are lounge areas to the left and right, with a pool table to the right as well.

Less eating, more boobs seems to be the Nuh-Uh Girl’s thing lately.

Chicken fingers

High five!

Rebekah

Rusty Lemon and his buddy Josh

What’s Colin looking at?

The bar – that’s Jamie down at the far end. I’m pleased to report that they have PBR on tap, served in glass jars in keeping with the speakeasy theme.

Group photo

Sandra and Magyn

I just can’t say enough about what an incredible job Jamie, Jeannette and Colin have done with this space. Beautifully decorated, they kept it authentic with the Prohibition theme, and of course I’m always happy to walk in a bar and see a pool table and PBR on draft. When I walked in, I immediately got that “I’m comfortable here” feeling – the same feeling I got the first time I walked into Bardog, Brass Door, and Max’s Sports Bar, and the same feeling I get when I’m squeezing limes into my beer at the Saucer. The one unknown variable at this point is who will be the regular crowd – you can’t really tell that from a preview party. It will surely draw some of the crowd from the Goose and Blue Fin, since that’s where the owners previously worked.

Based on what I saw last night, I’ve come to the conclusion that this is a bar I want to hang out at every day. Longtime readers of this blog remember that I used to have two every-day hangout spots, Sleep Out Louie’s and the Flying Saucer. Since Sleep Out’s closed in 2007, it’s been just the Saucer – with stops at other places too, of course, but the Saucer has been the only one I’ve been going to daily. Now there are two again – Saucer and Blind Bear.

The Blind Bear will be open 6 PM to 3 AM Monday through Saturday. That actually works out perfect for me, because I get off work at 5 and have to drive home from Horn Lake. It’s usually 6 before I can get out anyway. So, once the blasted holidays are over and I’m back to my normal routine, I think I’m going to make the Blind Bear my first stop on weekdays, then make my way to the Saucer at some point later in the evening. The one exception will probably be Monday, when Pint Nite at the Saucer followed by poker night at the Goose is too good a combination to be messed with.

On Sundays, their plan is open 3 PM to 3 AM, with “Hung Over Like a Bear” brunch from 3 to 6 PM. They’ll be open to the public 6 PM to 3 AM tonight (Christmas Eve) and tomorrow (Christmas).

Congratulations to all involved with the Blind Bear on a superb opening. I will see you soon.

New scientific evidence suggests that our feathered friends who share Downtown with us may be smarter than we think. This New York Times article cites a recent study, which concluded that pigeons are capable of understanding abstract mathematical concepts. The birds were trained that 2 is greater than 1, 3 is greater than 2, etc. But when presented with problems they hadn’t seen before – such as, which is greater, 8 or 6 – they came up with the correct answer. So the next time you’re dining al fresco on Beale and a pigeon poops in your BBQ nachos, realize you’ve been pooped on by genius.

Yellow Cab posted a note to Facebook about getting the fastest possible service for New Year’s Eve and the Liberty Bowl. They have a new text ordering service which is pretty cool. For people throwing house parties on New Year’s Eve, they have a service you can call to get safe rides home for your guests. View the note here. Suggestion: Pull the note up in your phone’s web browser, and bookmark it for easy reference on New Year’s Eve.

More holiday openings and closings: Majestic Grille will be closed Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. They’ll be open Monday the 26th from 4 to 9. Bardog will open at 5 PM Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

I won a hat last night!

This was one of the raffle prizes at the Flying Saucer’s Beerknurd Appreciation Party. There was also a buffet of cheese sticks, meatballs, egg rolls, fruits, veggies, and cheesecake bites, free to members of the Saucer’s UFO Club. A bonus – unannounced on the flyer promoting the event – was free beer! We were each treated to a glass of Wells Banana Bread. Thanks to the Saucer for a very nice gesture toward its club members. The party convinced our friend Katie Mac to become a UFO member, an excellent decision.

Plans for today: I’m off work, so I’m going to get my Christmas shopping wrapped up supporting a local Downtown business. (I can’t say which or it would give away the present.) Also going to take advantage of a rare opportunity to eat lunch Downtown on a weekday.

I’m going to a party at 8 where I have to bring an ornament to decorate a Christmas tree. Therefore, I’m going to hold off on day drinking until mid-afternoon, so I won’t be sloshed when I get there. Oddly enough, I have to stop by the Silly Goose (not the location of the party) to pick up the ornament. So I’m thinking my tentative plan will be something like this: Saucer at 3:00, Goose at 7:30, party at 8:00. Taking the camera and will have more to say about the location of tonight’s party in the days to come.

I bought a new Kindle book this week. It’s a book about North Korea – the history, the politics, the people. Interesting fact I learned while reading last night: There was a research institute to protect the health of Kim il-Sung, the “Great Leader” who passed away in 1994 and who was Kim Jong-il’s father. Among the findings of his researchers was this: In order to live a long life and maintain sexual stamina, they recommended Kim il-Sung eat a dog penis at least 7 centimeters in length every day.

Yep. Dog penis.

Want to earn some easy beer money? Friday night, December 23, the Flying Saucer is having a tacky sweater contest and will give away $100 in gift cards.

Insider tip: I don’t think the sweater contest will be very well attended, due to people traveling out of town and due to other events that will be happening Downtown that night. You might be able to show up in a pretty average-looking holiday sweater and walk out with a gift card. I don’t think competition will be near as fierce as the Majestic’s tacky sweater contest last Thursday.

The Saucer, by the way, will be open regular hours Saturday (until 2 AM; they usually close at 5 on Christmas Eve, but not this year). They will be closed all day Sunday.

Not only will Max’s Sports Bar be open on Christmas Eve, but they will be open five hours early, at 11:30 AM. There are a lot of good games on that day, and they invite everyone to come watch on their 10 TVs. They’ll be open at their normal time (4:30 PM) Christmas Day.

South of Beale has announced they will be open at 4 PM Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

Bardog Tavern is now serving Popcorn’s XXX Tennessee White Whiskey at the upstairs bar. That’s legal moonshine.

A. Schwab, the “dry goods” store on Beale Street that has been there since 1876, is no longer owned by the Schwab family. The MBJ reports that ownership has been transferred to a new, unnamed group. If you have not been to this store, I cannot recommend highly enough that you go. The store is truly a one-of-a-kind Memphis treasure. Good place to find gifts for “Dirty Santa”/”White Elephant Santa” parties. Also a good place to find attire for next year’s Funny Hat Day, which is only 10 1/2 months away.

Office closes at 3 today, so I’ll get to enjoy the full length of happy hour! Flying Saucer UFO Club members, don’t forget that there will be a free Beerknurd Buffet for you at 6 PM. Free food? Wonder if the Nuh-Uh Girl will show up. Also at 6, the Memphis-Georgetown game will be on ESPN2. Go Tigers and HELLO long weekend!

Every year, the week after Christmas, I get questions about this at work. I figured I’d do a post on it. If you know anyone who gets an iPad for Christmas (especially older folks), you might want to show them this post.

At work, we distribute third-party tutorial software that was written for PCs. The last week of December, I get a lot of questions like, “I got an iPad for Christmas. I can’t install your software on my iPad. Please help.”

The thing is, iPads don’t run PC software. iPads run apps, which are downloaded from Apple’s iTunes App Store.

“But I’ve heard your software runs on a Mac. So shouldn’t it run on my iPad too?”

It’s true that PC software can run on Macs, if software is installed on the Mac to allow it to run Windows. However, iPads are not Macs. That’s a common misunderstanding. Both products are made by Apple, but they are different products. It’s much more accurate to think of an iPad as a big iPhone, minus the phone capability, than it is to think of it as a little Mac.

“So you’re saying an iPad is not a computer?”

Yes, it is a computer (and so is an iPhone), but it will help you to instead think of the iPad as a mobile device, while thinking of PCs and Macs as real computers.

Similarly, if you receive a Kindle Fire for Christmas, it’s more accurate to think of it as a big Android phone minus the phone, than as a PC. PC software won’t run on it either. You get your Kindle Fire software through the appstore Amazon links to on your tablet, under the “Apps” tab.

Hope this post helps those who are not computer-savvy who become iPad owners this week.

Moziah Bridges, the 10-year-old entrepreneur who sells hand-made bow ties, has received a lot of media attention in the past day. WREG did a story on his bowtie business, Mo’s Bows, and he was mentioned in a Memphis Business Journal post as well. Nice to see him getting the recognition he’s earned. It shows how far you can go with an idea and hard work.

If you want to buy one of Moziah’s bowties, you can visit Mo’s Bows on Etsy. His ties are also on sale at Shelton Clothiers, and as I mentioned yesterday, he’ll have a trunk show there from 1 to 3 PM Friday.

The MBJ also reported today that the Peabody is planning a renovation. It will take six months, and all 464 rooms will be touched.

Good article on TIME’s Moneyland blog today: The Beginning of the End of the 9-5 Workday? A leading communication firm has named the demise of the traditional 9-to-5 (or 8-to-5, for many) workday as one of the top trends for 2012.

Plans for tonight: It’s the Silly Goose’s Naughty List Ball. That doesn’t start until 9 though, so I’ll hit the Saucer around 6 for some warm-up beers. I have a post in Drafts about iPads that I’ll probably put up tonight.

Tue update: Nonprofit PR winners, Naughty List party and patio canopy plans at Silly Goose, Mo’s Bows, Blind Bear, Ghost River interview and more

Obsidian PR has completed voting for the two nonprofits that will receive six months of free PR services. The two winners are:

Memphis Roller Derby, to get free PR January-June
On Our Own of Memphis, to get free PR July-December

Congratulations to the winners! I’m especially excited for Memphis Roller Derby. I know several women who skate in the Derby and I hope Obsidian’s assistance will help them take the organization to new heights in 2012.

The Silly Goose will have their third annual Naughty List Ball tomorrow night, Wednesday, December 21, starting at 9 PM. The Jeremy Stanfill Band will play, and there will be a special visit from the Goose’s very own Bad Santa.

The Goose, by the way, received approval this week to install a canopy over their patio area, allowing patrons to enjoy the patio even when the weather is less than perfect. They expect to have it up by late January-early February.

This Friday at Shelton Clothiers, there will be a very special trunk show from 1 to 3 PM. 10-year-old entrepreneur Moziah Bridges will present “Mo’s Bows,” his hand-crafted bow ties. Check out Mo’s Bows page on Facebook for more information.

The Blind Bear will be open to the public Christmas Eve and Christmas Day from 6 PM to 3 AM.

The Flyer’s Memphis Beer Beat blog has posted part 2 of their interview with Ghost River head brewer Chuck Skypeck. In this part of the interview, Skypeck discusses why people are so passionate about craft beer, and how he got into brewing.

I played poker last night at the Goose’s 7:30 game. I didn’t win, but I had an interesting hand, a very speculative hand pre-flop that turned into a monster by the river. I was congratulated on the way I played it, but in review, I wonder if I could have played it better and extracted more of my opponents’ chips. I analyzed it here on my poker blog.

Long day. Minor car trouble and then all sorts of projects coming my way at work. I’m ready for a beer.

This post is for fellow bloggers who use the WordPress content engine. Coming up in mid-January, there will be a WordCamp not far from Memphis. WordCamp Birmingham will take place January 14 and 15. According to the site, WordCamp is “informal, community-organized event where everyone from casual users to core developers can get together, share ideas, and learn. Anyone who wants to learn more about publishing online content, design, blogging, web development, or just plain using WordPress are invited to speak, attend, or volunteer!” WordCamps are held around the world, but this is the closest one to Memphis in some time. Worth a 4-hour drive if you’re a WordPress user.

You can view the list of sessions here. Looks like there will be some very interesting topics, including one on running a nonprofit website with WordPress. Themes, plugins, e-commerce, CSS, Ajax, freelancing, project teams, and a lot more will be discussed in the session too. For those who’ve heard about WordPress and are considering giving it a try, there’s also a beginner session.

Insider tip: MailChimp is a sponsor. If you go, try to get one of the really cool MailChimp knit hats.

In other news: There’s a little less cray cray in the world today. North Korean leader/wack job Kim Jong-il has passed away. Wonder if the country will give him a title similar to “Eternal President,” awarded to his father Kim il-Sung after his death.

I’ll be playing in the 7:30 poker game tonight at the Silly Goose. I like that poker game because it’s a mere half block walk from home. Not the home where I sleep, but the home with 70 taps on the wall. I’ll be at Pint Nite at the Saucer before and after poker.

One more thing before I go: Yesterday I was at the Silly Goose drinking a PBRtini. Someone brought an order of fries over from the Majestic, and look who showed up to mooch a few:

All right, time to go eat some wings and defend the Horn Lake Zaxby’s mayorship. If any more news comes in I’ll do a second post after work.

Yesterday afternoon as I was doing laundry, my friends texted me: “Want to do some day drinking? We’re going to Bardog.” That sounded like a plan, so I took the laundry out of the dryer and headed up there.

The bar had uploaded pics to Facebook of Panda Manda “smothering” a bad tipper with her boobs, so I brought a wooden nickel (good for a 5-cent PBR) up there and told her I was going to tip her a penny. They had one of those Christmas toy dogs up there that flaps its ears and sings Christmas songs. I guess the makers of Billy Bass felt the need to get in the holiday spirit. Anyway, this being Memphis, we decided the dog needed to be more gangsta. So Amanda did a little decorating.

I was going to leave for the Saucer at 3 to watch the Memphis-Louisville game, but I was having a good time where I was. Amanda asked if I wanted another beer. “Well, you know,” I told her, “I guess I was going to like, LEAVE or whatever, and go to the Saucer to watch the game or something. But you know, I think I’m going to have ONE… more!” I didn’t feel like I was overstaying my welcome, the way some people do at bars.

We ended up staying until 4:30. Since I hadn’t been in Bardog for a while, I decided to ditch my original tipping plan and tip 100% instead. I’ll save the penny tip for the next time I’m at the bar at Maria’s Cantina in Southaven. A really fun afternoon at Bardog. I really don’t know why I haven’t been going in there more often lately. Need to start back up again.

Next stop was the Saucer, and since we’d be passing the Blind Bear on the way, we called Jamie and Jeannette and asked if we could stop in and see the place. WOW. It was still under construction, so I didn’t take pics, but that place is going to be beautiful when it opens. Large bar toward the back that seats probably 15-18. The poker tables had me eagerly anticipating Tuesday, December 27, which will be the first poker night. Lots more to appreciate about the Blind Bear too, but seeing as how it’s a speakeasy I don’t want to give away all its secrets. “I’m going to lose my Foursquare mayorship of the Goose because of this place,” said my friend Clay, who has been going to the Goose every day. I can’t disagree – this is the kind of bar that could make me lose my mayorship of the Saucer. It has the potential to be that good.

Jamie told me two pieces of Blind Bear beer info, both of which are good signs. First of all, they’re going to have PBR on tap. Secondly, Jamie told me, they’re not going to carry Abita Turbo Dog at all. Both facts indicate they understand their customer base. If you’re not familiar with the bouquet of Turbo Dog, feed a hippopotamus some laxatives and stick around for a couple of hours.

Next stop was the Saucer. The crowd at the bar wasn’t exactly what I’d hoped to see, but I made the best of it nonetheless. Happy to see that when I check in on Foursquare at the Saucer, I’m now getting points for consecutive days at “Bars” rather than “American restaurants.” Management is finally starting to get it.

After watching the end of the Tiger game – a disappointing loss – I wandered next door to the Silly Goose. I sat down at the bar and ordered a PBRtini, my signature drink which consists of a PBR poured in a martini glass. I don’t always drink PBR in ‘tini form, but I’ve decided that from now on I’m going permanent ‘tini at the Goose, in honor of the patrons there who wear their sunglasses indoors and brag to everyone that their group name is on a “VIP reserved table” card. The only time I won’t do ‘tinis at the Goose from now on is Monday poker night, when there are just too many people in too small a space to manage a martini glass.

(I only drink PBRtinis at certain bars. For example, I would never drink a PBRtini at Bardog. I just have a feeling that Aldo would hate that. Gotta respect the house, you know.)

It was one of those days when I’d forgotten to eat, and I needed to take a break from beer, so I ordered nachos as Paul’s Drunkass Food to go. Came home and ate, and contemplated going back out, but then thought, “Nah, screw it. It’s cold outside, think I’ll catch up on sleep.” I’ll save the partying for next weekend, when both Thursday and Friday will be weekend nights for me in Memphis.

So now it’s Sunday. I’ve been asked to judge a balcony lighting contest at a Downtown condo building today at 4. I actually take things like that seriously, and don’t want to be completely sloshed by the time I get there. So, I’m skipping brunch at the Majestic, eliminating the three mimosas I usually drink there. However, I will be out around noon, because I have to spend this:

Yesterday I wrote about some of the benefits you get if you join the Flying Saucer’s UFO Club. Well, I left one thing out. If you give them your email address, they’ll spam you with “Important Beer Goddess Video Messages” about glass nights, beer dinners, and other special events. Well, that sucks, huh? No, actually it’s a good thing, because at the end of many of those videos is a “Capt. Keith Beer Quiz.” These are quizzes about beer designed by Capt. Keith Schlabs, who works for Saucer corporate, and if you get at least 7 out of 10 right, you get to print off a certificate good for $5 toward beer at the Saucer. The questions are not easy, but with the help of Google and Wikipedia you should be able to get a passing grade.

If you’re looking for cool stuff to do Downtown today, here are a few suggestions.

• Grizzlies open practice 1-3 at the FedExForum. Doors open 12:30.
• Blues Society jam at Mr. Handy’s Blues Hall, 4-8 PM
• Memphis Jazz Orchestra rehearses at Alfred’s, 6-9 PM. This is kind of a chill way to wind down the weekend.
• FreeWorld plays Blues City’s Band Box at 9:30. They backed up the start time an hour so people who do the 8-5 rat race thing can still catch their first set before bedtime.

All right, that’s all I’ve got for now. Since I don’t have to be anywhere until 12, it’s entirely possible that I’ll find something else to post.