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Next week, November 8 through 14, is Downtown Dining Week.  Many area restaurants will offer 3-course dinners for only $20.09 plus tax and gratuity.  Click here to view a list of participating restaurants, then click on a restaurant to see what’s on the menu.

Yum… some good stuff on the menu… that maple flank steak from Kooky Canuck that I talk about all the time is on there… can’t go wrong with the she crab soup from either Itta Bena or Sauces… that surf n’ turf entree at Sauces sounds delicious too… I’ve had the chicken seven hills from Itta Bena and can tell you it’s fantastic… same for the Spaghetti ala Vodka at Bardog… and wow if you like tilapia, next week is definitely your week, as there are several restaurants serving it.

Here’s a bonus tip for this week… if you’re looking for something different for lunch, walk up to Main and Exchange where all kinds of soul food vendors are set up for COGIC week.  They’re definitely willing to serve non-COGIC members (I ate there several times over the last couple of years) and the food is really good.  Plus it’s fun to look at all the vendors selling outrageous hats.

Off to the Alley Jams party in Barbaro Alley.

The South Main Association will have its monthly meeting next Tuesday, November 10, at Itta Bena restaurant on the third floor of BB King’s at Second and Beale.  Social at 6 PM, program starts at 6:45.  Contemporary Media publisher Ken Neill will speak on “The Future Nature of Local Journalism.”  Hmmm… as a blogger, that sounds like a topic of interest… guess I’ll have to show up late to trivia next Tuesday.

Cash bar, hors d’oeuvres compliments of Itta Bena.  Free food?  Wonder if the Nuh-Uh Girl will show up.

We’ve had Santas stumbling around Downtown in years past, and more recently, Elvises… but it looks like some people Downtown have come up with a new concept.  Yesterday I saw on Facebook that there’s going to be a Snuggie pub crawl in a few weeks, on Saturday, November 28.  Participants will stumble around several Downtown bars wearing a Snuggie, the blanket with sleeves.

They’re going to do a $10 entry fee to the party, with proceeds benefitting Amelia’s Voice.  The tentative order, according to their Facebook page, is Tap Room on Beale at 8 PM, Silky O’Sullivan’s at 9 PM, Kooky Canuck at 10 PM, and Club Chill at 11 PM.  There will be a contest for snazziest Snuggie with prizes in several categories.

For more info, get on Facebook and search for “1st annual Memphis Snuggie pub crawl.”  Note that I’m not involved in the organization of this event (although I may buy a Snuggie and participate), so the Facebook event listing is the place to go for up-to-date info about the pub crawl.

More problems with the car… another blasted light on the dash came on as I pulled the car out of the parking garage this morning.  So I drove it to Quality Auto, who informed me that I need a new water pump and belt.  This really hasn’t been my week as far as the car is concerned.  While I’m waiting on it to be fixed, I guess I’ll try to catch up on some posts.

Tonight is the last Alley Jams party in the Wednesday night series thrown by the Center City Commission.  It’s the Goner Records party that got rained out last month.  It will be in Barboro Alley near Parking Can Be Fun, with Harlan T. Bobo, Mouserocket, and Magic Kids.  Vending starts around 4:30, music around 6.

From The Onion:  If I’m So Crazy, Then Why Do People Keep Having Sex With Me?

All right, one more post before I go to trivia.  I need to catch up.

If you go to Grizzlies or Tigers games, there are two specials in the area you may want to know about.  South of Beale is running a season-long special on Grizzlies/Tigers nights – just show your tickets before or after the game, and receive 20% off on all food purchases.

Meanwhile, Sole Restaurant across the street from the FedExForum is inviting everyone to join them for a gameday buffet and $3 drafts from 5:30 to 7:30 on Grizzlies and Tigers game nights.  As far as I can tell there’s no requirement to show tickets for this one.  Gameday buffet… free food?  Wonder if the Nuh-Uh Girl will show up.

The Tigers have a game tonight, and it’s a night to root for the home team… both of them.  They play LeMoyne-Owen at the FedExForum tonight, and it’s good to see LeMoyne-Owen back on the schedule after Coach Cal pitched a hissy fit and kicked them off a couple of years ago.  Go Tigers and Go Magicians!

Over the past couple of years, there have been three restaurants/bars that I have rarely talked about on my blog, other than to make fun of them.  These would be Mesquite Chop House, Spindini, and Primetime Sports Bar/Club Chill.

However, I’ve kept my eye on them, and recently all three places have made some personnel changes and got hold of some good people.  Mesquite Chop House brought in Michael Patrick, one of my favorite chefs Downtown and a super nice guy.  He knows how to cook a meal and he knows how to run a restaurant.  It’s hard for me to be negative toward any restaurant where he’s in charge.

Spindini overhauled its management, getting rid of the clowns who were running it before.  I’ve seen Mac Edwards posting on Facebook recently about goings-on at Spindini.  I don’t know Mac real well but I know of his reputation and respect him highly.  If he’s associated with the place, it has to have improved.

Also on Facebook, I’ve seen Christina who used to be at the Red Rooster posting about Primetime/Club Chill.  She’s a great person with a great mind for the bar business.  If she’s associated with the bar/club, I have to hold it in higher esteem than I did before.

So, I’m going to give all three of these places a chance.  I’ll mention their events on my blog from time to time, and I won’t be averse to going in and spending money at them.  If I’m impressed with the places I’ll be honest and say so on the blog.  Of course, if they suck I’ll say that just as quickly.  We’ll see what happens.

Time to head to the Saucer for trivia.  Hmmm 57 outside dropping into the 40s tonight… sounds like a perfect night for the PBR hoodie.

When I attended my high school reunion in 2007 in Downtown Little Rock, I did not see a single bum.  “Wow this is nothing like Downtown Memphis,” I thought.

Well, two years later, either things have changed for the worse in Little Rock, or the bums were there in ’07 and I didn’t see them.  I got panhandled at the bar at the Little Rock Flying Saucer.  This guy came in and he already had his money out, a $1 bill and about another dollar in change.  “Hey man, what’s the cheapest beer they got here?” he asked me.

“Well, they have all of the Diamond Bear beers on Fire Sale for $2.75 today,” I told him.  “I believe those would be cheapest.”  I knew what was coming next.

“$2.75?  I’ve only got about two dollars, do you think you can help me with 75 cents?”  I will give him credit, he actually said “75 cents” rather than “75 cent.”  I told him I couldn’t help him, and then he tried to negotiate with the bartender to lower the price of a Bud Light to the amount of money he had.  That didn’t work out for him, and he left.

That was the only time I actually got panhandled.  Saw several other street people who may have been panhandling, but thanks to my years in Downtown Memphis I’ve learned how to project a “not worth the trouble” image, so they left me alone.

I’m back in Memphis.  Thanks to everyone who e-mailed or texted me expressing their concern and best wishes.  My mother is recovering well from her surgery, but it is a good thing I went over there.  She no longer has a car, so she needed me to take her to the grocery store, Walgreens, places like that, so she can get everything she needs for the next couple of weeks.  Also, she can’t lift her arm above elbow height, so she needed me there to reset all the clocks on the walls to standard time.

It’s probably going to take me a day or two to catch up on everything… I have 70 unread e-mails that I need to sort through, plus messages on Facebook.

I’m in Little Rock.  My mother is out of the hospital and seems to be recovering well from her surgery.  She even felt like going out to eat at Cracker Barrel tonight, which kinda surprised me.  She can’t lift her arm above her elbow though, so I had to set all the clocks back to standard time for her.

She needed to rest so I’m back at the hotel now.  For those of you who know Little Rock, I’m staying at the LaQuinta Inn on Broadway.  Pretty nice place, with a microwave and fridge in the room and free wireless Internet.  I’m thinking this is going to be the place I stay for all future Little Rock trips.

Okay let’s see here… it’s only 7:30, nowhere near my bedtime… and I’m in Downtown Little Rock… and there’s a Flying Saucer in Downtown Little Rock… sounds like a winner.  I’ll get to try some beers they don’t have in Memphis and get beers number 195, 196, and 197 for my plate done relatively cheaply.

Posting will be somewhat irregular until about Wednesday.

A few weeks ago I mentioned that I had bought a Kindle book called The No BS Guide to Winning Online No Limit Texas Hold’em.  It helped my game almost immediately.  Prior to reading the book, I had finished in the money in single-table Sit’n’Go tournaments but had never won one.  Within a day of reading the book, I won two.  I also started placing in the money in large multi-table tournaments.

Well, I just found out that the book’s author has a website – internetpokercoach.com.  You can buy the book there and have it delivered immediately in PDF format, or order a printed copy.  He also has a blog that he updates frequently, and which is well worth reading if you want to get better in online no-limit hold’em.  He occasionally talks about other games – Omaha, Stud, Razz – as well.

He also offers coaching lessons, where he railbirds (watches) the poker room or tournament in which you’re playing and gives advice over the phone.  Having a third party observe your play is a great way to become aware of leaks in your game which are costing you money.  I may take him up on this in the near future.  I played a 10 cent SB/25 cent BB ring game for several hours the other day and ended up only winning $6.  That’s better than losing your entire bankroll I suppose (which is what many players do), but I have a feeling I could be doing a lot better than a buck or two an hour at that level.

Anyway, if you play for money online, I highly recommend you read his blog and get his book.  My copy has more than paid for itself.