Sunday update: E&H, clothes shopping, jazz, Cinco De Mayo

First of all, let me give a warm welcome to the newest member of our Rapscallions trivia team, Anthony Michael West, who joined the team Friday night about 6:15. In only 20 years and 363 days he’ll be able to meet us at the Saucer for beers.

I went to a GREAT party last night in the back room of Earnestine & Hazel’s. It was a Music Fest after-party hosted by the South Main Dirty Dozen. Fantastic mix of people, good drinks (Maker’s Mark at an open bar pretty much rocks), and Super 5 on the stage. The acoustics are great in that back room and bands really sound good there.

E&H closed an hour early though. They flashed the lights and kicked everyone out at 2. That’s weird… usually people are still arriving at 2, where they hang out until close at 3. Someone told me they’re closing at 2 for the entire month of May.

While there, I made a deal with fellow blogger AngieDawn… she’s been looking for a guy to take clothes shopping, and I’ve been looking for a female with good taste to help me pick out clothes. Cool.

While at E&H I saw a sign on the wall that said, “Jazz Sunday.” So I guess they’ll have jazz tonight, if you’re looking for someplace to go to wind down after Music Fest.

Rio Loco is doing a T-shirt giveaway for Cinco de Mayo tomorrow. Buy two jumbo margaritas or a pitcher of margaritas, and get a free Rio Loco shirt. Just don’t wear the shirt to the Flying Saucer or waitress Brittney will whine at you to go get her Rio Loco cheese dip.

Is Happy Mexican doing anything for Cinco de Mayo? If so, let me know and I’ll post it. I still haven’t been to Happy Mexican yet since it changed ownership.

Plans for today: Brunch at McGuinness 11 AM-1 PM; Music Fest 1 PM until I get tired of being there; possibly Calhoun’s, Itta Bena (Sunday with Sam – drink and appetizer specials), or the Saucer afterwards. Curious about this Bloody Mary bar at the Red Rooster. I may delay my trip to Music Fest by 30 minutes in order to make a brief visit to the Rooster and find out what’s going on with that.

Weather looks like it will be better than the last two days. Don’t forget sunscreen if you’re headed down to Tom Lee Park.

Can something PLEASE be done about this guy?

Tonight I was walking home from Earnestine & Hazel’s about 2:30 AM.  Outside the fire station at Main and Butler I saw a group of guys all listening to a stranger.  One of the group recognized me from the blog.  “Hey, Paul!” he said.

Then I recognized the stranger the group was talking to.  “Hey, Jumper Cable Guy, what’s up!” I said.  Hang on, let’s post a pic of Jumper Cable Guy.

Jumper Cable Guy has a truck that breaks down a LOT.  Like, many times a day.  So he’s forced to go out on the streets and ask for 7 dollars and some odd change to buy jumper cables.  If you have cables to loan him he’ll tell you that he drives a Ford F-250 and that he needs bigger cables than the ones you have.  So he just needs the money.  His truck breaks down all over town, multiple times a week.  Not that he’s scamming anyone.  I wouldn’t want to give anyone the impression that he’s a scammer.  His truck just breaks down a lot.

Someone advise me… what’s the best way to get rid of this guy?  There’s got to be something stronger than a violation of the panhandling law he can be charged with.  I know I have lawyers and cops that read the blog… what can be done about him?  Several others in the group of guys I met – a bachelor party – reported encounters with him, same story, in the past couple of weeks.

Good meeting “J-Wright” (the groom) and his buddies tonight.  More to come in the morning.

Saturday update

Last night I posted that a platics/home storage warehouse where I worked as a programmer 2001-03 was hit hard by tornadoes that rolled through Earle, Arkansas.  I was worried that some of my former co-workers could be injured or dead, and that all of them may be jobless.  News reports since then are encouraging.  This report talks about the factory and said that all the employees survived without injury.  Another news report said that Warehouse A had been destroyed, which is the warehouse shown in all the tornado photos.  However, the company also had warehouses B and C, as well as the main office area.  Those are not mentioned, so I assume those were left at least reasonably intact.  Again, my thoughts go out to everyone who works there, and I’m glad to hear everyone made it through without injury.

Not being in the best of moods yesterday, I planned to skip Music Fest.  I went to the Saucer about 6:00 yesterday and had a couple of beers.  Around 7:30 I checked the radar on my phone’s wireless Internet, and the worst of the storm appeared to have moved east of Memphis, so I changed my mind.  I went home, got my ticket, and headed to Music Fest.

Went straight for the Memphis Flyer tent, where I had been put on the guest list.  A lot of my friends were there, having got in through their own connections to the Flyer, and I got to meet a lot of the Flyer staff.  I can tell I’m going to have a fun time there this weekend.  Ran into Circa owner/Ques Brothers teammate John Bragg and we talked about his ideas for dishes to enter into the “other” category for BBQ Fest in two weeks.

About 9:00 it started raining.  Never fails.  At least I had a tent to get underneath… we all crammed in and I got to know the other people in the Flyer tent on a very up-close-and-personal basis.  To make it even worse, the beer ran out around that time.  Stayed under the tent for 45 minutes, then the rain broke and I made a dash for home.  Of course, it started raining again before I got there, and once again I got soaked thanks to Music Fest.  I decided not to hit the Rooster to catch Kings of the Delta; I was exhausted and just wanted some sleep.  For the first time in weeks, I got a full eight hours of sober sleep.  I feel great this morning.

Plans for today:  Wander around and people watch 10-noon; Saucer noon-2; Music Fest 2-10; private party in the South Main area 10-3; and there may be an additional stop after that since Raiford’s is on the way home.  The Saucer normally wouldn’t even be on the agenda today, but they hired back some of my favorite waitresses from the past to cover Music Fest weekend.  I got to dance with Darbi to the Dempseys one more time Thursday night.

Time to go get the “wander around and people watch” part of the day started.  I may wander in the shops on Beale and see if I can find any sunglasses.  I’ve never been one to go to Sunglass Hut and spend $150 on a pair of sunglasses; I’d rather have several cheap $10 pairs that match whatever clothes I have on.  I may also stop by A. Schwab and see if I can find anything to wear to the Saucer’s Pajama Jam next Friday night.

Business where I worked 2001-03 destroyed by tornado

From June 2001 to December 2003 I worked as a programmer in Earle, Arkansas, at a factory/warehouse that distributed household storage items.  I’m now at home watching the news, where they’re showing video of the tornado damage in Earle this afternoon.  It looks like the factory was totally destroyed!

I’m completely shocked.  I hope my former co-workers are okay.  It was a family-owned business and the type of place where most of the employees stayed for their entire career (although not me, as I got tired of the 30-mile commute each way after a couple of years).  Reports of injuries/deaths have not come in yet as of this post (5:20 PM).  My thoughts are with my former co-workers and their families.  Even if they survived okay, they’re probably out of a job now.  And homeless, if they lived and worked in Earle.  Many of the factory workers did, although the professional employees tended to live in Marion, West Memphis, or Memphis.

Just sitting here stunned thinking, I could have been there.

Video continues to come in.  Police and other agencies have set up a command post at the Mad Butcher/IGA across State Highway 149, which looks like it didn’t get hit.

I’m probably skipping Music Fest tonight.  I want to be home or near home, where I have access to the latest news and can find out if the people I used to work with were injured or killed.  If I go anywhere it’ll be somewhere close by.  If you go, have a good time and be safe.  I’ll be there all day tomorrow and Sunday.

Corkscrew opens tomorrow, World Beat Dance Party tomorrow near U of M

Just got a text from someone who talks regularly to the Corkscrew’s management, and he has confirmed they will open tomorrow.  Good to have an additional place to purchase wine and liquor Downtown.  It’s on Front just north of G.E. Patterson Avenue, sharing a building with the Blue Monkey, which is STILL not open.

Watching the weather… if it looks like rain this evening, I’m skipping Music Fest tonight.  I’ve had too many bad experiences down there with rain, storms and mud to risk it.  Tomorrow and Sunday look clear and I look forward to spending a lot of time in the Memphis Flyer’s tent.  Thanks again to the Flyer for inviting me, I really appreciate it.

I drove the car today… but not very far.  Just moved it to a different spot in the garage so the parking attendants wouldn’t think it’s an abandoned car.  I had not driven it in 20 days.

And finally… I received an e-mail containing info a party at Raffe’s Deli, and while I don’t normally post about events that aren’t Downtown this one sounds pretty cool, an alternative for people who want something else to do besides Music Fest.  Raffe’s is on Poplar, a quarter mile west of Highland, and besides the dance party, they’re worth checking out for their great sandwiches and beer selection.  Party details below:

It is time for this month’s World Beat Dance Party

This Saturday, May 3rd
Doors open at 9:45 pm with a free Salsa lesson
$5.00 Cover

Featuring DJ Antonio Quinn

Some call it Salsa,
Some call it Gumbo,
Still others call it Masala,
We call it World Beat. 

Join us this Saturday, May 3rd, for an exotic evening of musical spices and dance variety. Sample the Salsa, taste the Samba, imbibe the Zouk and consume the Afro beats along with many other  delectable musical assortments.       
              
Raffe’s Deli and Beer Garden
3358 Poplar Ave 
May 3rd (Every first Saturday of the month)
               
Salsa, Bhangra, Mambo, Samba, Zouk,  Reggae, Afrobeat, Bachata, Soca, Merengue y mas

Visit www.MemphisSalsa.com for more info

Drunk post. KY Derby @ Majestic, Pajama Jam 5/9 @ Saucer

Yeah, so I’m up just a little bit late tonight.  Went to the Saucer for a few happy hour beers, hung out in the window with various members of the Sunday brunch crew, played some pool.  Around 7:30 we saw people in Club Atlas across the street taking the stools off the tables.  Air Traffic Mike:  “Club Lame is about to open”

Tabbed out at the Saucer, went to Majestic Grille, had my steak.  It was FANTASTIC.  Got the 8 oz. filet “au poivre” style with peppercorn brandy crust and mashed potatoes.  Just for the heck of it I added a side of scallops with garlic butter, so I could dip the mashed potatoes in the garlic butter.  It was goooood.  I had plenty of room for steak after getting rid of 145 pounds of useless dead weight earlier in the day.

While there, Majestic co-owner Deni told me that they will be showing the Kentucky Derby on their big screen Saturday.  Also, bartender Lisa will be making her rockin’ mint juleps.  “Most mint juleps taste awful,” said Deni.  Pat O’s came to mind.  “But,” said Deni, “Lisa has some kind of secret recipe for making them where they actually taste good.”

After the steak it was back to the Saucer.  I got my window seat back and proceeded to play the Window Game.  Stats for the game, which lasted from 9:30 to 11:40 PM:

  • 20 tube tops
  • 10 police cars
  • 6 bums
  • 6 RUPs (Really Ugly People)
  • 5 appearances by security patrols.  I counted both the Downtown bum patrol and Peabody Place security.
  • 3 police bikes
  • 2 police scooters
  • 2 FUMOTs (F’d Up Modes Of Transportation)
  • 2 buses
  • 2 cars driving the wrong way up one-way Second St.
  • 1 hoopty

I cut off the Window Game at 11:40, but that doesn’t mean I left… I easily coasted through all three Dempseys sets, made it within 15 minutes of closing time at the Saucer, and stopped at McGuinness on the way home.

The Saucer has flyers up for their pajama party (Pajama-Jam) to happen on the bar’s 11th birthday, Friday, May 9.  Here’s a pic of one of the flyers:

Does this mean the Saucer girls are going to have lingerie on?  I’ve been noticing that some of our favorites from the past have been re-hired for the month of May because it’s so busy.  Can we bring the Romanians back and dress them in lingerie?

Since I was doing a lot of people-watching at the window, I noticed that Thursday night crowds Downtown seem to be off, with exceptions.  Last year and previous years, I remember Atlas being slammed almost immediately after the Peabody rooftop party let out.  Here’s a pic from Atlas about 11 PM:

You notice how there are, like, hardly any people at all in there?  It did pick up a little bit late, late night, but it’s still nothing like it was previous years on Thursday nights in the summer.  I haven’t been to a lot of the Thursday events this year… how’s the Peabody rooftop doing?  Is Atlas getting no business immediately post-rooftop because no one’s on the rooftop?  Or is it because the crowd is going other places after the rooftop closes?  Or is it because Atlas just plain sucks?  Also, how is EP’s doing on Thursday nights?  Last year it took me until the end of June to make it to one of EP’s patio parties… but I rarely missed one after that.  I heard that the Rooster did well tonight.

From the window I saw my former BFF and her mini-me go to Atlas tonight… but it was so dead that they did a venue change across the street to the Saucer for a little while.  I was sitting next to the server station and my former BFF saw a waitress she knew and came over and mussed up the waitress’ hair and didn’t say a word to me.  So I guess she read my blog and found out she’s been kicked to the curb.  I’m sure her appearance tonight at the Saucer, her first since she quit at the end of March, had nothing at all to do with the fact that I blogged that I’d be at the Saucer watching the Dempseys.  Her mini-me saw me too and flipped me off.

Charlie Wood on the piano, 5:30 PM at the Westin Hotel lobby.  I hate to miss Charlie again but I’m going to Music Fest.  If I do any post-Music Fest Friday partying, it’ll likely be at the Rooster to catch Kings of the Delta.

I really should get to bed now.

Summer cocktails and beer specials at Circa

My BBQ Fest teammate John Bragg, chef at Circa, e-mailed me yesterday to let me know about the restaurant’s new line of summer cocktails, and also about some re-arranging they’ve done with the beer menu. First of all, here are the summer cocktails:

Circa Sangria $9
Dry Red Wine, Cointreau, and Aged Rum, with a hint of bubbles.
Warning: May be habit forming.

White Sangria $9
Chardonnay, Passion Fruit Rum, and Cointreau
(We are on to something)

Lime in de Coconut $9
Wild, restorative blend of Rangpur gin, coconut rum,
and of course, coconut and lime

Washington Apple $9
Refreshingly crisp blend of Crown Royal,
Apple Pucker and cranberry

Serial Girlfriend $9
X-Rated Fusion & Peach Vodka martini
with pineapple and Peach Schnapps

The Latin Lover $9
Cachaca, Tequila, Fresh Lemon and Lime
Que Rico!

Orange Creamsicle $9
Creamy, chilling blend of fresh orange, vanilla vodka and cream.

Bellini $9
You don’t have to go to Venice for the ultimate cocktail: with
prosecco and fresh white peach

Those summer drinks would go well on Circa’s outdoor patio.

John also told me he has made a few revisions to the beer program, most notably some big price cuts and daily beer specials on selected imports/micros. John is also cutting out some obscure beers that don’t sell too well, but until he gets rid of existing inventory they’ll be on $3.50 “fire sale” every day. Here’s a list of what Circa plans on keeping in stock:

Drafts (Pints)

  • Yazoo Pale Ale (Nashville, TN) $3.50
  • Bosco’s Cream Ale (Memphis, TN ) $3.50
  • Bosco’s Brown Ale (Memphis, TN ) $3.50
  • Spaten Lager (Germany) $4.50
  • Blanche de Chambly Wheat (Canada) $4.50

Imports & Microbrew bottles

  • Stella Artois (Belgium) $4.50
  • Paulaner Hefe Weizen (Germany) $4.50
  • Guinness Stout (Ireland) $4.50
  • Theakston’s Old Peculiar (England) $4.50
  • Tilburg Dutch Brown (Holland) $4.50
  • Tiger (China) $4.50
  • Abita Light (Louisiana) $4.50
  • Weekly Feature Beers – ASK!

Domestic Bottles

  • Budweiser $3
  • Bud Light $3
  • Miller Lite $3
  • Coors Light $3

Looks good to me… some of those prices are substantially less than what they were before (Guinness used to be $7 I think). Not only that, but some of the prices are cheaper than the same beers at the Saucer!

WOOHOO!  I am home.  But not for long.  Time to stop by my other home – the Saucer – then go have that steak at the Majestic.

5th post of the day: Trivia, King Willie my new BFF?, film winner, carjacking

Interesting fact I discovered while surfing Wikipedia:  Cheeta, the chimpanzee from the 1930s Tarzan movies, is still alive!  He’s 76 years old and is in the Guinness Book of World Records as the oldest living non-human primate.

See?  Read this blog and you learn interesting stuff.  I bet Pete the Trivia Guy uses that for an upcoming trivia question.  Tuesday night one of the questions was, “What city was the 1970s sitcom Good Times set in?”  I knew the answer immediatly (Chicago) because I’m a huge Good Times fan.  When I was a kid J.J. was my hero.  DYN-O-MITE!!!!

There was also a question about FedEx:  “What color is the “Ex” in the FedEx Ground logo?”  And would you believe Pete asked it on a week when NONE of our teammates who work at FedEx were there!  Normally we have at least three.  We got the answer anyway though (green).

Found out that one of the people who runs Thursday night trivia at TJ Mulligan’s reads my blog.  She’s the one who sent me this message through Air Traffic Mike:

One of these Thursdays I’ll have to wander up to Mulligan’s and meet her in person and play some trivia.  I’ve heard good things about that night at TJ’s.  Does Frenchie work on Thursdays?

Apparently a lot of Memphians who are on Facebook have been receiving add friend requests from none other than Willie Herenton.  Or someone claiming to be Willie Herenton.  Someone commented to me that since Willie is looking for friends, maybe he could be my new BFF, since I’m now in the market for one.  Wouldn’t that be awesome?  We could sit up late at night and Willie could tell me all about his baby mamas and his backroom deals.  Fun fun!  I’ll wait for him to contact me and request to be my BFF though.  When you reach a certain level, you don’t have to seek BFFs out, they seek you out.

Congrats to my friend Harmony Stewart, who took third place in ArtsMemphis’ film contest.  I’ve mentioned her film and linked to it a couple of times from the blog.  Glad she made it into the prize money.

There was a kidnapping and carjacking on Mud Island last night at the Riverset Apartments.  Details can be found here and also here.  Kinda sucks to hear that terrifying crime has found its way onto the Island.

That’s all for now… Circa post still to come.

Music Fest reminder list

Here’s a reminder list for those going to Music Fest – tips to help you stay safe and have a good time.

  • Wear sunscreen. Saturday and Sunday look like they’re going to be sunny days… easy to get burned if you forget to protect your skin.
  • Carry a disposable rain poncho. You can buy little disposable ponchos for two or three bucks that are small enough when folded to fit in a pocket or purse. These come in real handy if it rains. A lot of the gift shops on Beale Street sell these. I believe Downtown Walgreens does too.
  • Take an allergy pill if you have allergies. Grass pollen is really, really high right now, and you’re going to get plenty of it at Tom Lee Park.
  • Don’t buy tickets from scalpers on the street. Ticketmaster has a new e-mail delivery system for tickets, which is really cool because you don’t have to go pick them up or stand in a “will call” line. But, because the tickets can now be printed out on a color printer, they’re easier than ever for scammers to copy. Memphis in May scans the bar codes on the tickets and knows when someone is trying to get in on a ticket that’s already been used.
  • Make sure you know what you can and can’t carry into the park. Here’s a complete list. Cameras are allowed, but professional cameras and cameras with detachable lenses are not. Backpacks larger than 12″ x 12″ are not allowed this year. It can really suck to park half a mile from Music Fest, walk all the way down there and then be told that you have to walk back to your car to put up items you can’t bring in.
  • Know your transportation options. Here’s a list. Drinking and driving = very bad idea, the cops will be out watching for it. Trolleys will run extra late for Music Fest (’til 2 Fri and Sat and ’til 11 Sunday).
  • If you park in a garage, make sure you pay the real attendant. Fake parking attendant scams are numerous in Downtown Memphis.
  • If you park in a metered space, do not pay anyone to park there. Metered spaces on the street do not have attendants. If you park before 6 PM Friday, put enough money in the meter to pay through 6 PM. After 6 on Friday metered parking is free for the remainder of the weekend.
  • Don’t give money to panhandlers. Most likely you are not “helping the homeless” by doing this, but enabling someone’s addiction. If you feel the need to help the homeless, you’ll do a lot more good by donating to the Union Mission, Calvary Episcopal Church or other organizations that aid the homeless Downtown. Just say “sorry, I can’t help you” and keep moving if approached. If they get aggressive call Downtown safety patrol at 281-9146 and give them a description of the person.
  • Look for the Blue Suede Brigade if you need directions or have questions. These are the CCC’s Downtown ambassadors who can be spotted in their white shirts and white hats. They can answer whatever questions you have. Beware of panhandlers who try to act as tour guides.
  • Don’t leave anything valuable in your car. I’m not just talking about big-ticket items here. Even something as insignificant as a CD or a pile of loose change left visible can lead to a broken window.
  • Don’t take shortcuts down alleys. I understand that you may be parking several blocks away and you’ll be in a hurry to get to Tom Lee Park, but alleys should be avoided. Walk where it’s well-lit and well-traveled.

I don’t mean to scare anyone with those last few bullet points… Downtown Memphis is generally very safe. I’ve lived down here more than 6 years and have never had a problem. Just be aware of your surroundings, stay safe, and have fun.

I deserve a steak today

So I’ve been sitting around today thinking, “The Dempseys play the Saucer tonight at 9:30, but that’s way later than I usually go out… what am I going to do between the time I get off work and 9:30?”

And just now it occurred to me… I deserve a steak today!  I’m so delighted with my decision to kick my BFF to the curb, that I deserve a steak today!  So I’m going to load up my wallet with one of my leftover gift cards and enjoy one of the best meals in Downtown Memphis – the Filet Mignon from the Majestic Grille.  According to their dinner menu, you can now get it with a peppercorn crust with brandy.  That sounds like a winner!  I’ll have to decide whether I’m hungry enough to step up to the new 12 oz. filet.  I’ve got enough $ on the gift card to get it if I so choose.

I’ll probably start with a couple of Happy Hour beers at the Saucer, then head over to the Majestic for steak.  After that it’s back to the Saucer to catch the Dempseys.  If I have any energy left afterward I may hit McGuinness or the Rooster for a little while.  Two places that will definitely not see me tonight:  Big Foot, and Atlas.  My former BFF goes to Atlas sometimes when she has Thursday nights off.  She brags about how she never has to pay for her drinks there.  “Look at this face, Paul,” she once told me.  “Do you think this face ever has to pay for anything?”  Don’t you just love her?  I’m sitting here reading that quote and wondering why I didn’t kick her to the curb weeks ago.

Obviously I didn’t have the lunch buffet at Leonard’s BBQ if I’m thinking about having steak for dinner.  I’ll grab a bag of chips on the way back to the office.

Still to come:  A post about having fun and staying safe at Music Fest, and a post about goings-on at Circa.