Paul Ryburn's Journal

Yesterday afternoon between 2 and 3, I heard sirens almost constantly. I thought something was on fire but they turned out to be police and ambulance sirens. Here’s what was going on:

• Police were called to a car crash in the 800 block of E.H. Crump Blvd. A man got out of one of the cars and attempted to stab everyone in sight. One victim was taken to the hospital in non-critical condition. Another victim shot the suspect, killing him.
• An Arkansas State Trooper was shot and two men were killed during a gunfire exchange near McLemore and I-55. The trooper chased the men across the bridge from West Memphis. The area was shut down for hours.
• Multiple arrests were made in the parking garage at Young Dolph’s celebration of life. A stolen Fin Fin, some weed, and a couple of guns were recovered.

I hopped on the police scanner and learned that the MPD “B” shift was held over past their usual sign-off time. Routine calls were held for over an hour in some cases.

Let’s move on to better news. I am so, so, so very proud of my graduate school alma mater and my employer for 5 years, the University of Memphis. This week the university received a designation as a Carnegie R1 school. The indicates the U of M’s status as a top-flight research institution. It will attract world-class professors and also grant money to Memphis.

What a wonderful change. When I was in grad school there, the place was called “Tiger High” and, although there were pockets of excellence, mediocrity was the standard. The U of M is living up to its potential now. I remember dreaming of getting a Ph.D. from Carnegie-Mellon, or MIT, or Stanford, or UCal-Berkeley. Today’s kids dream of getting a Ph.D. from Memphis.

St. Jude revealed in a community meeting last night that they are delaying submission of their proposal for a 7-story parking garage at Third and A.W. Willis Ave. for another 30 days. They were scheduled to go before the Board of Adjustment next Wednesday.

Beale Street is now selling New Year’s Eve 2021/22 Fast Passes. This pass costs $100 and lets you skip the line everyplace except Hard Rock, Wet Willie’s, the New Daisy, and Tater Red’s, and you don’t pay any cover at the door.

The CA has a recap of Young Dolph’s celebration of life, held yesterday at FedExForum.

If you’re good with tools, there’s a temp-to-perm opening for an assembler at a company near Downtown Memphis. Based on the job description, I suspect the company may be Auto-Chlor.

Pattie O’Furniture hosts drag bingo at the Moxy Hotel tonight at 7.

The Grizzlies travel to Sacramento today for a 9 PM game vs. the Kings.

That’s it for today. This is the week when there are a lot of private holiday parties, so there are fewer public events to report. Back tomorrow with more news.

Reminder: Joe Austin & The Tallahatchies play the Blind Bear tonight at 8. Joe used to play the Bear as a member of Mud Flap King. It’s great to see live music back on Thursday nights, so come on out!

While there, why not do a little shopping? They currently have

• Blind Bear hoodies for $35
• Blind Bear Santa hat T-shirts for $25
• Blind Bear 10th anniversary shirts for $10, shirts say, “Guess you couldn’t keep a secret!” on the back

There will be another community meeting about ALSAC’s proposed 7-story parking garage at Third/Fourth and A.W. Willis today from 5:00 to 6:30 PM at the Neighborhood Christian Center, 785 Jackson. Last month the Board of Adjustment sent the proposal back, telling ALSAC/St. Jude to work with the community to come up with a plan that serves the needs of both the hospital and the community. This is your chance to help craft that plan. Follow community organizers on Instagram at @parksnotparking901.

I know Thursday is not the ideal day to report this, but put it on your calendar for future weeks: The Green Beetle has started doing Wing Wednesdays. They smoke and then fry them, and you get 4 whole wings plus celery, carrots, and fries for $15.99. If you haven’t been keeping up with pandemic-fueled inflation, let me tell you, that is a very reasonable price these days.

Ghost River has announced its music lineup for its Beale Street taproom this weekend. No cover for any of these shows:

• Tonight: Kaleidoscope 6-9 PM
• Friday: Max Kaplan and the Magics 4-7; Fuzzy Jeffries and the Kings of Memphis 7:30-11
• Saturday: Pam & Terry 1-5; Fuzzy Jeffries and the Kings of Memphis 6-10
• Sunday: Pam & Terry 1-4; The Bugaloos (with special guest) 4:30-7:30

Given the time of year, I wonder if the special guest could be Santa?

At Ghost River’s taproom on Beale, you can enjoy delicious food from Flying Sobies, which has a kitchen located inside. Over at Ghost River’s Main Street location, this will be the food truck lineup:

• Today: No truck but you’re welcome to bring your own food (is that Captain D’s a couple of blocks down Crump still open? That’s where I’d stop)
• Friday: The Vegan Table 5-9
• Saturday: DimSum Mem 3-8
• Sunday: Bring your own food

Hmmm… I bet the old coot with the #asianfood Instagram account shows up at the Main Street location Saturday.

Congratulations to Memphis Tigers center Jalen Duren, who signed an NIL deal with Bose this week. Not only will Duren get paid, but he will be able to give gifts of Bose headphones or earbuds to his teammates.

If you’re an Iowa Hawkeyes fan, Tin Roof requests the honor of your company on New Year’s Day. They’re having an Iowa vs. Kentucky Citrus Bowl watch party. Kickoff is at noon and they’ll have the doors open at 11.  They’ll have a High Porch Picnic cocktail named after legendary Iowa coach Hayden Fry. The sound will be on, they’ll play the Hawkeyes fight song, and they’ll have Busch Light. (Is that an Iowa thing? Damn, y’all have some horrible taste in beer.)

Carolina Watershed does a ladies’ night every Friday. From 7-9 PM ladies get 20% off all food and beverages. Music by DJ Space Age. Both the Carolina Watershed and Red Bones stuffed turkey leg menus will be available (because nothing says “ladylike” like gnawing on a turkey leg).

Big news with implications for Memphis in 2022: Travis Hunter, generally considered next year’s #1 or #2 high school football recruit, decommitted from Florida State and signed with Jackson State, coached by “Prime Time” Deion Sanders. It’s the first time a top-5 recruit has signed with a historically Black college or university. Memphians will get to see Hunter in the 2022 Southern Heritage Classic on September 10.

The Grizzlies got a road win over the Portland Trail Blazers last night, 113-103. Here’s what that means for the standings:

• Sole possession of 4th place in the West at 18-11
• 3 games back of the Utah Jazz (20-7) for 3rd place
• 2 games ahead of the 5th-place L.A. Clippers (16-13)
• Avoiding play-in scenarios by 3½ games, ahead of 7th-place Dallas (14-14)

Five Memphis guys are unsatisfied that the Guinness world record for longest barbecue is held by Italians, and they plan to bring that record home to Memphis, where it belongs, this weekend. The public is invited and they’re going to put a “Free BBQ” sign at the corner of Poplar and Patterson. Airline reps, stand by – the Nuh-Uh Girl will be booking a ticket to Memphis moments after I publish this post.

The Memphis Flyer recently talked to Emily Gunther, co-owner of The Broom Closet metaphysical store, about the recent Yule Blót that happened at her store. The Blót is a pagan celebration of the winter solstice.

Dr. Fauci says variant-specific boosters aren’t needed at this time. Research shows the Pfizer, Moderna, and J&J boosters are effective against the new Omicron variant.

Here’s the lineup for today’s Food Truck Thursday in Court Square (11 AM-2 PM), the last one for 2021.

From WREG: Concerns grow over Tom Lee Park changes. Outgoing DNA president Jerred Price has expressed concern that the mounds of dirt that have been shipped into the park will be formed into hills that will obstruct Mississippi River views from Riverside Drive.

I’ll add a concern not expressed in WREG’s article. Valero is donating a million dollars to plant 1000 trees in the park. Those 1000 trees add to my suspicion that there will be less room for future BBQ Fests… which means fewer teams will be able to get booths… which means prices for those booths will go up… which means it will become less possible for a team to compete at BBQ Fest without a presenting corporate sponsor.

Not that BBQ Fest should be the driving force for park decisions, since it only occupies Tom Lee for 1 week a year. My enthusiasm for BBQ Fest is at a 15-year low anyway.

The public celebration of Young Dolph’s life is today at FedExForum noon to 2.

Another ladies’ night: Ladies can throw at the South Main Civil Axe Throwing for only $15/hour tonight from 5-11 PM. Book a lane using code ladiesnight or just stop on in.

That’s it for the news. Going to get a full day of writing in, then I’ll hit the Blind Bear this evening for Joe Austin & The Tallahatchies. Back tomorrow with more.

The Memphis Tigers pulled off an upset over 6 Alabama last night on national TV, 92-78. The Tigers pulled away by double digits in the second half and made it clear the Crimson Tide weren’t getting back in. Memphis avoided a 5th straight loss and got a signature win that is sure to impress the NCAA tournament selection committee.

The Tigers have another chance to impress Saturday night with a neutral-court game against 18 Tennessee in Nashville. If they win that one, they’re fully back in March Madness conversations.

Terminix is to be acquired by British company Rentokil, one of the global leaders in pest control. Rentokil spokespeople say the company is committed to keeping a substantial presence in Memphis, so it sounds like the former Peabody Place Mall space won’t be vacant anytime soon.

New details have been revealed in a proposal to turn the north end of the Mud Island harbor into a lake called Sunset Lake.

In other riverfront news, Valero has donated $1 million to plant 1000 trees in Tom Lee Park.

Bonnie Raitt comes to the Orpheum Saturday, May 21. Tickets go on sale this Friday.

In other Orpheum news, Bobby Weir & The Wolf Bros. come to the Orpheum Thursday, March 10. They’ll perform songs from the Grateful Dead catalog as well as songs from Weir’s solo albums.

Bedrock Eats & Sweets has released its 2021 holiday pick-up menu. Place your order no later than tomorrow and your food will be ready for pick up on the 23rd or 24th.

Tigers football coach Ryan Silverfield will have his final radio show of the 2021 season tomorrow night. Catch it at 7 PM on 98.9 The Roar of Memphis or in person at Brookhaven Pub & Grill. Silverfield will discuss the upcoming bowl game in Hawaii.

If you’re into fantasy football, you better get familiar with NFTs. DraftKings will incorporate NFTs tied to real-life players next season.

Very cool: This face mask detects whether you have COVID just from your breathing, and glows if you have it

Today is National Cupcake Day.

Going to see a movie at Malco Powerhouse today? 10% of your ticket price will be donated to tornado victims in Kentucky.

The Grizzlies are on the road again. They tip off at Portland at 9 PM.

That’s today’s news. Back tomorrow.

I got my COVID booster yesterday. Piece of cake. I went to the window at Walgreens pharmacy, handed them my vaccination card, and filled out and signed an 11-question form. A couple of minutes later, a pharmacist came out and asked me to sit in a chair and roll up my sleeve. There was a split second of discomfort (I wouldn’t even call it pain). She put a Band-Aid on me, handed me back my updated vaccination card, and that was it.

All three times I’ve had thoughts of, “Ow, I’m going to get jabbed with a needle. Do I really want to go through with this?” But I’ve gone through with it anyway.

A split second of discomfort (or even a second of pain) is preferable to a week on a ventilator followed by massive hospital bills.

That split second of discomfort is worth it because it means I can sit at the bar at Bardog every Saturday all winter long without worrying that I’m transmitting the Omicron variant to my friends.

My arm is sore this morning and I feel ever so slightly “off,” but my body’s reaction to the shot so far is less severe than the first and second doses.

Tigers on national TV alert: The Memphis Tigers host 6 Alabama tonight at 8 at FedExForum. The game will be nationally televised on ESPN. It’s the first White-Out of the season, and they ask that if you go to the game you wear a white shirt. First 5000 through the gate get a free white Memphis State T-shirt.

Penny believes this will be “a beautiful week” for the Tigers. Um. Penny. If your team beats ranked Alabama or ranked Tennessee, you’ll earn the right to look back and say it WAS a beautiful week. But after 4 losses in a row to inferior teams? You sound like Butch Jones calling your guys “champions of life.” Stop it.

Out in The Edge, Chef Tam’s Underground Cafe will be closed all week, for the best of reasons – they’ve received a massive catering order from Amazon! Congratulations to Chef Tam on that achievement. She’ll reopen Saturday the 18th for brunch with live music and mimosa towers.

Just announced: New Edition will bring The Culture Tour to FedExForum Sunday, March 13. Charlie Wilson and Jodeci will also perform. Tickets go on sale to the general public this Friday at 10 AM.

Downtowners who are fans of the New Wing Order food truck, it’ll be parked at Cordelia’s Market tomorrow evening from 5 to 8. Chipotle lime wings are this month’s special flavor.

The Grizzlies made a statement with a 35-point victory over the Philadephia 76ers last night at home. What that means for the standings:

• The Grizzlies (17-11) retain sole possession of 4th place in the Western Conference
• The Grizzlies are 3 games back of 3rd-place Utah Jazz (19-7)
• The Grizzlies are 1 game ahead of 5th-place L.A. Clippers (16-12)
• The Grizzlies are currently avoiding play-in scenarios by 2.5 games, leading 7th-place Dallas (14-13) by that amount

Bardog is giving away a Crosstown Brewing Co.-branded rolling beer cooler, a $180 value. All you have to do is purchase a Crosstown beer to enter. Drawing will be 10 PM on New Year’s Day and you must be present to win.

Know what I just realized? Christmas and New Year’s are on the worst possible day of the week this year, Saturday. Here’s how many people will spend the period from December 20 to January 7:

• work work work work work
• get nagged by relatives; get gifted socks and a sweater that doesn’t fit
• work work work work work
• pay a $50 cover to watch drunk douchebags pick fights and go “Woooooo!”
• work work work work work

Three weeks without a normal weekend is torture.

Dont’cha hate when your phone goes BEEEEEEEEP BEEEEEEEEP BEEEEEEEEP to notify you of an Amber Alert in Sevierville, Tennessee, hours away? Well, for the first time in memory yesterday, an Amber Alert relevant to Downtowners was issued. A 17-year-old was abducted just northeast of Downtown at Thomas and Chelsea. A friend of hers got away and notified the authorities. Update: The girl has been found and is safe. The abductor has not been caught.

Surprise, surprise: Auburn basketball coach Bruce Pearl is in trouble with the NCAA again. He’s suspended for two games for failing to control the actions of assistant Chuck Person. Person is accused of taking bribes to attempt to steer top recruits to the Auburn program. Auburn basketball has been put on 4 years probation.

From ABC 24: The Mississippi River bluffs do NOT protect Downtown from tornadoes

StyleBlueprint has a list of the 12 most epic breakfast sandwiches in Memphis. Representing Downtown: The Rooster at Sunrise Memphis, Avocado Toasted Egg in the Hole at By the Brewery, Breakfast Sliders at Bardog Tavern, Cheddar Chive Biscuit with Pastrami and Egg at Backlot, Pimiento BLT at Edge Alley, Jalapeno Cheddar Bagel with Prosciutto, Egg, Cheese, and Spinach at Crazy Gander Coffee Company. No other Memphis neighborhood can claim to be home to half the sandwiches on the list.

Happy Monkey Day to my friend Roscoe!

Sigh… I have to get on a Zoom call with support staff from writing site Medium today. We’re going to attempt to obtain the IP address of someone who stalked me on that platform (and for whom I have previous screenshot evidence of him stalking me on Twitter and Insta). If we can trace that IP address back to a top-level Internet domain, I will know whether he used a work computer. This was not what I planned to spend my day doing, but it happens when you’re Internet famous.

I wasn’t planning to get out at all today, but I may go out this evening just because I’m a little curious to see what will develop. Back tomorrow with more news.

Dreamers’ Revival, the new TV show that is the brainchild of Ashley and Daryl of Walking Pants Curiosities, now has merchandise available for sale. Just go to the Dreamers’ Revival website and scroll down the home page a bit. They have T-shirts, hoodies, beanies, and hats you can wear proudly to show your support for the project. 100% of the profit from these items will be used to build out 13 Dreamers storefronts in Downtown Memphis.

According to Nextdoor, there were shots fired at Madison and Fourth around 2:30 this morning.

Here’s a link to James Aycock’s COVID Week-in-Review he posted Saturday. Shelby County’s case rate and positivity rate have both doubled since their November lows, but both statistics are both way below where they were a year ago today. James believes it’s essential that we get school-aged kids vacc’d or we’re going to see a surge following winter break.

Robusto by Havana Mix will have its holiday party featuring Alec Bradley Cigars Saturday night from 5 to 10.

Interesting read from Slate: Johnny Cash is a hero to Americans on the left and right, but his music took a side

The Grizzlies host the Philadelphia 76ers tonight at 7 at FedExForum.

From Action News 5: Why it’s called “Mud Island”

Today is Ice Cream Day. Margie’s 901 in Pembroke Square is the place to go for all the flavors and toppings.

A new study out of Israel shows that a booster of the Pfizer vaccine is effective in fighting off the Omicron variant but that merely being “fully vaccinated” (two doses more than six months ago without a booster) is not.

I’m getting my booster at 11:30 and after that I’ll be out. Back tomorrow with more news.

Shelby County Health Department Director Dr. Michelle Taylor announced in a press release Saturday that two cases of the omicron variant of COVID-19 have been identified in Shelby County. Citing preliminary data that indicates a booster shot is effective in protecting against omicron, she recommended that all eligible individuals get a booster.

I just got on Walgreens’ website and booked my booster vaccination appointment at the 2 N. Main location tomorrow morning. There are plenty of other appointments, at all times of the day, available. Join me, won’t you?

Tornadoes early Saturday morning were radar-indicated only and not spotted on the ground in Downtown Memphis – but there is evidence that a tornado may have torn through the southern part of the Downtown core.

This is the traffic signal that sat right in the middle of Main Street at the intersection of Gayoso. As you can see, it was blown straight backward.

A block farther south, a window was blown out on the 9th floor of the Peabody Place office tower. People had been sitting on the patio of the Silly Goose cocktail lounge at the time (in a severe storm – clearly the descendants of Albert Einstein) when large shards of glass tore through the awning. The bartender showed me a piece and the glass looked nearly half an inch thick. Workers were outside with the sidewalk blocked off, trying to formulate a plan to knock out the rest of the window so it could be replaced.

The Grizzlies celebrated Z-bo Night with a 113-106 win over Houston. Memphis continues to hold a 1-game lead over the L.A. Clippers for 5th place in the Western Conference with a 16-11 record.

As the season progresses, the question will be, “How much of a lead do the Grizzlies hold over the 7th-place team in the West?”, because the top 6 teams in the conference will avoid play-in scenarios. Currently, the Grizz hold a 2½-game lead over 7th-place Denver.

AutoZone opened a new Store Support Center at 104 S. Front last week, combining two historic buildings across Front from its main Store Support Center. The new location will seat 300 and was furnished with COVID precautions in mind.

Flashing crosswalk lights are needed at the crosswalks across Island Drive on Mud Island. A friend of mine stopped for a pedestrian in a crosswalk yesterday and got rear-ended. Imagine if my friend’s car hadn’t been there – the pedestrian very possibly could have been run over. Pedestrians in crosswalks always have the right of way.

The Houston Rockets’ plane was forced to circle Memphis for an hour early Saturday morning due to tornado sirens going off on the ground and turbulence in the air. The plane finally landed around 1 AM.

Today is National Ding-A-Ling Day.

Memphis has been ranked as the #1 most dangerous city in the country. The rankings are based on violent crimes per 100,000 people, the 1-year change in the violent crime rate, the homicide rate per 100,000, and the poverty rate. Pine Bluff came in at #4 and the Little Rock metro was #10.

Lucky Fox Selfie Museum is now open in the basement of 409 S. Main.

Looking at the MemphisWeather.net forecast and guess what… temps will be normal today, then warm into the 60s Monday and Tuesday and the 70s Wednesday and Thursday… chance of thunderstorms Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. Does it feel like we’ve seen this show before? Extended outlook for December 19-25 shows temperatures much warmer than normal, so we may be in for one of these years when the air conditioner’s running on Christmas.

That’s it for today. Going to stay home and write all day most likely. I’m planning on Tuesday being a sick day following my booster shot, and if it’s not, that’s a bonus. Back tomorrow with more news.

The Memphis Tigers suffered a 74-72 loss to Murray State, which came into the game as a double-digit underdog, last night. That’s four in a row, and this one would qualify as a “bad loss” in the eyes of the NCAA tournament committee. Bruce V has some advice for Coach Penny that I agree with.

I’m not a coach, but if I were I’d play my five best players until they got tired, then sub in a few for a while, then put the five best guys back in.

— Bruce VanWyngarden (@sylamore1) December 11, 2021

How many more times can the Tigers lose and still have even a chance of making the tournament? Seven? Eight? The next two games are against 9 Alabama (Tuesday) and 13 Tennessee (Saturday), so those are probably two of those seven or eight, right there.

In a move we all saw coming, the NBA fined Dillon Brooks $25,000 for “aggressively coming at an official” and failing to leave the court in a timely manner following his ejection from Thursday night’s game.

Former Grizzly Zach Randolph is the grand marshal of today’s Memphis Holiday Parade on Beale Street from 3:00 to 4:30. After that, Z-bo’s number will be retired at the Grizzlies’ home game vs. Houston tonight. Tip-off for that game is 7 PM.

A tornado warning was issued for Memphis in the 12:00 hour overnight as radar indicated a possible tornado over West Memphis. 60 MPH wind gusts and penny-sized hail were also indicated.

From Local 24: How Memphis’ Medical District is being transformed

You can learn push-pull swing for free this evening at the Fall Back Fall Dance Series at Fourth Bluff Park from 6:00-7:15. Get down to old-school music with instruction from the folks at Cat’s Ballroom.

Memphis Modern Market is back with a pop-up shop at Loflin Yard today 11-5 for your holiday shopping needs.

The only college football game on today is Army-Navy at 2 PM on CBS. Max’s Sports Bar would be my recommended place to watch that game.

Grind City Brewing Co. is hosting an Ugly Sweater Party today with prizes for the best pet, kid, individual, and couple. There will also be pictures with Santa, a water pong tournament, and a food truck. Live music by Elevation Memphis 6-9. Here’s the full schedule of events.

Art news: The opening reception for “Shim” by Joel Parsons and Melissa Dunn is today noon-3 PM at 55 S. Main.

There’s a Holiday Market Sip & Shop at 66 Union today 2-8 PM.

I had the coolest dream last night!

A hotel hired me to be its concierge. “We want you to be your blog, but in person,” they said. “We want you to excite our guests about all there is to do in Memphis, and point them in the right direction and give them lots of insider tips.”

My “office” was a hotel room that had been designated for the concierge. “Your hours are 1 to 9 PM Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays,” the HR person for the hotel told me.

“Wait, this is a full-time job, but I’m only expected to work 24 hours a week?” I asked.

“Yes,” the HR person said. “Guests will come to you when they want to talk Memphis. When you’re not helping guests, feel free to bring your laptop and surf the Internet, write your blog, write on Medium, whatever you want to do.”

Part of my compensation included my own suite, my own living space, in the hotel. I had full guest privileges, so I had maid service every day. Every morning, a continental breakfast of muffins and pastries was delivered to my room.

On my first day at work, the HR person stopped by to see how I was doing and share some additional information. “In August 2022, we’ll be sending you to our company convention in Tampa. You and your girlfriend will have a suite in our resort there.”

“That sounds awesome,” I replied. “I don’t have a girlfriend, though.”

“No problem,” the HR person smiled. “We’ll set you up with a girl in Tampa. When it gets closer to time, I’ll show you some photos and descriptions and you can pick whoever you like. I recommend Janet, though. She’s a blast to hang out with and a lot of fun in bed.”

“Hold on,” I said. “Are you telling me that the company is going to pay for a hooker for me for the entire week?”

“We prefer to think of them as companions,” replied the HR person. “But yes.”

Behold, I have seen the future of work.

That’s it for now. I plan to hit the Blind Bear and Silly Goose and then possibly the holiday parade. If I go to the parade I’ll probably hang out at the King’s Palace Tap Room but not drink there because their beer prices are high. Back tomorrow with more news.

A few minutes after 11 AM yesterday, I wandered over to the food truck rodeo in Court Square. I had my eye on a shawarma truck but it hadn’t opened its window yet. I surveyed the other trucks in the park, and a line on the Smokey Baby Eatery food truck’s menu caught my eye:

“Jumbo turkey leg $13”

I hadn’t had a turkey leg in a few years, and I’d been craving one. But then a thought crossed my mind.

“It doesn’t come with 2 sides like a lot of the other entrees. If I get it, I’ll be missing out on beans and fries.”

But then another thought crossed my mind:

“MEAT MEAT MEAT MEAT MEAT”

I stepped up to the window and ordered a jumbo turkey leg. The lady asked if I wanted sauce. I said yes, and she ran my card. About 4 minutes later she bagged up the leg, which was wrapped in foil, and I carried it home. When I got there I made two strategic decisions:

1. I brought the entire roll of paper towels over to my writing desk. I knew from prior experience with turkey legs that they are not one-paper-towel jobs.
2. I went and changed into a T-shirt that I didn’t care if it got ruined by sauce.

Those precautions in place., I unwrapped the leg and got it onto a paper plate:

For reference, that’s one of the large 10-inch radius Dixie paper plates. You can’t tell because the photo got cut off, but the leg was almost too large to fit on the plate.

I quickly realized there was no chance in hell I’d be able to pick this thing up and eat it with my hands. I only had 6 additional rolls of paper towels in the apartment and that would not be enough. I retrieved a fork and knife from the kitchen and dug in.

The verdict? Smoky and meaty and delicious. The sauce added to the flavor. I was full after half the leg, so I wrapped it up in foil and had the other half for dinner.

The Daily Memphian has big news to report: After closing March 19, 2020 as restaurants shut down for the COVID-19 pandemic, McEwen’s on Monroe will reopen on December 20. They’ve added additional space, expanding into the building next door. The menu will still have classic McEwen’s favorites, but due to soaring inventory costs and supply chain issues, it will be pared down a bit.

The Memphis Tigers men’s basketball team hosts Murray State at FedExForum tonight. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+. Before and after the game, Tin Roof on Beale will have pre- and post-game specials for college students. Just show your student ID.

The Memphis Grizzlies Claw Crew will be out on street corners today and tomorrow giving out free tickets to tomorrow’s home game featuring Zach Randolph’s jersey retirement. Follow @memgrizz on Twitter to learn where to find the crew. During tomorrow’s game, there will be musical tributes to Z-bo by the Royal Studios All-Star Band, AL Kapone, DJ Paul, Young Buck, 8-Ball and MJG, and Moneybagg Yo. On hand for the retirement ceremony will be Lionel Hollins, Chris Wallace, Damon Stoudamire, and Bonzi Wells.

Holly Jolly Holiday Celebration returns to Beale Street this evening from 5-7. Get your kid’s photo with Santa, enjoy holiday music, and have some free hot chocolate.

South Main will have a Tacky Sweater Pub Crawl tonight. Participating venues will be Wiseacre Brewing Company, Rumba Room, The Green Beetle, Barware, Slider Inn, Max’s Sports Bar, South Main Sushi, Paramount, Earnestine & Hazels, Vault, Eight & Sand, Longshot, and Bar Hustle.

The Downtown Memphis Commission is looking to hire a Staff Accountant.

Felicia Suzanne Restaurant’s last day in Brinkley Plaza will be Saturday, December 18. They’ll reopen in the former Spindini space in 2022.

If you’re a paid South Main Association member, you’re invited to their annual holiday party Wednesday, December 15 from 6-9 PM at 409 S. Main.

Christmas’ most annoying and unnecessary character, The Elf on the Shelf, is now a musical. You can catch it Tuesday at the Cannon Center.

Communications consulting firm DCA has several positions open at their 11 W. Huling office: Graphic Designer, Digital Designer, Account Coordinator, and Social Media Coordinator.

Interesting link I found yesterday: Publishing company Scribe Media will e-mail you copies of books they publish every month. It’s free to sign up and there doesn’t seem to be a catch.

Today is National Lager Day if you’re looking for an excuse to drink some beer.

Fire Pit Friday with free S’mores and holiday lights and tunes returns to River Garden Park this evening.

Reminder to those attending the Memphis Holiday Parade on Beale Street Saturday – if you intend to buy a beer, ask how much it is before you order it. Some bars on Beale are known to put ridiculous upcharges in place (like, double-digit prices for a 32 oz. PBR) for special events.

From the Memphis Flyer: Supply chain issues will delay South Point Grocery’s opening to early 2022. COVID has caused delays getting needed supplies and equipment to the space. McEwen’s, by the way, had its reopening delayed for months for very similar reasons.

The Grizzlies got a 108-95 win over the L.A. Lakers last night at FedExForum. The Grizzlies remain in 4th place in the West with a 1-game lead over 5th-place L.A. Clippers.

Keep an eye on the weather tonight. Severe weather including wind gusts to 60+ MPH with the possibility of tornadoes is expected. MemphisWeather.net predicts a high of 76 degrees this afternoon, 22 degrees above normal.

That’s it for today. Going to write until noon and then get out. I found a new Medium-based publication called “Fuck Niches” and asked to write for them and was accepted. Seems like a good personality fit. Back tomorrow with more news.

Well, this has been a good morning. By 7:15 AM I had already come up with 3 professional articles I could write. That brings my idea list for this week to 14. My motivation is fully back after being gone for a while. Having bought a new MacBook as well as a course from the guy I consider THE top writer on Medium, I’m ready to roll.

Flying Saucer Nashville is closing. They made a post to Facebook this week saying that after 23 years, it was time to say goodbye. They invited Nashville Beerknurds to come by and pick up their plates which hung on the wall, denoting 200-beer trips around the Saucer’s Ring of Honor. People have texted me and asked if this could have implications for the Memphis Saucer; could the restaurant/beer garden chain be downsizing? I haven’t heard anything to that effect. I know they had a 20-year lease from 1997-2017 and went all-in on a new lease (whatever that means) five years ago. I’ll keep my ear to the ground. I haven’t been to the Saucer since 2018 so I’m a bit out of the loop on what goes on there.

The Memphis Symphony Orchestra and Robert Moody, music director, invite you to Magic of Memphis! this Saturday, December 11, with 2:30 and 7:30 performances. The concert is described as a “holiday collage concert celebrating Memphis’s rich and beautiful artistic community.”

This Saturday you’ll have a chance to shop for both Christmas presents and Christmas dinner. The Memphis Farmers Market will host a special Homegrown Holiday Market Saturday, December 11, from 9 AM to 1 PM. Artisans and food vendors will be onsite. This will be your last chance to shop the Market until April 2, 2022. The Market is at the pavilion at Front and G.E. Patterson behind the movie theater.

Dillon Brooks got ejected from last night’s Grizzlies-Dallas game and he can expect a fine after he criticized the game’s officials in his post-game media availability. The Grizzlies lost to the Mavs, 104-96. Grizzlies center Steven Adams also received a technical, and Mavericks stars Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis got T’d up as well. The Grizzlies remain in 4th place in the West with a 14-11 record, a half-game ahead of the L.A. Clippers.

The Grizzlies are back on the home court tonight against the L.A. Lakers at 7 for GameDay presented by Pinnacle Financial Partners (I still don’t know what that means).

Oh, man, this does not look good:

The risk of severe weather on FRIDAY, mainly overnight, has increased to level 3. Plan ahead today for the possibility of severe storms with damaging wind and tornadoes when you are normally sleeping. You may also need to reconsider evening activities. More details later today. pic.twitter.com/m5guzfjzsN

— MemphisWeather.net (@memphisweather1) December 9, 2021

Hotel houskeeping staff are now being referred to as Tidiness Enthusiasts. My God.

Here’s a library of airline seatback safety cards through the years. (h/t Morning Brew)

Today is National Llama Day.

The Memphis Redbirds have been sold to a new ownership group, Diamond Baseball Holdings, a subsidiary of global sports entertainment company Endeavor. The ‘birds will continue as the St. Louis Cardinals’ affiliate and will continue to play games at AutoZone Park. USL soccer team Memphis 901 FC will also continue to play at AutoZone Park.

Here’s a list of trucks that will be at today’s food truck rodeo in Court Square 11 AM-2 PM. Also, ArtsMemphis will celebrate Arts Week at the event. Look for performances by Stax Music Academy Alumni Band, CazaTeatro Bilingual Theater Group, and Subroy Dance Studio.

My plan for today is to stay home and write, only venturing out at 11 for the food truck rodeo and an afternoon DGX run for groceries. I seriously feel like I have enough to do that I could not go out again until April. Back tomorrow with more news.

WREG reports that WalletHub ranked 180 cities on their “sinfulness” based on key indicators, and Memphis ranked 10th most sinful out of the 180. Memphis ranked especially high in Jealoisy (2nd) and Anger & Hate (10th).

A new event space called The Kent will open in the Snuff District. The venue will be able to accommodate crowds of up to 750 for everything from business meetings to banquets. The venue is named for the first two and last two letters of the streets that intersect nearby: (Ke)el and Fro(nt).

The Grizzlies host back-to-back games at FedExForum, playing Dallas tonight and the L.A. Lakers tomorrow night, both games at 7 PM. Hey, do any Grizzlies employees read this blog? Because I have a question. On this season’s promorional schedule, certain games (including tomorrow’s) are listed as “Game Day presented by Pinnacle Financial Partners.” What happens at those? Is there any kind of special benefit to fans, like a bonus if you sign up for a Pinnacle account that night? Or is it solely a vehicle to get a big sponsor’s name out there to the public?

Congratulations to Peabody Hotels & Resorts president Doug Browne, who has been named chairman of the Greater Memphis Chamber. Browne has previously served as vice-chair. Browne has worked for the Peabody since 2003.

Cordelia’s Market has added a Holiday Essentials section to its refrigerated case to help you quickly locate everything you need.

The group that operates the Orpheum plans to buy the building from the city. There will be numerous “outs” in the agreement, such as the city regaining ownership if the Orpheum Group goes bankrupt or closes the theater.

Here’s a list of the most mispronounced words of 2021. COVID variant Omicron made the list. (h/t Morning Brew)

A.J. Croce plays the Halloran Centre Friday night. Tickets are $37.50.

That’s it for today. Going to stay home and get writing done until about 2 and then venture out. Back tomorrow.