Paul Ryburn's Journal

County health officials got grilled by the County Commission yesterday about some of their actions last week. Of course, it was bad that they let over 1000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine expire, but I’m also very happy Commissioners called SCHD out on what they did to the restaurants last Friday. The day after the Boil Water order was issued, Dr. Bruce Randolph said that in combination with pandemic regulations, all restaurants had to close. Then, about 2 hours later, he reversed that statement and said restaurants that could boil water and make it safe for food preparation could stay open. But by that time, restaurants had sent all their employees home and canceled reservations for the day.

It seems to me, that after 11 months of troubled times, the health department’s default value ought to be “how can we work with restaurants?” rather than “how can we further penalize restaurants?” Commissioner Mick Wright: “All I can do is ask the Health Department to be cognizant that when you say something … that it has real-world consequences for many people.” THANK YOU Mick! That needed to be said.

As for the vaccines, I’d like to ask a question that has not been asked enough: All the vaccination sites are drive-through. How does that not discriminate against people who do not own vehicles? And since a disproportionate number of people who don’t own vehicles are poor and/or people of color, how is that not racial and economic discrimination?

The DM has a look at the life of Bobby Ellis, who started working at the Rendezvous at age 13 and remained with the restaurant until his death yesterday at age 66.

From SI.com: Grizzlies returning to grit-and-grind roots in Ja Morant era

MLGW does not yet have a timeframe for lifting the Boil Water order, but they have crews working around the clock. I still don’t have heat but the sun beating through my big south-facing windows has warmed my place up to about 65. Actually I have south-southwest facing windows, because the Downtown core does not run on a true north-south grid.

Action News 5 has a list of government buildings closed today due to the water situation.

Fox 13 reports that the water crisis is affecting those jailed at 201 Poplar. Can’t flush the shitters at 44 PSI. A 5000 gallon water truck is assisting.

Tigers basketball is back following a COVID-19 outbreak. Penny is looking to reschedule Quadrant 1 games at Wichita State and Houston in hopes of improving Memphis’ chance for an invitation to the NCAA tournament.

Elmwood Cemetery is offering an encore of its popular African-American history tour tonight at 7. The one-hour tour will highlight African-Americans laid to rest at the cemetery, including doctors, lawyers, saints, politicians, and musicians. The tour will be hosted on Zoom and the cost is $10.

That’s the news for today. Off to work, then home to write something on Medium and listen to podcasts. I don’t plan to go out today. Back tomorrow with more news.

MLGW announced in its Boil Water update last night that they now have been able to fill all the reservoirs, but they have been unable to maintain water pressure when they begin pumping them. That means there are additional, undetected water main breaks they have to locate and fix. The Boil Water advisory has been extended “indefinitely” past the previous announced expiration of today at noon.

Also in last night’s update, they announced they were suspending residential disconnections indefinitely and offering a new 12- month payment plan. Now, COME ON for a minute here… the utility did not just pull those plans out of its ass late on a Sunday afternoon. My guess is the PR flacks got together and said, “If we need to distract the public from bad news (i.e. the Boil Water order being extended), we have those measures in our back pocket to announce Sunday night.”

If I were a bettin’ man, I’d take even money that much of Downtown Memphis is still without water pressure at 8 AM Tuesday morning.

My (completely uneducated) guess is there’s a 25% chance Downtown still won’t have water restored at 5 PM Friday. I commented on a friend’s Facebook thread yesterday, I predict the water situation will temporarily surpass COVID as the number-one cause of inconvenience and discomfort in Memphis before things get better.

All eight Downtown Shelby County government buildings will be closed today due to lack of water or water pressure. I’m aware of private office buildings on the Main Street Mall that will also have to be closed today due to no working restrooms.

Good Morning America airs from Memphis 8 to 10 AM today and is expected to announce a deal to get food from the Rendezvous shipped to your home.

Today’s National Margarita Day and World Thinking Day. You can celebrate one or the other well, but not both.

The zoo is closed today, so don’t factor that into your plans if your office is closed due to no water.

Question for anyone who’s been to Slim & Husky’s: I’ve heard they have $10 pizzas on Tuesdays. Does that apply to all the pizzas or just particular ones? Since I’m off in the afternoons, I may walk down there tomorrow while the place is not busy.

COVID Act Now has Shelby County in the yellow zone for the first time in many months, with 9.4 new cases per day per 100k. That number will probably rise a bit, as bad weather no doubt prevented some asymptomatic testing last week. The site has the reproduction rate at 0.67, well under the target number of 1, and a positivity rate of 5.5%, approaching the 5% number that has long been the county health department’s goal. If we hit 5%, can we have our bar stools back in groups of larger than two?

The Grizzlies play Dallas tonight at 7:30 on the road.

Interesting: Nine lessons a political editor at FiveThirtyEight learned about political journalism from four years of covering the Trumpster

Time to jump in the shower – we have water pressure and hot water here, just no heat. Then it’ll be time for me to get an article published on Medium and brainstorm article ideas for the rest of the week. Later today I will spend time with beloved animals. Back tomorrow if there’s any news to report.

I apologize for starting off with a subscriber-only link, but this is important. The Daily Memphian reported today The Peanut Shoppe on Main will have to find a new home, and doing so won’t be easy. After the lease runs out on December 31, the building’s owner plans to take 6-8 months to renovate the building, modernizing the two storefronts (the former Court House Deli being the other) and converting the currently unusable upstairs space into residential apartments.

Owner Rida wants to keep his business Downtown, but there are two elements of The Peanut Shoppe that are tricky.

• If he relocates, he’ll need to add a vent for his peanut roaster
• The Peanut Shoppe is absolutely a business that relies on foot traffic – if he relocates, it will have to be in a walkable neighborhood, on a street with a large number of pedestrians

Please show The Peanut Shoppe some love with nut and candy purchases, and if you can think of a suitable space, please let Rida know.

Restaurants: I want to make a comment here, having observed the past week. If there is ANY doubt what time you will be open on a particular day (even if you plan on opening at the normal posted time), get that out on social media (your official company social media) as early as possible. Don’t rely on individual employees to put it on their social media, and don’t get around to it two hours after you open and happen to think of it. Being open and customers not knowing it is bad. Being closed and customers not knowing it (and showing up) is worse, because then they won’t trust you to be open in the future.

To make it clear: If there is ANY doubt what time you will be open, for any reason – be it COVID, be it water main breaks, be it a Boil Water order, be it an employee quitting – let people know when you’re opening, let them know as far in advance of that time as possible, and do it on an official channel. Don’t make social media an afterthought. People rely on it.

And no, I don’t have any particular business in mind when I point those things out. We all need a reminder.

As of 9 last night, MLGW still did not know when the Boil Water order will be lifted. They are asking residents to delay things such as doing laundry in order to help with the water pressure. I’ve changed clothes once in the past week, so I guess I can take a week off from laundry.

MATA resumes its fixed routes and MATAplus today. They plowed Main and got the trolleys running yesterday.

Overnight rain should melt the remaining snow tonight. Temperatures will remain well above freezing.

From the Dirty Crow Inn:

Due to the weather, we will not be selling the Dirty Crow food at the 40et8 this weekend. Sorry for any inconvenience, but I don’t want to put any of my people or me in harms way. We WILL be there the 28th and the 1st with The Dirty Mac and Wings and all other favorites!! Thanks for understanding. Stay warm and safe throughout this Snowmageddon! Ka-Kah!!

Congratulations, by the way, to Paul from the Dirty Crow, who learned this weekend that he’s going to be a grandfather.

That’s it for today. Going to take another day off from going out and get some completed articles in the queue for Medium this week. Back tomorrow with more news, if there is any.

Since the last week of 2020, I’ve been doing a gratitude practice. Every morning before I get up, I thank the universe for the warm bed I’m in, my Downtown apartment, my job across Main Street, my writing career on Medium, my Downtown friends, opportunities to help others, and whatever else comes to mind.

However, part of a complete gratitude practice is being grateful for the undesirable stuff in life too. The idea is that everything you experience was sent to you because it was supposed to happen. So bless all of it and be grateful for all of it. Accept what is.

Man, are we getting a heaping helping of “accept what is” this week or what?

Let’s start off with the Shelby County Health Department. As lawmakers at the state level have wanted to pass legislation to take away some of its autonomy, I have always supported the department. However, after this week I’m rethinking my position. Bozo the Clown could have run the health department better.

Twice yesterday I attempted to get out and support my friends’ local businesses… and in both cases, minutes after I ordered I was told that the health department had ordered them closed. Then, in both cases less than three hours later, they were allowed to reopen. It’s just ridiculous after the past 11 months that the health department decides to dump even more restrictions on restaurants. Seems like if any business would know a thing or two about boiling water, it would be a restaurant.

Then there’s the fact that an inventory error by the department forced 1315 doses of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine to be thrown out, the vaccine having expired.

Then there’s the ridiculously stupid rule that goes into effect today saying that if restaurants reopen their bar areas, anyone behind the bar must wear a face shield as well as a mask.

Okay. Two points I want to make here. For the past 7 or so months I’ve been served by servers in restaurants, and they get way closer to customers than bartenders do. With servers, there is no barrier between them and the customer. So if the face shields serve any useful purpose limiting spread of the virus, why do servers not have to wear them as well?

Second: When you think of face shields, who comes to mind? First person I think of is the exterminator. The Orkin man. The Terminix guy who gets down in the crawl space and meets rodents and termites on their home turf. I have to wonder if the face shield requirement was put in place to subliminally communicate, “It’s not safe to sit here” at the bar?

Back to the water situation: It’s not just Memphis. Much of Texas is in the same boat, as is Jackson, Mississippi. I still don’t have heat in my apartment because the water pressure is too low for the boiler in the basement to fire. I hear that other high-rise buildings are having the same trouble, most notably the building at 45 S. Idlewild in Midtown.

The Grizzlies host the Phoenix Suns tonight at 8:00.

Here’s a list of locations where you can get free bottled water around the city Sunday beginning at 10 AM. Closest to Downtown: Lewis Senior Center, 1188 North Parkway.

Memphis Tigers baseball Opening Week has been delayed because of the weather.

I’m not going to attempt to keep a running list of what restaurants are open this weekend. The clown show at the health department changes the rules every two hours, so I’m concerned any info I might post on here would be wrong. Best advice is to call the restaurants before you go and ask if they’re open.

Not sure this is still happening, but Wiseacre 2 is scheduled to show the classic John Travolta/Olivia Newton-John movie Grease tonight. The snack pack they’re selling includes bottled Coke, so you’re safe there.

Looking out my window, it appears they cleared the ice and snow off Second last night. Monroe did not get cleared.

Despite not having heat, I’ve had my best week ever writing on Medium. My past 11 articles have been selected for further distribution, meaning they’re eligible to appear in topic listings and on members’ home pages and in daily emails. Four publications that use Medium as their platform – The Startup, Curious, Blank Page, and Wholistique – have contacted me and asked to publish articles I wrote. I’ve earned as much in the first 19 days of February as I earned in all 31 days of January.

I seriously doubt I will make any attempt to go out this weekend. Going to wait it out and be happy that I get to go to work on Monday for the first time in 10 days. Back tomorrow if there’s any news.

But I’m off to a slow start. Like Kyle Anderson of the Grizzlies, I’m slow-motion this morning. Check back about 10 or 11. I will have plenty of remarks and comments about the three-ring circus that our county has become this week. Just gotta find the words.

I’ll be back when there’s heat in my apartment building.

Well, I found out why it’s so cold in my apartment. It’s related to the water main break MLGW is repairing at Main and Union. Didn’t know that kind of thing could affect heating in an apartment a couple of blocks away, but take my word for it, it can and it has. It’s 56 in here right now. My building’s management has generously offered to reimburse residents for a hotel stay, and I may take them up on that tonight.

Hey, we made the news!

Health Directive No. 18 dropped yesterday and goes into effect at 12:01 AM Saturday, February 20. The major changes with respect to restaurants and bars are:

• Seating at bar areas is allowed for the first time in about 7 months. However, a maximum of two people per group is allowed to sit together at the bar, and groups must be spaced 6 feet apart from each other.
• The 50% capacity limit has been eliminated.
• Closing time has been pushed back from 10 PM to 12 AM.
• The directive states that restaurants and bars “should” prohibit smoking but then goes on to say that any smoking that is allowed must comply with Tennessee law.
• Bartenders and servers working at the bar must wear a face shield as well as a mask.

These are some steps in the right direction, although I think the 2-max per group at a bar is really stupid. I guess it’s a way to limit people standing at the bar and ordering. I hope bars that permitted smoking prior to Health Directive 15 don’t bring it back.

Once South of Beale moves into its new digs in the former Ambassador Hotel, its former space at 381 S. Main will become home to Good Fortune Company, an Asian restaurant. Check out the restaurant’s website. Well, this news will make one of the old poots who sits at the corner table at Max’s Sports Bar very happy.

Memphis Made Brewing Co. has brewed some dark beers to help get us through these snowy times. Look for Drew’s Day Off and Memphis as Truck in the taproom and in cans on grocery shelves.

StyleBlueprint has a list of 20 heated patios in Memphis. Among the Downtown patios featured: Blind Bear, Felicia Suzanne’s, Loflin Yard, Momma’s, Sage, and Silky’s.

The DM has photos of winter sports Downtown – sledding, skiing, snowboarding, and more. It’s the Downtown version of the Winter Oly… oops, don’t want to complete that thought and violate a trademark.

From today’s Morning Brew newsletter: Pigs can play video games with their snouts, scientists find. Perhaps we can get an interactive demonstration at BBQ Fest ’22?

Today is National Drink Wine Day, a holiday that will be widely celebrated Downtown. Go see my friend Carl at Downtown Liquors and Wines at Main and Madison.

The 2021 Memphis Tigers football schedule has been released. The nonconference portion of the schedule contains a nonconference game against nearby rival Arkansas State, as well as an SEC opponent in Mississippi State.

That’s it for this post. Back tomorrow with more news, unless it’s too cold for me to feel like writing.

It is down to 59 in my apartment this morning. Not sure if it’s an MLGW problem or just the fact that 20-year-old HVAC systems in this region are not equipped to handle a week of sub-20 temperatures. The building is getting contractors out to look at it today. I’m not mad at management about it. This is a once-in-a-generation cold snap.

The MemphisWeather.net blog has the latest on the winter storm moving through Memphis today and tomorrow. 4-5 inches of snow and a hint of ice is the prevailing prediction, although at one end of the spectrum 6-8 inches of snow is possible, and on the other end 2-3 inches of snow and a quarter inch of ice.

Some good news: The extended forecast map for February 24-March 2 shows above-normal temperatures. Normal for the last week of February is 58, so we could see some 60s next week hopefully.

We now have a grand opening date for Craft Axe Throwing at 344 Floyd Alley in The Edge District: Friday, February 26. Floyd Alley is the alley parallel to Madison and Monroe, from Fourth (next to the Fielder Square parking garage) to Danny Thomas Blvd. Arnold’s BBQ is also in that alley. They’ll have 14 throwing lanes, a stocked bar with local beers (wonder if they’ll have PBR), and plenty of TVs. They’re accepting reservations for a lane at $20 an hour with 2-4 people per lane and discounts for large groups.

Let’s hear it for the good guys: Memphis Jeep Club shuttles healthcare workers to work during the winter storm

The DM’s Jennifer Biggs and the Flyer’s Michael Donahue talk this year’s Calvary Waffle Shop, which is a little different because of COVID. It’s all to-go but they’ll still have Waffle Shop faves including fish pudding, spaghetti, and Boston cream pie. The tomato aspic will be back as part of the Calvary salad plate. They’ll serve lunch 11-1 Wednesdays and Fridays and dinner 5:15-6:15 Wednesdays.

After I went and made such a nice drinking game, the Shelby County Health Department canceled its noon press conference yesterday. So we still don’t know what’s in Health Directive No. 18, although I have heard from multiple sources 75% capacity and a 12 AM closing time for restaurants are in the mix.

My neighbor Brent McAfee, owner of Black Sheep Meats that supplies many of Downtown’s fine restaurants, is competing for a grant to expand his business. Please take a moment to vote for Brent here.

The next round of stimulus checks will be based on your 2019 or 2020 income, depending on the latest record the IRS has on file at the time checks are cut. So, if you made less money in 2020 than 2019, you’ll want to hurry up and file your tax return to make sure you get the full amount of your stimulus check.

Who is ready to laugh! Brian Regan will be performing LIVE at the @RenasantConv Main Hall on April 7th 2021 for a socially distanced concert! Limited seats are available https://t.co/J64Fm2Fib7
*Tickets will be sold in pods. Entire pods must be purchased together/Masks required pic.twitter.com/VExGxUaAup

— Renasant Convention Center (@RenasantConv) February 16, 2021

Penny Hardaway’s Tigers have had to postpone another game, this time Sunday’s game vs. Temple.

Today is Ash Wednesday AKA post on Facebook what you’re giving up for Lent Day. Today is also My Way Day. Here’s a video of Sid Vicious (not the wrestler who lives in Marion, Arkansas) covering Sinatra’s “My Way”:

MLGW asks customers to conserve water this week. I gotcha there, MLGW! It’s way too cold in this apartment to contemplate stepping out of the shower dripping wet. Probably gonna go the entire week without taking a shower. The natural oil will be good for my hair. As for my body, I’ll have so many layers on that no one will be able to smell me anyway.

The Grizz host the OKC Thunder tonight at 8. TV is Fox Sports Southeast.

PRO TIP: If you’re going to creep on someone’s social media, don’t do it on a touch-screen device where you might accidentally “Like” one of their posts and then have to quickly delete it to avoid being detected. Someone did that to my Twitter feed for the second time in a month. This time I got a screen capture of the notification on my phone. That’ll give me even further proof that this person really is who I’ve been saying he is for several years now. Just in case there’s any confusion to whom I’m referring: married white male.

Office is closed today, but I’m not too keen on staying in this 59-degree apartment for much longer than I have to. I’ll keep an eye on Bardog’s social media this morning, and if they get the doors open at 8 I will walk over there. It’ll likely be 59 in there too – the health department says they have to run their ceiling fans at all times to improve air flow – but at least there’s PBR.

Back tomorrow with more news, if I haven’t completely frozen by then.

Press conferences are normally held at noon Tuesdays and Thursdays and are broadcast on Facebook Live via the City of Memphis account.

Health Officer Dr. Bruce Randolph says “Greetings, fellow citizens of Shelby County” – 1 drink

Reminder to wear your masks or facial coverings – 1 drink

Reminder to keep your 6 feet of distance – 1 drink

Reminder to practice good hand washing – 1 drink

Rolling new case average (7-day, 14-day, 28-day) mentioned – 1 drink

Positivity rate mentioned – 1 drink

Reproduction rate (“R-nought”) mentioned – 1 drink

Duplication rate mentioned – 1 drink

Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris appears to announce a new program that in some way provides relief – 1 drink

Mayor Harris appears at the press conference for a reason other than public relations – 5 drinks

Enforcement mentioned – 1 drink

Reminder that testing is widely available – 1 drink

“Quarantine” – 1 drink

“Isolation” – 1 drink

“Contact tracing” – 1 drink

Health official explains the difference between quarantine and isolation – 3 drinks

Reminder that only health officials or their representatives are legally permitted to quarantine or isolate people or do contact tracing – 5 drinks

“We prefer education to enforcement” or similar – 2 drinks

Vaccines mentioned – 1 drink

New health directive alluded to – 1 drink

New health directive announced – 3 drinks

Good news about the pandemic in Shelby County presented, followed by “BUT…” or “HOWEVER…” – 3 drinks

“Cautious optimism” – 3 drinks

“New normal” – 3 drinks

Schools mentioned – 1 drink

Overflow facility at 495 Union mentioned – 3 drinks

Pipkin Building mentioned as a vaccine site – 3 drinks

Reporter can’t ask question because their mic is muted – 1 drink

Virus other than COVID mentioned (flu, common cold, etc.) – 1 drink

Presenter speaks in a language other than English – 3 drinks

Website URL displayed on screen – 2 drinks

Line graph, bar graph, or pie chart – 2 drinks

Color coded map of regions of Shelby County – 2 drinks

“Stay the course” – 2 drinks

“Remain vigilant” – 2 drinks

“Not out of the woods yet” – 2 drinks

Press conference lasts more than 35 minutes – 5 drinks, 40 minutes – 10 drinks, 45 minutes – CHUG

Happy Presidents Day. Happy Snow Day.

Bar owners/managers: Please post to social media what time you will open, even if you’re opening today at your normally scheduled time. Or if you’re going to stay closed today (couldn’t blame ya a bit if you do), post that. It’s a snow day and INQUIRING MINDS WANT TO KNOW.

Otherwise, no post today. It’s 64 in this apartment and I have on my Arkansas Razorbacks sweatshirt and my Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles pajama pants and I’m still cold.

Back tomorrow or whenever there’s news and heat.