The weatherpeople have reintroduced the “muggy meter” to their forecasts. The feels-like reading will be in the 90s all week, and the actual temperature could hit 90 Monday and Tuesday.
I finally gave into temptation this morning and had a chocolate parfait from the Brazilian bakery at the Memphis Farmers Market. They had 5 flavors. The guy working the booth said lemon is his favorite but I got strawberry.
The city removed the park benches on the Union-Gayoso block of Main Street. I wonder if the benches’ frequent flyers were drawing complaints for making noise late at night? Or smoking weed? There was definitely a group that made that area their home.
The first 1500 fans in AutoZone Park tonight get a free Memphis Redbirds replica jersey, button-up, navy with the musical M logo. First pitch 6:35. Fireworks after the game.
WordPress ate half my post yesterday. If it seemed like it ended abruptly, that’s why. Between that and the library closing 20 minutes after opening, things just weren’t going my way.
Day 4 (final day) recap of the “good old-fashioned revival” at the Union Mission:
There were. no additional believer’s baptisms. The preachers had said they’d be thrilled if last night’s service was nothing but baptisms, so that may have been a bit of a disappointment for them.
A number of religious leaders from around the city who guest-preach at the Mission one day a month were lthere. Brother Ronnie Johnson from a church out in Nutbush gave the opening prayer.
A traveling group from the Korean Baptist Church came in and gave a video presentation. Seoul is the home of the largest Baptist, Presbyterian, and Methodist churches in the world. Koreans are grateful to America for saving their church in the 1950-1953 war. Now they want to repay the favor by helping restore American churches to greatness.
Most of the Koreans were in jeans, but a few wore traditional religious clothing. They did a song- and-dance performance with colorful props.
Atlanta preacher – whose name is Chris McDaniel- led us through about 6 songs on his keyboard.
Then David (Ford? Fort? Something like that) from Buckeye, AZ got up to preach. He’s much more of a fire-and-brimstone guy, preaching about JEEEEEsus, than Chris.
At one point David asked us to turn to the person next to us and pray for them. The “Interact with a stranger” thing is one of the things I hate about church. Especially in a homeless shelter. Fortunately my seat neighbors weren’t feeling it either.
Davjd called all the religious leaders in the room to the front, then told us if we need JEEEEEsus in our life, to come up and talk to one of them. About 30 people came up.
And that was it. No mass-saving like we had Tuesday. The service still went 45 minutes over. Most in the audience didn’t seem to mind but I did hear some complaining.
On to the news…
Sam’s Hamburgers at 7 N. Main had added a new side business: Humble Drip, serving coffee, tea, and pastries.
Well damn… Scottie Scheffler has been arrested while arriving to the second day of the PGA Tournament. Valhalla I am coming…
A suspect has pled guilty to second-degree murder in the death of Phil Trenary.
It’s 78.5 degrees in the Cossitt Library as I type this. Is the A/C broken?
Dream Magic Daily Market, a convenience store with a deli and cafe, is coming to the Exchange Building at Second and Madison. The store is being opened by a filmmaker who is making a film based on the building.
The Blues Museum on South Main has the first full-body hologram in Tennessee, the Flyer reports. It’s of bluesman Taj Mahal. You can ask it anything and it will use AI to respond.
Biscuits & Jams on North B.B. King opens Friday. You can wakey wakey with eggs & bakey, but the menu goes way beyond that.
Saturday I was talking to a well-known Downtown chef about mods – modifications people request to restaurant menu items they order. Mods have gotten WAY out of hand since the pandemic.
I’m not talking about: I’ll take the burger as it comes, with fries, but can I get ranch instead of ketchup for dipping? That’s a normal mod.
What I’m talking about: I’d like the burger, turkey patty instead of beef, Swiss cheese instead of American, no onion, add mayo and mustard, but can I get the mayo in a cup on the side, fries very lightly salted and extra crispy?
I hear this kind of order ALL THE TIME.
And you know what’s really ridiculous?
The person with no mods except a different dipping sauce tips 25%.
The person with a million bazillion mods zeroes out the tip line.
If what I just described sounds like you, do us all a favor and EAT AT HOME!!!!!
Catherine & Mary’s seeks a line cook with at least 2 years experience.
From Beale Street Bears: The Grizzlies would be an ideal landing spot for Golden State’s Klay Thompson. There’s a good possibility the Warriors will break up their Big Three in the offseason.
The Redbirds host Gwinnett at 12:05 this afternoon.
The Molly Ringwalds will bring the’80s hits to this Thursday’s Peabody rooftop party. If you pay extra for the VIP section this week, here’s the menu: Crab Cakes, Lobster Mac Croquettes, Bacon-Wrapped Shrimp, Blue Cheese & Bacon-Wrapped Meatballs, Mushroom & Truffle Arancini, Goat Cheese & Honey Triangles
DNA will show Jurassic Park for free at BRIDGES Thursday night at 7:45. A food truck will be on site.
I attended day 3 of the “good old-fashioned revival” at the Union Mission last night. It started off with the guy who got baptized Monday night getting a certificate documenting his achievement. He could hang it on his wall, except he’s homeless and therefore has no wall.
Then the Atlanta preacher led us through about 6 songs on his keyboard. In the early ‘90s he was in a nationally known country/Southern rock band called Confederate Railroad. But, he said, he got no joy out of his life of music, drugs, and girls, and he didn’t understand at the time it was because he didn’t have Jesus in his life.
Then the Arizona preacher came up and preached a sermon, which was followed by the usual ending we get to so many of these chapel services:
All heads bowed, all eyes closed.
If you know that you know that you know that you know that you’ve been saved, that you’ve accepted Jesus into your heart, raise your hand. (He told us less than 50% of the audience raised their hands.)
If you’ve never been saved, and you feel you’re ready to accept Jesus, come up and let us pray with you.
They gave out thin red and blue paperback books to the 25 or so that came up, books that are kind of orientation guides to being “saved.”
The weather forecast suggests I should take tonight off from staying at the Mission, but I’ve come this far; I guess I might as well see this “revival” thing all the way through. Otherwise I’ll wonder what I missed.
Back tomorrow.
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Well, I survived the second night of the “good old-fashioned revival” at the Union Mission last night. It started with the Mission’s lead pastor performing a “believer’s baptism.” Then the preacher from Atlanta leading us in about 6 songs on the piano. Then he told us a very personal story about God’s forgiveness
Next, the preacher from Phoenix delivered a sermon and then invited people who felt they needed to be prayed for to come up front.
Tonight or tomorrow- can’t remember which- we’re supposed to have visitors from a Korean church who don’t speak any English. We also have visitors from Calvary, the city’s other major men’s mission. And we have visitors from the local churches that send speakers to the Mission throughout the month.
For the second night in a row, there was nothing in the revival that made me feel peer-pressured. I’m still gonna continue to sit in one of the back rows the next 2 nights, though.
The only thing I disliked was this guy about 22 sitting next to me who was giggling throughout the service. WTF is wrong with people?
On to the news…
Pools are fun. Summer is fun. Especially if you’re a member of the South Main Association. Their May Social will be a pool party atop the roof of the Hyatt Centric Tuesday, May 21.
Just heard a rumor that poker night at Bardog may be coming back.
Friday is Bike to Work Day. Ride by stations around town to pick up a free breakfast.
ABC 24 investigated why the Madison and Riverfront trolley lines are still out of commission. All trolley lines were shut down following a 2014 fire, but the Main Street line was brought back into service in 2018.
The Memphis Grizzlies will pick ninth in the 2024 NBA draft. I predict they’ll trade the pick and Ziaire Williams for an established 23-24-year-old center. One intriguing trade target that’s been mentioned: Jalen Duren, the former Memphis Tiger who has built a solid career with the Detroit Pistons.
Speaking of centers, Moussa Cisse will be back in Tiger blue this fall via the NCAA transfer portal.
Attention dog owners: Court Square is not an off-leash dog park!!! Please use The Barking Lot at Main and Jefferson if you want your dog to run unleashed.
Some of bars Downtown now carry cannabis-infused seltzer with CBD and Delta-9. The drink runs about $8.
Last night was night 1 (of 4) of the “good old-fashioned revival” in the chapel at the Union Mission. I walked in with a lot of skepticism. I saw religious revivals as exercises in crowdthink and expected to be peer-pressured to stand up and declare I’d been “saved.” I sat in the far back to avoid individual notice by the preachers or by audience members way into the service.
Really, it was not bad. There were two preachers, one from Arizona, one from Atlanta. They tag-teamed the service in a way that reminded me of Silky’s dueling pianos. There was singing and the preachers told us their personal stories. The mood was lighthearted, upbeat, even celebratory. I never felt pressure to say on do anything.
Rain is in the forecast, so I’m scrapping my plan to stay out tonight and will be there for night 2 of the revival at the Mission.
Back tomorrow with more news.
It’s free to read this blog, but I gratefully accept tips! Venmo: @Paul-Ryburn Cash App: $PaulRyburn1 Apple Pay: paul.ryburn@gmail.com
The Orion 5K, Fun Run, and Pickleball happens this Saturday, departing from Orion FCU headquarters at 400 Monroe. 5K runners will traverse The Edge and the Downtown Core. Stay afterward for pickleball from 10 to 4. This event benefits MIFA Meals on Wheels.
Strangewaze Wednesdays, a series of neighborhood concerts in Health Sciences Park, next happens Wednesday evening, May 15. Free food, free drinks, free music.
By the way, the items above came from The Vitals, the newsletter of the Memphis Medical District. Subscribe to The Vitals
The annual Manes on Main party is tomorrow at Soul & Spirits. Smoked Festbier release, beard and hair competitions, Hot n Heavy Dogs and Sno Junt food trucks.
Save the date! Slider Inn Downtown will host a silent disco Saturday, June 8. Beach/summer will be the theme. Free to enter; $15 to rent a headset.
Today’s Redbirds home game vs. the Norfolk Tides is a matinee game. 12:05 PM first pitch.
Saturday the Redbirds will give away a throwback Memphis Chicks T-shirt to the first 1500 fans. Size XL only. 3:05 PM first pitch.
Kinfolk’s breakfast is this week’s $10 Deal in the DM. Kinfolk opened recently at 111 Harbor Town Square.
There was a fire at Loflin Yard about 2 this morning. Two dogs were rescued.
RIP Chevy Malibu. With the retirement of the Camaro last year, the automaker is down to producing one traditional car, the Corvette.
I wonder what the city will do? Most City of Memphis vehicles are Malibus.
Bardog has new “Have You Dogged It Lately?” shirts for $30.
There’s a dog party at Grind City Brewery Co. Saturday. There will be freebies for humans & dogs and Albee’s Tex-Mex food truck will be on site. This is a fundraiser for Kiwanis. Free to attend for all ages.
Uncle Red’s turkey legs, which has had a location inside Carolina Watershed in the past, is coming to the University of Memphis area. Look for a location opening soon on Echles.
Apaolo plays the Tap Room on Beale tonight 8 to 12.
There’s a push to revive the Mud Island Amphitheater. The venue hasn’t hosted a concert in 6 years. $17 million has been proposed to get it back into shape.
Teachers and nurses get 10% off all week at Butterific Bakery & Cafe at 488 S. Second.
There will be comedy on Beale in Handy Park 2-6 PM Saturday. Free and family-friendly.
Gia Welch and JD Westmoreland play The Central BBQ Sessions at Central BBQ Downtown Saturday from 6:00 to 8:30 PM.
Tonight from 5:00 to 7:30, Sheet Cake Gallery at 405 Monroe presents an opening reception for “The Real & Imagined,” an exhibit by Erin Harmon and Kong Wee Pang.
The weather is perfect and nights at the Union Mission are getting a bit repetitive, so I’m staying out tonight. Back sometime in the next 72 hours with more news.
It’s free to read this blog, but I gratefully accept tips! Venmo: @Paul-Ryburn
Cash App: $PaulRyburn1
Apple Pay: paul.ryburn@gmail.com
Soul & Spirits brewery on North Main is having a “hoochie coochie party” today and tomorrow. Details will be posted on their Facebook page.
The Downtown Neighborhood Association has announced its May meeting on the rooftop of the Hyatt Centric the evening of the 22nd. Free drinks and snacks for all DNA members.
Looks like the Saucer is giving away a Duvel-branded guitar:
