Paul Ryburn's Journal

here’s a Romanian gymnast.

A marriage certificate and tube tops await you, Catalina.

… but before I get to the news, I have to share a dream I had last night.

From June through December 2000, I lived in San Diego as kind of an escape from Memphis and the South in general. The neighborhood where I worked, a couple of miles inland from the coast, was called Hillcrest and it was the predominately gay area of the city. During my lunch breaks I would take walks (since the weather there is nice pretty much 365 days a year) and would walk past this bar where all the servers were drag queens. On Wednesday nights they had “Bitchy Bingo.” So I dreamed that the 2014 Downtown Memphis crew went to Bitchy Bingo. It was a celebration of our friend Nikki’s birthday (which happened in real life last night at Blind Bear).

One of the drag queens who was working came up to our table and said, “I want my photo taken for Tube Top Month.”

I replied, “Well… this won’t exactly qualify for Tube Top Month…”

He/she said, “Why? Because I have on a corset top and not an authentic tube top? I didn’t think you straights gave a shit about that. I thought all you cared about is that it doesn’t have straps.”

“Ummm… well, that’s not the reason it wouldn’t qualify…” I replied.

He/she stared at me for a minute and then gasped. “It’s because I’m a MAN isn’t it??!!?!? See if I EVER put extra ice cubes in your glass of Coke again! BITCH!!!!!!” and then stormed off indignantly.

I have awesome dreams and we need a bar Downtown with drag queens. The rest of Memphis would hate it but Downtowners, Midtowners and tourists would keep it in business.

Okay, on to the news. I have some very important news to report this morning.

Last night I got home and was making a minor change to our website at work, and trying to decide whether Bardog or Flying Saucer would be my lead-off point for the night. Then I got a text message that changed my plans. “The Silly Goose has $4 mini-pitchers of PBR,” the message said. Well, that changed everything! I certainly wouldn’t want to deprive my readers of very important PBR news. I changed clothes and walked to the Goose.

I got two and a half pint glasses out of the pitcher, leading me to believe it holds 40 ounces. It kept me going for a solid hour without having to ask Nancy for a refill. So, when should you order this as opposed to ordering one pint at a time?

• When you plan on being around for a while. Obviously it takes longer to drink 40 ounces of beer than it does 16.
• When it’s not happy hour. You get 40 ounces of beer for $4, as opposed to 32 if you ordered by the glass. During happy hour, ordering by the glass is a better value.
• When the bar’s busy and you don’t want to wait on refills.
• When sharing with someone.

Really, I’m happy to see inexpensive PBR no matter what it’s served in.

There’s more news in my “Friday update #2” post. Keep scrolling down if you haven’t seen it. I’ll be at Bardog at 11 as usual. Panda is on vacation so we’ve got Bloom this week.

 

Do you know your I.M.s?

I.M. is an abbreviation for Instant Message. Example: “I.M. me if you want to meet up tonight.”

I.M. Pei is a famous Chinese-American architect.

I.M. Allaboutthetubetops is a blogger who writes about his life in Downtown Memphis.

Grizzlies controlling owner Robert Pera stopped by the Chris Vernon Show today on 92.9 ESPN Radio. Verno thought he only had Pera for one segment, but Pera was incredibly cool and said “I’m here as long as you want” and “let’s take some phone calls.” The result? 1 hour and 42 minutes of Pera opening himself up to the public. I haven’t heard it myself yet (was busy at work) but from everything I have read, this is a must, must, must listen if you’re at all interested in the Grizzlies.

Cordova is about to get a Kooky Canuck. The MBJ reports that a second Kooky location is planned for 1250 N. Germantown Parkway. A quick Google Maps search reveals that this would be near the intersection of Cordova Road, near Bonefish Grill and Party City. The original Downtown Kooky Canuck location has been open nine years.

On Tuesday, July 1, Chez Philippe in the Peabody will host a special dinner celebrating the 200th anniversary of “The Star-Spangled Banner,” composed by Francis Scott Key in 1814 and which became our national anthem later. Guests will gather around the Peabody’s antique mahogany piano, owned by Key himself two centuries ago, for a champagne toast. The dinner menu will feature cuisine from Key’s home state of Maryland. $85 per person with an optional wine pairing upgrade available.

The Memphis Flyer has photos of Beale Street Landing, which opened today.

Also from the Flyer: Uber and Lyft not allowed to pick up fares at the Memphis Airport.

Week is done and it’s time for beer. Based on a post Jeannette just put on Facebook, it looks like Blind Bear is in my plans tonight.

BREAKING NEWS: Zach Randolph will exercise his $16.5 million player option with the Grizzlies for 2014-15 and has signed a 2-year, $20 million extension for 2015-17. Great move for everyone involved. Thank you Grizzlies and thank you Z-bo! (credit to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports)

I don’t mind the city reducing Riverside Drive to two lanes to allow space for bike and pedestrian use, but with that in place can they PLEASE enforce the “no trucks on Riverside” rule? This morning I was five minutes late to work because a dozen other drivers and I were stuck behind a tractor-trailer doing approximately 18 mph from Beale to Georgia.

Beale Street Landing had its grand opening at 10 today. There will be a celebration tomorrow with the Bo-Keys, Marcella and her Lovers, and Trio Plus from noon to 7. It’s pretty cool that the landing has the only Downtown playground for children 10 and younger. It’s not so cool that the landing took a decade to finish and cost taxpayers $43 million. On Saturday the official opening (with speakers) is from noon to 1, then live music 1 to 7. Maybe I will wander down there after my usual Bardog stop. I will make sure my Bardog stop lasts until at least 1 so I don’t have to listen to the speakers. Then again, the Blind Bear and the Flying Saucer are on the way to the landing from Bardog (the Saucer isn’t really, but humor me here) so I might get down there even later than 1.

If you’re going to the Redbirds game tomorrow, buy your tickets online. If you do that and enter code STJUDE at checkout, $5 of the ticket price will be donated to St. Jude. First 500 to purchase this special ticket receive a special commemorative St. Jude baseball T-shirt. First pitch is 6:05 PM (gates open at 5) with fireworks after the game. Round Rock is the opponent.

Kooky Canuck celebrates Canada Day all day Sunday, June 29. They’ll have $4 Forty Creek, and 2 for 1 Canadian beer bottles. The restaurant has 32 Canadian whiskys. Wear Canadian colors or hockey jerseys. $100 gift certificate to the person dressed the most “Canadian.” Special menu:

App’eh’tizers: Perogies and Poutine

Entre’eh’s: Montreal Steamies, Donair, Maple Sirloin Steak, Canadian Burger, Yonge Street Burger

Desserts: Maple Bread Pudding, Butter Tart and Nanaimo Bars

That’s all for now. There may be a second news post after work, so check back.

 

City Market has been stepping it up big time in terms of grab & go food. They’ve been doing these go-boxes which are perfect for a late night snack or to take to work the next day for lunch. This is the tuna salad plate with cheese, fruit and crackers, but I have had the hummus plate as well and it is excellent.

Most definitely appreciated. On the nights when I think I might not make it to lunch the following day, this will give me something to take to work.

Bedtime. If you’re a tube topper and you know where I live don’t be shy about coming over and waking me up.

I’ve had a few people ask if/when there will be fireworks Downtown to celebrate Independence Day. There will in fact be two such celebrations: One on Mud Island (and therefore visible from the river walk/Tom Lee Park/rooftops) and the other after the Redbirds game. Both will be on the Fourth. Thanks to Holly’s awesome July 4 post for the information.

PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT: Tube Top Month does not end on June 30 anymore. It ends with Independence Day weekend, which would be July 6 this year. So it will still be Tube Top Month on the Fourth. Please keep this in mind and dress appropriately.

Many locally-owned restaurants close on the Fourth, but Jamaican restaurant Evelyn & Olive has announced that they will be open and will be serving jerk pork shoulder. Evelyn & Olive is on Madison about a block east of Danny Thomas.

From Mashable: Brazilian men are pretending to be tourists in the country for the World Cup to try to hook up with Brazilian women. That’s awesome.

MATA has worked out a deal to continue shuttle service to Memphis Tigers basketball home games for the 2014-15 season. Discontinuation of the shuttle had been considered as a money-saving option.

Clothing boutique/salon Sache has announced that there are open positions. They are looking for retail sales, screen printing, event sales and office clerical expertise. Apply in-store.

Home from work. Since my regular Thursday Silly Goose bartender Jessica is at the beach this week, I’m going to switch things up and lead off at Bardog tonight for happy hour. Any and all tube topsters are invited to join.

BREAKING NEWS: USA loses to Germany 1-0, and Portugal beats Ghana 2-1. The USA survives the Group of Death to advance to the World Cup knockout round. USA! USA!

The Downtown Memphis Commission has launched Canine Confessions, a series of videos by Downtown dogs who are deeply embarrassed that their owners don’t pick up after them. Please be a good neighbor and scoop the poop! Or invest in a Poo Trap.

Westbound lanes of the I-40 bridge over the Mississippi River will be closed 5:30 to 10:30 AM Sunday. Use the I-55 bridge as your alternate.

If you’re looking for something free, fun, and healthy to do this weekend, there will be free chlamydia and gonorrhea testing at 1470 Elvis Presley Boulevard from 10 AM to 3 PM Saturday.

There will be a Pink Pig Apparel pop-up shop across from Bluff City Coffee at South Main Trolley Night tomorrow 6-9 PM.

Transit headlines the Peabody rooftop party tonight. $10 at the door, ladies free until 7. Admission includes a buffet of fried green tomatoes and po’boy sandwiches. If you’re in VIP you have a second buffet of muffaletas, red beans and rice, and fried shrimp. The Q 107.5/96.1 hosts the party and DJ Mark Anderson will spin tunes when the band is on break. The rooftop is a place to see and be seen, so why not be seen in a tube top?

Memphis in May deal: 2014 BBQ Fest T-shirt and apron for $24.98

Tonight is the NBA draft and the Grizzlies have the 22nd pick. From the Daily News: Grizzlies seek draft night magic.

So, Luis Suarez is banned from the rest of the World Cup and all soccer-related activity for four months. I guess he’ll be on his way home to Uruguay then. Since Uruguay is south of Brazil, would that make him South Bound Suarez? #inthroughtheoutdoor

(Yes, I know it’s “Saurez” in the official song title)

Glad so many of my friends went to bars this morning to watch USA-GER. I’m sitting here paginating datasets returned by a SQL query. FUN! I’ll be out at the usual spots after work.

Friday night is the monthly South Main Trolley Night. The last Friday of every month, many of the galleries and shops along South Main and intersecting streets stay open late. Many will have live music on Fridays, and there will also be vendors along South Main. If you’ve never been, it is a fun way to get familiar with all the neighborhood has to offer, and to meet some of your neighbors. It will be near 90, so you will want to be comfortable as you walk from one shop to another. A tube top would be a good idea (and American Apparel sells them).

While you’re in the area for Trolley Night, check out my friends Dynaflow who will be performing at Earnestine & Hazel’s. They take the stage at 7.

If you want to know what the Brass Door is like during a USA soccer match, check out this video.

Both the Downtown and Cordova Flying Saucer will open at 10 AM tomorrow for the USA match. Sound will be on. Silly Goose will open at 10:30 sharp. As I mentioned yesterday, Local, Bardog, and Brass Door will also be open.

There will be a job fair Friday at 413 N. Cleveland from 10 to 1. Many industry leaders will be there looking to hire.

Also, MATA is hiring.

That’ll wrap things up for now. I’ll lead off at the Silly Goose after work about 5:30 if anyone wants to put on a tube top and come join.

Tonight is the first annual DNA Sports Forum, at Bleu in the Westin Hotel. Attendees will hear from Geoff Calkins, Carrie Anderson, Gary Parrish and voice of the Memphis Grizzlies, Pete Pranica for a unique perspective on Memphis sports. Cocktails and snacks at 6, panel begins at 6:30.

The Green Beetle is holding its second annual crawfish party this Sunday, June 29. There will be live music and the crawfish will be ready by 3 in the afternoon. Crawfish will be $10 a pound and will include corn and potatoes.

People who organize crawfish boils in Memphis have noticed that they go a lot longer before they run out of crawfish since about March 20 of this year. In other news, the Nuh-Uh Girl moved out of Memphis about March 20 of this year.

Speaking of the Green Beetle, Kevin Cerrito will host Memphis Grizzlies trivia at the Beetle Thursday night at 8. He will also host Grizzlies trivia at Tamp & Tap Wednesday night at 7.

Central BBQ will be closed Monday, June 30 for the restaurant’s annual employee party.

A couple of friends of mine walked up to the High Cotton taproom this past weekend. After a few beers they were hungry, and decided to walk across the street and give Kudzu’s a try. They had the tamales, and one of them said, “These might even be better than the ones at Blues City” which is a huge compliment, as you know if you’ve ever had Blues City’s tamales. The other said “I was just thinking the same thing.” One of them had a fried pork tenderloin sandwich, which they said was huge with the meat hanging way past the edge of the bun. I need to give Kudzu’s a try (and the taproom a second try) soon.

The High Cotton taproom, by the way, will be closed Saturday for a wedding reception. They will fill growlers Saturday from 2 to 4.

Local will be opening early Thursday for USA vs. Germany with game day specials at 10:30 AM. The Brass Door is opening at 10 AM every day through Thursday, so they’ll be open too. Bardog opens at 8 AM weekdays regardless of whether there’s a game. Any other Downtown restaurants or bars planning to open early?

Holly has a list of reasons why you should attend Friday’s Redbirds game on the I Love Memphis blog. The main reasons are that the first 2000 fans will get a replica NLCS ring, and the game is an Alzheimer’s benefit. Instructions on how to make sure part of your ticket’s price goes to the fight against Alzheimer’s can be found in Holly’s post.

Police are investigating a hit-and-run crash involving an 18-wheeler on Riverside Drive this morning. Trucks aren’t supposed to be on Riverside anyway! What was this driver doing?

Yesterday I went to Melissa Monday at Bardog for happy hour. I learned that there will be a special bonus Melissa Tuesday tonight, so that is where I will lead off after work. Should get there around 5:30. Plan after that TBD.

Breaking news: A 171-room Hotel Indigo is going into 100 N. Main. InterContinental Hotels has made the committment, the Memphis Business Journal reports.

The Memphis Flyer is accepting nominations for Best Bartender and Best Server through June 29. Those selected will appear as choices on the Best of Memphis poll next month. (You’ll still be able to write a name in if your favorite doesn’t make them list.) Nominate here.

There will be a wine reception at Sue Layman Designs, 125 G.E. Patterson, during South Main Trolley Night this Friday from 6 to 9. Guests will be able to view her newest collection of paintings, entitled “Adventure of Love.” Free to attend. More information about Sue Layman can be found here.

Have you ever thought about joining the urban chicken movement, raising your own chickens instead of buying frozen processed ones? Tomorrow night, Tuesday June 24, there will be a presentation about urban chickens at the Main Library, 3030 Poplar, Meeting Room C. Master Gardener Patsy Courtright will talk about how she got started with urban chickens. She’ll cover feeding and watering, predators and protection, cleaning the coop, children and chickens, dance of the chickens, and more. The presentation will start at 6:30.

Broadway musical The Book of Mormon plays the Orpheum Tuesday through Sunday this week.

It looked like the USA soccer guys were going to kick the ball in the net one more time than the Portugal soccer guys, but then the Portugal soccer guys kicked the ball in the net again and it was a tie. Now the USA soccer guys need to make sure that the German soccer guys don’t kick the ball in the net more times than they do on Thursday. If the USA does that then they’ll advance and get to play some more soccer people.

Got a few more hours at work then it’s time for Melissa Monday at Bardog. Melissa had a tube top on when she worked last night, and hopefully she’ll have another tube top for today.