Paul Ryburn's Journal

It’s 5:42 AM and I can’t sleep, so I guess I’ll do a post.  Today’s the first day at work in the new building.  Not sure if we’ll have Internet access, so there may not be a lunchtime post… maybe a quick one from the WordPress app on my phone.

Question for Mac owners:  What’s the best program to use to download a large number of images from my camera, batch resize them to 1600 x 1200, and view and edit them (for minor changes like rotate 90 degrees, adjust hue/saturation/lightness, etc.)?  iPhoto is the default but if there’s a batch resize option in there, I don’t see it.  For large photo galleries like Hot Wing Fest, I use the netbook where I have Windows tools I’m familiar with, but I’d rather do it on my MacBook.  If you have suggestions, shoot ’em to paul@paulryburn.com.

I still have more pics to post, but I need to wait until some of the current photo posts age and fall off the blog’s front page… there are well over 30 pics on it right now, last I checked.  I have a pic of Danny drinking a beer with his twin, and I have a couple of new pics of Brick.  There can never be too much Brick on this blog.

Other than BBQ Fest, this weekend that just ended is probably my favorite festival weekend of the year.  Weather was perfect.  Good weather for the first rooftop party, Hot Wing Fest, and Crawfish Fest?  When’s the last time that happened?  Think we’ll have good weather for Music Fest too?  Coming up next weekend – Memphis Brewfest and Beale Street Wine Race.  Two more very good spring events.  Neither is food-based so we’ll probably see a little less of the Nuh-Uh Girl this weekend.

Attn pro wrestling fans:  May be an interesting night to turn on WWE Monday Night Raw.  Both the RAW and Smackdown rosters toured Europe last week.  Due to the volcano in Iceland shutting down many European airports, the RAW crew will almost certainly be stranded and not able to make it to New Jersey for this week’s show.  The Smackdown crew may be able to catch a flight out of Madrid, and make it to the U.S. in time to cover for the RAW crew.  They may beam interviews from the RAW crew out of Europe via satellite.  First time they’ve ever had this big of a travel snafu.

Wow I’ve been messing around on the computer for an hour and I still have 30 minutes before I leave for work… even had time to play two Super Turbo Sit’n’Go tournaments on Full Tilt as I typed this.  Finished in 8th place out of 9 in the first, and I won the second, so I showed a small profit for my time playing.  Guess I’ll hit Publish and see what else I can find to do until it’s time to leave.

Here are pics from Rajun Cajun today.  God help you if you have dialup because my blog is massive this week.  I’m totally hammered as I type this, so please forgive any typos.  My apologies for those of you reading my blog over dialup or slow DSL.  This is not a good week for you.

The Nuh-Uh Dad and the Nuh-Uh Sister in their gumbo booth

Here’s a pic of the Nuh-Uh Girl eating crawfish.

Okay, quick story.  We had a guest in our hot wing booth last night.  I never met him; I didn’t know he was there until today when our friend Mike told me.  This guest had never read my blog in his life, nor had he met the Nuh-Uh Girl before.  So he was in our booth yesterday at Hot Wing Fest, and he commented, “Who is that girl?  She’s been here two hours and she hasn’t stopped eating.”

I normally don’t like to take a lot of pics of myself to post, but sometimes you have to make an exception.  Here’s a pic of Whitney and me.  Note that Whitney has a tube top on.

Sarah and me

Cayla and me

Terry and friends

Kacy, Christina, Tracy & Co. were at Rajun Cajun.  But only Christina makes my blog, because Christina had a TUBE TOP on!!!

I found it ironic that the Rolaids truck was rolling around outside crawfish fest.  Yeah you could take a Rolaid and get over indigestion, but then what would you have to talk about for the next week?

Jessica and me.  Note that Jessica has a tube top on.

Christy (center, drinking beer) asked me if I knew where she could get cheese fries, because she was ready to chow down.  Unfortunately, there were no cheese fries to be found.

Jean and Bicycle Bobby

Stacy (Stacy? Stacie? hell I don’t know) and me.  Note that Stacy (sp?) has a tube top on.

Extremely drunk as I post this.  And I get to drive to Horn Lake tomorrow.  Going to bed.

As I walked to Hot Wing Fest yesterday, I passed this sign.

If you’re looking to move Downtown, or if you are a renter Downtown looking to buy, this would be worth checking out.  Condos for sale for under $100,000 Downtown are almost unheard of.

The Ques Brothers and our sponsor Kooky Canuck cooked up wings and other goodies yesterday at the 8th annual Southern Hot Wing Fest on South Main.  Here are some pics.

Benjie and Chuck getting the first batch of wings started

Chad and Michael Gross.  I learned yesterday that Michael Gross is a huge wrestling fan and started watching in the early ’80s like I did.

Dynaflow rocking it out

Kerry who writes the I Love Memphis blog, with her roller derby team

Terry and Pam.  Pam didn’t pour out any beer this time.

Kelly (far right) is the only sober person in this pic.

Benjie and Chuck answer one of the judges’ questions

Uncle Ray

Our hot sauce.  People were saying they could feel the burn in their mouth 30 minutes after eating one of our hot wings.

This is why Kooky Canuck is the best sponsor ever – about 3 PM, a Kookamonga burger showed up in our booth.

Later in the day, Edison grilled quail and Korean beef.

The Nuh-Uh Girl stalking her prey

For some reason I didn’t get as many pics of her as usual, but believe me, the Nuh-Uh Girl was eating nearly everything that wasn’t nailed down.

Hot wing eating contest

Angie and Angie.  Note that the Angie on the left has a tube top on.

Clay and Mikey.  This was my second attempt to take this pic.

Moody munching a Pronto Pup

Here’s something you don’t see often – Meghan sitting on her ass texting.

Bicycle Bobby preparing his special recipe onion rings

Full album (162 photos) can be seen here. Well, actually it’s not the full album.  I had to create a certain “hot wing 10 do not use” album with several more pics, for various reasons.  Those pics will be shared with particular individuals.  I also took a few pics before the fest, at the Farmers Market, and afterward at the Saucer.  Will go through those and see if there’s anything good.

Apologies for a mistake I made yesterday, telling people to go to Calhoun’s to buy beer.  I thought it was within the boundaries of the festival and it was not.

Not sure who the winners were – we ran out of beer around 5 PM, so I figured, why should I stay?  I’ll try to find out who won and do a followup post.

Again, thanks to Kooky Canuck for a great time.

Now it’s time for Rajun Cajun Crawfish Fest.  All the camera batteries are fully charged and I’m ready to go again.  I will be there right at noon, and will be there until 6.

“Hey Paul, let me ask you something.  What do you think about the kickball teams that play on Wednesday night?”

“I don’t know, I’m not on a team.  I know some people who do it though.  Seems like they have fun.”

“Where do they play?  Is there a park Downtown where they do it?”

“I don’t know, I’m not on a team.”

“How does kickball work?  Do they do innings, like baseball?”

“I don’t know, I’m not on a team.”

“Is there an organization like the NFL that publishes official rules for kickball?”

“I don’t know, I’m not on a team.”

“Are they just groups of friends who get together, or do companies sponsor teams?”

“I DON’T KNOW!!!  I’M NOT ON A TEAM!!!”

“You don’t know?  You’re the Downtown blogger, I thought you knew everything.”

I’m seriously thinking about doing a long post entitled “How to not be annoying at bars.”

Downtown is getting a whole lotta cock this month.  Not only is the Red Rooster re-opening on Beale Street in two weeks, but yesterday I walked down Second and saw this sign in the window of the old Cafe 61 location:

A coffee bar named Cockadoos will open soon in that space, serving breakfast and lunch 6 AM-2 PM Mon-Thur and 6 AM-3 PM Fri-Sun.  Their website is just an intro page right now, but they’re updating their Facebook fan page frequently, so go there for more info.

An excellent last minute addition has been made to the music lineup at Hot Wing Fest:  Dynaflow will play at noon.  I caught them at E&H a couple of months ago and they were very good.  Good old rock and roll played through classic amps.  Don’t miss ’em.

If you plan on drinking beer at Hot Wing Fest and you don’t have a hook-up at a team booth, here’s an insider tip:  Calhoun’s has $2 PBR.  They usually don’t sell it at the window during festivals, so you’ll have to go inside to the bar to order it.  Better beer than what they’re selling on the street, at a cheaper price.  And since college football/basketball is over, Lauren won’t have that horrendous orange UT Vols shirt on (hopefully).

The Ques Brothers will be at Hot Wing Fest today, with our sponsor Kooky Canuck.  I plan on being there by 11 and staying until close.  My responsibilities for the team include getting drunk and eating Bicycle Bobby’s onion rings.  Oh, and taking pictures.  Camera and both spare batteries will be at the festival.

Earlier this week, the Flying Saucer put Franziskaner on Fire Sale.  My Ques Brothers teammate Danny was overjoyed, because that’s his favorite beer.  Here’s a pic of Danny enjoying a Franziskaner:

One reason I like to hang out at the bar at the Saucer is because I learn new and interesting things.  Last night bartender Hannah told me, “A lot of people who do Esctasy do it up their butt.  If you take it through your mouth you only get 65-70% of it, but if you take it in your butt you get 98%.”  Be sure to bookmark this post so you can refer to it the next time you go to a rave.

There was also something my friends Dennis and Mary Pat wanted me to say about Kelly who was bartending last night… I seem to have total amnesia about it though.  I’ll just say that Kelly is an excellent bartender and server and leave it at that.

Congrats to Air Traffic Mike who won a Full Tilt Poker satellite tournament while sitting at the bar at the Saucer yesterday afternoon.  Bad thing is, it won him a ticket to a tournament tonight, so he can’t drink a whole lot at Hot Wing Fest today.

That’s all for now… usually I’m not a morning person, but today I bounced out of bed at 7:15.  Excited for Hot Wing Fest I guess.  Going to go drink a mimosa at a friend’s condo, then hit the festival.

As I walked back from lunch at the Rumba Room, I saw a sign on the door of the new Lenny’s at Main and Peabody Place.  It said they will be open Monday.  Their hours will be 10:30 AM to 8 PM Monday through Saturday, and they will be closed on Sunday.

8 PM closing time?  That’s too early for Paul’s Drunkass Food most of the time.  Guess I won’t be going there as often as I had hoped.  Maybe I’ll have to get my sandwich before I start drinking, rather than after.

All right… I’ve been to lunch, I’ve been to Walgreens, I’ve caught up on blog posts, and I still have half the afternoon remaining.  Think I’ll hit the gym for a workout, drink a smoothie, and read a nice book.

Nah, on second thought, I think I’ll go to the Saucer and drink beer.

I just ate lunch at The Rumba Room.  I had the Ropa Vieja, pictured above, described on their menu as “Slow cooked shredded beef, marinated & seasoned, served with Puerto Rican style rice, black beans & sweet plaintains.”  It was really good.  The beef was extremely tender and delicious.  Outstanding meal.  You can view their entire lunch menu here.

Not done posting yet… one more to come… info on the new Lenny’s on Main Street.

I’m going to kick off today’s update post with some GREAT NEWS for BBQ fans.  Cozy Corner on North Parkway is extending its hours.  Previously they’ve only been open 10 to 5 Tuesday-Saturday, which meant that a lot of people never got to try their food.  The Memphis Flyer’s Hungry Memphis blog reports that Cozy Corner is extending its hours to 11 AM to 9 PM.  A lot of people think Cozy Corner is the best BBQ in Memphis, better than the Rendezvous or anyplace on Beale.  Can’t wait to swing by and pick up some ‘que.

Sole Restaurant is this weekend’s deal on Memphis Groupon.  $50 worth of food for $25.  Enough people have already bought to trigger the deal.

Here’s a CNN video about a 37-acre haven for the homeless that opened in San Antonio.  Not only does it provide them shelter, but it helps them get the skills they need to assimilate back into society.  Wish we could get something like this in Downtown Memphis.  I firmly support cracking down on aggressive professional panhandlers, but we do have an obligation to help those in genuine need as well.

If you’re going to Hot Wing Fest early tomorrow morning (it starts at 10), why not take a quick walk a block west on GE Patterson, and enjoy Memphis Farmers Market opening day too?  MFM opens at 7, so you have plenty of time to check it out before Hot Wing Fest starts.

Are you a fan of Circa on Facebook?  Become their fan and you could win a dinner for two.

People are keeping an eye on the volcano that erupted in Iceland.  It’s already causing problems by shutting down air traffic in Europe, but it could cause far greater problems if it triggers an eruption of a larger volcano nearby.  Check out this Wikipedia article on 1816, the year without a summer for an idea what we could be in for if the second volcano erupts.

Random recommendations if you’re looking for something to do tonight: Redbirds game at AutoZone Park, where it’s a fireworks night; Deering and Down at Escape Alley Sundry, 7 PM; ESPN Friday Night Fights at the New Daisy.

I’m putting my “no side trips” rule into effect for Rajun Cajun Crawfish Fest Sunday.  A lot of my friends buy their crawfish and then go to the rooftop of Barton Flats to eat.  I don’t do that – when there’s a festival going on, I want to be at the festival, not somewhere nearby the festival with the same people I see most every day.  Also, no side trips to the Saucer for “just a quick beer” while the festival is going on, because those turn into 3-hour side trips.  I plan to get to the festival right at noon and be sitting somewhere on the grass eating crawfish by 12:10.  The Nuh-Uh Girl usually goes to Barton Flats roof to eat, so she’ll be safe from my camera at least for one day.  After the fest ends at 6, I’ll hit the Saucer for the weekly occurrence of “Lazy Sunday Nights with Brittney.”

Off work early.  I still plan to be at the Saucer about 4 for Happy Hour.  No definite plans for tonight, although I don’t intend for it to be a late night since I want to get to Hot Wing Fest as early as possible tomorrow.

Last night I went to the Third Thursday block party at Main and Peabody Place, then the first Peabody rooftop party of the season.  Here are some pics.

Chef John Bragg on the patio of Circa

Brian, the Nuh-Uh Girl, and Chad at the block party

Blue Fin cooking out on their patio

Laura and Laura

We got to the Peabody just after 7 and there was already a long line for the elevator.

Crowd shot on the rooftop

The Peabody people watch the party from the little rooftop overlooking the big rooftop.

The Nuh-Uh Girl was ALL OVER the free food in the VIP area.  Seriously?  The other guests might like to get something to eat too, y’know.

Oopsie!!!

The Nuh-Uh Girl telling Frank and Brian about all the food she had to eat

Stephanie and Sarah

Because it was the first party of the season and the weather was perfect, the rooftop got way crowded.  I decided to take refuge at the Flying Saucer, where Brick was pimping shots of Fireball.

Gonna be a busy weekend.  I only work a half day today.  Friends on Facebook and Twitter predicted I’d be at the Saucer approximately 3 minutes after parking the car; sorry, no, I’m having lunch at the Rumba Room.  I’ll be at the Saucer about 4 when happy hour starts.

There will be photo albums for Hot Wing Fest (Saturday) and Crawfish Fest (Sunday), so expect lots of pics this weekend.