Paul Ryburn's Journal

The Jersey Boys show at the Orpheum is on for today, both the 2 PM and 8 PM shows.

They’re taking a lot of heat on their Facebook fan page.  Out-of-towners are upset that they’re only doing exchanges for the cancelled show last night, not refunds.  There are also people upset that the show will go on tonight, when the roads are possibly in worse condition than last night.  One commenter posted that he can’t get out of his driveway, so he’s paying a couple of hundred dollars to stay home and watch “Jersey Shore” rather than come to the theater and see “Jersey Boys.”

I haven’t been out yet today.  I just played my first H.O.R.S.E. tournament on PokerStars, finishing 45th out of 251, just five spots out of the money.  For a first effort, I’ll take it.  I really need to work on my Stud and Stud/8 games.  I folded way too many hands during those rounds, and if I played a little looser I feel like I would have cashed.

Gonna play an Omaha Hi/Lo Sit’n’Go, then go out.

Attn South Main Association members:  Have you renewed your dues yet for 2010?  I just renewed mine.  Tomorrow, Sunday 1/31 (edit: I had my dates mixed up and thought today, Saturday, was 1/31 when I first posted), is the last day to do it before the rates increase from $25 to $35 for an individual membership.

You can renew online with a credit card through PayPal.  Click here to renew.

I took the netbook to the Saucer and got some poker in yesterday afternoon.  I should’ve left it at home.  I entered four $13 No-Limit Hold’em Sit’n’Go turbo 6-max tournaments, and I lost three of them and finished second in the fourth, leaving me down $27 for the day on tournaments.  I also managed to lose money at Hold’em, Omaha/8 and Stud/8 cash games.  I’m still in the learning stage and I look at my losses as tuition paid to the Academy of Poker, but tuition sure was expensive yesterday.

What an icy mess outside.  Out my window I can see Second and Monroe.  Monroe is totally iced over and is a scary brown color.  One lane of Second is clear.  Looking at the forecast, temperatures may well remain below freezing until Monday morning, which makes me think rush hour could be a dangerous situation.

But that’s Monday.  Today’s Saturday.  Time for a beer… oh, wait, I’m up too early, bars aren’t open yet.

Someone stuck a “Kick Me” sign on Brick’s back Thursday night, and she walked around with it for about 30 minutes before she noticed.  Here’s a pic:

The Orpheum just posted on Facebook that tonight’s performance of The Jersey Boys has been cancelled due to severe weather, in accordance with local government authorities.  They’re not doing refunds, but you can exchange tickets for a later performance.  Exchanges must be made by Feb.3.  Show runs through Feb. 14. Ticketmaster customers, call 1-800-653-8000 or go to your point of purchase to exchange. If you purchased direct from the Orpheum, call 901-525-3000.

This flatbread isn’t on their regular menu, but it frequently shows up as the flatbread special on Fridays.

On to the Saucer.  Sierra Porter Fire Sale + Brittney bartending = Saucer fail, but what am I going to do, stay home?

I just got a message on Facebook from Christina, aka “C-Pop,” who is organizing the Jersey Shore Pub Crawl.  Due to the winter weather they’re moving the pub crawl back a week, to Saturday, February 6.  All other details of the event will remain the same.

Search for “Jersey Shore Pub Crawl 2K10” under events on Facebook to keep up with the latest news on this event.

It’s gonna be a good day!  My manager called slightly after 8 from her cell phone, and said the office was closed for the day.  I’d already called in and left a voicemail on her work extension saying I was staying home, but with the office closed it won’t cost me a vacation day.  On the agenda for this snow day Friday:  Bars and PokerStars.  But first, a post.

Not sure which bars will be open… I’ll be out this afternoon and will try to tweet to my @paulryburn account which bars in the Downtown core appear to be open for business.  I have advanced knowledge that Kooky Canuck will be open… Shawn posted on Facebook that they will be no matter how much snow and ice hit.  Being a Canadian, I’m sure 5-10 inches of freezing precip is nothing to him… he’d probably open if 5-10 feet of snow fell.

Big concert at the Center for Southern Folklore tonight… Kate Campbell.  Not only a concert though, but an on-stage interview.  $15 tickets in advance, $18 at the door.  Go to www.southernfolklore.com for tickets.  Kate is already in town (I saw her and Judy from the Center last night at the Majestic) so this show should go on despite the weather.

There was an article in the Flyer that Spindini is the latest restaurant to get into the Sunday brunch business.  They’ll have a $6 cold buffet/pastry table with assorted pastries, fresh fruit, bruschetta, and breakfast pizza.  There will also be a $6 hot buffet with potato and lobster hash, roasted garlic egg strata, creamy polenta with smoked mozzarella, and rigatoni with vodka sauce and sausage.  Brunch buffet?  They better be prepared to lose money on this venture if the Nuh-Uh Girl finds out.

They’ll also have a la carte selections at $7 each:  Oscar benedict with crab meat, Italian benedict with proscuitto, Florentine benedict with spinach, traditional Italian omelet, ham and cheese omelet, Tuscan omelet with veggies and goat cheese, and French toast with syrup and whipped cream.

I haven’t spent much time in Spindini since it opened, but the article about the brunch in this week’s Flyer leads me to think I’ll at least give it a try in the weeks to come.  Kevin, one of my favorite bartenders from the Sleep Out Louie’s days, is now operations manager at ‘dini.  I just hope I don’t have a bunch of cougars hitting on me while I eat.  Hopefully they moved east with Judd.

It’s a beautiful day to have a 13th story apartment with huge windows… watching the snow fall on all the buildings.  Only thing is, since the blinds are open I actually have to wear pants while I type today’s blog post.  The north windows of One Commerce Square see directly into my apartment.  There are probably a few females who work in that building who’d love a free peek at the merchandise… sorry ladies, you have to buy me drinks first.

Still need to put up a post about a benefit for Haiti the Center for Southern Folklore will have, but I’m going to wait until after the Kate Campbell show.  CSF staff, remind me if you don’t see a post in a couple of days.

Wonder if the Saucer will be open today… even if it does, I have advanced knowledge that Brittney is the day bartender, so I’m not that excited about being there.

Excited that I get to spend the day focusing on poker rather than bridge… my new plan is to start entering H.O.R.S.E. tournaments as soon as I learn all the games.  In HORSE tournaments on PokerStars, the game changes every 12 minutes, rotating between fixed-limit Hold’em, Omaha hi/lo, Razz, Stud, and stud/Eight or better.  Currently reading the chapter on Stud by the late, great “Chip” Reese in Doyle Brunson’s Super System.

All right, enough typing, time to jump in the shower and prepare to enjoy this SNOW DAY!

Cheeses, meats, Majestic BBQ walnuts, cranberries, and crackers.  I must admit, I thought to myself, “WTF are the cranberries there for?” and then I took a bite of cranberry and then the darker yellow cheese and I understood.

If this were on Kooky Canuck’s menu it would be called the Magan and Meghan Platter.

Bonus Brick quote:  “Most lesbians are virgins since they’ve never been penetrated.”

I just received an e-mail from the CCC’s director of safety.  He attended a Shelby County Emergency Management meeting this morning and learned more about the weather event that will happen in the next 24 hours.

It’s being classified as a “major winter storm event” with the onset of rain.  This may change to freezing rain and sleet around 3 AM tomorrow morning, with possible ice accumulation of 1/4 inch on the roads.  The sleet should then change to snow with accumulation of 4-8″ by Friday evening.  Temps will be around freezing at the start, then dropping into the 20s, and may not get above freezing before Sunday afternoon.

In addition, wind could make things worse at 15-25 mph with gusts to 25-30.  The wind, combined with the weight of ice, could knock down tree limbs and power lines.

As the safety director noted in the e-mail I received, weather forecasting is not an exact science, but fortune favors the prepared mind.  Y’all be careful out there.  One thing to keep in mind is that even if temps are 33-34 or so, slightly above freezing, during morning rush hour, they’re likely to drop into the 20s and ice everything over while people are at work.  So, if it looks like you can drive to work in the morning, keep in mind that you might not be able to make it back home.

Just wanted to pass that info along… I have news about a new place doing Sunday brunch and a Haiti benefit, but I think that it’s important that the weather info stays up top for the afternoon.