Memphis Roller Derby is homeless – can anyone help?

A member of the Memphis Roller Derby e-mailed this morning, asking for help.  They’ve lost their home, the Youth Building on the fairgrounds.  They’re desperately looking for a permanent home where they can have practice and bout space.

Ideally they need a large open expanse without poles, that can accommodate their 107 foot by 75 foot track.  A space of 12,000 to 15,000 square feet with restrooms and parking would be perfect.

If you have or know of a space they could use, shoot me an e-mail at paul@paulryburn.com and I’ll pass the info along.  Thanks.

Scratch Calhoun’s from the list of places I might go tonight…

…because I’m now hearing from some of their regulars that Max said they won’t be open today.  Apparently the Calhoun’s regulars are texting around trying to figure out what to do tonight.

I’m going to take the netbook home at 5 when the Saucer closes, then come back out and probably park myself at the Silly Goose.  Come join me if you’re looking for something to do.

Pics from the past week

I’m unexpectedly in town for the weekend – trip to Little Rock has been cancelled.  So now I have to figure out what to do with myself… since the Saucer closes at 5 today, I’ll probably make the Silly Goose my base of operations, with possible stops at either Bardog or Calhoun’s early in the evening.

Since I have some free time, let’s see what I have on the camera’s memory card from the past week.

Here’s a pic of the Nuh-Uh Girl enjoying one of several plates from the free buffet at Kooky Canuck’s Christmas party Thursday night.

My third plate, which was unveiled Saturday.

Despite her section being in the other room, Brick still found time to come over to our party Saturday and sit on her ass and tell us how bored she was and play with her phone.  I mistakenly called her “Meghan” for some reason.  She didn’t like that at all.

Brick wanted to play darts with us.  Some of the gang were hesitant to let her.  “If the manager sees her, she’ll get in trouble,” they said.

“Yeah, but if we let her play, there’s a chance we’ll get a view up her skirt when she throws,” I pointed out.

Someone ordered a pretzel at the party and it was sitting on our table.  “If the Nuh-Uh Girl sees that, she’s going to swoop in on it like a pigeon,” said Bicycle Bobby.  Sure enough, not even a minute later, there she was.

The band at the DNA/SMA holiday party Sunday night.  Richard from FreeWorld must be wondering if I’m stalking him.  That was the third time I’d seen him in less than 48 hours.

The downstairs party room at Metro 67 was really nice.  It’s in a converted bank vault, and it has pool, ping-pong and foosball.

Here’s a pic of the Nuh-Uh Girl eating at the DNA/SMA party.

The buffet at the DNA/SMA party, with food from Downtown restaurants, caterers, and food vendors.

The Nuh-Uh Girl and her sister swoop in on the dessert tray.

Okay, I have to pause here to tell a quick story before I continue with photos.  Sunday night I was at the DNA/SMA party, holding a piece of pumpkin bread.  The Nuh-Uh Girl saw me, and whipped out her camera and said, “Now I’m going to get a pic of you eating!”

“No one cares if I eat,” I told her.  “The thing is, I don’t eat all the time.  When I go to these parties, I have one plate.  Maybe two if I’m really starving.  Not six or seven.  And I don’t go around picking food off other people’s plates all night.”

So we had a standoff for about three minutes, with her waiting for me to eat the pumpkin bread, and me refusing to eat it so she could get a picture.  Finally she broke down and said, “…can I have a bite?” and she broke off half my piece of pumpkin bread and ate it.

Okay, back to pics.

This is the best I’ve ever seen Old Lazy Ass look.  After the DNA/SMA party I stopped by the Saucer Sunday night, and Bicycle Bobby had ridden his scooter up there.  Brittney put on his helmet.  Not only does it hide part of Brittney’s face, but it muffles her voice when she talks.  Perfect.  She should wear a helmet all the time when she bartends.

Someone who’d never been to the Saucer before asked Britt what her favorite beer was.  She said Lazy Magnolia Southern Pecan.  It takes lazy to know lazy, I guess.

On to last night… after being stuck at 199 beers for 10 months, Stephanie finally finished her 200th beer and had her plate party.

The unveiling of Stephanie’s plate.

I do have a bone to pick with Stephanie, however.  When I had my plate party Saturday, Stephanie was happy to show up and help herself to free beer.  But did she reciprocate last night?  No.  Her plate party was “ladies only.”

The thing that really gets me is, AMANDA F’ING ECKERSLEY got free beer and I didn’t.  Something is really, really wrong with the world when that happens.  I wonder how many times Amanda used the word “Ptolemy” in conversation in the two hours she was there… I’d guess between 70 and 80.

That’s all the pics, but more stuff to come… it’s about to start raining again, but I think if I stick my netbook in my leather jacket, it’ll be OK to make the trip to the Saucer for some Fire Sale Blue Moon.

Lansky says “we’re open too”

I forgot to add a “shopping” category when I posted “who’s open Christmas Eve/Day” yesterday.  Lansky at the Peabody sent me the holiday hours for their stores.  Here they are:

OPEN Christmas Eve: 9a-6p
Lansky 126, Lansky at the Peabody, Lansky Lucky Duck, Lansky Essentials

OPEN Christmas Day:
9a-6p Lansky Lucky Duck and Lansky Essentials

9a-2p Lansky at the Peabody

New Year’s Eve: 9a-6p
Lansky 126, Lansky at the Peabody, Lansky Lucky Duck, Lansky Essentials

New Year’s Day: 9a-9p
Lansky 126, Lansky at the Peabody, Lansky Lucky Duck, Lansky Essentials

Kooky Canuck to celebrate Christmas two days early with inexpensive beer

This is the first of several quick lunchtime posts… eating a Mac Snack Wrap as I type this… it’s like a Big Mac, but as a wrap rather than with a bun.  Not too bad.

Kooky Canuck will celebrate Christmas two days early by offering $2 34 oz. super cold Bud Light from open to close tomorrow, Wednesday, December 23.  If I weren’t heading out of town tomorrow after work, that’s where I’d be!

Also, if you haven’t joined their fan page on Facebook, be sure to do so, to keep track of their upcoming parties and events.

Who will be open Christmas Eve and Christmas Day?

Thanks to Joan, the concierge at the Westin Hotel, for providing me with this list.  She spent hours calling around gathering this info, to ensure that the Westin’s guests would have the best possibly stay in Memphis over the holidays, and she was kind enough to share it with me.

Restaurants

Automatic Slim’s– Closed Christmas Eve, Open 5:00 Christmas, Open New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day
Bangkok Alley – Closed Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, Open New Year’s and deciding about New Year’s Day
Blue Fin – Closed Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, Open New Year’s Eve, closed New Year’s Day
Circa – Closed Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, Open New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day
Currents – Open Christmas Eve, Lunch Christmas Day, Open NYE and New Year’s Day
Felicia Suzanne’s – Closed Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, Open New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day
Flight – Closed Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, Open New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day
Grill 83– Open Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day
Ground Zero – Closed Christmas Eve, Open 6pm Christmas Day, Open New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day
Gus’ Fried ChickenOpen to 4 Christmas Eve, Closed Christmas Day, Closes 5pm New Year’s Eve, Closed New Year’s Day
Huey’s –Open Christmas Eve, Closed on Christmas Day, Open New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day
Inn at Hunt Phelan – Open Christmas Eve 11-3, Closed Christmas Day, Open New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day
Itta Bena – Closed Christmas Eve, Open 5pm Christmas Day, Open New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day
Kooky Canuck –Closed Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, Open New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day
Majestic Grille – Closed Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, Open New Year’s Eve, Closed New Year’s Day
McEwen’s –Closed Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, Open New Years Eve and New Year’s Day
Mesquite Chop House – Closed Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, Open 5pm New Year’s Day, Open New Year’s Eve, Open 5pm New Year’s Day
Pearl’s – Open Christmas Eve, Closed Christmas Day, Open New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day
Rendezvous – Closed Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, Closed 12/27 & 28, Open 12/29-30, Closed New Year’s Eve and Open New Year’s Day, Closed January 3-13
Sauces –Open 4pm Christmas Eve (entertainment), Christmas Day 7pm (entertainment), 12/26 maybe, New Year’s Even open noon to 3am, (entertainment & DJs), Open noon New Year’s Day
Sole Restaurant and Oyster Bar – Close 8pm Christmas Eve, Close 4pm Christmas Day, Open New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day,
South of Beale – Open Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day
Spindini – Open Christmas Eve, Closed Christmas, Open New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day
Texas de Brazil – Open Christmas Eve, Closed Christmas Day, Open New Year’s Even and New Year’s Day
The Peabody – Open Christmas Eve Dinner and Christmas Brunch at Chez Philippe, Christmas Day Dinner at Capriccio, New Year’s Eve dinner at both, Closed New Year’s Day Chez Philippe, Open New Year’s Day Capriccio
Wang’s – Open Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day

Bars

Bardog Tavern – Open Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day
Calhoun’s – Open 5pm Christmas Eve,
Closed Christmas Day, Open New Year’s Eve 6pm and earlier hours on New Year’s Eve
Flying Saucer – Close 5pm on Christmas Eve, Open 5pm Christmas Day, Open New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day
Silly Goose – Open Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day

Beale Street

Alfred’s On Beale – 197 Beale – Closed Christmas Eve, Open 5pm Christmas Day
BB King’s Blues Club – 143 Beale – Closed Christmas Eve, Open Christmas Day night
Blues City Café – 138 Beale – Closed at 5pm Christmas Eve, TBA Christmas Day
Blues Hall – 182 Beale – Closed 5pm Christmas Eve, Open Christmas Day night
Kings Palace Café – 162 Beale – Closed Christmas Eve, Closed Christmas Day
Rum Boogie – 182 Beale – Open Christmas Eve, Open Christmas Day night
Silky O’Sullivan’s –183 Beale – Closed Christmas Eve and Christmas Day

Museums

Center for Southern Folklore – Open Christmas Eve to 5pm, Closed Christmas
Cotton Museum – Open Christmas Eve Day and Closed Christmas Day, Open New Year’s Eve Day and New Year’s Day
Gibson Guitar Factory – Closed Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, Open New Year’s Eve Day, Closed New Year’s Day
Graceland – Open Christmas Eve Day, 10-2pm, Closed Christmas Day, 12/26, 9-5pm, New Year’s Day 9-4pm, 1/1-1/2, 9-5pm, 1/3, 9-4pm
National Civil Rights Museum – Closed Christmas Eve and Christmas Day
Rock and Soul Museum – Closed Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, Open New Year’s Eve Day and New Year’s Day
Sun Studios – Open Christmas Eve Day, Closed Christmas Day, Open New Year’s Eve Day and New Year’s Day

My netbook’s on Woot again

4 posts this morning… hopefully this will start to make up for my lousy post production of the last week.

My netbook is on sale on Woot.com again this morning, and this time it’s ALMOST exactly the way I bought it – without an accessory pack for $229.  10.1″ screen, 1 GB RAM, 160 GB HD.  The difference is, this one comes with a 6 cell battery, whereas mine only came with a 3-cell so I had to upgrade.  A 6 cell battery should give you between 4 and 5 hours of battery life, once you’ve charged it and drained it a few times to “condition” the battery.

I’ve had it for almost 2 months now and am very happy.  This is a great deal on a netbook and I’d recommend it.

DNA/SMA party tonight at Metro 67

If you’re a member of the DNA or SMA, don’t forget that you’re invited to their holiday party tonight at Metro 67 apartments at Madison and Front, from 6 to 9 PM.  There will be a cash bar, fun door prizes given away throughout the evening, and delicious food provided by Downtown restaurants.  Free food?  Wonder if the Nuh-Uh Girl will show up.

But before the DNA/SMA party, it’s time to whoop dat ass.  Pete’s back in town and I have a feeling he’ll show up for Sunday Fun Day and lay quarters down on the pool table.  Which means he’ll be saying,

GREAT NEWS for my fellow Flying Saucer regulars:  Brittney will be off work for a week starting tomorrow.  Some of the girls were complaining that she was given a week off around Christmas.  Listen, they could give Britt a YEAR off and it wouldn’t be long enough for me.

All right, disregard what I said in the previous post about snow on Christmas Eve.  I just checked WMC-TV’s 7 day forecast and it looks like it will be way too warm for snow… they’re even calling for a high of 59 on the 23rd, which will most likely be the day I leave town.

I hated to see the Tigers fall to UMass yesterday, but on the bright side, Tennessee lost too.

Great time at the group’s Christmas party/my plate party last night.  I’ll get some pics of the new plate and post them.  Apologies if I seemed a little out of it last night – it’s hard to be merry when you’re fighting a cold.

All right, time for me to gulp down my morning Mountain Dew, so I’m full of energy and ready to beat Pete at pool.