Paul Ryburn's Journal

Just a reminder that the Red Rooster’s “Girls’ Night Out” is tonight from 6 to 9 PM.  Girls only during those hours, with drink specials, food, and prize giveaways.  Ladies, if you’re looking for somewhere to go with your best friends tonight after work, this would be a good spot.  Guys will be admitted after 9.

A big win for the Handling-Panhandling forum and the CCC’s Downtown Safety Task Force:  Over the past year we’ve repeatedly posted about one particular parking scammer who pretends that he works on the Premier lot at Main and Beale, as well as other locations around Downtown.  Well, yesterday the CCC safety director informed me that the owner of the lot swore out an Authorization of Agency against the scammer, not only for the Main/Beale lot but for 5 other Premier Parking lots Downtown.  If a police officer catches him on any of those lots in the future, he will now go straight to jail for criminal trespass.  The Downtown security patrol will carry copies of the Authorization of Agency on them at all times, so if they see him on the lots, all they have to do is make a phone call and he gets a ride to 201 Poplar.  This guy is most certainly not homeless, is usually well-dressed with neatly pressed clothes, often the same colors as the actual lot attendants.  Maybe he’ll finally move on now.

Note for people planning holiday/Christmas parties:  If at all possible, make sure everyone knows about them at least a week in advance.  If you announce a party 3-4 days before it happens, a lot of the guests are already going to be committed elsewhere this time of year.  That said, if I have any parties on the 18th to attend that I haven’t been told about, please let me know by the end of the day.  Otherwise I’m going to accept a very interesting invitation that arrived in my e-mail Inbox this morning.  (Edit: Just checked Facebook Events and remembered that’s the night of a very large, can’t-miss private party elsewhere in Downtown.)

Fun night last night!  Mpact Memphis’ holiday party was at a private residence on Mud Island, and it was a lot of fun.  It really drew upon the group’s diversity.  There were a variety of dishes, all prepared by members, which are the kind of dishes they prepare for their own holiday celebrations.  There was also a discussion of Christmas traditions observed by Mpact members, and several charities and nonprofits presented opportunities to donate in someone’s name as alternatives to traditional gift-giving.  I’ll say it once again to my friends who were active with me in Mpact in 2002-04:  It’s fun again.  Time to come back and give it another try.  I hear they’re planning a beer tasting in early ’09.  Hmmm may have to show up for that one.

As the party wound down, my friend Sam asked me, “Hey, do you want to go to the Saucer?”  Do fish like water?  So I drove back to the Downtown core and headed up there.  We hung out for a couple of hours, and I filled him in a lot of details like how I became part of the Sunday brunch crew, how my group of friends all got to know each other, etc.  Sam took off about 11, and I hung out at the bar for a little while, then my friend Kacy saw me and said to come join her group.

After a little while, someone suggested a venue change to Bardog.  I’m always up for Bardog, so I said I’d meet them there.  They took a cab from Saucer to Bardog, a 3-block trip.  Geez.  I refused to take part in the cab ride and walked there to meet them.

We ended up sitting in the corner booth near the kitchen.  Kacy and her date had been to Felicia Suzanne’s for dinner and raved about it.  “The service was impeccable,” she told me.  “We had 5 people waiting on us.  I’ve eaten there maybe 30 times and the food is always so consistently good.”

I tried to get some of the Bud Light and Miller Lite drinkers at the table to upgrade to PBR, but didn’t have much luck.  They left about 1:30 and I moved to the bar, where some of the Saucer waitresses had come for a drink after their shift ended.  One more PBR and I was home as the clock struck 2.

7 hours’ sleep and I was in front of the computer at 9 AM this morning, ready to get started on the personal finance software I plan to unveil in early January.  The program is just so brilliant.  I can’t wait to get it out there.

In summary, life is good.  I’ll probably be out somewhere tonight, not sure where.

The Memphis Flyer recently interviewed foodie/mom Patty Dougherty to get her opinion on the best brunch in Memphis.  Her response?

“Majestic Grille,” she answers without hesitation. “It’s great value, and the food is fantastic.”

Read the full article, with information on the Majestic Grille’s Dec. 20 Brunch with Santa, here.

More info on the Shrine Building resident looking for a roommate:  It’s Unit 302, and he’s asking for $800 + utilities.  Electricity averages about $100, cable about $30.  The building has a rooftop, indoor pool, and sauna.  He’s looking for someone mature and responsible who can live there about 9-12 months, preferably a male.  He doesn’t allow pets because this is a condo and pets can hurt resale value.  As I said in an earlier post, the Shrine is right in the heart of the Downtown core and is super convenient to everything.  If interested shoot me an e-mail (paul@paulryburn.com) and I’ll pass it along.

I got an answer as to what the “lose the shoes, find the pickle” slogan for the Mpact holiday party means.  It’s an Austrian and German tradition in which a pickle ornament is hidden somewhere on the Christmas tree.  Whoever finds the pickle gets a special present.  The pickle is hard to find because it’s about the same color as the tree.  Those wacky Austrians and Germans.  Other Austrian and German traditions include eating schnitzel and losing world wars.

Want to see a cool place to work?  Blogger and tech evanglist Guy Kawasaki recently visited the headquarters of Zappos, a little Internet retail startup that sells shoes and does about a billion a year in revenue.  Check out the pictures of their company HQ. This is a place I would love to work.  Some of it is perhaps a little over the top, such as the dance machine in the lobby, but there is no doubt that you would have to have a big personality to work there.  Note that they provide business books to their employees, that they have fun even with trash, and especially note how the employees are dressed.  Oh, and note that collaboration spaces are generally not boring conference rooms (although they do have one, for people who expect to see that kind of thing).  Why can’t Memphis companies be this interesting?

Still prepping for my 1:15 meeting at the Second Street branch office… I hope the Fire Sale’s good today.

Another business meeting at the Saucer today.  I’m sure that will prompt an “ugh Downtowners” comment from one of my Facebook friends again.  This one concerns the personal finance software I’ve talked about for the past week… we’re going to make plans to make final revisions and then get the program to market.  More details to come soon.  I’m excited about it because we’re going to be doing the kind of viral marketing Seth Godin talks about in his books.

B.B. King plays his club tonight.  I’ve heard the show is sold out.  The rumor is that this may be his last show, due to the fact that he’s 83 and his diabetes is getting worse.  Several celebrities are said to be attending the event tonight.  Justin Timberlake and Sheryl Crow are among the names I’ve heard dropped.

Metro Memphis got its first Panera yesterday. A location opened out in Collierville, and one is coming to Laurelwood soon.  They say they plan to eventually open 12 locations in Memphis, and I’ve heard talk that one of them may be Downtown.  I wonder how well a Panera would do in the core considering we already have Blues City Pastry… perhaps one would work well toward the north end of the core (maybe in the ground floor of the Lincoln-American Tower?) or in the Pinch, which has been hurting for a bakery/coffee shop since Cafe Francisco closed.

There’s a good article in the Commercial Appeal about Mpact Memphis executive director Gwyn Fisher.  Congrats to Gwyn on the article, and for making Mpact so much fun this year.  I’m looking forward to their “How I Holiday Bash” tonight.  “Lose the shoes and find the pickle” is the tagline for this event.  Don’t ask me; I have no idea what it means either.  The point is, it’s a party where you can share how you celebrate the holidays.  Attn ladies who have been talking about “Christmas tube tops” lately:  This would be a good chance to show them off.

Congrats to the Rapscallions who came from way behind to pick up a second-place finish in trivia last night, bringing our total to $50 for our next party.  Attn Ann: Where was your team last night?  The Weiss Asses won first place, their first trivia victory since 1856, the year that a lot of their members celebrated their 40th birthdays.  I think I’m going to start sitting at window seats, rails, and on couches more often, because I’m tired of dealing with a certain bartender.

Speaking of trivia… I’ve heard that Jillian’s has decided to increase their Thursday night trivia prizes to $100 for first place, $65 for second, and $35 for third.  Not a bad idea, considering that Thursday is a tough night to do trivia.  If they want the night to work, they need to develop a regular following before rooftop party season starts up again in April.  Since they read my blog, I’m going to point something out:  It should never ever take more than two minutes to get a beer at the bar.  If there are problems with the kegs, etc., those need to be sorted out before 7 when trivia starts, not when there are already 15 thirsty people waiting.  With several new locals’ spots open or about to open (Bardog, Voodoo Lounge @ Orleans on Front, Silly Goose), a bar with 200 beers and hot waitresses across the street, and the Rooster competing for game-watching crowds, Jillian’s cannot afford to screw up if it wants a piece of Downtowners’ business.

Panhandler alert:  There’s an extremely aggressive panhandler who goes by the initials “G.M.” who has been going around begging a lot lately.  His opening line is usually something like, “Hey, big dog.  Sir.  Sir.  Scuse me.  Sir.  Hey, look here, big time, I ain’t no bum or nothin’, I’m just trying to get me about fifteen billion dolla so I can put some fuel in my corporate jet.  Can you help me out?”  I can’t believe people are actually giving this guy money.  Of course, he goes through the usual sob story about how he’s going to turn his life around, but you can tell he’s been saying that for 20 years or more.

Time to prepare for my meeting… I can’t find the product manual, which is kind of a problem.  For those going to Mpact’s party, I’ll see you tonight.

Since it’s only the second week, I figure I’d better remind everyone that Bardog Tavern is doing Pint Night on Tuesdays now, with all ten draft beers only $3 from 7 PM to 3 AM.  That’s a discount of a buck or two on most of them.  With PBR it’s a 50 cent upcharge, so unless you really love PBR it’s a good night to drink something else.

Well, there goes my productivity for the afternoon.  Google Maps has lauched its StreetView of Memphis.  You can zoom in on your neighborhood, click the icon that looks like an orange man, and then use the arrows to take a virtual walk around.

Looks like Downtown was shot on a weekend morning, because most of the parking lots are empty.  It was probably shot at least a year ago, because the Red Rooster didn’t yet exist when I “walked” down Second.

Then I took a “walk” around the neighborhood South of the FedExForum.  Some of the bums are known to crash at a house on Allen Street – and when I “walked” down Allen, there they were on the front porch.  Virtual bums!

I’ve already had people e-mail me to say they looked for me in the window of the Flying Saucer, but it apparently hadn’t opened yet.

I got a message on Facebook this morning from a guy who lives in the Shrine Building.  His roommate just moved out and he’s looking for a new one.  Send me an e-mail at paul@paulryburn.com if interested and I’ll pass it on.

I shot him a message back asking for more details about the living space itself… will post those when I get them.  The Shrine is in the heart of the Downtown core, at Front and Monroe.  You’d be a 3-block walk from Autozone Park, less than a block walk to fine dining (Stella, Felicia Suzanne’s, McEwen’s), about 4 blocks to Beale Street and 5 to the FedExForum.  There’s a Walgreens a block away and two small grocery stores (Jack’s and Easy Way) 3 blocks away.  If you want to meet the locals, there’s a friendly bar (Bardog) across the street on Monroe.  Lots of good dining on Union and Second nearby.

After 7 years down here, I can’t imagine living anywhere but the Downtown core.  There’s no place like home.  E-mail me if interested, and I’ll try to get more details about the place.

Yesterday afternoon I updated my Facebook status to say that I had a 3 PM business meeting at the Flying Saucer.  A Germantown resident responded,

“How can you have BUSINESS meeting at the Saucer.  Ugh Downtown people!”

Well let’s see… I needed to schedule a meeting somewhere where there was Wi-Fi, so I could show my consulting client the updates I’d made on his website.  So I figured, why not meet somewhere near home where there’s not only Wi-Fi, but $2.75 Dos Equis Lager on Mondays and waitresses in short skirts.  The meeting lasted 20 minutes, we agreed upon next steps, the client wrote me a check, and suddenly my last appointment of the day was over and I had a 0 second commute to the bar for Pint Nite.  That’s how we do it Downtown.

I keep forgetting to mention in my weekly “what’s going on Monday night” posts that the Saucer has trivia at halftime of the Monday Night Football games.  I’ve been there the past two weeks and have signed up as “Paul Ryburn playing as The Rapscallions,” but they’re all football questions, not my strong suit, so I haven’t added anything to the team winnings.  I think the prizes are $25, $10, and $5 gift certificates.  Bartender Brittney announces trivia over the PA every week – she runs her mouth all the time anyway, so it’s good to see the Saucer leverage that trait into something useful.

Wow… still a slow news week.  The only new thing I really have is that Restaurant.com has another discount promotion – enter code ONLINE at checkout for 70% off through December 11.  That’ll get you $25 face-value gift certificates for $3 instead of the normal price of $10.  Discount also applies to their Dinner of the Month Club.

I guess everyone’s got holiday parties to attend, which is why there aren’t that many public events to talk about.  I’m going to Mpact Memphis’ party tomorrow night.  Saturday night I have an ugly sweater party to attend… still have to run next door to Murray’s or Jerry’s and find a sweater.

I updated my LinkedIn profile to reflect that I’m once again searching for something full-time.  I’m definitely open to short-term (1-6 month) project/contract work, although I’d consider a full-time permanent position as well if it’s with a great company.  In the meantime, I’m still open to more freelance work as well.  Currently helping a professional turn his thoughts and ideas into a website, using WordPress as the platform so he’ll be able to edit it in the future without my intervention.  I think I’m particularly good at that kind of thing – the “people” side of computing.

Also continuing work on the personal finance software I’ll soon be telling you about… listening to Seth Godin’s Tribes in audio format again, to mine the book for ideas.  I’ll be at the Saucer for trivia tonight.  Trivia starts at 7 (not 7:30 as it says on their table cards), but I’ll probably be there around 5.

Sorry for the lack of posts today, but there’s really not that much going on.

The main thing to report today is that The Dempseys will play Downtown Huey’s Sunday, December 14 at 8:30.  They always have a lot of fun on Sundays and cut loose and entertain the crowd, and the stage is right up close.  This time of year there are sure to be a few Christmas songs in their sets.  I like catching the Dempseys at the Saucer and Blues City, but in my opinion Huey’s is the best place to see them.

Let’s see what’s going on tonight:  Grizzlies vs. Houston Rockets at the FedExForum at 7; Eric Hughes plays Alfred’s; Di Anne Price plays the Westin lobby; Pint Nite at the Flying Saucer with most draft beers $2.75; unlimited bowling at Jillian’s for $10; discounts on Super Cold Coors Light, blue kamikazes, tequila shots, and wings during Monday Night Football at Big Foot Lodge; trivia night at the Blue Monkey (8 PM) and Huey’s (9 PM).

I have a business meeting at 3, which I scheduled for the Second Street Branch Office so I can begin Pint Nite a couple hours early.  I anticipate staying there until the Grizzlies crowd lets out about 9, then making the move to Bardog.

I’ve been selling cornhole games on Mid-South Alcoholic Supply for a while, and they’ve become one of the most popular items.  Cornhole is a game that is usually played outdoors, with two tilted boards or platforms, and eight bags filled with corn.  The object is to toss the bags so that they land on the platform and ideally go through the hole in the platform.  They’re a perfect game for any outdoor activity – cookouts, tailgating, yard parties, BBQ Fest.  The cornhole boards were selling so well that I decided they deserved to have their own site, which I’ve named College Logo Cornhole.

College Logo Cornhole is a storefront that sells cornhole boards imprinted with the logo of your favorite college team.  It also sells generic cornhole boards, extra corn bags, cornhole scoreboards, and drink holders for cornhole players.  Secure checkout and delivery is handled by Amazon.com. I get a report of what was sold, but I never see your name or credit card information. In exchange for referring the sales, I get commission from Amazon, which is on a sliding scale, but will probably end up being 7.5% or 8% per item sold this month.

Unfortunately, this means I’m limited to inventory that Amazon carries, and they don’t carry any Memphis Tigers cornhole items, which I think is a shame.  There are items for most other regional teams (Arkansas, Ole Miss, Vandy, Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia).

All right… with the new store announced, it’s time to brush my teeth, shave, and head to the Saucer.  I don’t feel like washing my hair, so I guess it will be a Santa hat day.