Paul Ryburn's Journal

The info I got from a reader yesterday was incorrect… I went by Circa last night and they WERE still doing the $3 snaCks. There was some miscommunication Monday night and one of the bartenders thought they had discontinued it. But it’s still on. I had the Hawaiian big eye tuna and the beef brochet last night, both excellent.

I also had a $2.50 bottle of Corsendonk, a $2.50 Chimay White draft, and a $2.50 Chimay Red bottle. That’s right, $2.50 for CHIMAY. Circa will be seeing more of me on Tuesdays in the future. Probably other days of the week too. I want to try their other happy hour specials. And I want to EAT there too – not just snaCks but dinner!

The Rapscallions took second place in trivia last night. Pete the Trivia Guy wants to let everyone know that there WILL be trivia next Tuesday night, which is Christmas. Saucer opens at 5 that night.

Below is a picture of New Guinea, the second largest island in the world, split by the countries of Indonesia and Papua New Guinea.

Does anyone else think it looks a lot like Meatwad from the TV cartoon Aqua Teen Hunger Force? Seriously, put a couple of eyes and a mouth on it and it’s totally Meatwad… if I had a little more time this morning I’d Photoshop it.

I’ve been told that the neon signs are now hanging in the new Downtown Blue Monkey location. Hopefully that means they’re getting close.

Been making a lot of fun of people who hang out at the Cordova Fox & Hound lately… well, this morning I hit their website and took a look at their “December Favorites.” One of the products they’re pushing hard this month is BUD LIGHT. Oh. Okay. Now I get why people go there. Who wouldn’t get all excited about a bar that features Bud Light as one of its most outstanding offerings? John D: “Wha… Wha happened? Paul, can you give me driving directions to Cordova?”

However, I’ll be at Circa this evening, where I’ll be able to get a beer that actually has FLAVOR for $2.50 during their happy hour. Here’s a list of the beers they carry, all of which are on the special.

Woodchuck Draft
Yazoo Pale Ale
Anchor Steam
Spaten Lager
Chimay Peres Trappistes
Abita Light
Wild Hop
Warsteiner
Grolsch Blonde
Stella Artois
Xingu
Tiger
Harbin
Blanche de Chambly
Paulaner Hefe Weizen
Stone Mill Pale
North Coast Prankster
Theakstons Old Peculiar
Tillman’s Dutch Brown
Guinness

(Corrected correction: I had been told that the $3 snaCks had been discontinued. That’s not true. They’re still there!)

Happy hour runs from 4 to 7, but I’ll be there from the time I get off work (5ish) until I have to leave to do trivia night at the Saucer (6:40ish). Here’s a picture from the future (did you know this blog was clairvoyant?), from about 9:00 this evening, of Pete the Trivia Guy announcing the Rapscallions as the first-place team.

Born on this day: Pro wrestler “Stone Cold” Steve Austin (1964) and singer Christina Aguilera (1980). Also my next-door neighbor in the dorm in college, who got his 15 minutes of fame on the cover of the Memphis Flyer last week.

Time to hit Publish and go to work. It’s going to take at least a liter of Mountain Dew to turn me into a productive human being this morning.

As usual, I’ll hit Pint Nite tonight at the Saucer for $2.50 drafts. However, I’m also going to get in on some $2.50 beer for a little while tomorrow night as well.

You see, on Tuesday nights, Circa runs a happy hour special of $2.50 for all beers. They’ve got some nice ones on the list – some that not even the Saucer carries (Abita Light, Wild Hop, Tiger, Harbin, Stone Mill Pale), and some that the Saucer does carry but doesn’t sell for $2.50 on Pint Nite (Stella Artois, Chimay, Blanche de Chambly). I e-mailed owner/chef John Bragg and asked if there were any restrictions, and he said no, as of right now all the beers on the list go for $2.50 during Tuesday happy hour.

They also have “snaCks” (small appetizers) on sale for $3 during Happy Hour and I’ll try a couple of those as well. Check my November 27 post for a list of snaCks as well as a list of all of Circa’s happy hour specials during the week.

Of course, about 6:30ish I’ll have to leave to hit the Saucer for trivia. There’s no Grizzly or Tiger game tomorrow night, so I won’t have to get there early to hold the team’s spot in a crowded bar environment.

Anyone who wants to join me tomorrow night from 5ish to 6:30ish is welcome to do so… heck, you’re welcome to come over to the Saucer and play trivia too.

Just made my morning run to Jack’s for Mountain Dew. On the way back I heard yelling as soon as I stepped out of the store, coming from about a block away. And sure enough, as I passed Court Square, one of the bums was yelling at the top of his lungs. He had his shirt off (the current temperature is 29F) and alternated between trying to pick a fight with the three other bums in the park and dancing. Someone must’ve had some good crack for sale this morning. Or meth. I gave him an extremely wide berth as I hurried back to my apartment building. Last night a friend posed the question, which power would I rather have – invisibility, or flight? This morning I sure would’ve voted for invisibility.

Sunday Fun Day: Brunch at McGuinness at 11, then the usual move to the Saucer around 1 with a full day of drunken stupidity to follow. Here’s what Sunday brunch crew member Pete will be thinking this afternoon:

Had dinner at Bluefin with my friends Clay, Yoko, and Otto tonight. I ordered two Coronas, and when the check came I saw that they were $3.50 each. That’s a perfectly reasonably price to pay for a Corona. That’s why Bluefin will likely see more of me in the future and certain other “upscale” restaurants in the area will not.

The sushi was delicious. I don’t know why I don’t go there more often – I really like Bluefin. (This sentiment was echoed by the other members of the group). I had the Hurricane roll (a fried tempura roll) and the Jacksonville roll. Both were outstanding.

My favorite blogger/MILF replied to my last post, letting me know that my accusation of her surfing guys’ bar tabs is off-base; she gets free drinks out in East Bumblefuck because she’s friends with the bartenders and tips them well. Fair enough. I’m still going to make fun of her for hanging out at the Fox though.

The parade was miserable due to the weather. I snapped a few pics of the scooter club and of Shawn from Big Foot riding in a Corvette and holding a 4 lb. Sasquatch burger. Will post them later.

Taking a quick break to check my e-mail and social networking messages. There’s a private party going on but it’s close to a mile from where I live and I don’t feel like walking that far, or taking the trolley. Most likely I’ll end up at Hoop’s Bar again.

Been going crazy on Facebook this morning, making tons of add friend requests. I wish I had more time to play around on Facebook… I’m starting to see why people get addicted to it.

Whew… by the end of next week I am going to be a ZOMBIE. I have 5 Christmas parties to go to within a 48-hour time span. Going to the party at Hoop’s Bar on Wednesday night, and am so excited about that one that I’m going to skip the Saucer and take a nap from 5 to 10 so I can stay up way late. Thursday I have my apartment building’s Christmas party, and a private party being held at a local restaurant. Then Friday I have my company’s Christmas party at Earnestine & Hazel’s at 5 (Soul Burgers!!!!! Yay!), and then a Sleep Out’s reunion party/Christmas party at the other end of Downtown. I have a feeling there may be photo albums of the Hoop’s Bar party and Sleep Out’s reunion party, especially if the Camera Nazi gets a hold of my camera.

Last night I went to the Russwood Park Grill inside the Holiday Inn, where Pam from Pam and Terry was celebrating her birthday. Terry and guest musicians played while Pam wandered the room and caught up with friends. After that I went to the Saucer, where the gang was hanging out throwing darts. What’s up with the Saucer bringing waitresses in from the East Bumblefuck location? Anyway, I had two beers there, then went to Hoop’s Bar, where I tired out quickly. By midnight I was DONE. Too bad because EP’s next door seemed to be filling up with a very nice-looking crowd.

Plans for today: Pre-parade drinking at the Saucer; Christmas parade on Beale Street at 4; a private party somewhere Downtown after that. If I run into my favorite blogger/MILF at the parade I’ll try to get a pic of her so y’all can see what she looks like.

Oh! My favorite blogger/MILF responded to me making fun of her for hanging out at the Fox & Hound in East Bumblefuck: “And yep, the Fox is pretty bad. But not bad enough to convince me to drive all the way downtown, pay to park, have to spend money on my drinks (because in the Dirty Dova I don’t usually pay for anything), and then figure out how the heck I’m gonna get back to the house.” So my favorite blogger/MILF is a LIQUOR PIMP! Ha. Meaning, a girl who surfs guys’ bar tabs all night. Actually, my favorite blogger/MILF is cool enough that I WOULD buy her drinks if she came down here and hung out. Ain’t driving her ass back to Cordova though.

Flipping through the Flyer trying to find stuff to recommend for tonight… wow, there’s really not much going on. Everyone’s got private Christmas parties to go to, I guess. FreeWorld is playing the Saucer. One of my readers messaged me on MySpace to remind me that the Dr. Feelgood Potts band at Blues Hall is always a good time, and she specifically complimented the bartenders there.

Coming soon: New Year’s Eve recommendations.

Heavy rain is predicted for tomorrow. However… it looks like the Downtown Christmas parade may be able to proceed nonetheless. The Weather Channel’s daily forecast for tomorrow predicts rain at 6, 9, and 12, but none from 3 PM forward. Parade is at 4. Hopefully it’ll be okay. I have several friends riding in the parade, including my friends who own scooters and my favorite blogger/MILF’s daughter.

Dayum… my favorite blogger/MILF just posted a new profile pic on her blog and she looks HOT. Wish I could convince her to start hanging out in better venues… the East Bumblefuck Fox & Hound? Really? Isn’t that just about scraping the bottom of the barrel in the bar scene?

I think I’ll change my profile pic today too. The current one is from July ’06 and was taken at the Tap Room, where I rarely hang out anymore.

Other than that, not much news to report. They’re thinking about getting PBR cans at Hoop’s Bar. That’s the only thing I know of. Those of you who send me stuff to post – this would be an excellent time to get your stuff on my blog. I have writer’s block today for some reason.

No idea what I’ll get into tonight. Saucer crowd sucks on Fridays (especially when there’s a Grizzlies game at the Forum) so Hoop’s Bar will probably be my default, unless other plans come along. If anything interesting is happening shoot me an e-mail (paul@paulryburn.com) and let me know.

If you want to read some thoroughly entertaining stuff, check out Thaddeus Matthews’ blog, particularly the post for Sunday, December 9 and the post immediately above it. Apparently a local preacher – the one who built the giant “Statue of Liberation in Christ” out in East Memphis – gave a sermon on “How to keep your husband so the hoe don’t get him.” According to Thaddeus, the pulpit was transformed into a bedroom, and the preacher and his wife put on a show for the congregation. Check his post for complete, graphic details.

I can’t possibly come up with anything to blog today that’s as entertaining.

Plans for this evening:

5 PM: Come home from work and take a NAP!

7:30 PM: Hit the Saucer for a beer. I’m only staying for one before I move on to the next stop. 30 minutes should be plenty to drink one beer, especially now that I no longer have to interrupt my drinking to run across the street and get ranch.

8:00 PM: Hoop’s Bar/EP’s. Don’t forget, you can listen to Q107.5 today and learn how to score free drinks and food at EP’s from 8 to 9 tonight. Also, I’ve been told that house band Garry Goin and G3 will have a very special guest singing with them tonight. Hopefully the early nap will let me go a little longer into the night than usual.

Possibly next up: My thoughts on the Presidential race.

On the way home last night, I stopped by Big Foot for Paul’s Drunkass Food, and while there I took a look at the menu for these new 34-ounce mixed drinks they’re selling for $9.99. Here’s a list:

Goombay Smash – this is the one they’ve always had, with 5 different rums, sloe gin and pineapple juice.

Big Foot Long Island Tea – the usual ingredients, except it’s 34 ounces. Think about how messed up a regular-sized 12 oz. Long Island Tea can get you and then multiply by almost three. Scary.

Maple Leaf – rats, I can’t read the notes I took on this one. Looks like it involves whiskey, spiced rum, Southern Comfort, banana liqueur, and two other ingredients I can’t read. I think I wrote “cranberry” for one of them but not sure.

Blue Anchor – I can’t read the ingredients on this one either but it says it’s a “sorority favorite.” I’d definitely like to be in Big Foot when sorority girls come in and get drunk on these enormous drinks. Okay, I think two of the ingredients are Skyy Orange Vodka and Blue Curacao.

40 Tea – Forty Creek Canadian whiskey from the north and sweet tea from the south. I can’t recall ever seeing sweet tea as a drink ingredient, but then I usually drink beer.

Aboinable Bloody Mary – this one shouldn’t need explanation.

Yowie Margarita – nor should this one.

If you go in and try these, it would definitely be a good idea to have transportation lined up in advance. You may also want to stop by Walgreens and buy some of those hangover remedies they sell, because you’re going to need them if you mess around with these drinks.

Trivia sucked last night… we did horrible. It was a Grizzlies game night and it got super crowded, which I hate. I think I’m going to keep a Grizzlies schedule in my wallet and make it a point to stay out of the Saucer on those nights. Plus those people drank up all my Dos Equis Special Lager and about 10:30 they switched the Fire Sale to Dos Equis Amber. If I start with Amber I’ve got no problem with it, but switching from Special Lager to Amber at that point in the evening was a little more than my stomach could take. So I gave up about 11:00 and went home. So much for my plan to last until close.

At least that allowed me to get plenty of sleep, a good thing since I’m finally being assigned projects at work, rather than just being told “look through the code.” I’m converting existing VB.NET files to C#, and it really isn’t hard at all. Maybe it’s because I have this book

which makes C# easy to understand. If you know Java or VB.NET and are looking to learn C#, this is the book for you.

The Second Street Shoppers convenience store (99 S. Second across from the Peabody) is now selling beer.

Plans for tonight: Heck, I don’t know. Possibly I may end up at McGuinness at some point. I had a great time in there last Wednesday. Or Hoop’s Bar, since I have a great time in there every night.

Back to work.

The annual Downtown Christmas parade happens this Saturday at 4 PM on Beale Street. All the usual stuff – floats, marching bands, scooters, people throwing candy, and of course, Santa. Always a good time. I plan on getting there about 3, getting a Call-a-Cab to go from Wet Willie’s, and then staking out my spot. Usually I stand somewhere in the vicinity of the Black Diamond. This year I’ve been tasked with taking pictures of people I know in the parade, so I won’t be fighting for candy and beads as much as usual.

In other Downtown news… I heard from one of my blog readers that Big Foot Lodge is now selling 34 oz. mixed drinks for $10. STIFF drinks like Long Island teas. I need to go investigate this for myself, but since I have an AM conference call this morning I knew better than to go into Big Foot last night.

I’ve heard that two bums were arrested over the weekend for running parking lot scams near Main and Beale. Glad to see the cops are starting to clean that up. Two down, many more to go. There are at least 5 or 6 regulars who are down there every day illegally charging for parking. Premier Parking at Main and Beale continues to be the biggest problem, because some of the attendants let the panhandlers help out, which gives them a sense of legitimacy.

More bum info… I walked past Walgreens a few times yesterday. The first two times, the same crew that is ALWAYS hanging out there was in their usual spot, begging passersby. The third time I walked by, there were two cop cars outside and the Walgreens manager was talking to the police. Good job. The Walgreens people have been participating on the Handling-Panhandling list and are being a lot more proactive in their attempts to eliminate panhandling in front of their store.

A little birdie told me that Dos Equis Special Lager will be the $2.75 Fire Sale at the Saucer today. Oh YEAHHH. I think I may hand the team captainship/power of the pen over to one of the other trivia team members for the evening so I can focus on beer. Let’s see… if I get there at 5 and the Saucer closes at 1, that gives me 8 hours. Plenty of time. Of course, with my luck they’ll probably run out and switch the Fire Sale to Turbo Dog.

According to the Weather Channel, today the high will be 77 and the low 59. Guess I’ll be wearing shorts tonight then. Maybe I’ll even put on a Hawaiian shirt. In December.

Time for work.