Paul Ryburn's Journal

I’ll go ahead and get the weekly Thursday night party list out of the way a day early this week:

• Gabby Johnson on the Peabody rooftop, 6-10 PM, $5 cover, ladies free til 8.
• Billy Gibson Band on the Madison rooftop, 5:30-10:30 PM
• Rooftop party on the roof of the River Inn of Harbor Town, 6:30 PM.  Also, Ladies’ Night downstairs in Tug’s casual bar & grill with half-price drinks for ladies.
• Not sure who is at EP Delta Kitchen because their web server has exceeded its bandwidth, but it’s probably the Q107.5 patio party with Garry Goin and G3, 9:30 on.
• KIX 106 Country on Beale with Jason Michael Carroll and Jypsi at Handy Park, 7 PM.  Free, all ages.  I’m not much into country music, but even I have to admit, this is a great place to see tube tops.
• Swelter at the Flying Saucer, 9:30 PM, $3 cover.
• Afterglow at the Red Rooster, ladies free all night, trip giveaways and stuff.
• Eric Hughes Blues Band at Ground Zero
• ’80s for the Ladies Night at Hollywood Disco (Raiford’s).  No cover for ladies, mixed drinks available.
• Poser Night at Club Lame… I mean, Ladies’ Night at Club Atlas
• Trivia night at TJ Mulligan’s Pinch, 8 PM

Today I learned what happens when you drive your car an average of once a month for a year… it fails inspection. The guy said I needed an oil change. Might as well get the A/C fixed while I’m at it, so I guess I’ll be making an appointment with the dealership this afternoon.

Another wine dinner to come Downtown… Currents, the fine dining restaurant at the River Inn of Harbor Town, will host a wine dinner on Wednesday, June 25 at 7:30 PM. The special dinner, featuring wines from Napa Valley, is $68 per person plus tax/gratuity. Four-course menu below:

Amuse Bouche

First Course
Seared Scallops with Asparagus, Morels and Ramps, Grapefruit Beurre Blanc

Second Course
Pan Seared Scottish Salmon, Steamed Little Neck Clams, Roasted Corn, Chorizo

Third Course
Corriander-Chili Rubbed Ostrich Loin, Celery Root-Parsnip Puree, Chanterelles, Veal Reduction, Cilantro Gremolata

Fourth Course
Cool Caramel Mousse with Cinnamon Cake, Orange Tuile

Address/phone is 50 Harbor Town Square, 901-260-3333. Ostrich loin! That’s something you don’t see every day on menus.

Got more information on the pole dancing game that is rumored to be coming out for the Wii. It will be made by Peekaboo, a company that already makes a Carmen Electra pole dancing exercise kit and DVD. However, this blog suggests that the game may be made for the Xbox rather than the Wii. Originally thought to be an April Fools’ joke, the product has been confirmed several times.

Downtown condo sales went completely down the crapper in May. According to this Memphis Business Journal article, only 8 condos were sold Downtown during the month of May, compared to 25 in May 2007 and 52 in May 2006. At the South Main Association meeting, we were told that there are 1800 condos under construction here. At May’s rate it would take almost 19 years to sell all of them… wow. Bet we see some conversions to rentals, which is a good thing because rentals are needed Downtown, especially in areas other than Mud Island.

Calhoun’s Sports Bar on GE Patterson is doing another crawfish boil at 4 PM this Sunday, June 29. I had a lot of fun at the last one. Not sure I’ll make it to this one though, since it’s a conflict with Pub Olympics at Hoop’s Bar. Either event is a winner though. Calhoun’s back patio is a great place to chill out in a tube top on a hot summer day.

I learned that Big Foot’s Canada Day celebration on Sunday, June 29 will include $2 Canadian beers. Looks like I’ll have to go back to the bank and get some more $2 bills for former BFF Meghan.

RealClearPolitics shows that the electoral map is shifting in Barack Obama’s favor… they now project the race at 258 solid or leaning Obama, 190 solid or leaning McCain, and 90 toss-ups. That means Obama would only need to win 12 of the toss-up electoral votes to become president. Recent shifts show Ohio moving from toss-up to leaning Obama, and Virginia moving from leaning McCain to toss-up. If there were no toss-up states, RCP projects Obama winning 285 to 253. Glad to see that… I had previously said I could live with either as president, but this New York Times article reveals that McCain is a lot closer to Bush than I thought on many issues, and even more conservative on some. I really don’t want him in the White House. Don’t forget, there’s a Downtowners for Obama meeting Saturday, June 28. If you’re interested please follow the link and sign up. They’ve had something like 34 responses already, so it looks like there’s a lot of support for the Democratic nominee down here.

All right… back to work. I’ll be at the Saucer laptopping from about 5 PM on. Tire Bite is the Fire Sale.

Wish I had known about this sooner… Boston Magazine’s website listed an event in the Beacon Hill neighborhood, called the Beacon Hill Beach Party, that took place last night.  If I had heard about this a week ago, I would’ve bought a plane ticket.  Why?  Because one of the featured drinks on the menu was the Tube Top Martini.  Don’t know what’s in it, but it sounds like the best drink ever!

I got on iDrink.com and searched for the martini… couldn’t find it, but I did find a recipe for a Tube Top Shot.  Here are the ingredients:

• 1 oz. Grenandine
• 1/2 oz. Orange juice
• 2 oz. Peach Schnapps
• 2 oz. Vodka

Have a chilled low ball glass and add peach schnapps, vodka, oj, and grenandine.  Take in one shot!

Attn Kacy and BFF Suzy:  Maybe we should come up with a Tube Top drink of some sort when we have our planning session for TubeTopalooza tonight.

Just got home from the Saucer.  The Rapscallions took a much-needed first place at trivia, bringing our gift certificate stash to $210.  Then I pulled out my laptop, which I brought with me, and worked on my next online store for 3 hours while listening to Leo Lazarus and a very entertaining guest singer.  The next online store is not the one I thought would be done first, which will have widespread appeal to this blog’s demographic.  However, it is an appropriate store to open around this time of year.  It’ll be up by the end of the week.

One of the waitresses at the Saucer saw my “Obama for President” sign on my blog.  She said she’s for Obama too, and wanted to know where she could get a “my daughter’s for Obama” shirt.  I surfed the web and couldn’t find one, but I had a backup plan… my friends Pete and Josh who run a screen printing business in the basement of Winfield’s (Madison at Main).  They can put most anything on a shirt.  So I gave her their number.  If you need custom Obama gear made, stop by Winfield’s (open Mon-Sat 11ish to 7) and ask for them.  They do other custom printing too, not just political stuff.

I bet they could even do an Obama tube top if you brought them one.  You can buy solid-colored tube tops here, and then take them into Winfield’s for customizing.  A friend of mine is doing an Obama meetup 3 hours before my TubeTopalooza party later this month.  One outfit, two events.

The same friend bought a Wii video game console tonight.  He told me he’s heard there’s a pole dancing game coming out for the Wii.  Is that true?  If so, I know what the next online store I build will be selling.  Plus I’ll buy a Wii myself and start inviting “friends” over to play video games.

On the way home, I ran into BFF of the Month candidate Melissa, working one of her two jobs out on a restaurant patio.  “Where did you go last night?” she asked.  “I went home and put on a tube top just for you.  But you were gone when I came back.  I had it on and got tipped $5 at the Saucer, and I don’t even work there!”

“I didn’t know you were coming back,” I replied.  “I drank 4 Flying Mooses from 6 to 7, and then three 34 oz. beers.  By 11:30 I was done.  But, if I had known you were coming back in a tube top, I would’ve stayed out until 6 AM to see it!”

Then Melissa had a brilliant idea.  “Maybe I should start carrying a spare tube top around in my purse.  That way, when I see you, I can run into the bathroom and change into it.”  That, my friends, is the voice of pure genius right there.  She earned herself massive bonus points in her quest to become BFF of the Month for July.  “And I wasn’t even trying!” she said.  That’s the best part of it all.  The best BFFs naturally know how to be great BFFs.  They don’t have to try.  Meanwhile her competition is going around naming their cats after bums.  It reminds me of when Memphis was leading Michigan State 50-20 at halftime in the NCAA playoffs.  It may not be over, but it’s going to take a superhuman effort for any of the other candidates to come out a winner.

I haven’t heard anything from Memphis in May people about the rumors about BBQ Fest.  However, I did hear from several people who heard the same thing I did, and sent me “Is this what you heard?” e-mails.  I’ll give MIM until Thursday morning to tell me what’s going on, otherwise I’m going to post what I heard.

Guess I’ll go to bed now.  Tomorrow I get to take the car in to get inspected and sit in a long line during my lunch hour.  Did I mention that I never bothered to get the A/C fixed?  Yeah tomorrow is really going to suck.

The photo album of the last night at Dan McGuinness Pub is up.  80 pictures taken Saturday night between 8:30 and 1:30.  Most were taken by Mikey the Camera Nazi.  I accidentally deleted 29 more, but most of those were ones I took Friday night and were really not that good.  I only lost two or three of the Saturday ones.  Here’s a link to the album. I’m only going to bother to post the tube top pics on the blog itself, as I have important things to do tonight, like go to the Saucer and drink beer.

Here’s a pic of Ryan and Harmony.  Harmony has a tube top on.

And here’s Meredith, with her second tube dress appearance on the blog in the same day.

BFF update:  BFF of the Month candidate Stephanie sent me pictures of her cat.  It’s a cute cat but there’s a problem… the cat’s name is June Bug.  June Bug is also the nickname of one of Downtown’s most visible panhandlers, the one who crossed the street and cussed me out Friday night as a matter of fact.  Naming your cat after a bum is not the best way to improve your BFF of the Month chances.

Time to go drink beer.  Killian’s is the Fire Sale, which Air Traffic Mike compared to turning on an episode of the Three Stooges, and hoping for a Curly episode and getting a Shemp instead.  If that’s the case then Turbo Dog would be a Joe.

These are rumors I heard last night… none of them are confirmed, mind you…

– Ruth’s Chris steakhouse is actively seeking a Downtown location. Wow, there are already a number of places to get a good steak down here – Majestic Grille, Capriccio, Butcher Shop, Texas de Brazil – but I guess they feel there’s room for one more.

– The Melos Taverna building on Madison, across from the Midtown Blue Monkey, is a possible relocation spot for Dan McGuinness Pub, which closed its Peabody Place location last weekend. Hmmm… with two bars nearby that have loyal crowds (the Monkey and Boscos) and another Irish pub less than a mile away (Celtic Crossing), I wonder if McGuinness would work in that location. Just because you own the building doesn’t mean your restaurant concept will work there (and I’m very tempted to cite a Downtown example, but I’ll refrain). I wish them the best of luck though. And I’ve also heard that a spot in the South Main area is a possibility, which would be a much better fit and is their only shot at retaining most of their former regulars.

– I’ve heard Itta Bena is trying to get finished up by 10 every night and not have a late night crowd. WHY? You have people sitting at the bar wanting to spend money… why would you want to close early? It took them months to build up a loyal Downtown crowd that hangs out there until 1, sometime 2 on the weekends, and now they’re going to turn that crowd away? Doesn’t make any sense.

– BBQ Fest. Rumors have been FLYING that the event is going to be re-configured next year. I know the Memphis in May people read this blog… what’s really going on?  Shoot me an e-mail and let me know.  Otherwise I’ll post the rumors that I’ve heard.

Hoop’s Bar will host Pub Olympics this Sunday.  Teams are still invited to enter and win bragging rights and a drunkard’s trophy by competing in a variety of drinking games.  For info on how to enter, check out their blog, The Hoop and Tony Show.

I won’t be a participant but will be there watching and cheering teams on.  If I remember correctly the games start around 1 PM and continue until sunset.

Last night was Big Foot’s 3rd birthday party, and I have to say, this was possibly the best party Big Foot has ever thrown, only rivaled by Halloween ’06.

My BFF Suzy was absolutely ROCKING a tube top last night. She’s pictured above with Shawn.

Several candidates for BFF of the Month for July, AKA BFF 3.0, were in attendance. Let’s have a look at the contenders:

Melissa: As you can see, Melis’ enjoys teaching children the names of the parts of the body, as is evidenced by the word “TITS” written on a piece of tape on her chest. You can’t see it in this picture, but she had pieces of tape reading “HAIR,” “ELBOW,” and “FOOT” elsewhere on her. She also believes in helping those less fortunate. She brought a bum in off the street and invited him to pose with her for the picture above.

Melis’ has three huge advantages in the race to be BFF of the Month for July. The third is that she is endorsed by current BFF Suzy. We were discussing last night whether she’d be BFF 2.5 or BFF 3.0 if she wins. Since she has Suzy’s blessing, it seems that she should be 2.5 since it wouldn’t be a complete overhaul (as opposed to when Suzy became BFF 2.0, and definitely did NOT have BFF 1.0’s endorsement).

Stephanie: (far left in picture above) Stephanie was a runner-up for BFF of the Month for June, and is a strong contender for July. Stephanie owns more tube tops and tube top dresses than anyone I’ve ever seen. As you can see, she also introduces me to lots of cute girls. She’s looking for a new mode of transportation from her home on Mud Island to her job at the CCC. I recommended she buy one of those motorized beer coolers and ride it to work. How Downtown would that be? If she takes me up on that suggestion I’ll just about have to appoint her the July BFF.

Meghan: Meghan was, of course, BFF 1.0 before she got kicked to the curb at the beginning of May. She’s trying to regain BFF status. I’d say she’s trying to become the Grover Cleveland of BFFs, but I doubt she knows who Grover Cleveland was.

I had several people tell me last night, “Paul, PLEASE stop being mean to Meghan.” (Although, they also admitted they enjoyed the soap opera that this blog has become.) The thing is, I don’t WANT to be mean to Meghan. I don’t hate the girl. She actually has a lot of very unique and interesting qualities that I appreciate. I would love to give her a genuine, heartfelt hug and make up. But here’s the thing – if I tried she’d go, “You want me to actually TOUCH you, Paul? That’s kinda creepy.” How can I be friends with someone who plays a character 100% of the time she’s around me? I’ve invited her to hang out in the past, but my invitations have been rebuffed (sitting at the bar at Big Foot when she’s not working doesn’t count). I don’t want to be mean to her, but all evidence suggests that being nice doesn’t work. Being mean to her and seeing how upset it makes her is the only way I can get her to reveal that she cares.

Three candidates, two weeks left to go. Will my July BFF be one of the three pictured above, or will someone else come out of nowhere to claim the title? Time will tell.

Let’s see what else we’ve got on the camera from last night…

Here’s the Nuh-Uh Girl coming back from the buffet with FIVE plates of food. And I’ve been told this was only the first of four trips she made to the buffet.

Kacy and Meredith, two frequent flyers on this blog during Tube Top Month. Attn Kacy: We’ve got to get together and plan TubeTopalooza. Time is running out.

A Saucer girl takes a break from work (not that this particular girl does much resembling “work” when she’s at the Saucer) to visit her friend Meghan at Big Foot’s bar.

Complete photo album (39 pics) here: Big Foot Lodge 3rd birthday

I still have the McGuinness photo album to put up, but it’s much larger (over 100 photos) and is still being worked on.

A friend of mine asked if I’d post this, and being a Barack Obama supporter I’m happy to do so:

What:  Downtowners for Obama

Where: The Majestic Grille

When:  Saturday, June 28, 2008 @ 3 PM (note time change from 5 PM)

Join your downtown neighbors during this historic campaign to help build a united volunteer organization in our neighborhood that will register new voters and build support locally.  We’ve had an unprecedented primary season that built a grassroots infrastructure in all 50 states — not just for Barack, but for all of the Democratic candidates.  Now it’s time to bring all of that energy together for our common cause of change.  All across the country, Democrats, Independents, and even Republicans are tired of the politics of the past and are looking for new solutions to the challenges we’re facing as a nation.

That’s why we’re launching a nationwide day of action on June 28th called “Unite for Change”.  All across the US, volunteers will host “house meetings” with the express purpose of reaching out and bringing folks together who supported all of the Democratic candidates (and those who are just tuning into the process now).

From the beginning, this campaign has been about ordinary people reaching out and building the bonds of community — empowering one another by coming together to make change.  With the general election approaching, it’s more important than ever to keep this momentum going.  No matter what your affiliation, this is a great opportunity to learn more about the candidates and their stance on some of the major issues in this campaign. 

For more information or to volunteer please email me at clay.thompson@chrobinson.com or call 901-619-7053 and leave a message.

Please RSVP to this event by following this link:  http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/4gp9k  

Before I get started:  I have two extra tickets to Big Foot Lodge’s invitation-only birthday party tonight.  BFL Buffet, music by DJ Bobby Smith, $2 “you call its” 6 to 7 PM, then $2 34 oz Coors Light, wine, and well drinks until 1 AM.  If interested shoot me an e-mail at paul@paulryburn.com.  I’ll wait a couple of hours to gauge interest, then award them.  Tickets will be handed out on the basis of 1) cute females; 2) friends; 3) first come first served, in that order.  I’ll send the winner my cell number and they can call me when they get to Big Foot and I’ll walk outside and hand them the tickets.  I’ll be there not long after 6.  Note:  I have TWO extras.  So I can’t get more people than that in, sorry.  It isn’t like BBQ Fest where people can bring an extra dozen friends and expect me to get them in the tent.

Heh… if everything is $2, maybe I’ll make a trip to the bank at lunchtime to get a stack of $2 bills to hand to the bartender, my former BFF Meghan, when I order.  Coming up with new ways to annoy her is one of my true joys in life.

So I ran home on a break from work and checked my mailbox, remembering that I ordered a new debit card about a week ago (my current one is cracked and I’m surprised it even still works).  Found lots of other interesting stuff too – I only check my mail once every couple of weeks because I’m lazy.  For one thing, I found a letter from the Peabody containing 2 VIP passes good for the remainder of the rooftop party season.  Cool!  Free admission and free drink ticket.  I guess I’ll have to start going.  I’ll have to find someone to accompany me this Thursday and use the other VIP pass, too.  Got 3 days to work on it.

Not sure if I got that because I’m a blogger, or because I joined the Peabody rooftop’s group on Facebook.  Whatever the reason, thank you!

I also got a gift box from Camel, the cigarette company.  I opened it up and it contained a gift certificate for a pack of Camel cigarettes.  “Expires 4/30/08.”  Hey, that’s just great.  They sent a non-smoker an expired coupon for a pack of cigs.  What a bunch of idiots.

Looking forward to the Big Foot party tonight.  Wonder if Big Foot regular Mendi will wear a tube top, as she did to the restaurant’s 1st birthday party, which was the night I met her now that I think about it.

Looks like they’ll also be doing a Canada Day celebration June 29, a week from Sunday.  More details on that to come.