Paul Ryburn's Journal

I’ve been given permission to provide more details about why we had a private party Friday night at a friend’s house.  I hinted that it was a celebration of sorts.  Here’s what we were celebrating:  The night before, Thursday, Valentine’s Day, my friend Clay (pictured below, at left, green shirt)

proposed to his girlfriend Jessica (pictured above at right, black top, referred to as Yoko on this blog up until now).  I won’t give all the details (you can ask them) but it happened upstairs at the Majestic Grille and Jessica had absolutely no idea it was going to happen.

I mentioned that we had a storyteller who brought tears to all of our eyes.  That storyteller would be Clay, filling us in on how the proposal happened from start to finish.

Here’s Jess showing off the ring:

Needless to say we are all thrilled for them.  If ever there was a couple that was meant to be married it’s these two.

Major props to the Majestic, by the way, on helping him pull all this off.  Jessica thought they were just going there for a simple dinner; in fact, she was mad at Clay at the time because she thought he had forgotten to bring her Valentine’s Day gift home from work.  But really, hours and and hours of planning went into the evening, and the folks at the Majestic played their parts perfectly.  The Majestic’s owners were thrilled that Clay selected their restaurant as the place to propose, and the fact that they went so far out of their way to make the evening unforgettable (including a special chef-designed menu for the newly engaged couple) only adds to my already stellar opinion of their restaurant.

6:49 PM.  Home from the Saucer taking a break, eating a little, drinking a Mountain Dew so I can get my second wind and go back out for more Saucer, Beer Pong at Hoop’s, and Calhoun’s.  I’ve already done my three for the day so here’s my beer report:

Previous total:  $214.25

Beers 40, 41, and 42 (but 37, 38, and 39 according to the Saucer):
Avery White Rascal Fire Sale $2.75
He’Brew Genesis Ale $4.25
Pyramid Curve Ball $4.00
Tip $11 x ~30% = $4.00
Total:  $15.00

Grand total:  $229.25

Manager Katie told me she selected the Fire Sales all of this week, and in my opinion senior management needs to make that her permanent assignment, as she has done the best job selecting Fire Sales in many, many weeks.

About to head back up there.  Meghan’s mini-me is working tonight.  Just thought I’d throw that out there, since I know several of the guys in my group are big fans of the mini-me.  Mini-me thinks it’s “ridiculous” that she doesn’t get a real name on this blog.  Well, go get a marriage proposal from a great guy (like Yoko did) or win $47,000 on a game show (like the Nuh-Uh Sister did) and maybe you’ll get a real name.

Oh my God.  Air Traffic Mike wasn’t kidding.  It was an ENTIRE CHICKEN.

Let me explain:  I went out late Saturday afternoon, starting at the usual place.  Around game time (the Tigers played UAB at 7) I was getting hungry, so I decided to have dinner at the Majestic and watch the game at the bar.  I remembered Air Traffic Mike telling me to order the garlic chicken the next time I went in – he said it was a meal and a half and a value at $16.  So that’s what I ordered and this came out:

He wasn’t kidding when he told me it was an entire chicken, with a generous amount of green beans on the side and their mashed potatoes.  That’s the Majestic for you – way more food than you would expect for the price.  And GOOD food too.

A Jack Russell terrier has been found on Main Street.  A couple found him on the Main Street Mall after eating dinner at Sauces.  He was barking at a carriage driver, terrifying the horse.  After he almost got hit by a trolley, the couple picked him up and tried for the next hour to locate his owner without success.  This is clearly someone’s pet – he’s a friendly fellow, neutered, clean and well fed.  The couple has put up FOUND posters in the area and is anxious to return him to his owner.  A picture of him is below.  If you recognize this dog, e-mail me (paul@paulryburn.com) and I’ll get the couple’s cell number to you.  All three of the bars I plan on hitting today have Wi-Fi so I’ll be able to check my e-mail on my phone throughout the day.

Memphis Limelight, Downtown’s local humor website in the style of “The Onion,” has posted its own “Hotties” in response to this week’s lead article in the Flyer.  Limelight is usually pretty bizarre, but no more so bizarre than the Flyer itself was this week.

I’ve learned of an available position converting Access/VB databases to Oracle and creating workflow and repository setup in something called Documentum, whatever that is.  Position is at a very large shipping company that employs tens of thousands of Memphians.  If interested e-mail me and I’ll put you in touch with the recruiter.

That game last night was SCARY.  Tigers were down 77-70 with 1:23 left, and were down 78-76 with 15 seconds left.  But CDR hit a shot with 6.5 left and drew a foul.  Amazingly, he made a free throw – that’s right, a member of the Memphis Tigers team MADE A FREE THROW – and the Tigers’ defense held off UAB for the remainder of the clock to win 79-78.  UAB hit a basket as time expired, but a replay showed that the ball had not left the player’s hands at the buzzer.  The UAB fans were so ticked off at being robbed of their chance to beat #1 that they started throwing things at the Tigers as they headed to the locker room, nearly provoking a fight with Joey Dorsey.

If I were Coach Cal I’d hire a sports psychologist, maybe even a hypnotist, to get inside the Tigers’ heads and find out why they’re so terrible at free throws.  It’s amazing that we can be #1 in the nation and have one of the lowest free-throw percentages in the NCAA.  If we don’t win the title this year that will surely be a factor.

After watching the game at the Majestic, I moved on to Hoop’s Bar.  Drank PBR cans, hung out until about 12 then called it an early night.

Tonight, on the other hand, WON’T be an early night for me, as it’s the Sunday of a 3-day weekend.  Usually the Sunday schedule looks like this:

Brunch at Majestic/McGuinness 11-1 -> Saucer 1 until I get bored or close

However, this week I’m thinking of adding a third place to the agenda… hmmm, where can I find a place that stays open 3 hours later than the Saucer and has $1.50 PBR and a familiar bartender?   So today’s plans:

Brunch at Majestic 11-1 -> Saucer 1 to close -> Calhoun’s 12 to 3

As always, plans are tentative and subject to change if something more interesting comes along.  If I get bored at Saucer maybe I’ll throw “Sunday Beer Pong at Hoop’s” into the mix before heading to Calhoun’s.

Beer report:

Previous total:  $194.00

Beers 37, 38, and 39 (but 34, 35, and 36 according to the Saucer):
Sierra Nevada Brown Fire Sale $2.75
Build Your Own Flight $8.50 (counts as one beer): 5 oz. tasters of

• Dos Equis Special Lager
• Leinenkugel Sunset Wheat
• Woodchuck Pear Cider
• Bridgeport IPA
• Warsteiner

Beck’s Dark bottle $4.00
Tip:  $15.25 x ~30% = $5.00
Total:  $20.25

Grand total:  $214.25

Time to answer a few e-mails and then brunch it up!

If you’re here to read wild stories about last night at the bars, sorry… I’m going to disappoint you this time. There was a private party among my group of friends. Now, sometimes the group plans stuff and I’m like, “Eh… I’m going to do my own thing, you guys have fun.” And then there are other nights when they plan stuff and I’m thrilled to be there, and wouldn’t imagine being anywhere else. This night was in the latter category. We had great food (thanks Air Traffic Mike) and a storyteller who told a story that nearly brought tears to my eyes. What a great night. A few pics:

Here’s a pic of the Nuh-Uh Girl eating.

 

I don’t know what was going on here.

 

Skippy and Air Traffic jamming out.

 

The Nuh-Uh Sister: Going…

… going…

… gone.

 

Group photo of the last ones standing.

 

Sorry, no public photo album for this one.  Rapscallions:  I uploaded the pics to our shared online file folder.  If you don’t know how to access that folder contact me.  I’ve already run them through Picasa to rotate where needed, fix bad lighting, and delete bad pics of me.

The Nuh-Uh Sister and Mini-me from the Saucer should start a club for people who hate their nicknames.  Both of them have nicknames that are extensions of other people.  Both are known to say, “I have a NAME!  It’s _____.”

Speaking of the Saucer, let’s get the beer report out of the way.

Previous total:  $178.25

Beers 34, 35, and 36 (but 31, 32, and 33 according to the Saucer’s computer):
Lindeman’s Framboise draft $5.50
Abita Root Beer $3.50
Rogue Bullfrog Fire Sale $2.75
Tip:  $11.75 x ~ 30% = $4.00
Total:  $15.75

Grand total $194.00

Yesterday was a rarity in that the three beers that counted toward my plate were the only three beers I drank there.

I had a weird dream last night.  I felt like I was watching an old ’30s B/W movie and they were talking about the wheel of fortune spinning and no one can stop it.  Not the TV show, but some sort of astrological wheel of fortune.

Those of you who watch basketball at Calhoun’s:  Be aware that tonight’s Memphis Tigers at UAB game will NOT be carried there.  It’s the only remaining game of the season that won’t be carried.  They do, however, have plenty of other good games on today thanks to ESPN Full Court Package.  Check their MySpace page for listings.  I checked and found that the Tiger-UAB game will be carried on CSS tonight at 7.  That’s why Calhoun’s doesn’t carry it – CSS is a Comcast channel and they have satellite.

New to Calhoun’s this week:  A digital jukebox.

In the news:  Strip club owner Ralph Lunati, who owned Platinum Plus and other clubs, will serve 18 months in prison for promoting prostitution in the form of onstage sex shows.  It’s a federal sentence so there is no possibility of parole.

The lens cap on my digital camera won’t close.  It may be on its last legs, but I’ve said that before.  That camera seems to be indestructible.

No plans for today… I’ll probably go knock off my 3 beers for the day sometime around 4 PM.  After that, anything goes.  The only definite plan I have this entire 3-day weekend is brunch tomorrow at the Majestic at 11:30.  With no work on Monday, it’s looking to be an extra-long Sunday Fun Day tomorrow.

Time to publish this thing and get some laundry done.

Blogging from the Saucer today at lunch… having a Lindeman’s Framboise and the Abita Root Beer as my plate beers.  I’ll come back after work and knock off the third one, but I don’t anticipate a long stay here tonight.

Blue Man Group will perform their new show “How to be a Megastar” on April 6 at the DeSoto Civic Center.  Blue Man Group is awesome… I may actually have to get in the car and drive for that one.

I shudder at the thought of getting in the car.  I’ve driven it 3 times since the beginning of calendar 2008.  It’s covered in dust due to construction going on in the building next door to the parking garage.  The upholstery is falling apart inside.  There are drink bottles lying around from back when I worked at the City Schools (a job I quit last June).  The air conditioner has gone out and I’m too lazy to take it to the dealership and get it fixed.  Life is really going to suck if I don’t get that done in the next month.  It’s out of windshield wiper fluid too.  I just ignore the stupid thing because I hate driving.  But it occurs to me, if I ever had a date outside of the Downtown area I would be SO embarrassed.  Of course, I try as hard as possible to stay Downtown, but I gotta admit, The Cove would be a cool place to take a date, and that would require a car.

Having the chicken quesadilla for lunch.  The waitress who calls me her “BFF” is working.  She’s not my waitress though… I’ve got the sweetie who worked our last Rapscallion party, so I’m getting food without the ‘tude.  “BFF” girl claims I mention her in every post.  I just did a count and in the last 20 posts (not counting this one) she’s been mentioned exactly 3 times.  15%.  By comparison Bud Light connoisseur John D has been mentioned in 4 of the last 20.  She wants so desperately to believe she’s my first, my last, my everything, and she’s actually not even as popular as John D.  Sad.

Rogue Bullfrog is the Fire Sale, in case you’re curious.

In honor of Valentine’s Day yesterday, I read the Wikipedia entry on Casanova, known the world over as one of the great lovers of women of all time, and a consummate seducer.  Interesting article… if you read it all the way down, you’ll read that the player got played a few times by women even more manipulative than he.

I forgot to mention that I had a great lunch at Circa yesterday with awesome company.  Really enjoyed it.  I haven’t been in Circa in two weeks, since I started this second-plate thing.  I need to make an appearance at House’s bar sometime soon.  Blast, I just realized, now Itta Bena’s Downtown Night is competing with Circa’s wine flight night!  That’s going to be a tough choice to make!  This is what is referred to as a high-class problem to have.

Time flies when you’re watching waitresses walk around.  Time to get back to work.  Three-day weekend for me, starting in four hours!

Hope everyone had a good Valentine’s Day. I spent the evening with the one I love… beer. Beer report to come later in this post.

Memphis in May is looking to house a grad student who will serve as their intern from March to May. The intern is a 24-year-old male from Izmir, Turkey, and they are looking for an empty apartment or condo, or an extra bedroom to rent out. Somewhere on the Downtown trolley line would be ideal. MIM can pay up to $600 per month rent, plus they will have extra money for him to spend on food in a shared situation. If you have space to offer call 525-4611 ext. 107. Since I only have a 1 BR apartment I won’t be able to help house this guy. However, if in the future MIM needs to house several female Romanian grad students, then I’ll be able to find plenty of room.

The Westin invites you to “Unwind Time” tonight from 5:30-7:30. It’s the second installment of their blues night, and this week Eric Hughes will play the guitar and harmonica in traditional blues fashion. The event will take place in their lobby bar.

Yesterday I received an e-mail about an additional apartment site for Downtown – rent38103.com. Looks like they specialize in high-end rentals. I’ll add it to the “Apartments” page today.

Cirque de Soleil comes to the FedExForum next Wednesday and Thursday for their “Saltimbanco” performance.  Here’s an article by CA writer Skippy Blank about the show.

Here are the pics I took at Itta Bena’s Downtown Night on Wednesday. First, a couple of shots of the complimentary appetizers they put out:

And here are a couple of pics of the gang at the bar at Itta Bena, including the shot of Yoko taking a photo of me taking a photo of her.

And now, we come to the part of the blog that everyone has been waiting for – the beer report.  Since I saved a heck of a lot of money last night by not having a girlfriend to take out for Valentine’s Day, I treated myself to some high-priced beers.

Previous total:  $149.50

Beers 31, 32, and 33 (but 28, 29, and 30 according to the Saucer):
Flying Dog Tire Bite, on Fire Sale $2.75
Duvel $7.00
Lindeman’s Peche $12.00
Tip $21.75 x ~30% = $7.00
Total:  $28.75

Grand total:  $178.25

All the Lindeman’s beers are really good, although at $12 they’re not something you’d want to drink all afternoon.

Going to make a special lunchtime trip to the Saucer today to knock out Abita Root Beer and maybe a couple of nonalcoholic beers.  Yeah, I have to drink those too.  By getting them done at lunch that’ll free me up to go elsewhere tonight if I so desire.  I’ll take the laptop with me, so a lunchtime post is a possibility.

Several of my friends and I ventured over to Itta Bena for their Wednesday Downtown Night, and I gotta give it an A+.  The people who work there went out of their way to make us feel at home, and the drinks were good.  And the complimentary appetizers they put out – WOW!  There was salmon and cream cheese and capers and crackers, and they also put out an antipasto dish and a cheese spread that looked like it had artichoke hearts in it.  I got pictures but I’m on a real short time frame this morning before I have to get to work.  Will post them later this week, or maybe I’ll wait ’til next Wed to post them as a reminder.  Got a couple of great crowd shots too, including a pic of Yoko taking a pic of me from the other side of the room.

Itta Bena is going to become a regular Wednesday night stop, I predict.

After that, went to the Saucer to watch the game.  It was a Mexican-themed beer night for me:

Previous total:  $134.50

Beers:
Dos Equis Amber Fire Sale $2.75
Modelo Especial bottle $4.00
Corona Light bottle $4.25
Tip:  $11 x ~30% = $4.00
Total:  $15.00

Grand total:  $149.50

The high point of the evening occurred after I finished my 3 plate beers.  It wasn’t the Valentine’s Day glass (I didn’t buy one) or the Tiger victory.  No, the high point of the evening occurred when they ran out of Dos Equis Amber and had to switch the Fire Sale to DOS EQUIS SPECIAL LAGER!!!!!  Suddenly what I intended to be an early night became a late one.  The waitress who calls me her “BFF” had my tab and got off early, and politely requested me to close her tab by saying “PAY!!!”  I’d call that the rudest close-out request ever, but since The Romanian Sensation used to work at the Saucer it’s not even close.  My BFF was probably shocked that I didn’t come over to McGuinness to hang out after she got off.  Sorry, babe… Special Lager > you.

Finally going to get to try Circa for lunch today.  Looking forward to that.

GO GET A COPY OF THE FLYER NOW.  YOU ARE NOT GOING TO BELIEVE WHO’S ON THE COVER.  Yes I know it’s the middle of the day and many of you are at work.  I don’t care.  Take a 10-minute break and go find a box.  Seriously.

I’ll give you a hint:  It’s a member of my trivia team, and it’s not me.

Got a couple of day-before-VDay notes to pass along.  The Memphis Flyer’s “Hotties” issue comes out today, where they name the hottest males and females in the city.  This year they’re throwing a big party to celebrate the issue, and inviting the hotties and their readers.  They’re handing out free appetizers (including oysters) and making a special Hotties cocktail to get everyone in the mood.  It will be at The Cove tonight from 7 to 9.

To get to The Cove, take Sam Cooper Blvd. to Hollywood.  Turn north on Hollywood (which would be a left turn if you’re coming from Downtown) then take an immediate turn to the east (right) on Broad.  Broad is only like a half block north of Sam Cooper; if you’re on Hollywood and you hit Summer you went too far.  The Cove is a couple blocks down from Hollywood on Broad.  If you’ve never been to The Cove you should go.  Really cool spot.  You can read about it in this post about my recent field trip there.

Attn Johnny Cash fans:  The buy-the-beer, keep-the-glass glass tonight at the Flying Saucer is a special Valentine’s Day glass featuring a young Johnny Cash and June Carter.  This looks like one of the cooler designs they’ve had in a while.  They go on sale at 7.  Also, if you’re a UFO Club member, the “Important Beer Goddess Video” they e-mailed contains a beer quiz for a $5 gift certificate.  Remember, if you’re taking the quiz you’re already on the Internet – so you can pop open a new window or tab and use Google or Wikipedia to cheat.

Tigers vs. Houston tonight at 8.  This is one of the few opponents in Conference USA that is not a complete joke of a team, so we better be prepared if we want to remain #1.  If we lose it’ll doubly suck because Duke would take our top spot.  Have I mentioned I hate Duke?

Last night’s beers 25, 26, and 27:

Previous total:  $121.25

Beers:
Blue Moon FINALLY A DECENT FIRE SALE!!! $2.75
Labatt Blue draft (I screwed up – meant to get the bottle) $4.25
Miller Lite bottle $3.25
Tip $10.25 x ~30% = $3.00
Total $13.25

Grand total:  $134.50

Now up to 3 beer tickets that have gotten lost… so I claim I’m at 27 and the Saucer claims I’m at 24.  Now, I’ve been meaning to take the list of beers I’ve had in and see if I can get those three credited back… and because they know me well, they’d probably give them to me.  But, you know, if I want this to be a true, accurate reflection of the cost of getting a plate, maybe I shouldn’t get those beers credited back.  Lost beers are part of the cost most people would encounter en route to finishing.

One of the trivia questions last night was “Two of the major companies that provide credit reports are Equifax and Experian.  What’s the third?”  Haha… sometimes it’s nice to work for a company that sells background checking services.  (The answer is Trans Union by the way – and that’s not my company)  I need to do a post about my company sometime.  I’ve avoided mentioning them by name because I don’t know if they want their good name associated with drunk posts, bums, Tube Top Month and all the other idiocy that goes on here.  But it’s a really cool startup company and some BIG names in the IT business are involved.

Speaking of which, it’s time to get to work.  But before I do, let me announce the winner of trivia last night.  That would be none other than THE RAPSCALLIONS!!!  We tied for first place and then won the tie-breaker question to get our first $50 toward Rapscallion Party VII.

Just received word that Itta Bena, the chic new restaurant on the third floor of BB King’s (Beale at Second), is starting a Downtowner Night every Wednesday from 5 to 8.  Complimentary tapas and $5 wells and specialty drinks.  They are calling this “the place to be” for all who live, work, and/or play Downtown.

This sounds like something I may have to put on the schedule for tomorrow.  Always fun to meet my Downtown neighbors.

ArtsMemphis is sponsoring a web-based contest for budding filmmakers.  Submit a video of no more than 5 minutes showcasing Memphis’ vibrant arts scene, and you could win prize money – $2,000 for first, $750 second, $500 third.  First place also gets automatic entry into the annual Indie Memphis Film Festival.  Submissions due by February 29 with $15 entry fee.  For more details go to artsmemphis.org.

The South Main Association has their monthly meeting tonight at The Center For Southern Folklore, on Main between Gayoso and Peabody Place.  The speakers will be Judy who runs the Center, as well as Elizabeth Alley, Director of Art with the Urban Art Commission.  Social at 6, program at 6:30, free to the public.

Of course, I won’t be able to make the meeting, because it’s trivia night.  Having spent all their trivia money, the legendary Rapscallions are looking for a first-place win to start their new gift certificate bank account off with a 50.  If you don’t feel like getting your ass kicked by us in trivia at the Saucer, keep in mind that Tug’s on Mud Island also does a Tuesday trivia night now.

Pint Nite beer report:

Previous total:  $110.75

Beers 22, 23, and 24 (or 20, 21, and 22 according to the Saucer’s computer):
Amstel Light $2.50
Boddington’s $2.50
Kronenbourg 1664 $2.50
Tip:  $1 x 3 beers = $3.00
Total:  $10.50

Grand total: $121.25

There were several additional Special Lagers which didn’t count toward the plate.  I ended up on the losing side of a dart game last night but have decided to remain unretired anyway.

Off to work.