Paul Ryburn's Journal

– Saturday night there will be a big art party at 574 S. Main from 7 to 10 PM. It will be Lantana Projects’ Class of ’07: The Best Artwork of the Year party, featuring work by Lea Alexander, Elizabeth Alley, Susan Best, Sarah Boyce, and Dwayne Butcher, as well as about 30 more artists. $5 cover gets you entertainment by DJs The Defective Agency and Mind at Large. I’ve been told that this was one of THE parties on the arts circuit in Memphis last year, with about 1,000 people showing up. Put this one on your calendar – sounds too good to miss.

– There will be a follow-up discussion of the Jena 6 incident at the National Civil Rights Museum Thursday the 15th at 5:30 PM. Hear personal accounts from the Jena protesters, and discuss how the incident can impact Memphians locally. Guest panelists include Veronica Coleman-Davis, Mrs. Maxine Smith, and Dr. Darryl Tukufu.

– Memphis Blues Society will hold a Battle of the Bands this Thursday and Friday, November 15 and 16. The winner will advance to the International Blues Challenge in February 2008. In particular, please come out and support my friends Crash Kole and the BlueSouls, who have played Pearl’s and E&H Downtown and have a great sound. They deserve to make it to the IBC. (Edit: Forgot to say WHERE it will be – that’s kind of important. It will be at Neil’s, 1835 Madison, both nights.)

– Looks like I’m going to have to get on Walgreens again for letting the bums hang out in front of their store. As many of you know, I use Mountain Dew to fuel my brain cells during the day. My new office is about equal distance from Jack’s Food Store and Walgreens. So yesterday afternoon I took a break and turned right toward Walgreens for a Dew… then I saw four bums hanging out in front of the store begging, and turned back around and went to Jack’s. The economic impact of panhandling.

– One of the waitresses at the Saucer has given me a new nickname: “Pauly Pocket.” I spent hours wondering WTF she was talking about, then I got home and started Googling. Discovered there’s a line of dolls called Polly Pocket. Great. So I’m being compared to a small, plastic doll. Her reasoning is that I have long hair like the dolls do. Female logic at its finest. Really, I think this waitress is just jealous that I pay more attention to her little friend than I do her, and is trying to get herself noticed.

Trying to cut back on the drinking now that I have a job. So, I only had 8 beers at Pint Nite last night before I tabbed out. Then I decided I wasn’t back done and reopened my tab for one more. At least I stayed out of the double digits.

Tonight: The Rapscallions whoop some more ass at trivia, and begin collecting certificates for Rapscallion Party VI.

Time to go to work.

New job is going well. First day stuff, installing software on my machine, reading documentation about the company’s product.

Went out for lunch. I remembered seeing a sign that read “Italian Beef” with a really great looking Italian roast beef sandwich on it somewhere Downtown. Couldn’t remember where. Wandered for several blocks, was just about to give up and go to Lenny’s, which is in the ground floor of my office building. Then I saw it – it’s at the Mexican counter at Sam’s Hamburgers. This is the one in the 100 N. Main building, not the other one at Main and Madison. So I got a 6-inch Italian beef sandwich plus chips and drink for $5.44 including tax. Not bad. Definitely a lunch I’d recommend.

Heh. I’m going to love working at this place. Wandered around a little this morning while they were installing software. Opened the company’s fridge and there was an 18-pack of Bud Light. NICE. John D: “Wha… wha happened? Paul, where can I pick up an application?”

Back to work. Stay tuned and keep your calendar clear for this Saturday – will be posting details of one of the biggest art gallery parties of the year, to happen in the South Main district.

So the new job starts in a little over an hour, and here are some words I thought I’d never type – I’m ready for work. The past month of partying has been fun, but I’ve gotten into something of a rut and am ready to start being productive again. I’ll get to work with some great people, learn C# and build some great products, and as for the long commute to work, I’ll just have to deal with it. The recruiter told me to show up at 8 the first day, which means I’ve got to leave the house no later than 7:58 this morning.

In the news: The Colts lost for the second week in a row, and Peyton proved why he is overrated. I predict we’ll be seeing “Is Peyton washed up?” stories in the sports mags by year end. My favorite blogger/MILF sent me a “don’t even go there” e-mail as soon as the game was over.

Had a great conversation with a friend yesterday. Other than that, not much to recap about Sunday.

Tonight after work: Pint Nite. Should be there by 6, hopefully earlier than that.

Normally I don’t do reposts, but this one has been requested many, many times. This was taken at Sunday brunch at Sleep Out Louie’s in August 2006, with John D hiding because he doesn’t want people to know he drinks crappy beer.

Due to being drawn in a number of different directions, I didn’t get a chance to deliver my Shakespeare quote this weekend, as requested by birthday boy Eric B. So I’ll do it here. This quote actually was given to me from our friend Carmel, who is a founding member of our trivia team who has since moved to DC. She also looks good in a tube top. This is from King Lear:

“Have more than thou showest, speak less than thou knowest, lend less than thou owest.”

Great advice.

Went to a friend’s housewarming party in the South Main district tonight. Shortly before I left, I allowed Yoko to muss up my hair and hairspray it. I’m such a slut. I’ll allow women to do whatever they want with me. Here’s a pic:

Hey, for once I kinda had “trendy” hair! Well, maybe not really. Mikey: “PR, your hair looks like a tree rat got loose in it.” This is actually about what my hair looked like any Sunday at Sleep Out Louie’s in 2006 around 8 PM.

Most awesome time I’ve had in a while. C and J, your condo is fantastic. I wish my apartment was decorated so well. Great friends, great conversation, great time, and plenty of Bud Light to keep John D happy. You know, I don’t mean to sound like I’m bragging here, but I know I must be a pretty cool guy, because I get to hang around this AMAZING group of friends. It absolutely astonishes me when I think about the abundance of really good, quality people I have in my life.

The party wound down about 11 PM and I walked toward the Downtown core. My plan was to hit a club or two on the way home. Walked past one club – actually, one of my favorites – where I’m well known enough that I can beat cover, get other people in, and get hook-ups on drink prices. And I stood there outside for a second, and thought, that gives me about 1% of the contentment that I get from hanging out with good friends.

Then I walked home. I’ll be in bed by midnight.

Love you guys. Hell yes there need to be more house parties. See you at brunch at McGuinness in the morning.

(Edited to add: There was a crockpot of Little Smokies in BBQ sauce, and the Nuh-Uh Girl grabbed a piece of broccoli from a veggie tray and dipped it in the BBQ sauce and ate it. That was kinda gross.)

The Memphis Daily News has an article about the River Inn of Harbor Town, a new 28-room boutique hotel on Mud Island.

That place should be a good addition to Downtown. Now, if people want to be right in the middle of the action while staying in a luxury hotel, they can stay in the Downtown core in the Westin, Madison or Peabody. If on the other hand they want to be near the action but want to stay somewhere more peaceful, they can stay at the River Inn and enjoy the tranquility of the Island.

Also curious to see what will happen with Tug’s, one of the restaurants in the new hotel. It’s a casual bar and grill, and will be catering to the Mud Island neighborhood as much as the hotel guests. Wondering if it will become the neighborhood hangout for the Island the way Sleep Out Louie’s was for Downtowners for years and years. I think I’ll give it a little time to develop a regular crowd, then head over there one night and check the place out.

Recap of last night: Rapscallion Party V at the Saucer. Took pics but haven’t downloaded them yet. At 9 we moved to Hoop’s Bar and hung out there. Meant to hang on until 11 and then head into EP’s, to meet up with a friend having a birthday. But by 10:30 I was just too exhausted. The long week had finally caught up to me, and I headed home to an early bedtime.

Today: Arkansas vs. Tennessee at 11:30. Undecided whether to watch this at the Saucer or a friend’s condo. Possible stop at Rum Boogie in the afternoon, then back to the friend’s condo for a housewarming party. After that, who knows.

Hoop’s Bar opened last night, and we were there. Due to its opening I pulled one of my shortest stays at the Saucer in a long while (4:30 to 9). The place is the brainchild of Hooper, pictured above. I first met Hoop back in 2003ish when he bartended Huey’s on Sunday nights when I’d come in to see The Dempseys. After that he moved on to McGuinness, EP’s, and then got his own bar inside EP’s. Some more pics:

Mikey, John D, Chris B and I headed down there right at 9 when the place opened. We ran into our friend Kennedy, DJ at Q107.5, who wants to let everyone know to listen to the radio station on Thursdays to get on the “VEP” list, which gets you free drinks and food at EP’s from 8 to 9 Thursday nights.

I was told several times that Downtowners are invited to bring in stuff that is “weird or funky” to hang on the walls.

S: Great talking with you last night. You’re a good guy. Will do everything I can with this blog to help your future ventures. I’ll stop by your bar sometime.

The hours of the place are still yet to be determined. Bathrooms are out the fire door and around the corner on the second floor of EP’s. I hear the place will have its own kitchen and a separate menu from EP’s.

In other news: Yesterday I walked up to the shopping mall that has sprung up across Main Street from the Convention Center for COGIC week. There were several food vendors and you can always count on getting excellent food when COGIC is in town. Here’s a pic of the BBQ ribs I bought:

Street-People.com has a good story on Trashcan Willie, one of the Downtown bums who has staked out the garbage cans near the Convention Center for COGIC week. Actually, a number of the bums have been pilfering COGIC’s garbage cans and selling what they find on the street. Estes in particular (he’s the one with the pregnant girlfriend, she may have had the baby by now) seems to be having a profitable week.

Played The Window Game yesterday during my extremely short 4 1/2 hour stint at the Saucer. Counted 191 COGIC cars. One of the buses advertised something called The Statue of Liberation Through Christ, which is a Christian tourist attraction, a replica of The Statue of Liberty holding a cross. How fortunate are we to have that, Graceland, and Summer Avenue all in one town? Ain’t no place like Memphis.

That’s enough for one post. I think I’ll take my laptop to the Second Street Branch Office today for my last weekday of freedom. I filled up a free lunch card so it’ll be a cheap day.

Hoop’s Bar opens tonight at 9 PM. It’s on the second floor of the building that houses EP’s, above the Elvis gift shop. It will have its own entrance on Second Street. I’ve been told that this will be a place for people who live in the neighborhood to hang out.

You’re invited to bring something to hang on the wall if you wish, and if you see Hooper congratulate him on the birth of his baby girl, Lea Simone.

Here’s a pic of Hoop’s Bar, taken last week when Hooper and Tony gave us a preview:

Looking forward to it. So here’s my revised plan for tonight:

Afternoon: Saucer
5:30 to 7: Bravo party at Main and Vance
7 to 9: Saucer
9 til: Hoop’s Bar

With a few days of freedom left to enjoy, I have a feeling this could be a late night.

So, my friend Eric, who wants everyone to know that yesterday was his birthday, managed to turn an upcoming Saturday night house party into the weirdest party EVER. He’s requesting that, in honor of his birthday, each of us memorize some Shakespeare and recite it at the party. If you’re going “WTF?” as you read that, join the club. He says he wants to the group to have some class for a change. Come on, Eric, we’re incapable of having any class, the fact that we hang out with John D should be evidence enough of that.

So if anyone has any particularly tasty Shakespeare quotes that I can use, e-mail ’em to me. Otherwise I guess I’ll do some searching online – I know that the entire works of Shakespeare can be found somewhere on the Internet.

Recap of last night: The Rapscallions took third place in trivia, bringing our total gift certificate stash to $250. One of the waitresses contemplated getting on stage and singing a song, but then stopped and asked, “If I sing, are you going to write about it on your blog?” No, silly – I’m going to pull out my camera, switch it to video mode, record the entire thing, then upload it to YouTube and embed it in my blog. Because I’m high-tech like that.

Plans for the rest of this week:

Today: The Wednesday night episode of “Paul Gets Drunk at the Saucer,” possibly followed by an episode of “Paul Stumbles Over to McGuinness and Drinks More.” If that’s not Must See TV, I don’t know what is. By the way, I’d be stumbling to Hoop’s Bar rather than McGuinness, but HOOPER HASN’T GOT THE PLACE OPEN YET!!!!! HURRY UP!
Thursday: The Thursday night episode, and probably EP’s after that.
Friday: Private party at a Downtown bar. After that I’ll be meeting up with a birthday party going on elsewhere Downtown. Will meet up with them at either Circa, EP’s, or Earnestine & Hazel’s, depending on the time.
Saturday: Arkansas vs. Tennessee at 11:30 AM. I’ll be at the Saucer wearing my Hog Hat. Later in the day, a friend’s housewarming party at his condo, where I’ll have to recite f-ing Shakespeare. Thanks again Eric.
Sunday: Sunday Fun Day, with brunch at McGuinness this week.

Just checked my Gmail and the sponsored ad link up top read, “Who has a crush on you? Click here to find out, it’s scary how accurate it is!” Hmmm… I’m curious if this thing will come up with not only the right name, but the right spelling since it can be spelled with either a “k” or a “c.” All right, it wants my name and my zodiac sign… and my phone number. F that. If that website wants my phone number it can at least buy me a drink first.

One of my blog readers e-mailed with a GREAT idea for a post. A trip down memory lane, listing all of my favorite places where I hung out since moving Downtown 6 years ago, that have since closed their doors. Oh that would be a FUN post to do. Give me a few days to make a list.

All right, time to hit Publish and go read my favorite blogger/MILF’s blog, to see how many times she’s broken up and gotten back together with her dude in the past 24 hours. I’ll put the over/under at 3.