Thanksgiving update

I missed the holiday potluck at the office yesterday because I was busy deploying stuff. For those who aren’t programmers, “deploying” is the process of taking web application code that you have thoroughly tested on a server built for that purpose, and pushing it live to your production server so the public can start using it. That way the public never encounters bugs because they got stomped out in development and testing. (At least that’s the way you hope it works.)

So anyway, by the time I got home from work yesterday, I was starving. That was not a problem because Shorty has the $10 pasta bar at the Silly Goose. I walked up there and ordered a bowl of chicken, artichoke hearts, spinach, and onions and Shorty’s pesto parmesan sauce with alfredo. “Paul, let me give you one of my cards,” Shorty said. “I can come to your home and cook for you if you ever need it. Let me make a meal for you and your girlfriend. I can do that.”

I told Shorty I don’t currently have a girlfriend. “Well, if I cook for you you’ll get a girlfriend quickly, believe that. And I do catering too if you ever need it.” If anyone is interested in in-home cooking or catering, drop me a note at paul@paulryburn.com (or text me, Facebook me, ask me in person, whatever) and I’ll pass on his contact info. Trust me, he has the culinary skills to impress a potential girlfriend or business clients.

Here’s a one-minute time-lapse video of the Peabody Hotel’s Christmas tree being set up. Although condensed into one minute, the full setup required 20 people and seven hours to get done. Setup was done by the folks at Holliday Flowers, the same people who designed the award-winning booth for my team The Moody Ques at BBQ Fest this year.

Tomorrow the Peabody will have its tree lighting ceremony, beginning with the morning Duck March at 11. Marching the ducks will be the actor currently playing Randy in “A Christmas Story, the Musical” at the Orpheum. There will be performances throughout the day by local choirs, the Memphis Symphony Orchestra, and a band of soul musicians led by the STAX Academy music director. At 5 the evening Duck March will take place, and after that, the tree will be lit and Santa and his elves will pass out holiday candy.

There’s a Groupon going on for Havana’s Pilon, the great little Cuban restaurant on Second east of Madison. For $8 you can get two $7 vouchers, each good for one visit; or for $16 you can get two $14 vouchers, each good for one visit.

Counting down to the part of Thanksgiving I like the best… 5 PM, when the bars open. Nothing says Thanksgiving like a PBR, and I plan on saying Thanksgiving that way quite a few times tonight. Back tomorrow with more news.