White Death 2006 or why I am glad I don't live in the Suburbs

Let's talk about it folks. WHITE DEATH FROM ABOVE 2006. The snow that will kill all of Memphis has finally arrived. Run towards the South and save yourself! We will all perish this weekend from a cold and silent killer. Ha! The Hoopleheads in this town are absolutely ridiculous. They can't drive and they, not the weather, screw up the road.
Everyone with kids in school/daycare left the office today between 2:30 and 3:30. One guy left around 3:20. He called me at 4:05. He had just gotten to Union Baptist at Union & Cooper. Quick logistics lesson: our office is in South Memphis right off exit 8 or 9 on I-55. To get to Union & Cooper from our office, you take I-55 to malfunction junction, midtown 240 to the Union Ave exit, and Union straight to Cooper. On a good day in rush hour, it should take no longer than 15-20 minutes tops. On the weekends, I'd say probably 10 minutes. It took him 45 minutes. He said everyone on the interstate was going 25 mph and it was bumper to bumper. He said Union was worse with everyone going 15 to 20 mph. There were the various hoodies with their spinners darting in and out of traffic of course, but that's a given. Anyway, he left Union & Cooper around 4:10. He lives near Kimbrough & Poplar in G'town. At 4:50 I left the office. I drove to the post office on Union and then came home. I was home at 5:15. At that point I called him. He was almost to Kirby in Gtown. That's bad. That's why I like living in Midtown as opposed to the suburbs. Traffic on Peabody is very low right now.
I spoke to my folks. My dad left at 4:30 and had to drive almost to Collierville. It was bumper to bumper the whole way. He got home sometime after 5:30. That is ridiculous.

Anyway, Midtown rocks. I love it. Weird thing is I grew up in G'town and was always wary of Midtown. I've lived here since April 2003 and I still love it.

The other thing I've noticed about the WHITE DEATH FROM ABOVE 2006, every weather nerd in the Memphis area is walking around with a massive hard-on. Anyone else ever notice how anytime we have any type of severe/crazy weather these guys act like they are on crack? WTF? They are talking about it on Fox 13 and they just interviewed some truck driver about the conditions. He was some damn coon-ass from Louisianna. Real funny. I love that coonass accent. They just got him back on camera: "You know, it jus da snow. It gon' be worth da wait."

Songs on the Playlist:
Jimmy Buffett "License To Chill" album

There's A New Sheriff In Town

Lost tonight...WAS AWESOME! After having been stuck on an island for all this time, Sawyer can still pull a con if he needs it. I think the moral of this story is don't cross anyone. If you missed it, what's wrong with you? Great show. I actually slept through it, but since I recorded it on my DVR, I woke up around 9:15 and turned it on. General theme through the whole show (both flashback and on island) Sawyer will put aside his personal feelings to keep the upper hand and/or continue the con even if it means giving up on love (with Cassidy in the flashback and Kate on the Island). Speaking of Cassidy, here is a little weird theory I came up with that:
Cassidy is an old Grateful Dead song. It was played a lot back in the early 70s when they were into the old western bluegrass type music (see both Workingman's Dead and American Beauty albums). It's not from those albums, but after those albums, a lot of their live shows included that song. Of course since it was the Grateful Dead, they played most anything. But I always associate the song Cassidy with the old west (don't know the words by heart, but that's the feeling I get). So who played Cassidy on the show? The same actress who played Joanie Stubbs in Deadwood on HBO. Isn't that a show in the old west? Hmm...and what was Sawyer's comment to the crowd? "There's a new sheriff in town."

And look there is the actor who plays Sawyer on Conan. Nice. Josh Holloway is a funny guy. Great actor.


Ok, item next. Tomorrow night is the Ptolemy Happy Hour for February at Dan McGuinness in East Memphis by Target (pronounced Tar-Je'). Be there. We're gonna have a large time.

And yes, the email was edited off the invite.

Have a great evening. And remember, drink alcohol not caffeine.


Songs on the Playlist:
Chris Isaak - Life Will Go On
Jay-Z - Jigga My Nigga
Jay-Z - I Just Wanna Love U
Jay-Z ft Aliyah - Can I Get A
Jay-Z - Big Pimpin

Upcoming Schedule

Here are a few items of note:
This Thursday Feb. 9, the Grand Krewe of Ptolemy (http://www.ptolemymemphis.com/) is having our February Happy Hour at Dan McGuinness Irish Pub in East Memphis. It starts around 6PM. As always, we're laid back and just hanging out. This is our last Happy Hour before Coronation on Feb. 25 at the UClub (more info on that later).

Ok, the big news, ZYDECO FEST IS BACK BABY!!! The quick story behind my enthusiasm:
Two years ago, I saw a billboard advertising for it. I didn't know anything about it. Ok, I know Beale St. and I know Zydeco. But I never knew there was a Zydeco Fest on Beale St!?! So I grabbed David P. and we went to Beale on a warm Saturday night in February. Paid to get a wristband for the clubs. Went to Rum Boogie Cafe and listened to an unfreaking believable Zydeco band. I don't know their name. But when you're having a great time, what does it matter?
So anywho, I was driving down Central the other day when I saw a billboard for The 14th Annual Beale Street Zydeco Fest. Hells Yea! Well, here are the particulars: $12 gets you into 14 participating clubs on Beale St from 5PM to 5AM. Now there isn't music playing from 5 to 5. Raynata from the Beale Street Merchants Association emailed me the list of who and where and when. I don't have Word on my new laptop yet, but I'll print it out at work and post it at a later date.
The short and sweet thing you need to know is BE THERE. No questions, no hesitation. Just BE THERE.

If I get any great pictures from either function, I'll post them. I'd say those would make the subjects famous, but would it?

That's all for now. I'm going to hop in the shower and then go to bed.


Quote of the Post: Dick Vitale is a friggin douche.
Songs on the Playlist:
Paul Simon - Me and Julia Down by the Schoolyard
Journey (Steve Perry?) - Oh, Sherry
Eric Clapton - Breaking Point
Def Leppard - Bringin on the Heartbreak
Cowboy Mouth - How Do You Tell Someone?
The Doors - Alabama Song (Whiskey Bar)
Coldplay - In My Place
Robert Earl Keen - Furnace Fan
Johnny Cash - Boy Named Sue

Super Bowl XL...Xtra Lame

Wow, that is a ri-donk-ulously bad title. Sorry though, I could not resist. This Super Bowl was extra stupid. Bad game. Weak commercials. Overall bad. But Trip & Elaine's party was great. A lot of gossip. A lot of funny stories. A lot of great times with good friends (and people I don't know). But we have a good story (and not about me!):
After going to the Ramet coronation the night before, a lot of last year's Ptolemy royalty and friends went to the bar and were boozing late into the morning. After Joey R. got home (Laura drove...thank God), he got in bed/was put in bed. After he was asleep for a while/passed out for a few minutes, he rolled over in bed and asked Laura, "Where am I?"
"You're in our bed honey."
"How did I get here?"
"I drove."
"Good."

Ok and maybe that wasn't as great when typed. But still funny to me. You need to know Joey R. That makes it that much better.
But the party was fun. Lots of good food. Lots of metal bottled beer. I love that stuff.

I was at Newby's earlier. Patrick was cooking. The Cajun Chicken Sandwich was over spiced. Overly hot. Still good though. But more than I was looking for. Oh well. I've had a cigar. A few beers and I am happy.
And Shawna is still a hottie. Now why does she have a boyfriend? Oh yeah, she's a hottie. Remember to always tip well there. These are hard working people who deal with a lot of idiots...all the time.

Ok, go to bed. You have work in the F-ing morning. blech

Quote of the Post: "You must be Jake, and you must be Jake's Grandma." - bimbo (Kandi) talking to Jake's mom, Judith, in Two & Half Men (GREAT EPISODE FOR ALAN!)
Second Quote of the Post: "Sounds like she got laid before the sod did" - Charlie
Songs on the Playlist:
The Band - Mystery Train (from Last Waltz)
Jimmy Buffett - Door Number Three
The Grateful Dead - New Speedway Boogie
Jimmy Buffett - Volcano
Phil Collins - Sussudio
INXS - Suicide Blonde
Jimi Hendrix - Are You Experienced?
The Cars - You Might Think I'm Crazy
Counting Crows - Mr. Jones and Me

Personal Musical Observation

I was driving home from church today when a Led Zeppelin song from their second album came on the radio. I came to an immediate realization. There are songs/bands that you play so much in your life that they tend to fade out of your soundtrack. Led Zeppelin is one of those for me. I have listened to Zeppelin since the early 90s. Then within the last two years, they've kinda faded out of my playlist. I know you have songs/bands like this. But when it came on the radio today I realized how great their music was. I have made a personal promise to start listening to more Zeppelin. Especially the first two albums. Those are a little more bluesy than the rest...in my opinion. I mean they are still cutting their teeth on their musical talents.

Ok, what else is going on...IT'S SUPER B*WL SUNDAY! I can't say that or else the NFL will sue me. Dicks! I'm heading over to Trip & Elaine's house. There are supposed to be about 25-30 people there. If we have any awesome stories/embarassing stories, I will relay them later. As usual, I won't relay last names. If you are in the know in that circle then you will know who did what.
Have fun tonight kiddies!

No Quote today :(
Songs on the playlist:
Led Zeppelin II album