Inanna's birthday =^.,.^=

happy 6th birthday kitty! i love you. :)

lots of unnecessary hyphens.

so the other night we were at old zinnie's and there were many people there to make fun of. i know i'm not a 'fashonista' or anything, but holy cow! we took a picture, but it didn't come out for whatever 'i-took-this-picture-in-the-dark' reason. i also found the dress online, but you can't tell how horrible it is.

bad photo in the dark

what you can't tell by this photo, is the front striped part on the top is really a bib. it's repeated in the back as a cape. um, wtf? so from the side you get this 'i'm-a-messy-eating-super-hero' look, or 'i'm-blind,-and-as-a-joke-gone-horribly-wrong,-i-got-my-blind-friend-to-dress-me'.

some graffiti downtown, and a lovely Aug. 1st.

roomie and i had been out and about enjoying a few beers and an afternoon rain and found this lovely graffiti.

"Invest In Good Times"



on aug 1, during dinner in midtown at the Bayou, the sky got all neat looking and the whole city turned yellow, like it was jaundiced or something. it was totally awesome.

Aspects of Clay: Clay Sculpture Workshop

The Dixon Gallery
Friday, August 1, 6-8 p.m.
Saturday August 2, 2-4 p.m.


Discover the wonders of clay at the Dixon. Professional potter and instructor Erica Bodine leads a hand-building workshop in clay. This workshop will introduce the basic techniques of hand-building, construction, and glazing. Exercise your sense of adventure by exploring pinch, coil, and slab construction. Participants will learn to illustrate personal imagery through clay and complete the workshop with a fired piece to take home. All levels of experience are welcome.

Ages 14 and older
Beninners level
Materials and snack included
$70 members; $90 non-members
Reservations required.
Space is limited.

Call Margarita Palmer for enrollment (901)761.5250 ext. 104

So come on out to my workshop! Learn something new!

why yes, i am sort of a celeb!

you are reading the blog of the most recient winner of wednesday night trivia at the blue monkey.
it was awesome.
we went for it with all the marbles at the end.

food! in midtown! yum!!!

an awful photo of an amazing sandwich!
The Havana at Blue Monkey, Midtown, oh and their fries are really good too.

Camy's
Afternoon Delight:
basil pesto sauce, mozzarella, ham, pineapple, sun dried tomato, feta
but
this one is sans feta, add spinach

The Bayou
some catfish, probably cajun?
the 'point' of this photo was that this is how the catfish crumbles...
i had their salmon, not worthy of a photo. boo.
we tried to go friday night, huge mistake, no room at all.
looks like they are doing well at their new location. congrats!

Newest love, Do, in cooper-young.
thank you fellow Twitter-er 'taterhead' for the suggestion.
didn't go inside, it was to lovely on the patio.
we had the special (that is the big one with the salmon and sauce)
the house, and soft shell crab.
next time, more spicy rolls :D

so i have mentioned before about young ave deli's pizza, mmmmm:

it has occurred to me i take pictures of food and beer with my phone, with a sprinkling of cats and roomie.

i promise i'm not really a 14 year old. *snorts*

if you can't see it in this photo, the sign above these special cuts of meat at Schnuck's in midtown reads:

Certified Anus Beef

ok, ok, ok. i know there is a piece of paper covering up the 'g' but come on, this is funny.

i love memphis

really, that's why i moved here.
i just love it.

memphian's support their local artists.
therefore i get to eat, and pay rent.
thank you.
if you don't know, i will be doing the farmer's market downtown every other week.
( i alternate with another group of potters)
click here for a better map and here for their site.
The Memphis Farmers Market is located at the Central Station Pavilion, G.E. Patterson and Front Street.

PARKING is FREE at the Central Station on market days.

i also will be attending the farmer's market in the botanical gardens once a month. (second wednesday of each month)
here is their website


so i will be at the markets:

June
7
21
28

July
5
Wednesday July 9th at the Botanical Garden's from 2-6
19

August
2
Wednesday August 13th at the Botanical Garden's from 2-6
16
30

September
Wednesday September 10th at the Botanical Garden's from 2-6
27

October
Wednesday October 8th at the Botanical Garden's from 2-6
11
25

hopefully i will get to do more of the dates, check back for updates.
so, come to the market, it's pretty awesome.
my booth is located on the far side behind the bathrooms.


roomie and i had friends over this weekend, it was awesome.
saturday i did the market and they all took naps.
then we went to the flying saucer downtown and joined the beer knurds club, which we probably should have done 2 years ago.
went to the arcade for breakfast on sunday, it wasn't as good as usual.
then back to the saucer. for um, 6 hours.
then to the baseball game! redbirds lost by 1 :(
we went to zinnies east.
it was sunday and the lamplighter was closed by the time we got around to it.
monday we went to young ave deli.
got an awesome pizza that we are both still eating on.
mmm, pizza for breakfast sounds good...

have a lovely day memphis, and thanks again.

woo hoo it's friday!

we have peeps coming from the land down under tennessee,
which would affectionately be known as l.a.
they get here tonight.
i am doing the farmer's market tomorrow.
then baseball games and lots and lots and lots of drinking.
wish me luck as i peddle my pots.
which reminds me, i have to go price those suckers.
i am not excited about moving my table though.
ugh. i need another table. stat.
anybody have one i can borrow for tomorrow morning?
6ft by 3 ft or so?

dining and drinking mmmmm

i don't remember if i mentioned this but the deli (young ave deli) has badass pizzas. i don't think you could muck up anything with gouda on it.

their 'special' of fish tacos were anything but special though.
they were mushy, gooey, textureless, flavorless, and all around awful.
picture tuna out of a can mushed up and something mushy added to it to make it more mushy plopped in a soft taco with a mound of extra soft guacamole with some lettuce on top.
who the fuck did this?
are you a toothless blind person?
fish tacos are usually in a soft taco, yes.
they are usually a solid frickin piece of fish though!
oh, and put some cabbage on there instead of lettuce.
i mean, for fucks sake.

this is a fish taco.
found on the internet here

and i'm not a fan of the 'sam i am'
it wasn't bad, i just didn't really like it.
same for the hummus.


my roomie who hates mushrooms and asparagus, has starting eating the stuffed mushrooms from the blue monkey.
i will admit, they are yummy, but to convert a non-believer to the wonderful, bountiful, goodness that is fungus?
i'd say that's down right amazing.
now to get him to crossover to the asparagus parts of the planet....

mobile vs memphis

well, there really is no comparision. i definately love memphis.
however, mobile is nice too.
(insert your own 'really hot person vs semi-hot person')

if you are ever in the port city here are my suggestions:

burger: butch cassidy's
coldest beer: veets
best 'free' crawfish: the garage
two for tuesday: the garage
happy hour with 24 oz coors lights for 2.75: wings, on airport blvd
ribs: wow, cafe and wingery, catherine and government (across the street from the ghetto winn dixie)
brunch: callaghan's
bar with the best bands: the blind mule
best thing to do on a saturday morning, hungover or not: farmer's market in cathedral square

that's all i can think of for now for mobile.

so, i would like to say...

it is a beautiful day in dixie.
yessir.
so i'm doing laundry.
exciting, i know.


on a completely unrelated sour note:

to all the people at molly's monday night, (lovely margarita monday, i might add) if there was something on my face, or i didn't have pants on or something, could you please just tell me next time instead of being so rude as to just stare me down.
in the oh so eloquent words of Mr Pee Wee Herman, "take a picture, it'll last longer."

*feels a little paranoid*

*HONK*

so memphis is the honking-ist place i have ever been.
you will honk at anything.
THEN whatever you honked at, will find a way to honk back.

then i heard there was a law against honking.

interesting, very interesting...

magical sweet potato goodness

the arcade is awesome.

# 1

first time i'm saying this.


it's hot.

it's 11:00 pm and its 82 degrees fahrenheit.

i'm not from here, so i can say that.

holy fuck, i can't wait til august.

dear crack-heads,

please stop breaking into my and my room mates trucks.
we don't have guns, jewelry, or anything of value that you could steal to get your crack on or whatever it is you do.

however, it is a little sad that you don't find the 3 boxes of pottery in the bed of my truck to be of any value. i made it all. it's hand crafted art for god's sake!

i would like to thank you for not actually breaking anything though.
next time, however, could you shut my truck door all the way because my dome light runs my car battery down, and it would also suck if it rained.

also, a shout out to the crack-head who broke into roomie's truck a few years ago and stole the $18 radio shack tape deck, but left the $400 camel hair sport jacket. mad props, yo.

go fuck yourself,

a midtowner

and here's a great big cracked rock for ya

tornado!

sike!
it was just the sirens practicing.

however, i awoke this morning thinking,
"hey, i have been here about a month and haven't heard them once."

roomie says "hey erica, why is the floor so clean in this spot here?"
erica replies "well, in my efforts to practice for the WNBA, i tried to throw a coffee filter full of grounds about 3 feet into the trash can, and my results of 'practicing,' i was reminded that i probably will never be a sucessful basketball player."
rommie, "cold, cold reality"
*sigh...

oh and a note to the motherfucker who tried to break into roomie's truck:

fuck off.
-e

there were more things i wanted to say in this blog in general, but alas, my short term memory is at a loss...

end transmission

under the red hot moon

so last night in a hungover stuper we went to the bbq shop(?) i think that was the name of it. its by pizza hut on madison.

it was pretty good. we decided that at our bar we would have ribs and you could dip them in your beans. that's it. no sauce.

today, i think, is the crawfish fest at overton sq.

i'm tired of typing and don't have much to say.

end trans.

dear midtown bars,

here are 2 drinks that i enjoy and think others might also.
they are not difficult, or have crazy ingredients.



Gummy Sharks

2 oz vanilla vodka
6 oz Pepsi cola

Pour the vanilla vodka into a collins glass half-filled with ice cubes.
Top with Pepsi, stir well, and serve.

i saw one recipe where they garnished it with mint leaves.

no, no, i mean, come on. we all know the real garnish should be dismembered gummy bears.

(not that i ever expect a garnish...)

Milwaukee Lunch Box or Lunch Box

1 shot amaretto
75% of a cheap american beer
topped with orange juice

serve over ice in a pint glass or bigger

i SWEAR it tastes just like Red Hawaiian Punch

As title game time nears, nervous tummy the norm

By Geoff Calkins

Monday, April 7, 2008

SAN ANTONIO -- Derrick Rose walked to the podium, whispered something to Memphis coach John Calipari, then disappeared for the rest of the day.

"He said his stomach is bothering him," Calipari said.

To which Memphians everywhere can answer: We know how he feels!

Stomachs bothering you this morning, Memphis? Maybe doing somersaults? Palms sweaty? Head swimming with hopes and possibilities?

At 8:21 this evening, the Memphis Tigers will play the Kansas Jayhawks for the national title.

How can anyone read that sentence without feeling a little jittery? Memphis in the title game? Memphis with a chance -- a good chance -- to win it all?

"Nothing much good happens in Memphis," said forward Robert Dozier, who really didn't mean it like that. But he knows your frustrations, understands what's at stake.

This is about basketball, plainly. And this is not about basketball.

It is about crime and cynicism and our perceptions of ourselves. A team from Memphis winning a national title? Would Memphians even know how to react?

"I'd do seven back flips with one hip coming off the floor," Calipari said. "At least I'd try."

So there's another reason this could be a memorable night: Calipari's victory dance.

Of course, Calipari's hip won't be going anywhere if Rose's stomach doesn't settle down by this evening. His teammates did not seem concerned.

"Derrick eats gummy bears and Starbursts for breakfast, and Twizzlers and honey buns for lunch," said Chris Douglas-Roberts. "It was bound to happen sometime."

Calipari personally served Rose a plate of pasta after Saturday night's win, just to make sure the kid got something healthy in his stomach.

"He didn't eat it," said Joey Dorsey. "He just pushed it around his plate."

Dorsey replayed the scene in his head.

"Maybe he's hungry!" he said.

Everyone laughed at this. It's the soundtrack to the Tigers' trip to the championship game. Constant laughter. From the coaches, the players and, now, the reporters covering them.

Joey, how do you explain your team's improved free-throw shooting?

"I'm not taking the shots," he said.

Har.

Dorsey talked to reporters for half an hour Sunday in what the NCAA calls a "breakout" session. When it ended, he was whisked away in a golf cart.

"I've covered players from all levels, high school, college and pro," shouted a columnist from a national Web site, "and Joey, you're the best."

Dorsey shrugged. As if to say, we've been like this all along. Y'all are just starting to pay attention.

"We're intellectual," said Douglas-Roberts.

Intellectual?

"A couple of guys are very well-spoken," he said, "including myself."

A columnist from New Jersey stopped to ask a Commercial Appeal reporter if Rose could possibly be as humble as he appears. A columnist from Indianapolis said the Tigers remind him of Indiana's undefeated team.

It's as if the entire world is starting to realize what Memphians knew all along.

"This is a dream team," said Douglas-Roberts. "We support each other. We pull for each other. I've talked to enough players around the country -- and I've been on enough teams -- to know it isn't always like this."

Every team doesn't have a transcendent talent like Rose, who blushes -- literally blushes -- whenever anyone says something nice about him. Every team doesn't have a player like Douglas-Roberts, who's as unflappable as his game.

Every team doesn't have Antonio Anderson, who lives to defend, or Willie Kemp, who is happy just to make shots.

Every player doesn't have Dorsey, part man, part toddler, part Hallmark Card.

"I'm emotional," he said. "I couldn't get to sleep at all last night."

Not because Dorsey is nervous about tonight's matchup with Kansas, either. Because he knows it will be his last game with this team.

Win or lose, this collection of Tigers will never play together again. They have tonight. Period. You have tonight to remember them by.

What would you give to see Larry Finch, Larry Kenon and Ronnie Robinson play one more time? Or Andre Turner, Baskerville Holmes and Keith Lee?

This is the last time you will see Dorsey, Rose and Douglas-Roberts on a court together. Playing for a championship.

It is the only way it could have ended, naturally. It is what they wanted all along.

A chance. A chance to show what a little 'ol team from Memphis can do. A chance to play on the biggest night, on the biggest stage and for the biggest stakes.

Dorsey is writing another story for the occasion. As usual, he wouldn't say how it goes. Reporters asked Douglas-Roberts, instead. Any clues, Chris?

Douglas-Roberts smiled and stroked his chin. You know, the way he does.

"I don't know the other parts," he said, "but I know how it ends."

saturday and for the love of basketball

so the fabulous memphis tigers won and are off to the national championship!

we have been watching the games at old zinny's then of course making our way to the lamp then to east.

saturday we went with all intentions of eating, but by the time we got there, we were both too nervous to eat.

so we had a liquid dinner of pitchers of beer. we went to the lamplighter to "watch" the ku and nc game.

nc didn't even show up for that game.
so we played pool and miss shirley made us a patty melt.

for some reason when going to zinny's east, the drink of the evening always ends up being jeger bombs. i do mean plural too.

then off to bed.
only to wake up the next morning, glad it's sunday, and wishing i had an asprin.

tonight, championship game.
old zinny's.
be there.
wear blue!

GO TIGERS GO!

out and about, -ish

the rommie and i started out last night at the blue monkey.
the overall goal was to get him some dinner.
after 4 rounds of drinks, we head to the lamplighter.
miss shirley makes the best grilled cheese sandwiches ever.
rommie has dinner.
then off to zinny's east for yeager bombs and a coors.

so, i've been to zinny's east before, but out of those several times, i remember 3.
last night, i did remember.
the bartender, however, i don't remember.
apparently, i had met him on a binge of sorts.
roomie did remember.
we argued about meeting said bartender for a bit.
then retired for the evening.

happy friday midtown.

an afternoon at the bayou

so it poured down rain most of the day, only to let up around 2. from then on, it was a beautiful day in midtown.
a friend, her daughter and i all went to the bayou for drinks and some snacks.

there is nothing like sitting outside, drinking a stella, and eating the bayou's stuffed shrimp.
it was awesome.
i also had a cup of their gumbo and the basket of crawfish tales.
i should have stopped at the gumbo.

my friend had the sampler of their "soups"
a bisque, alligator chili, red beans and rice and 2 gumbos.
the chili was the best. it had a great tomato flavor.
second was the regular seafood gumbo
followed by the bisque
i wasn't a fan of the red beans. not their fault though, i'm just not a red bean fan in general.
and lastly was their duck and andouille sausage gumbo.
honestly i didn't really taste it.
i was full.

i'm off for now to see more sights of our fair city....

A "Night Out" in Cooper-Young

The Memphis Flyer

After years of talking about it, members of the Cooper-Young Business Association and merchants in the Cooper-Young Historic District are kicking off a monthly neighborhood night out this Thursday, April 3rd.

The Cooper Young Night Out will take place from 5-9 p.m. the first Thursday of every month. People are encouraged to come out and walk the strip of shops and businesses on Central Avenue, South Cooper and Young Avenue. Most of the 18 restaurants and over 25 retail shops will be giving discounts and specials, and some are even giving away free stuff!

Tamara Walker, director of the Cooper-Young Business Association (CYBA), thinks this will be a wonderful way for Memphians to kick off their weekend and hopes that people will rediscover the treasures that lie in the heart of the Cooper-Young area. The CYBA also wants people to check out the newly opened, diverse shops that have moved into the area. Cooper-Young is home to shops that sell antiques, music, vintage and designer clothing, jewelry, art, pets, shoes, and rugs, and is also the location of some of the most renowned Memphis restaurants and bars.

Taekwondo teachers at Midtown Martial Arts have offered to watch the kids for $5 each on night out evenings from 5-9 p.m. Central BBQ is offering half-price BBQ nachos and beer specials. The Red Room is offering sample hip-hop dance lessons to children and adults from 5:30-6:15 p.m. Both Mothersville and Gents will be administering free massages. Local drummers will perform at Memphis Drum Shop and kids can enjoy a drum circle. Chef Karen Carrier Blockman at Do Sushi has created the Cooper Young Night Out Signature Roll for the occasion. Local musicians will be performing all along the way.

"I believe this will be fun for the whole family. There will be something for everyone," Walker says. "All the business owners are really pumped about this event. Everyone was happy to give discounts and bring musical acts or special authors or artists into their shops to make this night a real draw for the public."

--Shara Clark

so i hope to scoot down there and partake in the festivities, however, the weather forecast is saying like 2-3" of rain all day today and tonight. perhaps it will subside for a bit this evening. i would surely like to get my drink on down at the deli.

being new to the neighborhood, i would love to go tour the shops too. i pass by them, only to eat or drink in the nearby bars and it would be great to actually stop in.