Memphis to Jax: Top Tens, Part 2

These things are not necessarily all unique to Memphis, but they are a part of living here.

Top Ten Things I Will NOT Miss About Living in Memphis

10. Raking: As great as those giant oaks are, as well as the pecan and others around my house, boy do they put some things on the ground. I was used to just two mid-sized trees back in Fort Worth. Moving to Jax, I'll have a large one in the back and small one in the front. But here, yowza! The number of bags of leaves and what I call pecan worms (the wormy looking things that fall in the spring and stain your patio furniture) were astounding. I will not miss the mess the gorgeous trees make.

9. Our Mayor: Memphis politics are interesting, to say the least. But the mayor takes the cake. I'm all for legislative and judicial branches staying in office, but executives really do need term limits.

8. Talk of the Pyramid: Memphis made a doozie of a deal a while back, and for a couple of years or more, their grand pyramid had stood empty, costing the taxpayers hundreds of thousands every year. When a business man wanted to invest and build a grand amusement park, the council wouldn't go for it. Why? Too many, in most people's opinions, of them were in the pocket of the mayor. Um Hm. see above.

7. School Emails: I've seen a bad case of "Reply all," but this past year has shown it on a whole other level. I'm sure there is some historical reason that doing so is part of the culture, but even so, it does not show a great light.

6. High Sales Tax: Sure, for the three states I will have lived in, none have a state income tax. I Know! How'd I manage that?! ;-) On the flip side, though, is sales tax. And Memphis has one of the highest in the countries: 9.25%. That doesn't seem so bad to most folks back in the city in Texas, but in Memphis, you pay sales tax on groceries. Um Hmmm. Crazy-ness. (as a point of reference, Fort Worth has an 8.25% sales tax, but no tax on most groceries. Jax will be a teeny 7%, and best as I can tell, that does not apply to groceries.) (I haven't figured out property tax issues, but I suspect TX will have the highest for that category.)

5. Race Issues: The majority of people in Memphis are black. That's not the issue. It's the problem that the people who don't know how to live here, those with built up anger, resentment, and attitudes. It's sad, and it's depressing. I can hope only that with another sixty years or so, things might improve.

4. The Drivers: Memphis drivers seem to not notice the white lines dividing the lanes. And the street I drive down most often is so narrow, that any miss on the steering wheel means you're over in the neighbor's lane.

3. The Parkers: Even once you get to your destination, though, they still ignore the white lines. Cars are crooked in spaces, over the lines, and generally dreadful.

2. Panhandlers: Memphis indeed takes top prize when it comes to panhandling---as for cities I've been in. I made a practice of never getting gas at night, because they were worse then than during the day. I've been panhandled at the car wash, at Home Depot, in the historic Victorian Village, and of course, downtown. It's tiring, in the least, and as the worst effect, it takes you to the number one thing on the list---crime. As a woman alone, you never know when a panhandler might not be completely sober, and so a fear lingers below the surface of "what if" when approached for money. Now, this does not apply to the homeless population. The panhandlers, almost all of them, have homes. They beg for money as their means of living. And it's dreadful---especially in Memphis.

1. Crime: Memphis was recently listed as Number Two on the FBI's list of most violent cities: #2 in violent crime for large cities. Lovely. But don't worry, we're number one too: the FBI ranked the whole Memphis area as number one for violent crime rate Memphis as Number One for violent crime. Seriously, crime is a major issue. When guests have visited, I've been adamant about them not leaving anything in their cars. I didn't go to the grocery store if it was dark, and I kept my gate AND garage padlocked. Sure, some things are just smart living. But in Memphis, it was more than that; it was a constant concern, tenfold that of anywhere else I've ever lived.

Bye, Bye, and Bye

After spending the day having fun on Saturday, Sunday required a little more work. I was up early (5:30, by any standards, surely is early), and the work began.

I sorted through things in the garage, finally, and then set to cleaning my patio furniture. I wanted it clean before being stored for two weeks, and the cushions needed time to dry. So I scrubbed and washed then, with neighbors to the north out of town, set everything in the sun to dry.

Next, it was time for the final mowing. Once that was finished, I mowed the out-of-town neighbors' yard then held the mower, letting it run until it ran out of gas.

After all that outside work, I had to get my inside things sorted--trying to figure out what would stay with me for two weeks. That, of course, had to be separated from anything to be packed.

Finally, I was ready for a shower, and I then got to go join my friend and former coworker Karol for a margarita in Cooper--Young, an eclectic little neighborhood in the southern area of midtown. We visited and had a good time, running into another professor and recent grad as we were leaving.

Monday, of course, brought an even earlier morning. I dropped Howard off at daycare at 7, ran a few errands (such as picking up my dry cleaning---almost forgot that!), then rushed back home to meet the packers.

The packers (only two of them, sigh) arrived about 9, and were they ever happy, in the end, that I had packed as much as I had. The two of them, otherwise, would have been there late into the night.

And fortunately, my driver, Hector, made great progress on getting loaded. He stayed until 5:30, leaving my bed and desk in place, but most all the other furniture was on the truck.

I dashed off to Bosco's for one last IPA, saying good-bye to Worth, Scott, and Craig. Worth gave me a few places to check out in Jax, and then it was back home for me.

For my final night in town, the neighbors and I had decided to head out for pizza at our favorite pizza place on Mud Island. Michael and Tabitha came, and Cole, Michelle, and Morgan all road with me in Gretta---with the top down, of course. We had a great meal with laughter and good times. But as it got late, we had to wind it up.

Driving away, though, we noticed a huge fire across the river. Up for a little adventure, we drove over into Arkansas, looking for the blaze. Without success, we finally stopped and asked. Turns out they'd been burning wheat fields all month, and by then, the blaze was not worth a continued effort.

We got back to my house, and Michael came down, with everyone emptying out my fridge. (I'd already given Cole & Michelle a box of aerosol cans and other miscellaneous things that couldn't be moved and Michael had gotten my propane tank and plants. Sheila got the gas tank.) That done, I was pooped. It was off to bed.

(Ah, and for those wondering, Sophie spent the time while the packers and movers were at the house in my large walk-in closet. There was plenty of room for her crate, food & water, and her litter box at the other end. This seemed the least traumatic set-up possible. She made it through like a champ.)

Tuesday morning, up early again, Howard was back at day care by 7. I grabbed an iced coffee from Starbucks, ran by the post office to drop a card in the mail, and grabbed a couple more Gatorade from the grocery store along with a sandwich for lunch. Hector and Robert arrived before 8, and they got to work.

Just as they finished loading, Kelly from my cleaning group arrived, and she set to work in the bathroom. She cleaned that as I began loading Gretta. Kelly moved on to the floors, spiffing them up for my move out. As she finished, I finished loading. And so, by 12:45, I was driving away from Hawthorne.

I dropped the key and a forwarding address off at the leasing office, picked up Howard, and set out west on I-40.

Adios Memphis. It's been a good year.

Mud Island & BBQ

Finally, before leaving town, I made it to Mud Island. I went with my neighbors to the south, and we had a grand day!

We started the day visiting MFM: Memphis Farmers' Market. My neighbors had not been yet, and I was tickled they discovered it. We enjoyed a little cheese bread, rested in the hand made Adirondack chairs, and Morgan got to make a flower using a coffee filter and koolaid. Pretty "Kool"!

We then headed out to Mud Island. We rode the monorail over, ala Tom Cruise in The Firm. Then we moseyed around the museum there, learning more about life and the river. Finally, we walked the Mississippi replica.

We headed south, venturing along Memphis, Vicksburg, down to Baton Rouge, all the way to New Orleans where the replica river opens to the "Gulf." When we went back the other way, we, famished, had a $5 hot dog then headed north. That's when we learned that the replica was of only the lower Mississippi---from about St Louis south. Anyway, it was fun.

And from Mud Island, you get a whole different persepctive of downtown Memphis:


Tired, we headed back to our respective homes. I took a short nap then did a few things around the house. But that evening, we headed to my favorite BBQ joint for one last meal of the best-ever ribs and BBQ nachos: Interstate BBQ. Yumm--MIE! I didn't get much done regarding getting ready to move, but it was a fabulous day.

Memphis to Jax: Top Tens, Part 1

As I've been readying to leave Memphis and Tennessee, I've been reflecting on the last year and my experience here. As I have, I've realized there are a lot of things I'll miss. Okay, and there are things I won't miss at all. And so begins the series of "Memphis to Jax: Top Tens." (with a hat tip to my friend Susan and her "Things" series.)

Top Ten Things I'll Miss About Memphis

10. Living in a Central Location: being relatively central in the US, you can fly anywhere (on the continent, at least) in the US without it being a full-day affair.

9. Living Near an Airport Hub: I always took this for granted. In Houston, you have Continental, and you can fly direct to so many places. Likewise, in Ft Worth, there's American Airlines. And here, we have Northwest. I flew direct from Amsterdam to Memphis, and direct to most every other place I visited. Sure, there are time limitations, and those meant I had to fly a partner airline through Atlanta on my trips to Jax. But still, it's nice being somewhere with so many direct routes into and out of here.

With all the flying I did last year, naturally, I became a frequent flyer member for the airline that's my local hub, Northwest, even moving up to the elite status! Elite status means that you get to board first, which I really like. You also have more options in choosing your seat. And finally, with Northwest, the luggage restrictions don't apply to me. Now, with leaving, I lose my hub, but Jax isn't a hub to anyone, so to get many places other than another hub, I'm almost guaranteed to have to make a stop during a flight. And for this too, being elite is nice as I get to board early for each boarding!

8. Once-a-Year Snow: I'm still in the south, but I am also north enough that we got a great snow this year. It was the most it'd ever snowed on a house in which I lived" 6 inches. And what was even better, it was gorgeous for a day, then it was gone. Very little muss, very little fuss. Being on the north side of the south, thus, has brought that nice weather visit.

7. Traffic: I can say, there's less traffic issues here than any place I've lived with a population over 200,000. I suspect a lot involves the fact that I rarely get on an interstate. No interstate runs through town. But even with that, when I do, it's relatively smooth going. And as someone who commuted between Fort Worth and Dallas for three years, this is fabulous.

6. The Mississippi: I do love water. Sure, we had the Trinity in Fort Worth, but now, having lived here, well, the Mississippi is something totally different. The history of this river---its role in peoples lives, good and bad, is astounding. It's huge. It's muddy. It's in more songs that I can count. And it is, as we all know these days, incredibly powerful. It's a being of its own.

5. Giant Oaks: The trees here are amazing. I sat outside the other evening, just staring up, in awe, at some of the ones around my house. My neighbors to the north have a particularly gorgeous tree in their yard. Huge, strong, towering. The amount of shade the trees provide to my house no doubt help my electric bill. And they make being outside in the hotter months much more pleasant.

4. Character: This city indeed has character. Just driving around, you can feel it---the variety of people who live here, the spirit of the city, the dreams of many people. It's something unique here, and it's fun.

3. Music History: Again, my favorite touristy spot is indeed Sun Studio. Just an hour there, and you start to get an idea of Memphis's role in music. After all, it is the birthplace of rock 'n' roll!

2. BBQ: Last night, I took my neighbors to the south out to Interstate BBQ for one last fantastic BBQ dinner. And it did not disappoint at all. The BBQ nachos we shared as an appetizer were delicious as ever. Cole and Michelle even noted how much better these were than the ones they'd tried before on Beale. These were loaded with meat---so much that we didn't even finish. And the ribs, well, perfect. not at all fatty, absolute fall-off-the-bone tender. And the perfect sauce. I can agree: Memphis does have the best BBQ.

1. My Neighbors: Speaking of, I have been lucky here to have some incredible neighbors. Friendly, fun, helpful----all great. And the care they've given to Howard and Sophie was phenomenal. We all three will deeply miss the people whom we live near.

Good Neighbors

This past weekend, my neighbors hosted a gathering to say farewell to me. What a great time we had!

We all gathered at Michael and Tabitha's house, two doors down from me. We enjoyed wonderful food, fabulous margaritas, and nice chilled brewskies while we kicked back on their huge front porch. (Sadly, Cole (Howard's bud) didn't make it; he was home with a stomach bug.)

Ray from two doors down one way, Michelle and Morgan, Chris and Christina and Jackson, and Sheila from across the street all came, and all brought some goody or another, and Michael handled the main courses---zesty quesadillas and some wonderful pork tenderloin. Tabitha made sure my margarita glass never was empty!

We laughed and talked and enjoyed visiting well into the night. I felt truly honored that they held a party for me, and truly sad to leave such wonderful neighbors.

As I sit writing this, having driven around Jax neighborhoods all afternoon, I wonder who my new neighbors will be. And as I reflect on some of the areas I considered for a rental house, I keep in mind that I got extremely lucky in Memphis to have found a rental in the midst of a lot of owners---people who really cared about our area. That might not happen again---immediately. I remind myself that my plan is to rent for only 8 to 18 months. After that, then I'll look for that place where I'll set those neighborly relationships to be a little more permanent.

More of Memphis

These last couple of weeks, as I've mentioned, I'm trying to make it to a few more places. Fitting in just few more spots will help make my time in Memphis complete.

Friday, I enjoyed lunch at the Bluff City Bayou---a place that does lunch only, and only on weekdays. My friend Worth had recommended it, and indeed, it did not disappoint. The soup alone, a crawfish artichoke bisque, was sublime.

Also this weekend, I made it to the Brooks museum. It's the oldest in Tennessee. No, it's no Kimbell, but it's a good museum. I didn't make it to the Andy Warhol print exhibit, the special exhibit showing right now, but I did put my name on the list to join in the docent-led tour for that exhibit that's happening this coming Thursday. If it turns out they don't have room, I hope to get by for that part of the exhibit next weekend.

I also recently tried Neely's BBQ. Neely's was started by some family members related to Jim Neely. Jim Neely opened Interstate BBQ. The two places are not at all the same. Neelys was not bad, but in all honestly, I've become quite the BBQ snob.




Memphis, if you don't know, is known for its BBQ. The first place I tried, barely over a year ago, was Interstate BBQ. And I can easily say, it's still the tops of the list. And actually, Interstate, although it has the least impressive decor, it towers above the rest in food. The best ribs I've eve had are served there. If I make it back to Memphis ever, no doubt, Interstate will be top of the list of places to visit.





If timing works out, I also want to make it to Gibson to see the guitar factory. During that visit, I plan to hit some of those shops on Beale Street to find a great print to represent Memphis and go in my office. I've seen a few during various walks down Beale, and I think now, it's time to go ahead and buy. (When I'm in Fort Worth in a couple of weeks, I hope to find a great cowtown print too.)

Also still left on my list is a visit out to Mud Island. My neighbors are interested in going, so perhaps they'll join me next weekend. But even if they don't, I'll head out to see it. Who knows, maybe after that, we'll head to Interstate for a last taste of the best ribs ever.


(And in the meantime, I'm trying to get over my haircut. It worked okay with the second attempt at styling yesterday, but today it's felt like a thorn in my side all day. I kinda feel like it's pirate day or something, as each time I pass a mirror, I grumble, "argh." Breath. It will grow. :-) )

A Day in Memphis

With less than three weeks, I'm trying to get in my last few sights and places here. Today, after spending a little time on the computer refining my article a little more, I headed out for two of those stops.

First up was lunch at Gus's Fried Chicken. Last July, out on my first (and one of, sigh, only a few) dates here in Memphis, we drove past this place, and Chris told me they made the best fried chicken anywhere there. I begged to differ, explaining that my mother made the best fried chicken, but that since she didn't have her own restaurant, I could accept that perhaps Gus's had the best fried chicken available for sale. Also, one of my students, upon hearing I was leaving and me asking, "What must I do before leaving Memphis?" said, "You've gotta eat at Gus's."

Indeed, it's good chicken. Spicy, but good. The sides are not the, to me, typical sides for southern fried chicken. I don't even remember mashed potatoes as an option! And there were no biscuits or rolls---just white bread. But yes, the chicken was good. (not at good as Mom's, though.)

I got there before noon, hoping to beat the lunch crowd, but with only about 80 total seats in the place (about 22 tables), they were full. It wasn't long before I had a table, though, and I enjoyed my book I'm reading while I waited for my food. It was a bit awkward sitting there, so close to the door, at my table for four while a line waited for a table. But I felt even more awkward inviting strangers to dine with me. But as I finished, I went ahead and splurged for a slice of pie. Before that came, two gentlemen came in, looked around, and one walked over to my table and asked if they could join me. "Sure," I said. It made sense to me. As Jeff noted, and as I had thought, that's the way they do it in Europe. We chatted a little, but I also read some more, enjoyed my pie (coconut, but oddly enough, not coconut cream; I was totally expecting coconut cream), then headed on. I had more to see.

Next stop was, finally, the National Civil Rights Museum. I had tried twice before to make it here, but both times they were closed or just about to close. Honestly, though, I'm glad I went alone. I've learned, in my on-my-own travels, that I really enjoy going through places like that at my own pace---experiencing, feeling, thinking, all without feeling rushed.

It was a wonderful exhibit. In all, I spent about three-and-a-half hours there, slowly making my way through the exhibits, listening to the audio and reading the displays. I learned a lot. And I wondered a lot.

I grew up hearing a lot about race. Sadly, a lot of it---the bulk of it---was phrased negatively. For the most part, it was subtle, but at times, some folks had some outright overt racist comments to make. I didn't get it then. Heck, I still don't get it now. Okay, so they grew up in different times. And granted, I don't know if I could have the courage to do the things the amazing people did in the Civil Rights Movement activities. But still . . . .

As I learned more today about the bus boycott and the freedom rides and the marches than I ever had before (and why the hell didn't I learn about those things when I was in school?! Sure, it was only twenty or thirty years old then, but seriously?), I couldn't help but wonder about people in my family. My parents were high school then college age during the middle of it all. What impact did these things have on my parents, aunts, uncles . . . ? My grandparents . . . well, they all did grow up in a very different time. I know their views; they never were shy about saying them. I tried to cringe without it being obvious when they did so.

But I wondered too about today's children. I know racist attitudes are still alive. Kentucky, after all, showed us that. I don't understand, of course, how a person is not treated like a person. It pains me with a depth a cannot explain. But I guess that's a good thing---that pain.

Could I have done those things? I don't know. I do speak up for gay rights when I hear challenges. I do speak out against discrimination and oppression. Those are, though, all only words. But words are important too; I must remember that.

Back to the exhibits. The museum is built in what was once the Lorraine Motel---the place where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated. The exhibit begins in 1619 and takes us through the entire movement through to 2001, when the addition across the street was added.

As part of the exhibit, you walk through what used to be one of the rooms of the motel, able to view into what his room looked like on that day--April 4, 1968. You can see out the window to the balcony where he was shot. It's a powerful view.

The exhibits take you through the bus boycott, the marches, the freedom rides---putting faces to names, struggles, ideas, and freedom. There were times it was tough to read some things. But read them, I had to.

As I took my time going through, there was another single working his way through. Every once in a while we'd share a comment. He's the one who told me to take a seat on the bus---the replica of the one Rosa Parks was on. When you sit, you hear the driver yell at you to move. That's something.

From the outside of the museum, you can see the balcony where Dr. King stood before that shot. They keep a wreath there; one was placed there very shortly after his death. And they keep the view as it was that day.

Across the street, they've added more to the exhibit. Here, they have re-created the room of the boarding house where they allege James Earl Ray stayed as well as the bathroom where he was to have (allegedly) fired the shot from. Also in this part, they've laid out the conspiracies and ideas about who did it. Who did? I have no idea. Sure, the evidence looks like Ray. But I find it hard to believe it was his idea.

(Walking through there, I was reminded of walking through the book depository museum in Dallas, and I wished I'd spent more time there reading the information. (but I wasn't alone, and with kiddos in tow, it's hard to spend that much time like that. I'll just have to go back.))

As a last part of the exhibit, they have things set up showing progress. One part shows the number of female high school athletes compared between around 1970 and 2000. Amazing. One part compares the number of black persons holding elected offices in 1960 compared to 2000. Yep. So who knows: maybe they can add to that in a few months, adding the first black president.

Yes, of course, I couldn't help but marvel at my timing for finally making it to this museum, this monumental and historical week. Have we come far enough for this to happen? Are there too many people who share the views that were expressed in the exit polls of the Bluegrass state? Of course, the scariest thing is that I know only a few people would really tell a stranger that they cast their vote for a white person strictly because they refused to vote for a black person. What about all the people who didn't admit it? Yes, in those words used so many years ago, we shall overcome, but can we overcome this year?

The museum was moving. And incredible. And awesome. The visit there was emotional. And heart-wrenching. And inspiring.

As people in California plan to marry the person they love, and as my nieces are able to view their futures with the knowledge that yes, they can be anyone they want to be, and as my friends in an interracial relationship are not barred from that by law, I am hopeful. But more than that, I am incredibly, humbly, forever thankful for those people who had the courage. For those people who boycotted. For those people who marched. We do still have paths to travel and ground to cover. But we have started. And yes, some have been to the mountaintop.

Purlie

With only a few weeks left here, I would like to take these last weeks to get by the places I've not made it to yet in Memphis. But along the way, I'll use up the rest of my season tickets to Playhouse on the Square.

This afternoon, I caught the afternoon showing of Purlie. What a treat!

The show is a musical with great music and even greater depth. One summary wraps it up as follows:
It is set in an era when Jim Crow laws still were in effect in the south. Its focus is on the dynamic traveling preacher Purlie Victorious Judson, who returns to his small Georgia town hoping to save Big Bethel, the community's church, and emancipate the cotton pickers who work on oppressive Ol' Cap'n Cotchipee's plantation. With the assistance of Lutiebelle Gussie Mae Jenkins, Purlie hopes to pry loose from Cotchipee an inheritance due his long-lost cousin and use the money to achieve his goals. Also playing a part in Purlie's plans is Cotchipee's son Charlie, who ultimately proves to be far more liberal than his Simon-Legree-like father and saves the church from destruction with an act of defiance that has fatal consequences.

The music was wonderful, and the two female leads were just amazing--such rich sounds they could sing! The second male lead, well, at first I was puzzled; he seemed familiar. Finally, during intermission,. I read the program and realized he'd played the dual role of Montel & Jesus in Jerry Spring, The Opera.

Anyway, back to the show. It had a lot to say about race and issues of past & issues that remain today. Some of the lines made me want to cry, knowing the awful truth of our country's past that was behind the humor and singing. Still, I suppose it also says a lot about where we've come to have the show as it is. (Of course, having looked at the exit poll information from Kentucky, goodness do we still have a long way to go.)

Thanks again to You Tube, you can see and hear a few clips from the very stage that I saw today! Unfortunately, you don't get to hear Missey sing Down Home; that was truly an amazing performance.

Welcome James & Anthony!

WooHoo! My friends Anthony and James paid me a visit from Fort Worth this weekend. We made it to a few new places I'd been wanting to go to and hit some of my favorites.


They arrived Friday afternoon, timing it to get here just in time for the Cellerman drawing at Boscos. You might recall that last August, I won the drawing for the cellerman on my birthday, and I got to tap the cask-conditioned keg that afternoon.

And whaddaya know---this time, James won! :-) Okay, okay, yes, James asked me repeatedly if I'd had anything to do with that. I'll just tell you what I told him: He saw the drawing, and did it look like it was fixed? Nope. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it. (And Keith the bartender is getting a major tip next time I'm in.)

Friday night we went back to the house and enjoyed dinner there and catching up--staying up much too late. But it was all fun and a great time.

Up relatively early Saturday, we enjoyed a nice breakfast at home then headed . . . to Graceland!


I'd been wanting to go once while I was here, but I'd waited until I had guests in who also wanted to go. Sure, it was a little cheesy, and sure, it was everything I'd heard, but I'm really glad I went.

Here are some highlights (pictures had to be taken without a flash, so this is the best I could get) that include the front living room, the dining room, a view upstairs, Elvis's parents' bedroom, the Jungle Room, a view of the back, and the pool. (click on any picture to see a larger version)







We also did the tour of the car museum, and there my favorite was the Pink Cadillac.




Saturday afternoon, we enjoyed some Memphis BBQ at, of course, Interstate BBQ---my favorite place for ribs (and BBQ Nachos---yummy!) After that, we, naturally, had to stop off at the Flying Saucer in Memphis (recall, James is my Saucer buddy from Fort Worth). We then just enjoyed a laid-back evening at the house.

On Sunday, we were up early. We did breakfast at Brother Juniper's--a fantastic spot near campus. I had an open-face omelet with a chipotle avocado spread on top topped with black beans, sauteed tomatoes, and cheese. Just divine. (Anthony had an omelet with spinach, feta, and tomatoes.) We then headed over to Sun Studio, one of the favorite places from when my sister was here. We did the tour, finishing up, of course, with a photo opp. at the most famous microphone in rock and roll---the one at 706 Union Avenue, where rock and roll was born!

They headed back to Texas after that. We'd had a fabulous weekend---great visiting, great sites, and fun times in all. I'll be in Fort Worth in just about five weeks, and James and I already have plans one night!

Of course, I was tired from the weekend, and this afternoon, and I enjoyed a quiet afternoon with a few movies and a nap. :-) Then I hung out next door for a while. But I'll be up early tomorrow, readying for a BBQ here with the neighbors!

Take Me to the River

Last weekend Howard and I headed back to the park along the Mississippi. As the pictures show, the water level was much different.

First, a recap of the picture from last month:


















And here's a shot in nearly the same spot (except, of course, I'm standing where it used to be under water):

Southern Hot Wing Festival

A couple of weekends ago, it was a beautiful Saturday, so I put the top down, and Howard and I headed downtown to check the Southern Hot Wing festival.



The festival was held on South Main---around the South Main Arts District. The cost was $1 or a can of food donated for admission; the festival was held to raise money for the Ronald McDonald House.



About fifteen teams had entered, all trying for the honor of being named best wing. Each team had a spot set up--often with a team name and logo, team t-shirts, and lots of grills and fryers. (turns out, though, that no deep-fried wing has ever won best wing.)

As soon as Howard and I walked in, we saw my friends Hope and Rachel who I know from the gym; Hope's also got a dog who attends Dogs Rule (Lily, the bulldog). So we hung out there a while, chatted with a few folks, then walked around. Poor Howard, though. It was awfully tough as too many people had dropped chicken wing bones on the ground, and Howard really wanted those!

Here's Rachael, Hope, and me---and Howard. :-) (posting this---I sure am glad I got a haircut last week!)



It was a fun way to spend an hour or so on a gorgeous day. But Howard and I couldn't stay too long; we had a party to get too!

Howard and the Mississippi

A couple of weekends ago, Howard and I headed downtown and walked along the river. Over on Mud Island, half of the park was under water; the river was so high! We drove over into Arkansas too, and the river was over three miles wide--going all the way to the levee just outside of the first city across the state line.



Howard even took a drink out of the river!



At one point, he became quite interested in the water . . . as a barge passed by.

Go Tigers Go

Perhaps you recall the post back in January about Memphis's basketball team? Well, they wound up losing ONE game, knocking them out of the #1 spot in the rankings, but their record still gave them a #1 seed for the NCAA tourney. And they've swept through the tourney so far all the way to the championship game tonight!

The Kansas Jayhawks, though, have also swept through the tourney (with a very impressive showing on Saturday against North Carolina), and that's the team Memphis will meet tonight in San Antonio.

I know I have at least one student who'll not be in class today; she's in San Antonio. And my friend Kristin, a Jayhawk, is headed down probably as we speak.

The city's very excited---you cannot turn on the news or a radio without hearing "Go Tigers!" My gym is even closing tonight at 7:30 so no one there has to work during the game.

Me? well, I told Kristin I was cheering for her Jayhawks and the Tigers up until today. But now, I do gotta consider: The Tigers pay my rent!

Go Tigers Go! ;-)

Great Visit / Hectic Weekend / Happy Easter

My sister and her family visited over the last week, and we had a wonderful time! Since they left Wednesday morning, once I got some sleep, it's been almost nonstop getting ready to head out for a quick trip out of town myself early tomorrow morning. I'll get more details out soon and pics of the visit and our many tourist stops around Memphis.

Until then . . . Happy Easter!

Arrests at Last!

Breathe. Good news came yesterday.

For the last several weeks, I've been getting reports of nearby robberies. (I read a midtown blog regularly, and I receive a weekly emails from my neighborhood association; that email details local crime.) These robberies haven't been in my immediate vicinity, but close enough to cause personal alarm.

See, I live in a neighborhood called the Evergreen Historic District. On the northest area of this neighborhood sits Rhodes College. That's where these robberies have occurred--right around there.

The targeted victim has been someone who was out exercising or walking a dog in the dark--mostly around 8 or 9 pm. The suspects were described as a group of three or four young men, all wearing hoodies, using a sawed-off shotgun. They had robbed a woman walking her dog, but she didn't have anything. (I don't carry anything while walking Howard either.) But a few men have been robbed, and their wallets and cell phones were taken. (What's scary here is that one robber demanded the lock code for a cell phone; I don't know mine, and I'm sure I wouldn't know it with a sawed-off shot gun being pointed at me!)

Now, I don't walk Howard in the dark--one major reason I found a house with a fenced-in back yard. (And there's a lock on my gate going into the backyard.) But I do get home from the gym a couple of nights a week around 8. And so I have tried to get myself in the habit of really checking out the area before I get out of my car. (Several robberies around midtown have occurred as people pull up to their houses and are getting out of their cars.) I always have my front porch light on, and my neighbors to the north do too, which is especially nice because their bushes provide quite a hiding spot form my point of sight; but not so much as long as their light is on. And my front porch is wide open--not a good place to commit a crime.

Anyway, about six people were arrested yesterday in connection with this particular string of robberies, and what good news! No doubt, those kids over at Rhodes are quite happy too.

Memphis has awful crime stats---number 1 on the FBI's list of most violent crime per capita. But this can serve as a reminder to everyone to check out your surroundings. Know what's going on around you. Know what is normal, and know when something is happening that's out of the ordinary.

Go Tigers!

If you're unfamiliar with college basketball, let me clue you in: the newest (as of this past week) number 1 team in the country: The Univeristy of Memphis Tigers. Yep, right here in Memphis.

Indeed, I grew up with football as the sport. But the football team here, well, it leaves a good bit to be desired. (we play teams such as Rice and SMU, and I remember those football programs from the days of the Southwest Conference---not a lot of umph, ya know?)

But basketball, well, wowee! Around here, it's the big deal. For example, Friday night, the Foo Fighters played a concert in Fed Ex Forum--the major arena in town. Saturday morning, the Tigers played Gonzaga at the same place. And Friday night, the Memphis Grizzlies, the NBA team here, played in there. The only event that sold the place out? That's right---the college basketball game at 11 am on a Saturday.

The Tigers have done pretty well in their past. They are even the team that knocked Texas A&M out of the big tourney last year. (so you can imagine my mixed feelings.) But they haven't secured the numero uno spot since some time in the early 80s. Until now. Apparently the win yesterday over Gonzaga was pretty big too, even though Gonzaga is no longer ranked. Our big game comes up next month when we play UT--that's the University of Tennessee around here.

I have several students who did their undergrad here, and it's the fever. So sure, I'll jump on that bandwagon: Go Tigers!

(that is, of course, until they play A&M in any March Madness game. :-) )

Dogs Rule

At least, that's what they say at, yes, the doggie day care Howard now visits once a week.

Dogs Rule Daycare and School is a doggie day care located here in Midtown Memphis. You can even check 'em out yourself at dogsrulememphis "dot" com. (I've learned that putting links into your blog can lead to your blog being linked to on other sites; mine wound up on CNN! No thank you, not yet.)

I went to check the day care out over the summer, but there was a wait list, with about twenty names already on it. But being optimistic, and knowing eventually we'd get a call, I signed us up. And in late October, my phone finally rang.

But we weren't in yet! Howard had to have an interview. A few weeks ago, then, I took Howard down one morning, along with all of his vaccination records, and Howard got to meet the staff and some of the dogs who get free reign. He approached one dog, Molly, who apparently is always cranky. Molly gave a little "Grrrrrrrrr," and Howard promptly backed off. This told the staff that Howard was not aggressive and would unlikely start trouble. Well, no kidding---he's Howard! ;-)

The next week, Howard had his first all-day visit. The staff told me it was best for the first visit to be on a Monday, the slowest day, and it'd be best for Howard to get there early. So two weeks ago, we were there before 7:30. At that time, only a few dogs were already there in the small dog room, which was the ideal situation for introducing a new guy to the group. Howard went in, sniffed around, and promptly peed on the pole (where lots of other dogs had peed, and which was perfectly okay in this place). The staff said that was a great sign that Howard felt very comfortable; some dogs get there and shiver and shake and hold it for hours. No, not my Howard---Mr. Marker. (fortunately, never at home, and no, it's not led to any inappropriate marking.)

The dogs play all day until noon, when each dog is crated separately, given a treat, and has nap time for two hours. After that, it's back to group play! I picked Howard up around 4:30, and he looked happy as could be---to see me and to have had so much fun with his new doggie friends.

Indeed, he went to sleep early that night, and the next morning, Howard slept late---very late.

The next week, when we drove up to Dogs Rule, Howard got so excited when he recognized the place, and he had another great day. This morning when we pulled up, Howard knew exactly where we were, and he barely even looked back at me as he went into the small doggie play room; he was way too excited to see his friends.

Why go to doggie day care? It's great socialization for my pup, and it's a chance for Howard to play with other dogs without me doing the "keep the leashes untangled" gymnast dance. It also gives Howard something great to do, a new place to smell, other people to visit with---all things my doggie just loves. He does, after all, think everyone wants to be his best friend.

Sadly, Dogs Rule is daycare only, so Howard won't be able to stay overnight at Christmastime. My neighbors will be gone, so I needed a place. Although it's a bit of a drive, we've got a spot reserved already at PetsHotel. And of course, Howard had a couple of BizyBundle packages (special treats and group play sessions) scheduled as well as the last day set up as Doggie Day Kamp along with an exit bath. I won't be gone that long, so Sophie will stay home, happy not to be couped up.

Zoo Pics

Here are my pics from the Memphis Zoo. It is a very nice zoo. A lot of people said it was much better than that in Fort Worth. Yes, some things are better. But still, Fort Worth does some things better too.

One thing Memphis does that I really like is daily "keeper chats." Each day, someone who's a keeper of certain animals comes out to the front of that exhibit and talks about the animals. I made it by for the tiger chat, and she even had a whole fish to give each tiger as a treat. (that's why these tigers are coming into the water--to get closer to the keeper who they knew was about to toss 'em each a fish.) We watched as the brother stole his sister's fish, but then she got another one.



I became a member of the zoo, allowing me and a guest to visit free for a year. It's nice because it's only a couple of minutes from my house, and there's a lot more to see that I didn't make it to a few weeks ago. It's also just a great way to "escape" for an afternoon, even in the middle of the city.

Bravo Tennessee!!

No Sir. That's what they called the legislation that went into effect today: Tennessee's No Smoking In Restaurants. But the new law isn't limited to restaurants; the law prohibits smoking in all enclosed public places (with a very few exceptions). Bravo!

It was a fact of life in Texas--if you went out to a bar, you'd almost have to leave your clothes outside lest your closet take on the odor of stale cigarette smoke. And as an exsmoker, I was ickishly aware of that odor.

Now, one thing I've liked about Boscos here is that it went nonsmoking very soon after the Tennessee governor signed the bill into law (which happened in June), and so I've come to love enjoying a cold beverage and a bite to eat without leaving the place having to pony-tail my hair just so I wouldn't smell it. A couple of weeks ago, I visited a place called Hueys to check out their Sunday afternoon live music. The music was great, but I couldn't stay for dinner; the place was unbelievably smokey. But I told them I'd be back---after October 1. The bartender said I was not at all alone in that sentiment.

And now, October 1 is here! No more smoking in restaurants! WooHoo!! What about bars? Are they the exceptions? Not unless they want to NEVER allow anyone under the age of 21 in--including employees. In other words, if it's a place that does great family business in the early evening, like Buffalo Wild Wings, but is mainly bar for sporting events on Saturday and Sunday afternoon, it'll be smoke free. Fabulous!

With the exceptions, though, smokers will have places to go. Several places are going or remaining strictly 21 & up. The Blue Monkey, a place I've wanted to check out but haven't yet, is one example. But I must say that I'm not exactly in a hurry to go there now. There are too many other places I can go that won't give up their patrons---and employees---under the age of 21. That's right---think also of all the under-21 college students here in the service industry. They now can work only in places that ban smoking; the law is, after all, designed to protect employees.

With nonsmokers loving the new law, though, how will a 21 & up place convince the nonsmokers to keep coming in? After all, now we can expect an even larger gathering of smokers in each of those places. But what else is a place to do other than compromise! For example, the Flying Saucer has it (almost) all figured out. It's gone to 21 & up, allowing smoking in what's called "the Garden," but the true indoor room, by management decision, will be smoke-free. Now that's what I call a good idea. Granted, it could be better---you have to walk through the Garden (not open air, but huge garage-door style windows open up onto 2nd and Peabody Streets) to get inside. Hmph. Oh well, life isn't perfect.

But, then again, with the new ban comes another problem---actually, it's making an existing problem worse: the littering of cigarette butts. A local blogger here counted cigarette butts this morning on his side of the street for the course of his quarter-mile walk downtown, and he reported---get this---445 butts. Yowza! That's a whole lotta butts.

(Granted, not all smokers are litterers. I, for one, stopped littering as soon as a friend told the story about picking up a discarded cigarette and *politely* returning it to the woman who'd tossed it aside---by dropping it down her shirt. I don't know if she got the message, but I did.)

Back to the local blogger. He makes a good point: "You know, thinking about it, farting in public makes more sense as a socially acceptable behavior than smoking in public does. But there isn't a billion-dollar industry buying every conceivable type of ad to convince you how cool farting is."

Ah, well, at least now, in Tennessee, we can breathe a little cleaner. Bravo.

Family Ties

My Aunt Donna has been doing incredible family history research. She's a true wealth of information, and I'm so very appreciative of all that she's done and learned. She is, after all, the reason I know I had a collateral ancestor in the Alamo!

But how is that related to me now? Well, let's back up: Joseph Bayliss moved to Texas in order to assist Texas in its fight for independence. For that, he was promised land in Texas. Well, Joseph was part of that group that went to the Alamo, and we know that didn't turn out so well. But the land was given to his brother, Harris Bayliss, who moved from Tennessee to claim the land. My grandmother's grandmother was Harris's daughter, Catherine Patience Bayliss. (She married James Mason Buck. They were the paternal grandparents of my paternal grandmother.)

Okay--back to Memphis. Catherine (my great-great-grandmother) had a second cousin named Rowena Bayliss. This makes Rowena my second cousin four times removed. Rowena married James Lee, Jr. (who was, by the way, an attorney). On Saturday, I visited their house! It's "The James Lee House."

It's an amazing structure, but sadly, in bad need of restoration. Indeed, the house is closed to the public. But as I was walking by, I say a lady around back, asked her if I could see the house, and she said to ask the caretaker. She even led me around back to meet him. Alvin lives in an apartment at the back of the house, and his job is to keep an eye on the property and open and close a specific gate on certain days. (And he also apparently gives haircuts in the room right off where he has his kitchen.)

I told him I was distantly related to the Lees--second cousin many times removed--and asked if there was any way I could see inside. (I had driven by on a whim after I voted Saturday afternoon---being in the general area. So I hadn't come armed with all the information I'd learned about exactly how I was related.) Alvin, judging my earnestness, smiled, paused, and said, "You want to see inside?" I said that I did, and he said he'd show me around.

Right about that time, two other ladies walked up, also wanting to see inside (they, however were more interested in seeing ghosts), and so they came along with us. (And yes, when they left, I pointed them in the direction of Ernestine and Hazel's for the pursuit of ghosts.)

Indeed, the house needs a lot of work. Alvin told us that it had been slated for restoration, but whoever had the money ran off with those funds. Sigh. He said there's litigation going on now, so they haven't lost all hope.

Still, the house is grand, and walking through it, you can easily imagine just how grand it once was. Here are shots of the first, second, and third floors.




Of course, then there's the fourth floor. Okay, not a whole floor. It was really just a small room. I and the two other ladies wondered up there, but Alvin said he'd never made it that far. This is looking up from the outside then a view looking down from the fourth-floor window down. You might be able to view my car under the tree--with the top down, of course. (It was a gorgeous day!)




As to the story of Rowena and James, well, according to Aunt Donna, "Rowena Bayliss married James L. Lee, Jr., in 1858, shortly after he was graduated from Princeton law school. His dad James Sr. had been an iron producer on the Cumberland River near Clarksville and then sometime before 1840 decided to cut out the middleman transporter and develop his own steamboats to carry his iron to market. In the census of 1840, he is listed in the category of 'employed in navigation of canals, lakes, and rivers.'

"So James Sr. navigated the Cumberland for a while, expanding his shipping business, and then about 1860 or so he and his son James Jr. (and Rowena) moved their families to Memphis to locate their Lee Line Steamship company offices there on the Mississippi River. This put them in the position to become one of the major inland steamer lines in the U.S., navigating the Mississippi, Cumberland, Ohio, and Tennessee Rivers. During the War, Lee steamboats were used to transport men, artillery, horses, etc., for the CSA..

"Edna Ferber used the Lee steamboat Stacker Lee as a fictional backdrop for her novel Show Boat, which eventually became a Broadway musical first produced by Florenz Zigfield. The Lees often named their steamboats after their children, and this one was named after Rowena's bro-in-law, Samuel Stacker Lee."

Here's a pic of an advertisement for the Lee Line.


Aunt Donna gave me other addresses where the Lees lived or had buildings. I'm going to print those out and make them my destinations next time I'm out driving around enjoying such a gorgeous day---sun on my face, and of course, the wind in my hair.