Valentine's Day Gift Boutique

Valentine's Day is almost here. Since it's one of my favorite holidays, I most definitely have a site dedicated to it!

If you're looking for that perfect Valentine's Day gift for your friend or loved one, look no further: ValentineGiftBoutique.com. You'll find flowers, jewlrey, chocolate, wine, and more!

This was one of the first sites that I put up, so please disregard the error message that's at the top of the page. I need to get in there and update that part.

Happy Valentine's Day shopping!

Walkin in Memphis - Activities and Events

I've been having a quiet week the past few days. It's most definitely the calm before the storm. Fortunately, the storm is all good things coming up soon.

This week, I spent a lot of time with friends. Our outings have included the Flying Saucer, the Westin Lobby Bar & The Daily Grille, and Blue Fin. Tonight, I'll either be attending a concert Downtown, or beating someone in darts. The schedule has yet to be determined.

Today, I have the good fortune of working from home. The weather was entirely too crazy today, and I'm often times more productive in my own office anyway. So far, it's been nice. I wouldn't want to do this every day (it's just too quiet!), but once in a while is great.

I've noticed that people around town are starting to get excited. I guess that the novelty of the holidays have just about worn off, but in the past few days, I've received more event invitations than I've seen in a while. Here are of a few of the events that I can share and you might want to check out:

• MacBeth - MacBeth is playing this weekend at the Hattiloo Theatre. For more information, click here.
• Down Home with the Neelys premiring on the Food Network on Saturday. Unfortunately, I'll miss it, but you should check it out. The Neely family owns Neelys Barbecue in Memphis and Nashville. This will be a reality show featuring the Neelys and their love of cooking. Congrats to the Neelys!
• Superbowl - Of course, there are tons of parties all over for Superbowl this weekend.
• Ballet Memphis - Ballet Memphis is performing at the Orpheum Theatre in Friday, February 8th. If you're a Bravo Memphis member, I believe there's a group meeting up to attend together.
• Rodeo - Although I doubt this is of interest to most, there's a bull riding event at the FedEx Forum on February 16th.
• Second City - The traveling comedy troupe, Second City, will be performing at the Germantown Performing Arts Center. I'm putting together a group to go, so send me an email if you'd like to join in.

A Funny Thing on the Way to Dessert

I had a great dinner at Blue Fin in Downtown Memphis last night. During dinner, a straight laced looking man sitting next to us was talking at a very high volume. He was so loud and so very expressive, he could have been sitting at our table.

At one point, he said something that had me almost rolling in the floor laughing:

There was a point in my life when I was a real derelict! I mean, I was
really a derelict for a while; for a few years!

derelict
adjective
1. worn and broken down by hard use; "a creaky shack"; "a decrepit bus...its seats held together with friction tape"; "a flea-bitten sofa"; "a run-down neighborhood"; "a woebegone old shack" [syn: creaky]
2. forsaken by owner or inhabitants ; "weed-grown yard of an abandoned farmhouse" [syn: abandoned]
3. failing in what duty requires; "derelict (or delinquent) in his duty"; "neglectful of his duties"; "remiss of you not to pay your bills"
4. in deplorable condition; "a street of bedraggled tenements"; "a broken-down fence"; "a ramshackle old pier"; "a tumble-down shack" [syn: bedraggled]

noun
1. a person without a home, job, or property
2. a ship abandoned on the high seas [syn: abandoned ship]

You've Got to Check This Out - Kidney Donation

I caught up with a friend today who I haven't spoken to in quite a while. He was around 6 years ahead of me at RPI, and has been a good friend for years.

He has decided to donate a kidney and I want to introduce you to his blog where he's recording the process. On his blog, he describes himself this way:

My name is Anthony DeGiulio. I'm 35 and live in upstate New York with my wife,
Amy, and two weimaraners, Frankie and Sammy. One of my dreams is to save
someone's life. Since I don't think I will ever pull anyone from a burning
building or perform CPR on a stranger, I figured donating a kidney might be the
closest I would come. This is the story of my experience.

Pretty cool, huh?

He's all set to give away the kidney, other than the doctors are waiting to find a few additional patients. They allow folks in need to find others to donate even if they aren't a match. Then, there's a bit of a round robin approach. You can trade your donor in for another that matches you.

So anyway, check out his blog and read about his lifesaving adventure: http://giveakidney.blogspot.com.

Congrats Anthony on taking on this endeavor!

Testing Time

Testing to see that Blogger knows I'm in the Central Time Zone, rather than Pacific... at 9:35 AM CST.

Tuesday Recap

Alright, it was a long day. It's 11:00 PM and I'm just now getting home.

First was work. It was a power suit sort of day. I participated in two presentations; they were fun.

After work, I went horseback riding. I was able to make it over in time to ride for a full hour today, which was lovely. I practiced cantering and jumping, and I could definitely see improvement in my riding since I started up again. I'm feeling much more comfortable, and am beginning to really have fun.

Afterward, I stopped by Jillian's in Downtown Memphis and watched Lindy and Freddie play around 3 games of bowling. I would have played, but I was tired from riding. Yesterday I lifted weights too, so both my arms and my legs were tired...

We went to the Flying Saucer after Jillian's, where I officially played my 3rd game of darts ever. I played against Lindy and Freddie, and proved once again that I really do need to devote a little time to darts. Near the end, I'd like to think I gave Freddie a run for his money. In the end, he easily beat us both, but I felt happy that I kept up. He even seemed in disbelief that I haven't played much much more. That seems good, right? :~) I'm hoping I can find someone in Memphis who's interested to play once in a while.

Alright, that's it. I'm off to bed. Gotta get up early to lift again in the morning.

G'nite.

Happy Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Weekend Recap: Felicia Suzanne's, EP's, Mollie's, and more...

Well, it was another successful weekend in the Bluff City! As I do dishes and wash clothes today, I'm reflecting back on fun, friends, and good food.

My adventures on Friday started at Felicia Suzanne's on Main Street with friends. The entire bar was taken up by people who all knew one another. I had the smoked salmon deviled eggs with caviar. Both the food and the company were great! I also had a chance to stop by Hoop's Bar and EP's, where I met up with and ran into friends. I left a little early though... it was cold this weekend, and I was tired.

Saturday night, I visited Mollie Fontaine Lounge in the Victorian Village, and Earnestine & Hazel's, on South Main. Mollie's was packed to the brim with people. Word has definitely gotten out about just how good it is. And, considering how off the beaten path Mollie's is, that says a lot. On my way into E&H, I ran into Robbie, Ester, and Edison, who were clearly having a fabulous night; they were heading to Raiford's. At E&H, I ran into Lindy and her crew, who were also having a great time.

Today, my to-do list is short. I'm essentially getting ready for the week. Since tomorrow is MLK Day, I'm hoping to make it to the Grizzlie basketball game. Thursday, I'll be getting a haircut (whoo hoo!) and after that, it's anybody's guess.

Have a great Sunday!

Cowboy-Baby and the Magical Hat

This evening was interesting, in a good way. It definitely turned out differently than I had anticipated.

My entire to-do list was thrown out the window when my new horseback riding trainer called at lunch to say that I'd be riding this evening. I wasn't planning on it, but luckily I had my boots in my car, so I was able to go. All the way there, I fought through traffic and accidents and even considered canceling. Once I began riding however, everything changed. Riding is really the one hour per week when I don't think about anything else. It's a huge relief and I had a great time.

Afterward, I came home covered in dirt and with pigtails and boots, stopped by to say hello to my neighbors. Before I knew it, I was wearing my cowboy hat and the group had made our way down to E&H for dancing. Despite being dirty, messy, and smelling like a horse, I was most definitely near the center of things. I've just about decided: cowboy hats have magical powers. :~) More on that later...

And, the Weekend Has Arrived With A Bang: Memphis V. LA!

This weekend so far is WOW. :~) Last night was the perfect example of why I make Memphis my home.

I got home a little late from work, and started off chatting up one of my neighbors over popcorn. Then, I went home and was basking in the peace and quiet of the evening when I got a text message from a couple I'm friends with, "We're heading to EP's for a bite. Come have a drink!" So, I headed down to give it a try and the night took it from there.

First, I spent time with the couple at EP's. Then, I headed into Hoop's Bar next door, where I sat at the bar, ate dinner, and caught up with more friends. Everyone's been away for the holidays and it was the first time I'd seen most people in weeks.

After finishing the great egg rolls at Hoop's, a friend and I headed down to Club 152 where I ran into a few other friends and had a dance before we had another "change of venue."

Next on the list was Silky O'Sullivan's. Silky was there to greet us in his typical friendly way. Inside, some crazy, drunk, old man tried to chat me up while my friend stepped away for just a minute. This qualified for another COV.

Next, we headed to Double Duce! My friend was absolutely impressed that such a random place existed on Beale. If you haven't been yet, you should really stop by-- at least for a minute or two. Downstairs, they have live music. Upstairs is a techno club and outside, there's a mechanical bull- ha! It's an experience all of its own and definitely worth the trip. You never know what you'll find there. Yesterday, I found my first shot of Jager. Then, we were on to the next COV...

The next place is a little hole in the wall bar on Beale that I don't know the name of. I've been there a few times, and its always reasonably full of people. It looks a little like a hallway with a bar along one side. This time, we ended up sitting next to two guys who were in town from LA. They almost immediately started to complain about Memphis and how unexciting it is compared to LA. Since I've lived in LA, I could easily argue against this point. I asked just how long they'd been in town for (assuming it was a while if they were in so much pain), and I learned that they had just flown in that same day for a fitness conference. Haha. They must have been so tortured after 4 hours.

They were both so into La-La-Land... It was so interesting to hear them brag about LA, since actually living in LA is so emotionally challenging on just about everyone who does it. Practically everyone there struggles every day, and people constantly wonder if staying is the right idea, or not. One of my LA friends just called me 2 days ago with this exact struggle. She's not sure if she should stick it out longer, or finally give up. I told her she should check out Memphis. :~)

Anyway! Rather than explain why Memphis is so great, my friend and I decided to SHOW them! Our next COV? Raiford's! My friend called up the limo driver who promptly flew around the block to pick us up in the Raiford's limo. The two guys were clearly surprised, but hopped in with us and minutes later we arrived at the door of Raiford's Disco. After ushering us through the door, it was on! Unfortunately, our sad LA friends just couldn't hang. They didn't even make it to the dance floor before they were out the door. I guess it was just too much fun. :~) (Actually, it was probably just too late for them. Everything in LA closes around 1:30 or 2:00 AM.) Despite this setback, my friend and I were off to the races. We danced the night away in the DJ booth and in the back room. We were actually there when Raiford said goodnight and they closed down. Oh my.

Wow, what a good night! This is exactly the sort of reason that I moved back to Memphis after living in LA.

A quick recap of last week: After recovering from a NYE debacle, I came down with a cold last Friday. I stayed home Saturday and Sunday, determined to get better and by Thursday, my hard work had paid off. I was feeling better and had a lovely time Thursday night at Molly Fontaine Lounge in the Victorian Village. If you haven't been, you should go. This place is at the very top of my personal favorites. Yesterday was a fulfilling day at work-- one where you leave the week feeling like maybe you actually accomplished what you set out to do. And, that's where last night began.

Tonight, I will be accompanying a friend to an ice hockey game. In case you didn't know, ice hockey is one of my favorite sports. :~) (And speaking of that, the RPI Big Red Freakout game is coming up in just a few weeks. )

Well anyway, have a good weekend. I look forward to catching you up on more fantastic details very soon!