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!