I got the blues...

...Not really...just seemed fitting since I am writing from the birthplace of blues....Memphis, TN ya'll.

We have had quite the sit down here in the south.  I mean...I am being worked to death.  We have a total of....wait...wait...ONE show this week.  And it isn't even until tomorrow at 10 AM.  It's so hard to be me.

We got to Memphis on Friday evening, after a 10 hour long drive.  I drove most of the day, subjecting my poor navigator to my erratic musical stylings.  We were all pretty antsy after being cooped up all day so a Beale Street exploration was planned and carried out.  I have to admit that Beale was a tad disappointing.  I was expecting cool dive bars with old guys rasping over brass and rockin' jazz organs.  Well...I did hear a couple of jazz organs...  But Beale has been turned into a tourist trap with a capitol T.  The street is all blocked off, so everyone is swaggering around with open containers of booze...some of them in strange plastic contraptions slung over the shoulder. 

So yes...ticky tacky Beale.  I decided to let go of my disappointment and dive head first into the mayhem.  We (me and three of the gals...two more met us later) each bought an obscenely large beverage from an outdoor vendor and started walking in Memphis...(go ahead...sing the song...know you want to.  It took me a good two days into our stay here to shake it outta my head.)  We stopped at an outdoor music venue where some guys were wailing.  They were really great actually.  The best part about this pit stop were two little boys...maybe about 7 or 8 years old breaking it down!  They were right in front of the bandstand and probably had more soul in their pinky finger than I do in my whole 25 year old body.  One of them kept checking in with the crowd just to make sure we were watching...it was adorable.  And impressive...sheesh.  After a while of drooling over the little ones we headed back out onto the street.  It wasn't long until two more of our ladies met up with us and we split up to cover more territory.  Dawn, our lighting engineer, wanted to go to Coyote Ugly, so I decided to accompany her.  Well...lets just say we ended up dancing on top of the bar.  Don't ask me how...well actually it was pretty simple...we just hopped up there and started groovin.  AC/DC's "You Shook Me All Night Long" was playing if I recall correctly.  Now, my street drink was big but it wasn't that big so I was awkwardly aware of what I was doing...lets just say as SOON as the song was over I was ready to skedaddle.  And we did, well...after we each took a picture on the bar :)  We met the other ladies at a different dance club and shook it some more, this time on the dance floor like normal people...  Our evening ended with a downpour as we trudged back home.  My biggest worry was how my Des Moines boots would hold up in the rain!  Woe is me... :)

Saturday was spent largely and delightfully in bed.  I finally got up and around that afternoon for a Memphis walk.  (I was walking in Memphis...)  I stopped in a dive and got a surprisingly delicious cheeseburger and fries, stopped by Walgreens for some rubbing alcohol (dang fever blister), and then just generally enjoy the beautiful southern weather.  That was also the afternoon that two inebriated gentleman cat called to me, "Happy Resurrection, Baby!".  Only in the South...  That evening all I really wanted to do was laze about and eat chocolate, but the gals convinced me to go out.  Beale round two:  This time I was somehow talked in to drinking (eating?) a jello concoction out of a huge syringe.  It tasted like Robitussin.  Gross.  I bought a cool magnet though.  I don't know if I've mentioned that...I have been collecting magnets from places of interest along the tour...so every time I look at my fridge I will see where I have been.  We were romanced by some dudes outside of a little bar to come and listen to their band.  It was a rock-a-billy group so we checked it out for a while...they were surprisingly good, despite that fact that they all looked like bankers or middle school teachers disguised by "funky" hats.  We eventually ended up at the same dance club from the night before, but I didn't last long.  Luckily one of the other ladies wasn't feeling it either, so we trekked home together. 

Sunday: Happy Easter! I awoke and tried not to awaken my roomie as I got ready for church.  One of the girls from the cast and I decided to check out a local church for the holiday.  She got a recommendation from a friend and we took the big ol van (we are calling her Grace) about 20 minutes away to New Direction Christian Church.  Well...I experienced many firsts that morning.  I was definitely one of maybe 3 other white people on attendance and this place was HUGE.  We walked in and the ushers had elaborate, tribal makeup on, all blue.  "Odd choice for Easter Sunday", I thought.  The sanctuary was filled with camera men, fancy theatrical lighting and a full set with a huge tree in the center.  The choir came out and THEY. WERE. AMAZING.  If you weren't filled with joy after hearing them wail then there was something very wrong with you.  I had constant chills running down my legs.  Breathtaking.  Then the passion play started...  "What is the theme for this passion play?" you ask.  "Jesus is my Avatar."  "Why, of course, naturally." you reply.  That explains the freaky blue makeup.  It was oh so special...in more ways than one.  The pastor was great, so that (and the MUSIC) made for a lovely service...despite the avatars...I'm sorry...it was weird.  Zurin (my cast mate) had warned me that the service was probably going to be longer than I was used to, and two hours later she was right.  We giggled as we walked back to Grace thinking about the passion play, but I will admit...the members of that church aren't afraid to show their faith to anyone.  Something we all should look into no matter where our passion lies.  Once back at the hotel I hoofed it to meet some of the other ladies for Easter brunch.  I met them at the most charming restaurant.  It was an Inn as well, called the Phelan Hunt House.  Gen. Grant had commandeered it during the Civil War for his headquarters while in Memphis.  Its been restored and sits right in the midst of the city.  It was a gorgeous day and the gals were sitting out on the back patio.  It was very fancy, and VERY southern.  The service was divine and the food even more so.  I had eggs benedict with a mixed green salad, and a Kir Royale.  It was like a mimosa, but with black currant liqueur instead of OJ.  DELISH.  After a three hour brunch (southern ladies taker their time) I decided I needed an Easter nap.  Later, I did some reading outside and ate my Cadbury Creme Egg.  I had bought it for myself the day before...my own little Easter goody. 

Monday found me in the Cooper Young district of Memphis.  Its a little artsy area...pretty sparse on a Monday unfortunately.  Not much was open.  I found a great vintage store filled with awesome dishware and furniture...luckily it was all too large to fit into my suitcase so it kept me from buying :)  I met the other gals at a restaurant and guzzled some sweat tea then we all headed back to the hotel.  It was then time to find a good place to hunker down to watch the NCAA tourney.  Zurin came with me and we ended up at Huey's down on Union.  I was wearing my navy blue tank top in honor of Butler.  The game was so good...and so close...and so heartbreaking.  I seriously got tears in my eyes when the final buzzer went.  My older sister put it best "Sucks worse than a blow out".  Ain't it the danged truth?  But I have to admit, I was proud of myself for actually caring about a sporting event period.  I also helped some Canadians cheat at bar trivia.  The question was "What famous musician, and famous cartoon character both have a daughter named Lisa Marie?" DUH. The King and Homer.  But these Canadians were struggling, and I wasn't playing, so I thought I would slip them a freebie...being foreigners and all.  Zurin and I walked home, feeling a little blue about the dogs and sleep came soon. 

Today has been pretty painless.  Woke up, ate some leftover pizza, walked around downtown on a mission to find some ice cream.  This website I follow (greenissexy.com) and my book mentioned how it was "green" to eat ice cream from a cone rather than a bowl.  No plastic spoon or paper cup.  So I decided it would be my green deed of the day to devour some creamy goodness.  And devour I did.  It was heavenly.  Laundry was also on the agenda...which finally got done.  Now my plan is to head to Rendezvous.  Its a BBQ place suggested to me by my Daddio.  I walked by it today and it looks perfect.  You enter from an alley and its got the original rusty sign hanging above the door.  Apparently they have the best ribs around...we shall see :)

Finally have a show in the morn.  Only one at 10 AM...then I am headed to IN to visit my sister and her fam.  SO. EXCITED. 

XO.