Another great Ad Campaign..

I have loved seeing the Rachel Ray commercials for her new dog food Nutrish all this week. It so great to see her playing with her Pit Bull Isaboo. Now I don't know if I will switch over from what I give my boys, but its awesome to see a Pit Bull in a positive light on tv. Isaboo reminds me of Miracle who was a 2 year resident of the Humane Society and I loved her so much! More Pit Bulls on TV positively please!!...

Kudos Banana Republic!

Laying on the couch after a huge Thanksgiving meal, sipping on some Rose' and noticed the new Banana Republic campaign.  It was in my Vogue with Jennifer Aniston, who looks fabulous by the way, on the cover.   I really think its cool to see that they featured an interracial 'couple'. Just nice to see especially we don't see too much of it around us these days, especially in Memphis. Kudos Banana Republic! Happy Black Friday shopping..some of you are probably in line now, stay warm!

The Dogs of Harbor Town

Went to the Harbor Town Dog Show this year for the first time. I've always heard about it but never got to attend. I volunteered this year with the Humane Society. We showcased our Buddy dogs and some of our residents. Tami and I drove up together and got lost at first, but finally made our way there. It was a lot of fun to see the people who lived on Mud Island dress up their dogs and show them. 

Sip, Sip, Sippin on some..

We attended this year's Kidney Foundation 'Sip Around the World' at the Botanic Gardens. I totally recommend this event to anyone that loves wine and a good time. It was well worth the $65 admission.  Loren and Mike have gone the past 8 years and have always recommended it. Tony and I decided to go with them, and Avery and Mary Ruth went too. We also saw Jessica and her roommate Brittany, Patrick in from Atlanta and Peter and Beth Lucchesi. It was pretty simple, you walk in and are given a wine glass and then your off for the sampling. There were over 30 stations of 6-7 bottles of wine. So over 200 wines to sample. Wow, there is no way I could even do half of that, although I tried..Tony kept encouraging me to get smaller pours. My plan wasto start out with all the white wines and then go from there, didn't really work too well, so I just went to each table and with Loren's advice, asked for the most expensive bottle to sample. I even got some information on some of the wines, these people did know what they were talking about, but I'm not sure what I remember. This isn't the type of wine tasting where you are going to learn a lot, just drink a lot. They also had a live auction that we participated in. Got a pretty good package that included Grizzlies Tickets, dinner at Opus restaurant and brunch at Owen Brennan's. We split this package with Avery and Mary Ruth. Loren and Mike got the dinner at Felicia Suzanne's and have invited us to share this with them! We can't wait. After sampling 100's of wines we decided to move the party to Dan McGuiness. Another fun spot. We stayed there for awhile, it was packed. I like how they have it separated into a smoking side and a non smoking side. Until the next event..

A Devil of a Good Time

We had a fun Halloween this year. With it falling on a Friday, I knew I wanted to dress up and do something fun. Tony had his last game to coach, but got to join us late. Andrea and Shannon had their annual pumpkin carving contest, but this year threw in a little twist and added costume party to the mix. I decided to be a devil bc it was easy. I bought the wig last year and bought the wings this year..Tony decided not to dress up after ECS lost and didn't make the playoffs this year..so he wasn't in the mood. Kelly, Andrea, Mary Ruth and Shannon atleast joined me for the fun dressing up..oh, and Jesse, Harper, Buck and Prissy too..

Payne's 6th Stop on the BBQ Tour

Our 6th stop on the Memphis BBQ tour was Payne's. Payne's BBQ was established by Horton Payne in 1972. It is on the corner of Lamar and McLean in the Midtown/Cooper Young Area right across the street from Lil Gipson's Tires. It is operated by a mother and son duo, who showed wonderful southern hospitality. They even posed for pictures with us, the 'local' tourists. 

We went to Payne's on Friday November 7, 2008.

My review: When we got there around 11:45 on Friday, the only other customers were a table of medical residents in their scrubs (Kelly you shoulda come, they were cute!).  The menu was pretty simple. I got the chopped bbq sandwich. It was $3.50 and was a perfect meal. The other way to get it was sliced.  I chose not to get the slaw, bc I don't care for it. This was the BEST bbq sandwich I have EVER had. The sauce was tangy, like a sweet and sour tart mix that was a perfect addition to the crunchy chopped yet not chewy meat. I did get them to put a mix of hot and mild on my sandwich.  They only have drinks in cans for $.70 and only take cash, I had to borrow $2 from Courtney. After eating and being full Randy bought us a sausage (hot dog) for us to sample as well and it was delicious. Not very 'sausagey' but I would order it again. I will for sure be back to Payne's and recommend it to others. It was the least touristy of the ones we have been to and is the epitome of 'hole in the wall' in the most fabulous way possible. I brought Tony home the ribs. He didn't eat them until the next day and I got a nibble of one. They were beef ribs and were huge! I got him a half a slab for $10 and I cant imagine who would eat the full slab in a sitting. They had that same great sauce and were pretty good. I give Payne's a 5 for the sandwich, it was just the way I wanted it.  Here is a picture of my perfect chopped bbq sandwich before and after. 

Tony's Review: Kembree brought me a half slab of the ribs home. They were very big ribs, so at that point I knew they weren't pork. They were good, but the sauce was a little too sweet for me. I wish I coulda had them fresh off the grill, but I had to work in MS that day. I couldn't figure out how they were cooked, but would like to know. I would give them a 4. 

Regina's Review: The most unusual sauce and beans I have ever had. The meat was perfect! The mustard slaw was quite tart and tasted best when combined with the meat.

Linda and I tried to figure out the beans.  There was definitely was a little pork in there, maybe fatback.  I prefer less stuff and more beans. 

Randy's Review: I really liked the barbecue, I would give it a 4.  I didn't like the slaw bc it was mustard based.  

The beans were not as good as the other places we have been. The hot sauce was better than the mild or medium bc it wasn't so sweet. This is for sure a 'to-go' to place, but the bathrooms were not clean. 

Diane's Review:  Although I didn't see the group. I met Randy and ate a sandwich after the group left..I got the sliced barbecue and I should have gotten the chopped. I an see how that would have been better. I didn't like the huge portions of the meat on the s

andwich that were sliced not pulled. I also was mediocre on the sauce. The worst were the restrooms. They were dirty and no soap.  Randy said that the men's room was the same. I would not go back. If they have no pride in the cleanliness of the place, just imagine the food prep. So far Interstate for bbq was my favorite. I would give Payne's a 2. 

Linda's Review:

 The setting is quaint and very Memphis: an authentic garage is the dining room. I really felt like I was in the owner's kitchen,

and I liked that down-home, authentic of the restaurant.  The barbecue sauces-mile or spicy, but not very spicy-were served directly from the saucepans in which they were prepared.   My sliced barbecue was delicious: it was cooked flavourful through and through, and I did have a taste of the chewy, crusty meat around the edges. The cole slaw

 was very unusual, as noted by my team, but I liked the tart, vinegar/mustard flavor, although my portion was soupy with too much sauce (or too little cabbage.) The beans were also unusual. As Regina mentioned, they were unexpectedly meaty, flavored with fatback I think.  Mostly you could taste the pintos, and that was alright with me. Hands-down, what I liked best were the friendly smiles of the owner and her son, who served us (at the counter-no wait staff was there.)  They are very proud of their products. What I didn't like was eating off a Styrofoam tray-although it did make it easy to travel home with the unfinished large portions. I rate Payne's a 2.8.  All in all, I'd return there, though after ready about the restrooms, I might get my food to go!

Courtney's Review:  I agree with Linda's impression of the family atmosphere and the friendlessness of the owners. I hated to hear about the condition of the restrooms. They don't have to be fancy but they need to be CLEAN! I loved my pulled pork sandwich. The combination of the tender meat and the flavor and texture of the 'outside' meat was perfect. I mixed the mild and the hot sauces and loved the result...not to hot, not to sweet.  I would definitely come back here but like Linda, probably get my food to go. 

It's a Vicktory

So glad these dogs are getting such positive publicity. Just in time for the holidays..wine inspired by the Michael Vick dogs. I love the labels..order some today! And if you can't have it shipped to you, buy the artwork. Michael Vick filed to be reinstated next year. I just don't see this happening. I don't see Roger Goodell letting him back in. I know Vick has paid his 'debt to society' but what he did was so sick and calculated. Lots of guys in the league mess up and do stupid things..get DUI's, say stupid things, hang around stupid 'hangeroners', but Vick thought about this and did it over and over and over...Ewww...this is getting me in a bad mood, I gotta stop here. 

Oh, the Glory Days...

For the Alabama game, UT coordinated a 1998 Championship Team Reunion. It was held at the Tennessee Theatre and was open to the general public to purchase tickets. I would say it was well worth the $50 that was charged. UT (Tiffany) did an excellent job honoring this team. When I arrived it was raining, yet it didn't stop the Big Orange fans clad in their orange and white sweatshirts and jeans from lining up around the block.  I will say lots were sporting that 'vintage look'.  I went in a side entrance and met my friends Neisha and Peerless Price and we waited in the Green Room before the event began. Coach Fulmer, his wife Vicki and daughter Brittany joined us shortly afterwards. Then the rest of the guys participating in the forum Jeff Hall, Al Wilson and Billy Ratliff. It was really good to see all of those guys bc it had been a long time since I had seen them. UT won the National Championship when I was in graduate school, so I was right in the middle of all the excitement then. It was soon time for all of the guys to go on stage, so the girls and I went up quickly to our seats. Great seats by the way..front row center..The program was wonderful.  The Pride of the Southland Marching Band marched in playing Rocky Top down the ailes to start things off. Bob Kesling hosted while the guys I mentioned before and the GREAT John Ward reminisced through all of the games in that magical undefeated might I add, 1998 season. It sounded so rehearsed, it sounded like these guys get together every Saturday and talk about this, but I know it had been years since some of them had been together.  Jeff told his funny "Do it for Winchester" stories and kidded Peerless about getting celebration penalties and making him kick from further away. Al talked about when he got injured for a couple games and had to a sideline motivator. I don't think Tennessee has had a player with the same intensity and leadership of an Al Wilson since, watching those highlights, makes you just realize how 'one of a kind' he was for a college player. And then there was one of the greatest plays of the season, in which Al said Billy picked up the Arkansas QB, threw him down and then recovered the fumble, thus the Vols winning the game. And who could forget those catches that Peerless made all season long not to mention those in the National Championship game against FL State. They talked about how much confidence the Seminoles had in that game and how much trash they talked. My personal highlight from that season was rushing the field after the FL game and wondering if I was going to get in trouble because I was a Vol Hostess. After this part of the programs, the entire Championship Team came out on the stage. Neisha and I had been planning a exciting little surprise for Peerless for the past few weeks. After the Reunion we had arranged for everyone to attend an afterparty at Sapphire downtown.  Peerless's birthday was on Monday, so the timing was perfect.  All of the guys walked the 2 blocks down Gay Street to Sapphire and enjoyed the yummy food and libations. Neisha called me in time to know when they were on the way. Everyone gathered in the front and we had the DJ play Peerless's favorite song. (Thanks Aaron)We got him! He was totally surprised!! It was so good to see everyone from that era again. Some of the older guys came too. Joey Kent came and flattered me with the BEST compliment I had heard all night. "Kembree when are you going to start aging!" Oh, music to my ears, he sure knows how to flatter a girl!.....Everyone talked, laughed, ate, drank, laughed. It was a perfect night. I was so glad everything went over without any problems. The cake was too cute too with the sparkler candles. The night was coming to end, not to mention we had to wake up in time to start tailgating and get ready to beat Bama! The tailgating was a lot of fun. Al set up a tailgate in G-10, including Mark Levine on the grill. Another good time to be had. I got to finally meet Billy and Crystal's adorable little boy Issac. I hadn't talked to Crystal in a couple years and never even knew she was pregnant. That's what these events are for..for everyone to catch up with what is going on in everyone's lives now.  They honored the entire team on the field before the game as the 'Legends of the game. I still think its funny hearing Mikki tell the story of how some guys who weren't on the Championship team going out in the middle of the field and getting honored and then running through the T. It was hilarious, you must ask Mikki to tell you the story if you see him soon! He had me and Jekia cracking up. I guess those guys were just living in the moment, hehehehe...oh well, Now I cant say that the game held up the same standard as the rest of the weekend. We all sat in the same section, but it emptied out before the 4th quarter even started. Need I say more about the game? Ugh....That night Fred White was hosting a party at 106 in the Old City. I stopped by there to chat at Alane and Jekia. For some reason everyone said Coreystarted a rumor about a shooting there and no one was going. I went anyway to see Alane in her 'element'.  I have to say the numbers were down for that party. Sad for Fred. He tried to get something fun organized.  My girl Alane works there and I'm sure its a fine place, it looked cool from what I saw. I heard from the 'all knowing' EMo that the party now was at Purada, which is the old Michael's. I cant believe EMo had the info, he was always the one of the younger guys hanging around (always on crutches), like my little brother :) Well and dating all my girlfriends :) Sure enough, that is where the party was. Although there were some interesting partygoers leftover from the Michael's days, I stayed for a couple of hours and then went home. I had relived my college days enough that weekend and was in dire need of some sleep!! I wish I could get all the 150 pictures I took this weekend on here..well until Snapfish...

I got the Gold card

Well I was persuaded (conned, suckered) to get the new Starbucks Gold Card. Which is actually a black card. So I paid $25, got my $5 Venti Skinny Pumpkin Spice Latte for free and I get 10% off from now on at anything I purchase from Starbucks. I think I have to go about once a week to make it worth it, which I usually do..so we will see...