MEMPHIS ... IN APRIL

I was a bit surprised to see a major article on Memphis, Tennessee in the Little Rock newspaper -- Arkansas Democrat Gazette -- last Sunday. Despite being the closest major city to Little Rock -- St. Louis, Dallas & New Orleans are all further than the 130 miles it is to Memphis -- we really don't get much news locally about Tennessee's biggest city.

The large article -- complete with many photos -- was a very informative description of the festivities & goings on in Memphis during the annual celebration of "Memphis in May". Included were the BBQ Championship, the Beale Street Music Festival & Sunset Symphony ... all events which draw thousands of people to downtown Memphis & the Mississippi River.

The beginning of the month of May has done no favors to Memphis. The storms which brought so many killer/damaging tornado's to Arkansas, brought major rainfall & flooding to Memphis. Not a good way to begin any kind of "celebration".

In regard to those storms, I spent about 30 minutes this past Friday night huddled in one of the bathrooms of my house, with two of my three cats in their carriers. [The third -- Nibblets -- avoided capture but was safely in the hallway.] The TV weathermen were showing my road on radar as being in the direct path of an oncoming tornado.

For the years I've lived here in Arkansas, I have been lucky to have several "near misses" when it comes to twisters. Friday night was no exception. The tornado destruction -- as seen first hand Saturday -- was about two miles away & damaged several houses & totally destroyed dozens of large trees. Really amazing to see it all up close.

Arkansas got the wind & furry of the storms. Memphis -- & the rest of Tennessee -- got the watery results of storms which for all their rapid movement & intensity in Arkansas, decided to position themselves for several days in one general area & drop all their moisture at once.

I won't be going over to Memphis this month. I've been to many of the events when I lived in Memphis. Besides, I already did ... "Memphis in April".

That ... ah ... "planned" ... two trips/two visits to Memphis & my Dentist, Dr. Midyett, turned into THREE trips over to Tennessee. The planned second trip was to get the permanent crown placed in my mouth. Due to a foul up in the office -- everyone blamed Jessica, the receptionist -- I was there for my appointment, but the new tooth was not. So ... third trip required.

Actually, the third/last trip back to Memphis turned out pretty good, for several reasons, including the chocolate chip cookies Jessica gave me as an "apology". [None needed.]

Since I did not require any "major" work done in my mouth for the last visit, I had the time & energy to make several "visits" while over in Memphis.

I did "damage" at my favorite Memphis bookstore -- Davis-Kidd. I've been buying books there for as long as they have been in business -- about 25 years. I try to go there when I am in Memphis & these "trips" allowed me to do so once again.

I'm not a fan of very tall buildings, but wanted to visit some people I worked with at my last job -- Caboodles Cosmetics. That meant going to Clark Tower in East Memphis. To the 31st floor !!

I've never had problems with heights ... as long as I don't look straight down. I won't get too close to a window either. I like to keep my distance. Still, I like to "look" out the windows of a building like the Clark Tower.

The fact that Memphis is on a major earthquake fault line DOES have some negative impact on my feelings about tall buildings. And ... I don't want to be up high in a wind storm. Not when the buildings start to "move".

PLEASE NOTE: Years ago I did travel to the observation deck of the World Trade Center. That was 107 floors up, if I remember correctly. I can't begin to imagine the horror the people in those buildings must have felt & gone through when terrorists attacked the buildings with airplanes

It was good to see & spend some time with Charles Beech & Candy Rose. Mr. Beech was one of the owners & major investors of Caboodles Cosmetics & owns several other companies. He travels a lot -- think world wide ... like in China quite often -- so it was good to catch him in town. Candy is his "assistant" ... but probably runs more of the business than even Mr. Beech realizes.

Since my dental work had been limited & my mouth was in good working order, I stopped at one of my favorite restaurants for lunch before the long drive home -- Panda Garden. It was known as Formosa when I lived & worked in Memphis. New owners bought it when I worked for Caboodles & I would eat there weekly. Either name -- the food was, & is -- GREAT.

Three round trip dives on Interstate 40 -- about 260 miles -- with dental visits, shopping, seeing old friends & having good food, proved to be my ... "Memphis in April".