Welcome To THE COUCH...Sit on Down and Get Comfy...
Let's start with a sad farewell to the hole-in-the-wall, skeevy club that spawned the best of punk rock...CBGB & OMFUG 
COUCH NOTE: From the history of the club as told by it's owner, Hilly Kristal: The question most often asked of me is, "What does CBGB stand for?"I reply, "It stands for the kind of music I intended to have, but not thekind that we became famous for: COUNTRY BLUEGRASS BLUES."The next question is always, "but what does OMFUG stand for?" and I say"That's more of what we do, It means OTHER MUSIC FOR UPLIFTING GORMANDIZERS." And what is a gormandizer? It's a voracious eater of, in this case, MUSIC.
This historic club, which was truly one of the dirtiest bars i have ever been in, was the kick-off point for so many influencial artists in the seventies...Television, The Ramones, Richard Hell & The Void Oids, Blondie, Patti Smith and The Talking Heads, just to name a few.
You can read the History of CBGB OMFUG HERE.
Well time and a changing of the neighborhood has forced the club to close. the lease was too expensive. Hilly has talked about opening a CBGB OMFUG in Las Vegas...but ya know what? It will never have the skeevy charm of the original...so let it die a gracious death.
CBGB OMFUG main web site can be found HERE.
Thanks for the fun Hilly!
Hilly Today
I finally have my own computer....WOOOO...so now I can actually be productive...
OK, Dixie asked - so let's go right to it...Meatball Night at the Staybridge Suites. I have had Italian Meatballs (DOH and yum), Swedish Meatballs (yum when done correctly)...last night, I guess I had Memphis Meatballs.
They were tiny and in a tomato based sauce. Smelled appetising enough.
The other night with the "spaghetti" there were meatballs that, were supposed to simulate Italian style, so I was kind of expecting the same thing.
NOPE...placed on on the tongs of my fork...moved it toward my mouth as my eyes gazed at the TV screen and a report on the weather (more on that later).
Popped the little sucker into my mouth and bit down. Chewed it up and swallowed...
BING BING BING BING BING...the tastebuds sent out the first signal...then the esopogus responded in kind...NOT AN ITALIAN MEATBALL....
These little things packed a spiciness somewhere between a Serrano and a Habanero.
I love spicy...but I was not prepared for the firestorm that took place on my tongue....so I doused it with a gulp of cold beer and dug in for the remainder.
StayBridge "Cocktail Hour" food:
So far:
Scale of 1-10
"Spaghetti" & Meatballs: .5
Memphis Meatballs: 8
Found a website where people can rate apartment complexes and all it did was confuse me further...The three I liked the best....
ummmm...not such good ratings...but then I wonder, are the comments by a few disgruntles residents who have an axe to grind?
Are the good comments on some of the complexes posted by the management of the complex to off-set their downsides?
Then I go to the employee break room to get my Pepsi, and what do my eyes behold?!?
A notice for SM employees which gives them the downlow on apartment complexes and also lists discounts and special deals.
Well the young woman in the cube next to me, who is an actual SM employee, goes online and sends me the info. So, now I have more to confuse me!!!!
bwahahahahahaha
Yes, sis....I will be calling Kathy this evening and picking her brain...
Mets won the first game of the National League Championship Series...I have never ever ever liked the Mets...(year of my worst nightmare was 1986 when Mets played Boston for World Series)...
FLASHBACK TO 1986 - A younger Bond kneeling by his bed...it is night and the house is quiet..."Hello God...can you, like, do me a favor...How about there is a monsoon or a tornado or something that does not kill any people but forces them to cancell the World Series this year...Can you do that for me God?"
Ummm..of course he did not listen...
LOL
BACK TO THE PRESENT...
Well..now I love Willie Randolph, their manager, so I am rooting for him.
Can a Manager win the series and not the team? Nope? Oh well....
Sorry Dix! <---BIG St. Louis Fan...And the Memphis RedBirds are the St. Louis AAA affiliate...
So, it is supposed to be cold here in Memphis (50 degrees....nuttin' I tell ya nuttin')...It appears the American League game was moved from 8pm to 4;30pm today, so they could play with some sunshine...still not impressed?How's this:
Buffalo, NY today!
NOW THAT IS WHEN I CONSIDER IT COLD PEOPLE!
Thanks for sitting on THE COUCH, hope you enjoyed your stay.
Buffalo, NY today!NOW THAT IS WHEN I CONSIDER IT COLD PEOPLE!
YEAH BABY!
If you are finding it cold...stay warm...
Till Monday....
If you are finding it cold...stay warm...
Till Monday....
FIND AN OPPORTUNITY TO PAY IT FORWARD!
Keep that spark of insanity kids...It helps keep you an individual.
From the mind of Meribah:
Yep, I can picture you biting into that spicy 'ball! LMOO! Thanks for the chuckle, Bond!
By the way, I agree with you about the cold. These southern peeps don't know what cold is!!!! (Momentarily wishes she was a southern peep so she didn't know what it was either). Man, I don't wanna see snow for a good long time yet! Brrrr.
Ok... so IT'S NOT the kind of Meatball you were expecting....*shrugs shoulders* but I'm glad you liked it... You know Memphis is famous for Bar-b-Que... not Meatballs... LMOO
Ok... I thought we were buds here Snugglebritches.... I thought that since YOUR YANKEES didn't make it in that you would at least have my back...I would have done the same for you if the shoe had been on the other foot..... ;-)
Ummmmmmm.... I turned the HEAT on this morning... Just wait until they put "SNOW" in our forecast... you will really get a kick out of that. I will fill you in later...
::gropes & pops the old onion::
Ksren lives in Memphis not Kathy!
MERI: So move down here girl
DIXIE: We are buds Pookie... I amm rooting for The Cards for you...but ya know ..I have always loved Willie
SIS: Yeah that is what i meant! LOL
I have the email...no worries
Hey - even I had heard of CBGB - love the Ramones ... and was one of the few Punk rock aficionados in this area in the early 80's. So, you have history with the old place? I always wanted to go there.
The Memphis meatballs sound divine. I love spicy food as long as it's well-prepared spicy and not just "this actually sucks so let's put a little heat into it so people won't notice how bad it is" spicy.
Bears repeating - take your time choosing an apartment, hon. You want it safe and comfortable, right? Sounds like you'll get lots of input from people who have experience with Memphis living, though. This is good.
Um ... d'you suppose that prayer from 1986 might work now, for me? (wow - I was still working on my first degree at that time) LOL
Finally - you telling me it's warmer here than it is there today? We hit 77 degrees. Warm and sunny all week. Something seriously askew here, Vinny! Thought you were moving south to get warm?
Welcome to the South, Vinny my dear, welcome home.
Now, we need to load you up with some fried chicken.
Snow south of the border!!! WOOOHOOO!!! I mean.. what a shame (snarf!)
AHHHHHH... 1986... I was still in High School! And playing punk on student radio.. I didn't care if I did alienate 99% of the school...
Love to hear about your culinary adventures Vince....
So glad you seem to be settling in buddy..
omg..after seeing that pic of Buffalo i'm even more grateful i live in good ole south bama!
COCO: I am taking my time, but I do have a deadline...they are not going to payfor this hotel room forever ya know.
DANA: Thank you for the welcome. YUM..can't wait to have a place where I can make myown fried chicken again. Wanna come for dinner?
ANNDI: such a little snarfer you are.
Why do you all have to tell me how much younger you are then me all the time???
Settling in slowly..more epicurial chats to come.
AMANDA: Yes...too freakin' cold up there.
From the the mind of Meribah:
1986? I was still a little girl playing with my dollies, particularly My Little Ponies! LOL Oops, hope that didn't make you feel old, Bond! :P **snickers and hides under the chesterfield**
Hey guys...it SNOWED here in Detroit the past 2 days! And yes, they moved the game to 4:30 because the wind was so bitter cold. Can't have my Tigers freeze their cute hineys off! LOL!
umm Have to go with Dix....try some BBQ...! hmmm Never heard of CBGB or IMFUG and the only entertainers you mention that I have even heard of is Blondie, Patti Smith and Talking Heads. Liked Blondie..but Punk Rock..hated it! Happy you are in Memphis..oh and please let me know when you meet Dix and Hunny Bunny...that should be ohe hellava a good time!!!! HUGS!, Vince!
I need to check in more regularly. I just finished reading all the posts on Matt, your new adventure in Memphis (Congrats!), and your dad. Thank God Matt is fine - the car looks really bad. I hope your dad is doing better, too.
My oldest just made her first solo run last week. She's a good driver, but I constantly have to remind her it's everyone else she needs to be concerned about. The second will be driving early next year, so it will be doubly stressful for me at that point.
How true about your parents. I was always warmly welcomed into their home, even though I lived around the block.
Best of luck in your new job. It sounds like this is what will turn it all around. I'm looking forward to hearing all about Memphis.
Waiting impatiently for Monday's post. Not that I want to mention the Tigers or anything.
What a game…what a game.
MERI: Chesterfield...why would you hide under a cigarette? LOL
SUE: You never heard of the Ramones???? OH MY
FRED: yes...you were missing on your site for so long..glad to see you back and posting. Matt is doing much better and Dad is also..thanks
Ummm wuts a tiger???