Today we picked up our BBQ Judging credentials (see below). I think our attempt to blend in with the locals is not working as planned. As soon as we walked into the office a woman said to another woman “Their credential packet is on the desk”. I hadn’t even said hello and she already knew who we were. I think the fact that we had an umbrella was her first clue. We are walking the streets in the rain and we are one of the few people using an umbrella. That seems to be a clear tip off that we are from out of town.
The main festivities really don’t start until tomorrow but we missed an event on Wednesday, that we had hoped to see, “The Big Hog Run”. The run requires male entrants to weigh at least 175 lbs and females 150 lbs. The run is a 0.2K (about 219 yards) and we are told it is all downhill. Runners have a mandatory hydration stop at the halfway point where entrants can choose between beer, water or sports drinks. Needless to say this is not a healthy week in Memphis.
Patrice is always on the lookout for things to do. You might recall she had me spend $20 on a show in New York, a musical in rap about Alexander Hamilton. That worked out pretty well. Of course there are some things that have not worked out as well and for the sake of our marriage those activities don’t make it to the blog. Well today she suggested we go to the Belz Museum of Asian and Judaic Art. You didn’t misread that. You don’t need go back and read it again. What? You never heard of Asian and Judaic Art in the same museum? I was less than enthusiastic with this idea but how can I say no to a woman who went with me to 3 baseball games (all extra innings) on our last road trip? So it was off to the the Asian and Judaic museum for me. Much to my surprise the museum was incredible. I took pictures (see below) but they don’t do the place justice. There were multiple works of jade, cloisonné, cinnabar and ivory (sorry elephant lovers). The Judaic portion of the museum was much less impressive. That section had a small collection of art and a rather impressive dedication to holocaust survivors who lived in Memphis (a surprisingly large number). The place is a definite “must see” if you come to Memphis.
Tomorrow is the big day. More about BBQ judging in my next post.
Robert Reiss Travel Blog and Other Ramblings 