Community Blog

For those of us who enjoy a cocktail or two from time to time, there’s good chance that we may be a “regular” at a local bar or pub whose atmosphere we enjoy.  Regulars always get treated special.  Maybe the get their cold, draft beer topped off at no charge.  At the least, they don’t have to wait long to order when the bar is busy.  But to get that special status, you have to treat your bartender right.  Here are a few unwritten tips and guidelines to help keep your bartender happy, staight from the mouth of a veteran bartender… 

• Start a tab. If I swipe your card five times this evening, that’s five times as much paperwork I have to do at 4 a.m.
• If your tipping guideline is still “a buck a drink,” listen closely: That doesn’t fly if you order a $12 cocktail. Tip at least 15 percent.

Do you have a favorite spot of your own around here?  If you’re looking for a great bar in Memphis that’s not to far from Hunters Trace Apartments, check out one of these spots.  Both got great reviews on Yelp.com! 

Doc Watson’s
1817 Kirby Pkwy
Germantown, TN 38138
(901) 755-2481Â
www.docwatsonsmemphis.com

TJ Mulligans
6635 Quince Rd
Memphis, TN 38119Â
(901) 753-8056Â
www.tjmulligans.com/quince

(Photo Credit: jlastras)

Clash of the Titans

Born of a god but raised as a man, Perseus is helpless to save his family from Hades, vengeful god of the underworld. With nothing to lose, Perseus volunteers to lead a dangerous mission to defeat Hades before he can seize power from Zeus and unleash hell on earth. Battling unholy demons and fearsome beasts, Perseus and his warriors will only survive if Perseus accepts his power as a god, defies fate and creates his own destiny. Rated PG-13.

The closest Redbox kiosks to Hunter’s Trace are at Kroger (6660 Poplar Ave) and Walgreens (6310 Poplar Ave).

For anyone interested in participating in a 5K race, The NAMI5K  is coming up on September 11.  NAMI stands for the National Alliance on Mental Illness.  They’re a nationa support organization for families dealing with mental illness, so if you participate, you know you’re supporting a great cause.

And this isn’t just your average 5K either.  There will be food, live music, a kids corner, face painting, a police K-9 demonstration, dunk tank, bounce house, Children’s Ident-a-kit, Snow cones, cotton candy and much more included.  There will also be a 1 mile fun-run for those age 13 and under.

To participate, visit the registration page on the event website.  The race is also sponsored by the Collierville Police Department Crisis Intervention Team and kicks off at the The Avenue – Carriage Crossing (4674 Merchants Park Circle, Collierville) at 9:00 a.m.

Do you currently carry renter’s insurance?  Hunters Trace Apartments strongly advises their residents to get a policy.  It’s really not as expensive as you may think.  In fact, you can save money on your policy in quite a few ways.  Here is one in an article I found about saving money on renter’s insurance.  Check out this video too.

EFT Payments: Many companies are now charging up to $5.00 or more for mail payments, but sometimes nothing if you choose to have payments automatically deducted. And sometimes the deductions can come from your credit card, so you don’t have to worry if the money will be in your bank account when payment time comes.

 Did you know that the consensus among appliance experts is that the #1 mistake people make with both their washing machines and dishwashers is that they add too much soap? 

According to veteran repairman Vernon Schmidt in a March 2010 New York Times article, “Nobody thinks they use too much soap.  Most people use 10 to 15 times the amount of soap they need, and they’re pouring money down the drain.” 

The fact of the matter is that later model washing machines and dishwashers, such as the models available at Hunters Trace Apartments in Memphis, have been designed to uses a lot less water than older machines and as a result, use a lot less soap. 

Repairman Schmidt even came up with a reliable test to determine if you’re using too much soap in your laundry… 

1. Take four to six clean bath towels, put them in your front-loading washing machine, or one towel for a top loader.
2. Don’t add any detergent or fabric softener. Switch to the hot water setting and medium wash and run it for about five minutes.
3. Check for soap suds. If you don’t see any suds right away, turn off the machine and see if there is any soapy residue. If you see suds or residue, it is soap coming out of your clothes from the last wash.

If you think that advice was helpful, check out more of his advice and tips at refrigdoc.com! 

(Photo Credit: jcapaldi)

Scott Pilgrim was living a charmed slacker life — he’s 23, he’s the bassist for a rock band, and he is blissfully unemployed. Then he meets the literal girl of his dreams, Ramona Flowers, and his life is turned upside down. In order to win her heart, Scott needs to defeat a nefarious league of her ex-boyfriends in combat. Will true love win out, or is it game over for Scott? (Movies section at Yahoo.com)

Check out the trailer below.  Also, here are movie times for Memphis theaters near Hunter’s Trace: Malco Paradiso, Malco Cordova and Malco Forest Hill Cinema 8.

If you go see Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, stop back and tell the community what you think!

Memphis beer lovers, rejoice!  The Memphis Zoo’s “Zoo Brew” is right around the corner on Friday, September 3.  Lager Lovers will be able to sample a slew of local favorites, microbrews and international beers from as far away as Italy, Thailand and the Netherlands.

This year promises to be the biggest Zoo Brew yet, with over 100 different beers to sample, live music, food and wine.  It pretty much sounds like a party waiting to happen.  Tickets are going for $30 now.  If you’re a member of the Memphis Zoo, you will receive a $5 discount.  Last year, tickets sold out early so you may not want to wait to long before you get yours.  You can purchase them either online or at the zoo.  Proceeds from Zoo Brew will go to support animal care and zoo programs.

And just so you know, the animals won’t be invited to the party.  That’s too bad.  It would have been fun to have a beer with an elephant.  There’s something you don’t do everyday.

(Photo Credit: admlcrunch)

If you polled a thousand Americans on what their top three types of international cuisine are, I’d wager that almost everyone would choose Mexican food.  Who doesn’t love Mexican?  Cheese, beans, onions, tomatos…all delicious ingredients to cook with.

If you agree (and I know that you do), then you will appreciate my recipe here for Chicken Enchiladas.  For the onions, green onions and chile peppers, you may be able to pick them up at the Germantown Farmers’ Market.  That way you can buy locally.  It’s important to do that when you can.  The market, located at 2083 S. Germantown Road (near the intersection of Germantown Road and Poplar) is open on Saturdays from 7:00 a.m. to noon.  Enjoy!

Are you looking for something constructive to do with that college degree you earned at the University of Memphis in Art History?  How about a little “team trivia” at one of your local Memphis watering holes.  It’s a great way to kick back, have some fun, meet new people and see what  you actually know (or don’t know) about.  Besides, if you’re any good, you can usually win some valuable bar money that’s good to cover your drink/food tab (and who said that degree in Gemology with a minor in Eastern European Studies wouldn’t pay off). 

The structure for each locations’s game varies, but generally there are several rounds of questions that you must try to answer.  Most places have drink specials too.  Below are a few locations and nights to choose from.  Check their websites for more details. 

Trivia Nights in Memphis

The Hi-Tone (1913 Poplar Avenue)
When: Mondays, 6:30 p.m.
Prizes: $50 first place, $25 second, $10 third place. 

Poplar Lounge (2586 Poplar Avenue)
When: Wednesdays, 8 p.m.
Prizes: Prizes for first, second and third place. The team with the best name gets a free pitcher of beer.

Brookhaven Pub (695 Brookhaven Circle)
When: Tuesdays, 8 p.m.
Prizes: First, second and third place teams get Brookhaven Pub gift certificates of up to $50.

Green Zone

Academy Award® nominees Matt Damon and director Paul Greengrass (The Bourne Supremacy, The Bourne Ultimatum) reteam in this action-packed thriller. Damon stars as Roy Miller, a rogue U.S. Army officer who must hunt through covert and faulty intelligence hidden on foreign soil before war escalates in an unstable region. Also starring Academy Award® nominees Greg Kinnear and Amy Ryan.  Rated R.

The closest Redbox kiosks to Hunter’s Trace are at Kroger (6660 Poplar Ave) and Walgreens (6310 Poplar Ave).

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