Since I was doing my tribute to Finnigan’s Wake yesterday, I didn’t do the “piggyback”. The Man Who Ate the Town was recorded before I knew about Finnigan’s closing. Michael was working on that story so he wasn’t with me. I talk about: Farm 2 Fourth happened and raised over $90k for helping feed children and other folks. Tim talks about the menu and flavor profiles of the event. DiLisio’s changes hours again. Bar Nola. City Bev has a tent sale. Small Batch Halloween Party. Tim and Stephanie had dinner at Davie Tavern. The Country Spinner and Burger Tour ’21 updates. “The List” is discussed as well as other food news. Listen to that episode here.
This morning, I did a special “supplement” podcast to talk about the same things I wrote on this blog yesterday. The difference is, you can actually hear my inflection, emotion and more. You can hear that here.
While I’m here, and it is Tuesday, then here’s your reminder to listen to the music history goodness that is Beeswax Vinyl Daily podcast. Listen to thathere.
Until tomorrow, same blog channel… Scorp out!
— “Somewhere, somehow, somebody must have kicked you around some. Tell me why you wanna lay there and revel in your abandon. Honey, it don’t make no difference to me, baby. Everybody’s had to fight to be free. You see, you don’t have to live like a refugee.” – “Refugee” (Petty/Campbell)
Today, I learned some very sad news. Finnigan’s Wake will be closing its doors permanently on October 30. Finnigan’s Wake is THE reason the Arts District in Downtown Winston-Salem exploded in to ’00s. Yes, there were other now-staples such as Sweet Potatoes and 6th & Vine, but none had the impact that Fins did. But, for me, the impact was even more than reinvigorating an area of town.
Practically nothing in my life right now would be like it is if it weren’t for Fins. How, you ask?
Me and My Best Girl
I was able to realize what others may say is ridiculous but something I’m very proud of. I was the second-ever person to join the 90-Day Club. Not only did I do 90 days, I did 1099 days. That got me some recognition and status.
I was “Trivia Tim.” I didn’t start the pub trivia at Fins but I took it over after the first three weeks and I did it for six years after. Again, people got to know me, spend time with me, and my network was greatly and largely expanded because of that.
The Less Desirables was conceived, hatched, and born sitting at the high-top table right next to the hallway. Without that, I probably wouldn’t have started other podcasts after it. No Fan Interference. No Camel City Dispatch/Electric Camel Pod. No Tart & Tangy Triad. No The Beer Dads. No The Man Who Ate the Town. No Sipping NC: The Art of Drinking. No Apartment 5B. No Beeswax Vinyl. No Beeswax Vinyl Daily. No Asylum – Tales from the Devereaux Diaries. No Wheelers Dog. No The Less Desirables Network. No podcast clients. Heck without Fins, there may not be a podcasting community here in WSNC to speak of, at least as it is. I know two or three podcasts in town that are thriving because they were inspired by me doing The Less Desirables (or one of the others) and they’ve told me that. No podcasting would mean no “Podfather.” All that I am and do wouldn’t be if there was no Finnigan’s Wake. In fact, the first place I ever met Brian Attridge who started The Less Desirables with me, was at Finnigan’s Wake.
The revitalization of downtown, in general, may still have happened but it wouldn’t be what it is if Philip “Opie” Kirby and John Cahoon hadn’t opened THE Irish pub in October of 2006.
Me, Brian and Eug, TLD…
The first place I met Jon Lowder, one of the Beer Dads and a partner/friend that I have come to thank for many of my accomplishments was at Fins.
Several of my friends who are in relationships met at Finnigan’s Wake. Which brings me to the BIGGEST link that Fins has for me: I met my wife, The BCPF, Stephanie, at Finnigan’s Wake. If she hadn’t come with her friends to play trivia and get away from her toxic, dead-end marriage, and we hadn’t started having small talk conversations, I would never have had the opportunity to ask her, “Are you married, Steph?” That conversation and the fact that she had a birthday soon around that time and I did a special trivia category for her, led to us having our 11:10p nightly computer conversations, which led to us being great friends, which led to us being more than friends, which led to us being affianced, which led to us being life partners and husband and wife.
Me and My Eug
Finnigan’s Wake is the portal to my survival, to my life, to my being, to my loves. I so appreciate that Opie has kept the pub going for so long. The pandemic was hard for everyone. It led to changes within the business. But, he says it’s not about the pandemic. He said the restaurant was kept alive by the community and patrons. He says this is about him and wanting to start something new. Move in a new direction. Pursue new ideas and thoughts. He has been all over the world. As far as I know, he’s touched every continent. If he’s missing one, I think it’s Australia. He’s bought houses. He’s raised money for charities. He’s made himself better. He’s made the community better. I am glad for my friend that he’s okay and just starting a new chapter.
When I read that this was happening, it felt as if I had lost a friend, or at the very least, been kicked in the teeth or the crotch. The memories and recollections of the last 14 years of my life (with the exception of the last one) have relied heavily on my time in the wooden doors under the green sign with the huge Claddagh, the hallowed halls of Finnigan’s Wake. Slàinte mhath, Finnigan’s Wake. Slàinte mhath.
Until tomorrow, Erin go Bragh… Scorp out!
— “The most important things to do in the world are to get something to eat, something to drink and somebody to love you.” – Brendan Behan
No, I’m not dating, Dear Reader. The Less Desirables will be doing a remote recording from Cin Cin Burger Bar on November 10. As a promotion, Tracy, one of my work wives/co-hosts is silent-auctioning a date with her for this event. Here are some details about the “silent auction”:
Tracy B of TLD
THIS IS NOT AFFILIATED WITH CIN-CIN BURGER BAR!!!!
To be eligible, you must make a donation. Donations must be made to The Less Desirables Cash App: $TheLessDesirables
Donations start at $50. A donation is just that, a donation. If you are not the highest bidder, there are no refunds. Thank you for your donation. Highest bidder wins the dinner date. Also, where it is NOT affiliated with Cin-Cin Burger Bar, if you don’t win, don’t complain to them, this is our doing.
This a “date” only at the restaurant, Cin Cin. It is dinner and socializing. You will meet her/us there. There is no pickup of her, or her of you. No, physical interaction outside of hugs and perhaps holding hands. NOTHING outside “appropriate social norms.” What you think is appropriate must meet HER criteria/parameters.
There is to be no expectations of continued dating unless she is interested. You will not get a phone number unless she wants you to have it. There is to be no social media stalking, either.
This is open for both men and women. She has no hangups either way. No married men or women unless your spouse is with you and an equal donation to your donation is paid (so if your donation is $50 and you’re bringing your spouse, that’s $50 for EACH of you). She is also okay with couples, too. Don’t bring your kid(s) with you if you’re a single parent.
This is supposed to be fun and kind of a fundraiser for the podcast. Your dinner will be paid for out of the winning pot. This will include up to $25 per person. Alcoholic beverages are not included. You must pay for those yourself, she’d appreciate if you bought hers, too.
When the event is over, your date is over. She leaves when we leave.
If you do NOT agree to these terms, do not donate to the $TheLessDesirables Cash App. Again, there are no refunds.
Let’s have some fun!!
Until tomorrow, same blog channel… Scorp out!
— “If there hadn’t been women we’d still be squatting in a cave eating raw meat, because we made civilization in order to impress our girlfriends.” – Orson Welles
Tonight, I had a guest scheduled that needed to change dates. Done. Replacement guest scheduled. Needed to change dates. Done. Replacement to replacement scheduled. Needed to change dates. Done. I gave up. We did a roundtable discussion. Bethany talked about her trip to the beach, and cigar pairings. Tracy talked about food allergies and how she combats them. I talk about, well, I just talk. That’s what I do. We are working on something collectively with Tracy, so you need to listen each Wednesday evening to hear what that may be. You can hear that episode, here.
I have lived in my house for just over 19 years. The BCPF has lived in it for almost 11. I have always “liked” my house but other than having a house, I haven’t loved it. Parts are really cool, or were. Parts can be cool and if we can help it, will.
When my house was built in 1998, garden tubs, jacuzzi tubs, etc. were all the rage. I have NEVER liked them. I don’t like being in them as I don’t like being wet. The BCPF is less than five feet tall and those things are deep. Climbing out of the things are hard for her. We had one in our very large main bath in the en-suite. It looked cool (in the early 2000s) with the glass-block window. But, time passed on, as it does, and it became less “cool” and more an eye-sore.
We also had a dual-head shower in the en-suite. It was made of fiberglass.
I am not a light guy. I am over 300 lbs. I think I carry it well but am 300+. The showers in my house are fiberglass. Fiberglass is just plastic slivers reinforced by glass fibers (hence the name). Fiberglass and 300lbs can only be friends for so long and I have broken the shower upstairs, twice. We used the single person (a very small person) shower in our downstairs bathroom because we couldn’t use the upstairs one. Well, guess what…? I broke that one twice, too. But, not as bad and it’s on the ground floor with a concrete base. The upstairs one had started making marks in our kitchen ceiling which was directly below it. We had to do something…
So, we did. We hired West Shore Home to come take that fiberglass piece of trash shower out and the grotesque monstrosity of a jacuzzi tub along with it. They replaced the garden tub area with a very large two-head shower that is made of acrylic with easy-to-clean acrylic walls. They took the old shower away, made a wall where the shower doors were and created a closet.
There was a lot of “scarring” on the floor where the tub sat. We had them reserve the whole tiles that they removed to put the new shower. But, I think looking at it now, it won’t be feasible to use them to fix the scarring. West Shore is also not licensed to do sheetrock work so we will have to do some things. That works for us because it turns out this has opened some creative juices in both The BCPF and me. So, we are going to look into some salvage warehouses and getting ideas for tile styles, a new vanity, paint schemes, and so on. The en-suite bathroom is going to be a showcase, again, to go with its new centerpiece. I’ll share that journey as we make it.
Until tomorrow, same blog channel… Scorp out!
— “Everyone who’s ever taken a shower has an idea. It’s the person who gets out of the shower, dries off and does something about it who makes a difference.” – Nolan Bushnell
Today marks the seventh anniversary of The BCPF’s and my wedding day. Here’s how it happened:
Alright, it’s time for the wedding story. So The BCPF had stuffed her wedding dress into a vacuum bag and sucked the dickens out of the bag until it was a brick of white mess. Of course, I had to take her word for it because I didn’t get to see it. As I mentioned in the last post, I already had the kilt and had to do the “hiring” of the accessories. She unleashed the dress and handed it off to the concierge (or the castle’s equivalent) and they sent it off to have it pressed. So we were set. We got up, had breakfast (more haggis and black pudding), and then went back to the lobby to wait for what-happens-next.
We had hired a wedding planner, Kimmie Brown of Litú, was a treat and a lifesaver for us. Kimmie handled getting all the paperwork put together, she and her husband, George, served as our witnesses, she got the piper, Andrew, hired the photographer, Michaela Waddell, and lined up and directing us through the process of the registrar. Priceless, I tell ya, priceless. Also, we had already pre-selected our vows and ceremonies. So when the time came, we were pretty much prepared. I put on the kilt kit that turned into a much more involved procedure than putting on a tuxedo. The kilt shirt, first. The kilt, next. The waistcoat, the socks, the flashes, the ghillie brogues (shoes) and then the sporran (the man purse of awesomeness), which held it (mostly) in place. The prince Charlie jacket was next to last and then the sgian-dubh (pronounced skee-un-doo) which is a small knife that rounds out the ensemble. I’ve lost a bit of weight since I was originally fitted for the kilt so it was a bit loose. Tradition says that I don’t wear a belt with the prince Charlie jacket, but in the future, I certainly will wear one (I have already purchased one to wear once back home). And the part everyone has asked me… yes, I went unbreeched. Aye, that means I didn’t wear anything under the kilt. If you’re gonna do it, do it Scottish, I say.
I wasn’t allowed anywhere near The BCPF while she got ready, but when it was time for the wedding (noon for us in Edinburgh, 7pm for our friends back home), the piper piped me downstairs to the “gun room.” The gun room doubles as a chapel for the religious ceremonies and we used it as a location for our civil, non-religious, ceremony. The registrar talked with me a few minutes and then Andrew piped The BCPF down to the door and then after making sure she was ready, piped her down to me. She was BEAUTIFUL. I don’t have pics of her at the altar, just yet, so we’ll have to wait until the photographer sends me the collection. I cried, no shame in telling. We exchanged words, vows, and rings. We kissed. We signed the paperwork. Michaela shot us all over the grounds of the castle and that was it. It truly was much more glamorous than I just described but without pictures, I can’t do it justice. It was simple, but wonderful. She was my wife, my bride, my life’s partner – which she already was. Dang, I love that woman!
But, as is the story of our lives, there was no rest for the wicked. We had to jump out of our formal wear and into civilian clothes and run back into town to get our last-minute shopping done. We bought stuff for 3B (my 12-year old son) and my mother. We had reservations at the castle for dinner so we headed back and took our place in the Library Bar, drank some complimentary champagne, talked to a slew of Americans who were also taking holiday, and then went down to the Dungeon Dining Room to have our wedding supper.
We started with an amuse bouche which included a mushroom mousse and bread. The BCPF had a chicken pate and I had a beef carpaccio. Our minds not being still and sound at the time, I forget what the actual dish was, but there is a picture of it. For the main course she had a slab of pork and I had venison with beet sauce. I’ve never been big on venison (or beets for that matter), but man this was delicious. For dessert I had a raspberry flan dish, and of course, Grand Marnier. A truly lovely food experience.
Up early the next morning as we had a train to catch from Edinburgh to our next destination, London.
We had hoped to take a trip to somewhere for our anniversary, but it wasn’t in the cards for several reasons and most of those reasons were not financial. But, we’ll be together today, are spending the night out, having a dinner at one of our favorite restaurants and enjoying each other. That’s what matters, right?
I love you Stephanie! More and more every day. I love our life together, even when things aren’t the brightest, you’re always my shining beacon of happiness. MUAH!
Until tomorrow, same blog channel… Scorp out!
— “Love grows more tremendously full, swift, poignant, as the years multiply.” Zane Grey
Today, we had a school shooting. One that included one student being shot by another student and the victim succumbed to his injuries at the hospital. They have caught the suspect responsible. We were supposed to have Sabrina Wingo from Taste of the Triad on The Less Desirables to talk about her restaurant and celebrate her birthday (which is today). Tracy has a high school aged daughter and she along with students across the district were in lockdown mode and by the time Tracy got there, she was pretty shaken. The storms came through and so I told Bethany not to come. I just talked for about 3 minutes. I was not then and don’t plan on talking about retaliation. But, I hope the young person, if found guilty, pays his debt to the family of the boy whose mother can never hug her son again. So, we didn’t have a podcast. I recorded something but it wasn’t our normal thing. You can listen to what I did record here.
Until tomorrow, same blog channel… Scorp out!
— “The victim was identified as William Chavis Raynard Miller Jr.” – Bobby Kimbrough
The BCPF and I both got our do’s did yesterday and we both feel much better. Lunch and records, then dinner with friends. It was a good Saturday! Here’s the haul!
Of Monsters And Men – My Head Is An Animal — An Icelandic band that The BCPF digs. This is their debut album from 2011. 2×Vinyl Limited Edition, Reissue, Pink Splatter on White. New.
My Morning Jacket – Evil Urges — Another band that The BCPF likes. We actually saw them in Greensboro sometime after we started dating in the old War Memorial Auditorium. 2 x Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM, Album, Repress, Cream with Black Blob. New.
Colin Hay – Going Somewhere — A reissue from the former frontman of Men At Work. We saw Colin in Charlotte on The BCPF’s 35th or 36th birthday. Limited edition of 1000 on white vinyl. New.
Underdog Records is still on mask wearing and will be for the foreseeable future. It’s air conditioned in there so don’t complain you’ll get to hot or that it’s uncomfortable and all that jazz. None of us like it and if everyone would have done their parts we wouldn’t be in this mess. But, he’s been getting a lot of stuff in, from equipment to freshly used and brand new albums (including reissues). Check out their Instagram and Facebook for “breaking news” from Underdog about what Jonathan has just gotten in. You can order new vinyl 24/7 by visiting the Underdog Records website. I use Discogs for my collection and you should, too.
Until tomorrow, same blog channel… Scorp out!
— “I can’t stop the way I feel. Things you do don’t seem real. Tell me what you’ve got in mind cause we’re running out of time. Won’t you ever set me free? This waiting ’round’s killing me. She drives me crazy, like no one else. She drives me crazy, and I can’t help myself.” – “She Drives Me Crazy” (Steele/Gift)
I wanted to take a minute to wish my idol, my reason for being a musician, my reason to be an entertainer, and how I got the confidence to do what I do. The Demon, Chaim Witz, Gene Klein, Gene Simmons. No matter what you call him. I thank him almost every day that even though I don’t play much anymore, he motivated me to do it when I did. Happy 72nd solar circumnavigational anniversary day, Gene.
Until tomorrow, same blog channel… Scorp out!
— “Every day above ground is your birthday. You better get used to that idea soon… Waiting for some bizarre calendar day to celebrate life?… No… You wake up every day. You have your health. And you live in America. Whoopie! It’s my birthday.” – Gene Simmons
Tonight on The Less Desirables, we had Kristie Staton from Creative Force on. She talked about the importance of creative branding and direction, how her business can help yours, her being a flautist, and other things we got over in the weeds about. You know us, we get in the weeds a lot. You can listen to that episode here.
Until tomorrow, same blog channel… Scorp out!
— “Hit ‘em right between the eyes with a vision that’s so riveting, your audience can’t help but look.” – Creative Force
