3 Feb
The Memphis Chronicles – Part 5
The Memphis Chronicles
Part 5
Day 4 – 10:00am
Today I wake up more confused than ever before; something is awry. I see Cola, because I’m hugging him, I see Rizzo laying spread eagle on the bed next to me, I see Sketch-mo curled up on the vomit bed, but I see no Wild Bill? Oh, that’s right, Wild Bill had pulled a fast one last night! I forgot he had shelled out cash (something of which he is not a fan) in a weak attempt to scheme up some sort of miracle foursome. Although I don’t always black out, it generally takes me a few moments to figure out what took place the night before; most drinkers are familiar with this process. It’s similar to when you wake up with a hangover and cottonmouth and then realize that you did not even drink the night before (if you can relate to that statement, we are friends). After inappropriately prodding Cola awake with my uncontrollable morning wood, I hustle down the hall to heckle Wild Bill.
I have absolutely no idea which room he is in, but this doesn’t seem to be a problem after I immediately hear a familiar voice.
Amanda “Help!”
Me “Amanda? What the fuck, where are you?”
Amanda “Down here.”
Her voice leads me to their room, and I immediately regret not having my camera with me. By some awesome stroke of luck, they are all actually locked inside their room. I guess that would be the equivalent of locking your keys outside your car?
Me “What the fuck are you doing?”
Wild Bill “The door is jammed, we gotta crawl out the window.”
At this point, I’m not sure who’s laughing harder, them or me. After the four bodies fall out through the window like some sort of circus act, the crisis is avoided. I can tell by the lackluster smile on Wild Bill’s face that things did not go according to plan. I ask for no details because even the thought makes me throw up a little bit. We get back to our room and now everyone is awake. It doesn’t take long to get ready since we are all wearing the exact same shit as the previous night. I put in a few calls and find out that AJ, Baines, and company are already at the tailgate. Us 4 Amigos, and Sketch-mo, pile into the van and head towards the stadium.
Day 4 – 11:00am
For a drive that’s only suppose to be 10 miles long, it takes us about 45 minutes to get there. Between Cola’s “I’ll get you in the vicinity” GPS and the retarded amount of traffic, I’m surprised we made it at all. Oh, and we also stopped to pick up a few cases of breakfast beer; Wild Bill had a hankering for some Bud Heavy. After a long search, we find a place to park the van; Dan The Man parks his ride next to ours. Once on my feet, I take in the sights. The first crowds I see are comprised mainly of Cow Humpers, and like I have previously mentioned, mostly families as oppose to college kids. I get our friends coordinates and head that way. I am immediately stopped; we already have a problem. Kristin, a member of Dan The Man’s party, is sick; allow me to digress for just a moment.
Similar to Elsie, apparently Kristin also had a little too much fun last night. Here’s the problem, Kristin is a vegetarian (lesbian) and not to be trusted; never trust a woman that doesn’t eat meat (get your mind out of the gutter). Cola and Rizzo have previously named her “Veggie Tales” due to her eating habits and Jumanji-style (farfetched) stories. Since I have already done my good deed of the year by helping Elsie last night, it’s now Dan The Man’s turn to earn his good Karma. He agrees to drive her back through the mess that we had just endured. Dan The Man 1, Veggie Tales 0. Ultimately, Veggie Tales decides to fly home later in the day instead of waiting for the drive back tomorrow; strange, I know. Well I guess at least she made it to the game, unlike Elsie. Veggie Tales 0, Elsie -1; back to the story.
After jolting my way through a bunch of inbreds whom are playing more cowbell than Blue Oyster Cult, I finally lay my eyes on a field of Black and Gold. As I attempt to find a particular group of kids, I throw high-fives and fistbumps to any and every passing UCFer. Even though we have been drinking since we made our pit stop, we have yet to really kick things into high gear. Alas I see many familiar faces; we have found Headquarters. I don’t think “kicking things into high gear” is going to be a problem, especially since this is what the tailgate looked like before I arrived.
Day 4 – 12:00pm
Since kickoff is at 4:30pm, we should have more than enough time to get silly; although I feel like I have let myself down by not getting here at 6 in the morning. Apparently, today the name of the game is “Shotgun Rally.” Basically, we’ll be shotgunning a scheduled beer every half-hour in addition to all of the other random shots, funnels, chugs, and impromptu shotguns. Hopefully I don’t have to explain to you what a shotgun is, but I will explain what a Gladiator Shotgun is. Allow me to digress for just a moment.
Although I have yet to do one myself, I have seen several Gladiator Shotguns go down in my day. The difference between a regular shotgun and a Gladiator Shotgun you ask? Well instead of using a key to make the hole, you use your teeth. That’s right, you bite into the can like some sort of Cro-Magnon Billy Goat; it’s painful, barbaric, and awesome. Whoever the Gladiator is that takes part in said shotgun is soon covered in beer, blood, and praise; back to the story.
Once Dan The Man reappears after completing his good Karma voyage, we welcome him back with a round of impromptu shotguns. As you can see from the picture, Headquarters is set up right by the street. This is awesome (a recipe for disaster) because the stadium is right behind us and every Cow Humper must walk right passed us in order to get to the game. Some Cow Humpers walk passed Wild Bill right after he takes another shotgun, yikes…
Wild Bill “Hey you!”
Cow Humper #1 “Me?”
Wild Bill “Yeah you, Cletus, does your house have running water?”
Cow Humper #1 “Yes.”
Wild Bill “Yeah sure, I bet you need shoes and a flashlight to use the bathroom.”
Cow Humper #1 “What are you talking about?”
Wild Bill “Keep walking you fuckin’ cousin lover.”
As Wild Bill continues to harass women, children, and the elderly, I turn around and join Rizzo and AJ; they have created some sort of makeshift Jagerbomb circle. Much like a “puff, puff, pass” rotation for a California cigarette, this is more of a “swig, swig, pass” formation. And by “Jagerbomb,” I mean drinking it straight out of the bottle and chasing it with Noz (I would have preferred Tilt, but I guess I can’t have it all). After countless shotguns and Jager-swig-bombs in about two hours time, I realize it’s time to break the seal.
Me “It’s time to break the seal.”
Cola “Why do you always tell me these things?”
Me “No idea. Where’s the bathroom?”
Rizzo “Yeah, I kinda gotta piss too.”
Cola “You aren’t going to like this…”
Cola alerts us that the bathrooms are nowhere to be found; he’s been going back to the van and refilling empty water bottles. The van is pretty far from our current location, so Rizzo and I start the trek.
Rizzo “Hey, just piss yourself like usual.”
Me “I hate you.”
Rizzo can be quite the son of a bitch when it comes to revenge inspired pranks; allow me to digress for just a moment.
When I was a freshman in College, I borrowed a shirt from Rizzo. Later, I returned it to him dirty and wrinkled. When I was in class (at a bar), he came into my room and stole my computer mouse; he also left a ransom note promising its safe return as soon as I ironed his shirt. I challenge you to try and use your computer without the mouse; I ironed his shirt immediately.
Another one of his over-the-top revenges, which has to do with the “just piss yourself like usual” comment, is a bit more disturbing, psychologically that is. I’m not really sure if he was getting back at me for something or just being an asshole, but here’s the gist. I had lived in 3 different apartments up until my senior year of college, basically we moved every year; the first night of each year, I always managed to pee somewhere besides in the bathroom. My freshman year, I peed all over my unpacked luggage. My sophomore year, I peed all over my bed; I think I actually stood up and aimed for my bed as if it were a toilet because my boxers were dry. My junior year, I peed all over Sketch-mo’s laundry; in hindsight, that was hilarious.
Anyway, why am I sharing all of these “make my parents proud” moments with you? Well because after the time I peed all over Sketch-mo’s laundry, I started wetting the bed on an almost bi-monthly basis. At the time, I was living with Rizzo and Sketch-mo, so of course I shared with them my “situation.” I mean, I party often, but seldom do I throw up or wet myself; this was a cause for concern. Rizzo told me that I was disgusting and just couldn’t handle my booze; I ignored his mean comments. After about 6 months of staying dry, Rizzo comes clean. Here is a conversation we had nonchalantly while playing Smash Brothers on Nintendo 64 one day…
Me “Dude, it’s been 6 months and I haven’t pissed myself!”
Rizzo “Congratulations.”
Me “Seriously, I don’t know what that was all about, but I’m glad it’s over.”
Rizzo “Yeah, you never actually had a problem.”
Me “Ye… wait, what?”
Rizzo “It was me.”
I pause the game.
Me “What? Are you telling me you have been peeing on me?”
Rizzo “What? Oh God no, I’m not an asshole.”
Rizzo unpauses the game.
Me “Well what are you saying then?”
Rizzo “I’ve been pouring water on your crotch so you’d think you pissed yourself.”
I pause the game.
Me “What the fuck? Are you fucking serious? For 6 months?”
Rizzo “Um, yeah just about. Dude relax, it’s not like I pissed on you or anything.”
Rizzo unpauses the game.
Me “This is not funny, you are an asshole. I’ve been seriously worried man!”
Rizzo “It’s kinda funny. Like, you’d laugh if it wasn’t you right?”
I pause the game.
Me “That’s besides the point, how could you not tell me this”
Rizzo “I told Cola?”
Cola has been playing n64 with us as well; he chimes in.
Cola “Yeah I knew, it’s pretty funny.
Me “What?! Dude, this is so fucked up!”
Cola “Can you stop pausing the game?”
Imagine thinking you have a sleepwalking problem because every time you fall asleep, your friends move you so you wake up somewhere else; that’s how fucked up this is, except add urine to the mix. After getting no remorse from my soulless friends, I unpause the game; back to the story.
Day 4 – 2:30pm
With a full bottle of urine in my hand, I contemplate pouring it on Rizzo to get back at him for years of therapy to come; ultimately, realizing he is bigger than me, I just roll the bottle under the van. Once we get back to Headquarters, I see a small crowd (3 people) gathered around Amanda; she has been bragging about how she can shotgun a Sparks. After she proves that she cannot, the crowd disperses.
The Cow Humpers continue to pass us on the streets, growing larger in numbers; apparently they too are practitioners’ of the “Safety in Numbers” theorem. Now that the alcohol has begun to take its natural course, it’s time for my poor decisions to follow. I see a Jr. Cow Humper (7 year old) and his family about to pass; I make my approach. I hand him the tail end of my Natty Light…
Me “UCF, we don’t ID!”
Jr. Cow Humper smiles; his parents do not. Instead of verbally reprimanding me like normal people, they just shoot me a dirty glare and bang their cowbells scornfully. We’ve begun to notice the odd dressing style of the College-aged Cow Humpers; they all have “forehead combovers” and don’t seem to know that their shirts are only tucked into the front of their pants. Instead of my description, let’s go with Johnny Boy’s spot on reenactment. I can only use the words “shotgun” and “Jager” so many times before they become monotonous (if not already), so we finish off all the supplies and head into the game.
Day 4 – 4:00pm
Right before we enter the stadium loud and proud (sauced and lost), this is the first time I notice how truly outnumbered we are. Our large group has already separated, so now it’s us 4 Knights, and Sketch-mo, lost in a sea of Cow Humpers. I stand close to Rizzo and Wild Bill as I shout obscenities at any and everything; Rizzo is a 250lb hockey player and even though Wild Bill is a glass jaw Gummy Spine, his 6’4” looks can be deceiving. We find our seats and begin to pass around a flask and a water bottle half-full of whiskey as the stadium begins to fill. I reflect back to our pre-trip planning, and how Cola had purchased our game tickets through AAA. This is always a safe bet incase the game expectedly sells out, however this generally fucks up your seating. Instead of being in the UCF reserved block, we are definitely located at the opposite end of the stadium. Regardless, Rizzo and Wild Bill give our seats the thumbs up.
We cheer like idiots as the Knights take the field; our spirits can’t (will) be broken. Instead of giving you the play by play, I’ll give you the gist: we did not win. Cow Humpers 1, Us 0. Some highlights of the game include this liar in front of us who promises he’s awake, me falling on my way back from the concession stand and dropping my overpriced, undercooked hotdog, and Baby Voice Bill sneaking off to the other side of the stadium to make another fruitless pass at my mom. By game’s end, my body is bruised, drained, and condiment-stained. We leave Baby Voice Bill behind as we make it to the van and putter back to the hotel.
Now if you’re reading this, I’m going to assume you have been to a tailgate before. If not, well then your parents should do a better job of monitoring the Internet content that you peruse; but that’s their fault. After any tailgate, one usually passes right out, no matter the time. Often it’s only 7pm, so when you wake up feeling rejuvenated at 4am, you are very confused as to why it’s still dark outside. Well friends, I reach the hotel and I hit the bed hard; my lights are out at 8pm. Wow, I really hope you didn’t believe any of that crap; I cracked another beer and kept the partying going. You know who sleeps? Losers. I’ll sleep when I’m dead.
Day 4 – 9:00pm
The only problem with never sleeping and always wanting to be out and about is that you are in a league all of your own. My friends aren’t (are) losers, but they actually are sleeping. Back at school, it’s not really much of a problem; as long as you have several different groups of friends, somebody somewhere is doing something. It’s now time to go door to door at the hotel until I find some companionship. I first knock on Lora’s door, no answer. I assumed they were all sleeping, but I later find out they are out to eat somewhere. Next, I go to Dan The Man’s room. Eureka! They are all awake and drinking, plus 1 Sanford to boot. So in reality, I guess it’s only my friends that are tired? Oh well.
Me “Amanda, how the hell are you still awake?”
Amanda “Cause I’m awesome.”
Me “That can’t be it, must have been that Sparks you ‘shotgunned’.”
Amanda “You’re an asshole.”
Dan The Man laughs; we high five. Since Veggie Tales has already shipped off, the room seems a lot more spacious and lesbian free. Oh, just for the record, if any guys are ripping on me for not liking lesbians, please let me clarify. I’m not talking about hot schoolgirl lesbians that you see on the Internet, I’m talking about softball players and the WNBA. After sharing a little bit of California tobacco, the new group grabs a taxi and heads to, where else, Beale Street.
Day 4 – 11:00pm
Since this is my 4th night in a row boozing on the same ¼ mile strip, I’ll just give you the key parts as not to be too repetitive. Since I’m with Dan The Man and local neighbor women, we spend the majority of the night at B.B. King’s; this place is probably the busiest that I have seen it all week. Unfortunately, it’s mainly swamped with the Mississippi State college crowd, which until now has not been large in show. Dan The Man and I start the night out with 4 shots each, so basically I’ll be bilingual very shortly, speaking both English and Retard. Like clockwork, I stumble out of the restaurant solo and hit the streets. Oh, and if I haven’t mentioned it yet today, FUCK IT’S COLD! The mother ship beacons me in and before I know it, I’m sitting alone at the Tap Room bar. I can only smile as Rob pours me a much-needed Rogue Dead Guy, you know, to even out the shots.
Rob “So how’d your team do Florida?”
Me “It was an abortion.”
Rob “Messy huh?”
Me “You got it.”
Rob “Sorry brotha.”
Me “Hey, you win some, you lose some.”
The time has come for me to say goodbye to my dear friend Rob. It’s a little past midnight, and due to our 6am departure, once I leave Tap Room tonight, I will not be returning.
Me “Rob, this is where we part ways my friend.”
Rob “Oh yeah?”
Me “Yup, leaving in the morning, going to find my friends (anybody) now.”
Rob “Well man, keep it real. Here’s a shot of Whiskey for the road.”
Me “Dear God.”
I take the shot, we hug it out, fistbump, and then I wipe the tear from my cheek. I rush back to B.B. King’s before I forget where I am. When I get inside, I head right to the bathroom. Once at the urinal, I spend a fair amount of time searching for my frozen member and stretching it out as best I can so I look respectable incase the guy to my right has wandering eyes; another guy approaches the urinal to my left. Gadzooks, it’s our Quarterback! The QB and I know each other, but not well. You know those people you recognize from all over town, but you’ve never actually had a conversation longer than the “what’s up” head nod? This is that type of relationship and I find this the most appropriate time to formally introduce myself. While we are both still peeing, I give him a pat on the back and lead in with an introduction…
Me “Hey QB, good game man. Things could have gone better, but good season.”
QB “Thanks man, glad you guys came up here and supported us.”
Me “I mean, the papers are gonna call you a bum and say you cost us the game and that you’re a clown and blah blah blah, but you can’t buy into any of that shit.”
QB “Uh, I guess not, thanks?”
Now if you haven’t seen Along Came Polly, this might just seem gay and not funny. He’s still relieving himself as I finish, so as I flush, I awkwardly rub his ear with my other hand…
Me “Mazel, good things.”
I finish with a football style palm-to-ass goodbye. Either he had seen Along Came Polly or he was too drunk to notice, because he did not punch me. Actually, he was a great sport and even posed for a picture.
When I finally make it back to the table and find my “friends,” I’m handed another shot. See ya! Let’s fast-forward 3 hours.
Day 5 – 3:00am
The rest is broken memories, pictures, and hearsay. At some point, apparently I ran into Lora, or as Cola calls her, “the mean one.” I think Lora is awesome, but Cola disagrees; allow me to digress for just a brief moment.
During the previous 4th of July, we had a giant neighborhood block party; I mean fucking GIANT. We staged it in front of Wild Bill’s place, which happens to be located 3 doors down (accidental band reference) from Lora’s place. We had kegs, golf carts, and slip n’ slides; it was like MTV’s the Grind (if you don’t know what that is, fuck you, you lucky young bastard). Anyway, Cola and Lora had never met or spoken before, and here was their introduction…
Lora “I’m not going fast on the slip n’ slide, what should I do?”
Cola “Take your top of.”
It’s been awkward ever since, back to the story.
Amanda also informed me that as the club emptied out, there were 3 girls dancing together downstairs. Dan The Man and I approached the threesome and impressed them with our dance moves. Apparently they were more into dancing with each other than us, so then we decided to impress them with our smooth game.
Me “I’m down with lesbians.”
Dan The Man “Yeah, even ugly ones.”
They were not into our smooth game; I’ll never truly understand lesbians. Alright, enough is enough, it’s time to get out of Memphis while I still have my dignity (wallet) intact. Back in West Memphis, I briefly remember a casino? I can only imagine that at some point I was stumbling around Southland Park; I guess I’ll need to get tested when I get back to Orlando. When I’m finally in the room, Cola is actually just waking up to get ready for the drive home. Apparently I had my headphones on and was rocking out to my iPod. Cola later informed me that the other end of my headphones was plugged into nothing and that I was trying to jam it into my cell phone. My cell phone does not play music. I drop dead on the bed for about 20 minutes before I am woken up.
Day 5 – 6:00am
Since we are making the drive back in 1 day, it has been predetermined that we will get up and leave super early. This is good for everyone except me; I’m more intoxicated now then I was 20 minutes ago when I went to sleep. I shove everything I think I own into my bag and then head to the van.
Day 5 – 6:45am
I’m phasing in and out as I realize we are still parked. I’m too drunk to move, but not to drunk to notice that I’m the only one in the van. Finally Cola opens the driver side door as I lay lifeless in the back row.
Me “Dude, man, meh, ah, what’s going on?”
Cola “We were eating breakfast.”
Me “Why am I in the car?”
Cola “We didn’t want you to go anywhere.”
Me “Why didn’t you leave me in the room?”
Cola “This was funnier.”
Before I can call him an asshole, I pass back out.
Day 5 – 12:15pm
Once I wake back up, I feel great. Somehow we have gotten lost; apparently Cola’s GPS only leads us to danger, and this great breakfast joint called Michelle’s. Whenever you go on any adventure, you always end up somewhere amazing that you can never find again; Michelle’s is said spot. I’ve Googled the shit outta this place and have come up empty-handed. It’s somewhere about 5 hours south-ish of Memphis; if you know, please do tell. The food here was so plentiful and cheaply priced that Rizzo couldn’t stop himself from flexing. Since it’s Sunday, Michelle’s is offering some sort of Church Buffet Special. We may not be much for Church, but we’ll take God up on his kick ass Buffet. With a menu that looks this good, how could we say no? It’s the kind of stuff your mom cooks, well, if your mom was related to your dad before they got married.
Remember how I told you my mom forced us to take an Amish-style map along? Yeah, me neither because The Memphis Chronicles – Part 1 seems like a fucking year ago because I’m a terrible writer. Anyway, Cola’s GPS wasn’t worth the cardboard it was printed on, and for some reason our MapQuest directions didn’t work in reverse. The old school map was the only thing that got us home (this was before phones could do everything). However, we all made it back successfully, even Sketch-mo.
So what did we learn from this voyage? Well, in short, Memphis is cold so don’t waste your time. Besides that, let’s list a few:
- Vans are awesome (I honestly can’t believe I don’t have 1 fucking picture of this thing, it’s very upsetting).
- Only pour urine out of a moving car when Sketch-mo is behind you.
- West Memphis is actually in Arkansas.
- Don’t listen to idiots that don’t know what a “green jacket” looks like.
- Cell phones can still work even after they are soaked in water overnight.
- Rob the Bartender kicks ass.
- Drunk gambling can be awesome if you win money.
- 90lb girls who drink with me will throw up.
- Baby Voice Bill has no game.
- Vegetarians (lesbians) are weird.
- People from Mississippi hump cows.
- It’s very wrong to pour water on your friend’s crotch and tell him he pissed himself.
- Last but not least, always listen to your mother.
So what’s next? I’m thinking something tropical, perhaps Spring Break in Key West? Who knows, maybe I’ll spend my nights on a pier, run from the law, meet the Joad family, avoid a drive-by, befriend homeless teenagers, hell, I might even get laid! But that’s really just speculation…



