Memphis Mania

Memphis Mania started Sunday morning barreling to Albany airport with little less than 10 minutes before my flight. I prayed to the Travel Gods, "Please, let this be one of the days Northwest is delayed". No can do - my cohorts boarded and bound for Memphis without me leaving angry messages in transit on my cell. Sunday and Monday, St.Jude hired PilotGirl to shoot the Danny Thomas Children's Hospital, Target and Grizzly House and tour the Ronald McDonald Home. It's the CBS St. Jude telethon time-of-year and some favorites from my old stomping grounds, Reporter Jerry Gretzinger along with Anchor Greg Floyd and Producer/Director Michael Bobnick were along for the adventure. Skip ahead 7 hours and one very expensive cab ride later and I've caught up with my troops. I worked inside the St.Jude Research Hospital 2 years ago but much has changed since the last visit. New buildings, new doctors, new artwork but alas, the same hopeful and resilient children battling cancer everyday. We wrapped up early to pop a trolley for Beale Street and the Peabody Hotel. In the heart of “Blues City,” the The Peabody Memphis is a historic southern treasure. Ducks roam the fountain in the Grand Lobby and monthly scotch and cigar tasting is the norm. Jerry couldn't resist taking home a bag of Davidoff No. 2 Classic Series handmade in the Dominican Republic. Besides a few dozen straggler pan-handlers and bright neon signs we had the restaurant as well as the bar scene to ourselves. But then things got interesting.

(To Be Continued...)