"Jesus takes away bad dreams"

This seems to be popping up around town. Anyone have an idea where it started or who is behind it?

This one was found on Gay Street (can I still say that?) and one of our own had a note with the same message left on their door one night. I've seen it in the form of graffiti, notes, and pieces of paper on stuff.

Thoughts? Questions? Theological ponderings?

A unique way to experience Knoxville

If you've been reading this blog for a while, you may remember my completely embarrassing post where I shamelessly gushed about Jack Neely. I'm not going to link to it, so if you're curious you'll have to find it, but it was about my first encounter with him at the Knox Heritage Art and Architecture Tour, where he was a walking tour guide.

That was about three years ago (omg) and I am happy to report that since then I have grown from blindly obsessed to a sensible admirer/ acquaintance of him. This is good because this Friday night is the 5th Annual Knox Heritage Art and Architecture Tour, and Jack will be leading the walking tour once again.















Above: A photo from last year's tour by Phil Savage

I love this event because it encapsulates so many great things. It begins a few months prior to the actual tour when a call for entries is released asking photographers to take photos of historic buildings in a particular area of town. This year, the perimeters are in and around the Old City.

The photographs are looked over by seven judges who choose winning photos based on the image as well as what would be a suitable stop on the walking tour.























Above: A photo from last year's tour by Sharon Wright Cottrell

The event this year will begin at 6pm with a reception which includes food, drink, and the winning photos at the headquarters of Attack Monkey Productions, 117 South Gay Street. Then at about 7:15 begins the tour.

Along with Jack, David Dewhirst, a key player in the revitalization of downtown Knoxville with projects like the Holston, JFG, and the Daylight Building, will also be leading a tour. It's going to be fun as well as educational, and what could beat that combination? I'd argue that this a quintessential Knoxville event, one that shouldn't be missed.

Would you like to come? You are invited.

If so, go here.

Bill Miller on First Friday

Hey Wigshoppers!
It is almost that wonderful time of the month when all of the art galleries downtown open up and our little 100 block really feels alive. First Friday is my favorite night of the month, and this time there is a pretty good show too.

Bill Miller will be playing at Patrick Sullivan's



Bill Miller is a Grammy Award winning Native American artist who blends his Native American roots with (real) country and rock and roll. He has opened for (and been praised by) Tori Amos and Pearl Jam. Arlo Guthrie is a big fan too, among other songwriters. He is a great guitarist and is extremely accomplished on the Native American Flute. And he puts on one hell of a show.

The show should start around 9 or 9:30 and is $5. 18+. THIS FIRST FRIDAY.

He also may or many not be supported by a band that I play in. And by may or may not he is absolutely being supported by a band I play in.

Knox Kickball

When I'd hear about another friend of mine in D.C. or Nashville or NYC or various other cities that are larger that Knoxville joining a kickball league I'd secretly be jealous, thinking Knoxville wasn't big enough to have a kickball league. What a silly thought to have -- of course Knoxville is big enough! It just needed someone to step up to the plate (pun intended) and organize a league.

Amy Hubbard is in the process of doing just that, can I get a heck, yeah! Amy, she of Girl House Productions, has nailed down the Knoxville Botanical Gardens and Arboretum as the site and our friends at Marble City Brewing Company as the sponsor for the inaugural season of Knox Kickball.

Here's the plan:
Games will be on Sundays from May 15 through July 24, at 5-9 p.m. (with the exception of May 22 which will be 1-5 p.m.). Only a couple of teams will play each Sunday, so if you're worried about it being an extensive time commitment, don't. She's hoping for between six to eight teams of 10 to 12 players each for now. You can either organize as a team or sign up as an individual and be assigned to a team. This summer seasons is kind of a trial run, so it's mainly just a time to show up and play some kickball, but Amy hopes to have a tournament-based season in the fall if all goes well.

Want to learn more or just meet Amy and tell her how awesome she is for organizing this? Meet her at the Public House on Thursday (as in tomorrow) at 7:30 p.m. And here's a sign-up form!

Who else is really excited about this?

Harry's Delicatessen is opening soon on the 100 Block of Gay St.!

I'll take that beverage to go

I have a proposal that has probably been proposed before, but I'll go ahead anyway.

I think it's time for Knoxville to seriously begin talking about travelers, and when I say travelers, I'm talking about a disposable cup full of the beverage of your choice which you can take from bar to bar.

The first time I experienced the beauty of the traveler, I was in Savannah, Georgia. The architecture, the Spanish moss, and the overall quaintness of the town was enough, but then, while at a bar, my friend suggested we buy a beer to go. My mind was blown. It was magical.

Some of my favorite memories are of popping open a bottle of wine next to an outdoor fountain with friends in a different country. It would be so nice to do the same here.






















This is exactly what it would feel like!

Today, I live next door to a guy that moved here from New Orleans, so we've been talking about it more because they have open container laws there. I'm not suggesting Knoxville try to be another city. All I'm really saying is that I want to walk outside with a beer in Market Square on non-festival days.

We are traditionally a conservative city, I know, but an open container doesn't have to mean public intoxication. We have police to regulate that. I think it could mean more business downtown, however, which would be a great thing.

So my proposal is that we get this going in Market Square and see how it goes. You say we need cleaner air and to take care of the homeless? Of course! But might I also add to the list that we need more beverages under the sun.

Bridge Update

For those of you who do not live withing 25 yards of the Henley St. bridge, I would like to give you an update.

First, I would like to thank Britton Bridge Company and TDOT for stopping overnight construction. My life, my wife's life, and my dogs life have been much better since then so thank you.

Second, I would just like to say...

OMG WTF?!?!



If you haven't seen it recently the bridge has no accessible end remaining and is now being chopped apart in the middle. I am so very confused by this process, and it looks so counter-intuitive, that I crave some reasonable explanation so as to not sound too unintelligent to people when the look upon with stupefied wonder at the seeming ineptitude that is taking place in my back yard.

I know, I have a history degree and sell insurance, I should just trust the experts. Well bridge experts have been known to give us jewels like this:



So perhaps it won't be that bad but please, how can cutting the ground out from underneath the guys jack-hammering make sense? How will that last section get removed without some amazingly complicated fete?

Oh well, I doubt anyone at the bridge company reads this blog, since they can't be bothered to even set up a website.

More is Better

So walking through the thunderstorm from Aisle Nine in the old city Monday evening, I thought, "man it would be nice to have some option for groceries that isn't 10 blocks away from my place".

Yes I know, we just got our first psuedo-grocery last year and I'm being unrealistic. But this post is about developments, not my grumblings SO BACK OFF!

The next day Mrs. The Pol and I headed for a pint and saw this:



So the crappy "General Store" is getting work done, so what? Well I remembered a conversation I had with a worker there, and an email exchange with the parent company HT Hackney. The "General Store" (hopefully soon to get a new name) is becoming more of a proper grocery store. This is fantastic! #1 it is more convenient for me and #2 competition is always better for the consumer, i.e. me.

Then later on my walk I remembered about this little jewel:



Just Ripe should be a great addition to our little community to provide those fresh ingredients for daily consumption that are otherwise missing from the other providers of foodstuffs downtown, plus be a filler between farmers market days and off months.

I am so excited to see all of this moving forward and our downtown finally coming into its own.

Now if we only had a store where I could play Dungeons and Dragons...