Post christmas.. Looking to NYE

What a great holiday it's been already. Took grandma grocery shopping, cooked a Christmas eve meal for every one. They were blown away. > maple brown sugar glazed ham with hashbrown casserole and country green beans. A classic christmas meal, stuff was so good. After returning Christmas day, Bruce and I were welcomed home with a full house and a dinner spread that could've fed the troops. Longtime Family friends The Boltons stayed with mom over the holidays. Several friends from the good ole Walton high school days stopped by for a drink and some story telling. It was great to see every one. I was quite grateful after this weekend. I moved out of Oxford for good last week, and everything I have to my name is in my car. Still. Unload next week. As I type I sit in a half full coach car of the Amtrak bound for New Orleans. Wish I was going all the way rather than hopping off in Meridian. Oh Well. Tonight in Jackson and tomorrow it's off to Nashville for the new years weekend. Looking forward I friends and fun all weekend. And to spending plenty of time with missy, seeing as I'm heading to Jackson,WY no less than a week later. Til next time, safe travels, be well

Christmas Time again

North Carolina bound to see Gma and pops' side of the family. Feels good to get back, having not headed in this direction for more than a year. It's always about the simple things coming back here. Sitting around the living room, bullshitting, laughing, telling stories, sneaking drinks around Gma . Oh and smoking celebratory cigars we bought before hitting the road. Received a wonderful graduation/Christmas/birthday party today unexpectedly. A Ruger double barrel over under 20 gauge shotgun. It's masterfully crafted with engraved silver and gold inlay. It's a gun you look at and your like, wow this must be expensive as shit and probably never shot before" which is probably the case here. I feel truly blessed and am thankful for everything that comes my way. Off the NC for the weekend and returning Christmas day. Falcons Saints re-match on MNF should provide for an entertaining night. #riseup birds and lets take back that stinging win the #aints had a few weeks back. After a falcons victory it's off to Nashville for New Years Eve. It's called the black ball at the greenhouse bar. Sounds tight, and I'm extremely stoked. A few brief days after that I will undoubtedly head off into the wild blue yonder that is "out west". Super stoked for that one. Til then, happy chrismahanakwanzukka to y'all. Peace

its almost november

to be october 27th and still have a chaco tan is pretty crazy.  its 58 degrees outside so it only feels cold on shitty dismal days like this.  i'm ready for this weekend and to spend time with my girl.  also excited to engulf the bountiful offerings of memaw's cooking.  IF we stay in jackson all weekend.  i think ill go for a lunch visit.  Butterbeans, potato casserole, cornbread, maybe porkchops or a roast.  Memaw does is big.  Memaw don't play around.  If and when i go out west, it will be one of the things i miss the most.  Memaw's cooking is ingrained through generations.  I'm carrying it on its in my blood. It's my responsibility to keep it going because my sis doesnt like cooking because she's afraid of two things: fire and knives.   >>>>>>>subject change .. Saw dangermuffin last night. loved it. You missed out if you didn't go.  It feels good to go to a show and you see George and other OLO's that hardly ever come out of the woodwork. great! support live music. drink cathead. more free shows. gladly would have paid to see the two bands i saw last night.  What really caught bill and i's attention was James Justin&co.  The 3 piece band with a banjo and stand up bass rocked the posters off the wall @ larry's.  They're playing again at thacker mountain radio show tonight.  it's on the courthouse lawn- weather permitting.  I will happily be there with a little bourbon to warm me up. thats it. Paz

a week old but

Fall. Favorite time of the year hands down.  the mornings get colder, the days get shorter.  Ah, football, the rebs, the grove, seeing your breath, getting too cold to wear my chacos but i still do to the point of near frostbite.  the dog showing you it knows when your cold.  Spending fall in oxford is just about a good as a place as anywhere.  golden-yellow-red trees its like nature's tyedye.  find yourself at the top of thacker mountain this time of year and take in the view and try not to cry.  while i'm talking all nature-y im about to go on a small rant.  rebels and grovers we need to do a much better job of cleaning up the beautiful grove we are so lucky to be able to spend time in.  it doesnt take much effort to pick up your shit that you leave around the tent area.  yea, there are garbage cans but walking through the grove on the way to class today i found the following: broken bottles, beer bottle tops, pom-poms, a pile of CHICKEN BONES, tickets, tent stakes.  i mean come on people the grove is a privelege we all get to share and enjoy.  lets pick our shit up.  not saying my tent space is spotless clean but should be  a continuous group effort.  done with my rant.  as it begins to cool off slowly i break out the pants and maybe a few light jackets. it's not that cold yet people.  yes this is MIssissippi, but if your freaking out so much about it being 55 degrees that you wear a ski jacket to class then you've got a hard winter ahead of you, and they say its gonna be a rough one.

Ole Miss Student finds balance between writing, working and drinking. Partying that pays.

              OXFORD, MISS-- A bright young girl with a passion for friendship and carpe diem, Taylor Yeomans came to Oxford not knowing what exactly she would find, or aspire to become. She began to find her passions for friendship, writing and live music as more time was spent in Oxford. Before taking the road more frequently traveled, Yeomans knew she wanted to stick to her tradition of finding her own path. She found her attentions drawn to the nightlife and entertainment that Oxford is well known for.

         Many students work while enrolled in classes to pay rent, for school or various other expenses, and she was no exception. Students have on campus jobs, work in restaurants, and pretty much anything found around town. Little did the student workforce know, we were all missing out. It was her wild side, the all-go, no-stop, 'girls just wanna have fun' attitude that got Yeomans the job she is currently having a love affair with. Her title is "Brand Activation Team Specialist." She works for TEAM Enterprises, a leading national experiential marketing firm. That means they are "connecting and engaging consumers where they live, work and play," Yeomans said is the formal quote their company uses a lot. They market buzz- worthy, creative, personalized touch points that operate through a plethora of media platforms. TEAM's website says, "We work, we recruit, we blog." Especially with the emerging prominence of social media like Twitter, Facebook, and blog sites like Tumblr and Foursquare, they've been able to reach people in many ways.

         She first spiked her interest in nightlife and entertainment while interning at the Yoknapatawpha Arts Council located in The Powerhouse on the Square. Meeting new interesting people and finding a niche that suited her began coming into view. They gave her some responsibility and let her plan her own event last spring, Best Bartender in Oxford. A competition rating all the bartenders in Oxford, the proceeds went to the Oxford Food Pantry and the Arts Council. A prize went to the lucky barkeep with the most votes. "It was an "overnight success that lasted all week," as Yeomans put it.

         Finding it to be very rewarding and a feeling of accomplishment, it sat well in her stomach. She began building confidence in herself and also building relationships and acquaintances that would soon become connections and start to get her foot through that metaphorical door. She works for TEAM, which operates nationally with numerous brands and products. Though her specific target area is nightlife and beverage management and promotion. Bacardi Rum is the main brand she markets using promotions, a team of Bacardi Girls, freebies, and events catered to the college age consumers found around the bars of Oxford.

         "I want a career doing something like this, although I want to stray away from the alcohol part of it. I'm looking toward the music industry and I'd like to do something like promoting for music festivals." Yeomans said.

         Being a journalism student, she's had great opportunities to find stories and interview unique people. Her beat hasalways been geared towards music, trends, human life, and "things that matter, stuff that changes lives," she said. Now a senior journalism major and english minor, she knows she doesn't want a desk job at a newspaper, but instead, to write for the holy grail of alternative journalism, Rolling Stone Magazine.

         "I want to use journalism as an outlet for developing my writing talent," she said.

         Working as a waitress fueled her drive to not be like everyone else in the humdrum working environment that is the food industry. "It gave me the skill to talk to anybody, which has really helped. It drove me to want to go further than just serving pizzas for seven dollars an hour." She certainly collects more than that working in this environment. "I'm a party animal, not until I started meeting these people and figuring out the 'nightlife' of this town did I come out of my shell."

         Just being your average student who likes to frequent The Library Sportsbar on a Friday night doesn't mean you can take on an opportunity like this. You have to immerse yourself in the drinking culture and surround yourself with people that can connect on that level. You have to find yourself in the bars that still have pool tables, the ones without lines of frat boys pouring in the front door. You have to get to know your barkeeps, bouncers, managers, musicians, and people that seemingly live in these places. Taylor Yeomans has done just that. Strutting down the alleys and back and forth around the Square parading her very own crew of Bacardi Girls, they would be hard to miss. Take for example Kayla Canfield, of Jackson, MS, a Bacardi Girl recruited by Yeomans for her undisputed talents, both in the looks and inebriation categories while still keeping it classy of course. "So this is what it's like to be famous." said Canfield. She knows what she's talking about. People see a crew of good looking women with Bacardi gear on and it's like a tractor beam.

         "Oxford has been a breeding ground for people looking to have a good time, and I think that's why this has come so naturally to me," Yeomans said nostalgically. "Who wouldn't want to party with babes serving free alcohol?"

As she nears graduation she keeps her eyes and ears peeled for any opportunity to gain advantages toward the ultimate goal, not money, but being happy. "It's not a job if you love what your doing," she smiled. She wanted to leave readers with this advice, "We're trying to amp up the party. Be real, make friends, have a great time. Break up these Oxford cliques and let's unite as a community of happy people." A tall order, but if there's Bacardi involved, who knows what’s going to happen?

Game weekend 2 recap '11

Man, what a great weekend it was.  Had to work Fri. night ofcourse >> it sucked.  We served over 300 people, almost proving to be too much to handle.  It usuallt seems to go by faster when we're slammed, this wasn't the case in that kitchen.  Missy came to Oxford with SneakyCat and they didn't sit for their 9pm revervation til 9:50.  Que ridiculo no?  Now just a full week of essays and papers to get through.  I'm dreading working all weekend because the chef is going out of town.  oh well positivity>complaining.  Missy and I got to kick it on the front row of the 50 yard line to watch the rebels win on saturday.  Couldn't be luckier.  Saturday sure started out right with Panic getting a shout out on college football live thanks to Rece Davis.  Starting out a Saturday with Erin Andrews, Lee Corso and the crew always means its' gonna be a good one.  We headed to the grove @ 2:45- Not bad for a 5:00 kick off with Missy.  I gave the 2 extra tickets we had to the chef and his wife so they could bring their kids to the game. Crown Royal airplane bottles in tow, the rebels took the win.  That's all.  To top it off we grubbed Sunday supper at the Ravine.  I had a 14 oz. sirloin.  No better way to finish off a solid weekend in Oxford, Miss.

cadillac Funk Q+A

Tyler Davis 

10 interesting questions For ANDREW YURKOW  }}{{{}{}

 Lead Singer of Cadillac Funk.  Originally from Indianola, MS in the MS delta  

_Local Oxford band_

Plays Rooster's Blues House, The Blind Pig, clubs in Jackson, Memphis, Tupelo, Como, Holly Springs

T: Did you always want to play the guitar? 

Yurkow: "I remember my first guitar…  my neighbor Dave brings the guitar over to me and hands it to me one day… I didn't see him for another three months, until the baby was born and when I saw him again I said man I swear that guitar's given me nightmares.  He said it was just sitting in his attic when he gave it to me. But yea I still love it."

T: Who taught you to play?

Yurkow: "Growin' up where I did, it was the easiest way to study the 'delta' blues.  Then I just tried to play with any and everybody that would let me sit down and let me watch 'em play guitar.  I didn't want to study music in school you know? I wanted to study it in the world."  

T: Why sing the blues?

Yurkow: "My alcoholic stepfather gave me a birthday gift.  It was an eagles cd that actually had a Jimi Hendrix disc in the case, and a hot rocks, Greatest Hits of the Rolling Stones.  Changed my life, once I got ahold of that I started wondering where all these awesome songs by Hendrix and the Stones  were coming from and obviously it just led me back to right where I was in the delta in mississippi and just the blues in general. "

T: So, how many members in your band, I noticed it changes almost every show??

Yurkow: "Over the course of probably 40 to 50 musicians, I can't even count the number of all the drummers but it was just a big family of musicians and now they're all still working in town and whoever's free I use to play my shows because they all know the music now, so its a good system and usually we have enough people to do a show, however every shows 'gonna be unique because you never know who's gonna show up to play man."

T: Oxford has been your stomping ground for the last few years, are y'all wanting to branch your music out for other ears to hear?

Yurkow: "I love playing locally for people I know and see a lot.  When folks I know come to see us play, it makes us feel good and were really on fire when we get in this groove. But we do want to get our name out there and do some travelin'.  We are in the works of getting something worked out for a tour across the U.S., out west probably.  It would be three months on the road, one month at home, so that something we're really interested in taking on."

T: Any interest in recording some music to release at Fat Possum records(of Oxford) or a recording studio in Memphis, Tupelo?

Yurkow:  "We've done a few recording sessions to lay down originals.  The Burnside brothers invited us to their home in the hill country of Mississippi, in Holly Springs.  They were nice enough to let us record in their studio in their home in Holly Springs, a short drive from Oxford.  They even sat in on a few tracks with us."

T:  What's the evolution of the name 'Cadillac Funk'?

Yurkow:  "When we first started playing shows in '07, I had had a few side project gigs with friends that we called 'the cadillac johnson'.  As it grew into this project, and we started to play shows on a regular basis, we changed the name to the more appropriate, more appealing 'Cadillac Funk'."

(follow-up) T: Why funk?

Yurkow: "We play a blend of hill country blues and New Orleans style funk, as well as some covers that get the crowd going, and that's what it's really all about, the fans man."

T:  What's been your favorite part or highlight so far on this wild ride?

Yurkow:  "Playing the Hill Country Blues Festival with grammy winner Kenny Brown and sharing the stage with him and Duwayne and Cedric Burnside has really been the most special moment that I can remember.  You should make it out next year, it's a really eye opening experience to the hill country blues and the delta and all their musical history that flows out of their instruments like lightning."

multimedia: first story of fall semester '11: McEwen's Oxford

Head Chef Jeff Robinson prepares for the weekend as he goes over his produce order with a fine tooth comb. Running out of food isn't an option, so he must meticulously order everything they need for the upcoming weekend.

Sous Chef Scott Ross works seven different pots on the McEwens range top. Bringing everything together and making double batches of almost everything is of utmost importance before a homegame weekend.

Floor manager Hayden Wingate makes a liquor order on Wednesday just for the weekend. The bar being fully stocked is very important as well. He also checks and re-checks the reservations for Friday night, which are getting close to reaching 200 people.

Brooks Cunningham rolls out some goat cheese to prepare for the night and for the weekend. Salads and appetizers are an integral part of the McEwen's menu. Very important position.

As Scott Ross keeps an eye on all his preparation, he pauses to look in the recipe book for the amount of cream to go into a recipe. One thing tasting wrong or different can ruin an experience for a customer, so he must work carefully.

McEwen's Oxford -first story fall '11

McEwen's Oxford

Tyler Davis

McEwen’s looking to begin strong this fall of 2011

OXFORD, Miss. A new restaurant seems to pop up in this town every week. Locals joke that when one restaurant closes, three open up in its place. The restaurant business is a big part of this town and our local economy. McEwen’s is the newest place open to diners in Oxford. It opened its doors July 25th. Situated on the historic downtown square amidst all the well known “big dogs” when it comes to dining out, McEwen’s is in good company and competition and will have to prove itself in the months to come.

City Grocery, 208, Lenora’s, and soon enough the new Bouré are all fierce competitors to gain ground against in the battle for customers. Many of these establishments have reputations and have been around for years. But there is a new player in the game with McEwen’s. Head Chef Jeff Robinson of Oxford hopes to attract customers with a different style of cuisine than anywhere else.

“Our food style is different, with creole-asian style dishes with tons of flavor and we use all fresh ingredients,” says Robinson.

They hope to rely on great reactions and people sharing their experience and wanting to return to drive their business to success. This is an extension of a McEwen’s on Monroe. A well known fine dining in establishment in Memphis, our big destination city to the north. It has a great reputation and dedicated staff and this drove the owners of the business to bring their name to Oxford, a very profitable restaurant town if it’s done right.

Lee Cauthen, longtime manager of the former Downtown Grill, was thrilled when they contacted him with the offer of operating partner. He knows the town, the people and the ins and outs of operating a business in this ever growing college town. Longtime favorite Downtown Grill closed in April, and Cauthen had been the manager for some 12 odd years.

“After ‘The Grill’ closed, I was going to be the GM at 208, but these guys contacted me and asked if I wanted to be a business partner,” said Cauthen enthusiastically.

A lot of workers from ‘The Grill’ followed Cauthen after it closed in late April. Obviously if you have staff following you when you make a job change, your doing something right. Cauthen is excited about this new opportunity and the challenges that await through out these next few short months during football season. He mentioned four things that will attract customers to this new location.

“Firstly, the reputation of the location in Memphis which obviously does pert well. Second, the following that we had at ‘The Grill’ knows we have moved and will support us in our new endeavor. Third, every one is interested to investigate the ‘new kid on the block’, especially in Oxford. Lastly, the word-of-mouth trail of information is a considerable factor in the restaurant business.”

True, that can help a new place, but also can hurt it, especially in this day and age of connectivity and ease of communication between people. Opening more than a month before football season was definitely an advantage for McEwen’s.

“We were able to prepare and get all the kinks out before things really got crazy,” said Cauthen.

For those who don’t know, football season for any business is what they dream of, the goldmine. It’s the opportunity to make triple the profits of any regular weekend. Also, it’s definitely a love/hate relationship when it comes to working football weekends. Stress, long hours, working when everyone else is having fun are just a short list of the reasons some dread football season.

“Friday night is what you wait for, it’s the beginning of the weekend and everybody wants to hit the Square,” Cauthen said.

“We offer a different menu and great atmosphere to shake up the competition and break the norm of the traditional dining in downtown Oxford.”

McEwen’s wouldn’t be complete or even have a chance on the Square without a fully stocked bar. Keeping in mind those who might enjoy a cocktail, with or without dinner. Trey Nichols worked the bar at ‘The Grill’ for many years and shares a great work relationship with Lee Cauthen.

“Bar patrons as I like to call them knew we moved from ‘The Grill’ so now they come to McEwen’s for our drink specials, friendly staff, and overall good atmosphere,” said Nichols.

Nichols hopes to make a killing this coming homegame Friday night. He works Fridays, knowing it will be hectic but it’s all worth it to cash in like he will.

“I sacrifice Friday nights with friends so I’ll be able to go spend some of that money I made Saturday,” joked Nichols.

Dining at McEwen’s will be an experience for many to share in the next couple of months. Finding a customer in the cluster of a weekend was tough, but managing to find one, a Mrs. Cathey Russell, was a grand choice on someone to talk to.

“I just love the new restaurant. It’s not as conservative as Downtown Grill was, or as traditional,” said Russell. “It’s nice to have a new atmosphere that is so eclectic and different from what we’re used to.”

She implored that I try the lobster risotto and insisted on the chilean seabass entré. With a growling stomach and mouth watering descriptive details the conclusion comes out with a hankering for all things hot and fresh. All signs point that McEwen’s will be a sure contender in the booming business around the Square. Only time will prove success or the opposite, failure which is not uncommon in a fast paced business savvy town like Oxford. Wish them the best of luck, and stop in for some lobster risotto or a cheesecake.

Ole Miss first football weekend 2011

awesome video and print links about Ole Miss and the Grove this past weekend. makes me proud of my schoolin'

http://vimeo.com/28637211 << Scott Burton Photography

http://universe.byu.edu/index.php/2011/09/05/ole-miss-sets-tailgating-standard/

^^ BYU student newspaper

fall 2011. the final semester.

Listening to: Trouble Man--Marvin Gaye

I don't know what to think about this fall. 12 hours to go. 4 more classes. 4 final classes. This place is all I've known for the past 5 years. I found myself laying on God's holy ground: The Grove, and realize I won't be able to lay here everyday. I won't be able to walk LeenaDOG through this hallowed ground. I won't be able to look at the highest concentration of beautiful women in maybe the whole world as far as I'm concerned. Bitter fuc*ing sweet it is, I'm excited as shit about this football season. The Rebs are looking for a big season with some top prospects that Nutt says have "a whole lot of heart." Can't wait for this Saturday. Not quite sure what the mormon fanbase of BYU will think of The Grove and all of its sacred debauchery and drunkenness, of which I will most definitely be immersed in. SUBJECT CHANGE: Working in different kitchens for the past 4 years, I've come to know what to expect during football season. Your gonna be working. Get over yourself. NO ONE can go to every game. Which is why I'm contemplating quitting my job to find something on campus or with the local papers to which I may not have to work on the weekends. Maybe I'm getting ahead of myself. Well, off to class in which my teacher might pass away before midterms. Paz Amigos