#happy 1 year anniversary to Wonka

[noahowls]

Birthday Boy 🎂

Audience: General

Word Count: 1k+

Pairing: Mr. Fickelgruber/Wonka

Summary: It's gonna be Wonka's special day soon. So they need to plan, and act fast! But not everything goes well. So what can they do?

Content Warnings: None

Felix Fickelgruber sat in his office: planning meetings, writing notes, chocolate plans, stocks, you know the drill. Buisness meetings piled up his mind so he couldn'treally take a breathe out of it. It was stressful!

As he finished his daily business, he checks his calendar, everythings normal but then something caught his eye. Wonka's birthday. How could he forget? It's in a week, everything needs to be perfect. For him. For his boyfriend.

The green-suited man immediately planned what to get for his boy: plushies, a suit, a dress? Anything. And what else does he like? What about the cake? It was all jumbled in his head. It has to be perfect. But how could he do it in a short ammount of time? How can he? He needs a team, Wonka's friends and that Noodle girl.

He hasted out of the office to find Wonka's friends. He rushed to the local library where Noodle lived with her mother. He raised his hand the oak door. Knock knock! The brass handle turns, the door swung opened.

"Mr. Fickelgruber, what are you doing here?" Noodle asked.

"Oh hello Noodle, my dear. I'm terribly sorry for interrupting you at this early hour but Wonka's birthday is next week."

"Next week?" She gasped, she also seemed to forget. Well that might make it worse.

Felix and Noodle agreed to work together for the birthday boy. The duo rush to find the others and get them to plan for this special day.

The plan was simple: get some good desserts and food; get some gifts; party decorations; and last of all, guests!

Time was ticking. Its only within a week from now.

Mr. Fickelgruber would ordered some good food, Lottie would help spread the word through her tounge, Larry would help be the comedian of the party, this is perfect! The food would taste like heaven, with one of the finest bakers in town, everything should be arriving soon. Posters and fliers were handed out. Now they can finally rest. They worked their ass off for this, for him.

Days had passed. The sun rosed up as slow as a snail. The birds tweep.

But then, the thunder to this story came. Felix woked up with a call on the phone.

"Hello?"

The other person spoke in a classy voice, "I'm so sorry to inform you sir, but the chef seems to be busy at the date booked. He has an important visit at the time booked so we might have to delay it to another day"

Ah shit. Another day? Really?. What should he do now?

Just as he finished the call, the personal butler of his hustled in for another phone call, this time it was Larry. The comedian explained in a guilty tone that his part in the party may nto happen as there might be an important visiting to attend on exactly that day. This is a disaster! The deliveries seem to be delayed, people are booked, the special day is only in three days!

The thoughts tangled in his head like your hair when you wake up. He needs to fix this, and fast.

Immediately he searches for other replacements. Nothing works. Nothing goes to plan. Nothing is good. He wanted to scream into a pillow because of this.

But then he took a breathe, breathing in and out. Let's rethink this carefully and slowly. He needed to remember who this was for. His boyfriend.

What was is it about him? Wonka doesnt really care about anything. Any gift given to him, even if its as small as a penny, would give him joy. So even if the party isn't as lavish like a corrination party, he would still love it. It's the thought that counts to him. The love and care would fill his heart, no matter what

Thats it. Thats it.

Another lightbulb popped in his head. The boy loves plushies, any kind, so why not make one himself? Who cares if it looks god awful, it doesnt matter as long as it was made with love.

Over the next two days, things fall smoothly again. Larry's visit was sent to another time, Felix could actually make and bake some things with chocolate even when he managed to found a replacement, and the gifts for the chocolate maker was ready.

And then, the fated day had arrived...

Everyone had preapared, the cakes, the seats, the guest, everything.

Wonka woke up at the crack of dawn and started his usual routine: brush his teeth get dressed, and set off to work. Wonka had not catched up with everyone lately, so obviously he had no idea what was coming for him. He was swarmed with buisness strangles to even take a break. He came back to his appartment after another long day at work. His back was slouched, shoulder dropped. His fingers twisted the silver doorknob. He needed a break, he needed a break. The door creaked. Lights were off. As he flipped the switch, his eyes widened.

Everyone in unison shouted, "Happy Birthday!" There was a crowd of people at his house. There were like hundreds of people there.

Willy's heart tingled with a warm feeling. Even he forgot it was it was his birthday so it was nice people actually took the time to care for him. His boyfriend shoes tapped on the floor. He greeted him with a kiss. Felix raised out a wrapped gift.

Wonka's eyes widened and imediately ripped open the wrapping. It was a hand-sewed plushie of him and Felix, made by Mr. Fickelgruber himself. It was crudely done, but he loved it. He burtsed with tears of happiness and immediately hugged Felix.

"Thank you thank you thank you!" He then gave a big smooch on the lips. His boyfriend ruffed his curly locks with a curl at the corner of his lips.

He had a great day. Seeing Mr. Chucklesworth's stories and jokes, the gifts, the dance, the cakes.

Everything was beautiful. Just the way the birthday boy likes it.

[babysprouseisart]

Honestly more things are pointing to a permanent separation for SH. No indications of any reconciliation sadly. And it makes it even harder without the confirmation. I guess when they start to get papped with their new SOs will be the day that it is confirmed they are done. And I hope it is soon. This push and pull with them is exhausting

Good day, anon, and welcome to hell. Screams for help will not save you, alas, because when it comes to a topic in which I am 99, 9% sure, I have no equals. I'm sorry you probably got the wrong address, but it's too late. I am merciless and bloodthirsty with anyone who tries to contradict my faith, tries to correct my point of view and convince me of their own, although I did not give it a reason. Because it's my fucking blog where I for x-billionth time has already expressed my exact points and agreed with some people which think and proved the exact opposite to all that you are saying. So be prepared to be slowly but surely tortured by my long ass post.

 So, let's start with what I said about my blog: only good vibes here. I am not interested/concerned about other opposite/negative feedings. I just don't want to make a big deal about it. Here, in my blog, we support Lili Pauline Reinhart and Cole Mitchell Sprouse in any case as couple as well as individuals.

 This means that under no circumstances do we talk about them, their relationships, their projects, their family, or their decisions in a negative way. Yes, we may disagree with something they do, where they do it, and how they do it (what they post, what they like/don't like, write or repost, who they meet, with whom they decide to be, live and communicate with, what they archive/unarchive, and so on), but we do not have the right to judge them or decide how to act. We also can't control it and it's none of our business.

 I repent if I once made the appearance of a person condemning one of them or their family for their actions and possible causes of the separation, it was only my objective external disagreement, points and thoughts aloud, nothing more rude, involved and inappropriate. And I think with many of my words said earlier (or the words of those I follow and reblog their posts) about the behavior of family/friends of Lili, Cole, and so on, people with brains and common sense could agree. Remember this, or write it on your forehead, so that the next time you write to me, you will see these words.

 Moving on, taking into account all of the above, I would like to tell you that it probably won't be enough for one blog to explain to you point by point all my beliefs and points of view on this subject, to prove to you that every fucking word you say is illogical shit and the most real nonsense. It feels like you're an alien who fell from another planet and decided to crawl into our hole with your impressions of a newborn baby who doesn't understand much about the world and its creators. Although in this case, I'm more of the opinion that you are a little asshole, in which the vein of hatred is boiling and you like to come to this and some other blogs to tell us your agenda although we have no idea where you have such rash thoughts, perhaps you have an extra chromosome? Dude, treat your paranoia.

 Further, given that I don't have much time and desire to describe all my points of view point by point, which, unlike your random set of words, really makes sense for hundreds or even thousands of people who have the gray matter to be able to think, I will attach my long - standing post, indicating all the facts at that time proving the opposite to yours. Although, I will try to supplement everything else as much as I can.

 While, we all ( I hope) already realized and accepted that for many reasons, during this quarantine, Lili and Cole had some problems, were distant and ended up apart for a certain period of time, immediately after the end point of the explosion and informing us of all these public actions on social media (I hope you understand), then after a few weeks, they were already confidently moving towards resolution and recovery and that's why:

https://babysprousehart.tumblr.com/post/618026656780648448/hello-i-hope-this-doesnt-come-off-negatively

This was written long before, but still has many valid points and I just want to widen some of them.

Take a sit and follow me word by word.

I shall start my addition of evidence, based on all the guesses and great opinions of others, as well as hints from the Lili and Cole themselves. I would like to start with a significant event and the day when Lili posted a photo from the Antelope Valley on April 28th, well, or 27th, depending on where you are.

Perhaps we lose some missing pieces in this puzzle and forget about something that was done earlier, but I just want to start counting from this moment.

A few facts about this photo/photos:

1) It was posted exactly 3 years later from their famous photoshoot, when very, very, very many people, mostly in media, began to suspect that there is something between them in a romantic way. It was exactly in the same place, exactly with the same style, exactly in a similar image (waving curly hair, light flying dress, black and white effect) and even without a capture. The picture marked the anniversary and is very important for the two of them. An undeniable fact, beat me.

2) That photo was definitely taken by Cole. Why?

Here are a couple more facts in addition to the first:

They have the quality of captured on professional camera.

You can see, that Lili did not tag the photographer and said jokingly that the photo was taken by Milo, why would she lie, or hide that it was anyone else, because clearly she just hid that because it was Cole.

You may have noticed that Austin, when asked who took the photo, whether she took it and whether she is a good photographer, says no and her reaction with a grin and laugh is priceless. She also didn't tag nor the photographer, neither Lili in her photos from there.

You can watch the vlog in the Colleen blog and see there are very similar figures to Cole, Lili and Milo walking along the valley, because, duh, they were there.

You can view her post, where you can see Cole from the back (notice his dark clothing, the same as on one of his post in the profile, which he has already deleted, as well as his position from which the photo of Lili was supposedly taken and it is just in the same place).

You can observe his style of photography and how similar the theme is to the photos from 2017.

You can see the same poppy behind his ear in one of the past stories.

You may have noticed that the photo of Lili is processed with the same effect as several photos in Cole's profile, and I can tell you as an amateur photo editor that it is very identical.

Question: why arrange such a significant photoshoot with your ex after a few weeks of separation? Why is Cole smiling in a photo (black and white one with a mustache and black clothes) probably taken there? Why is everything so secretive if they broke up? Why even post a photo that your ex-boyfriend definitely took? How can you calmly go to this place, which reminds you of your joint travels with your former lover? Therefore, this photo and later another one from there were the first iron arguments in confirming the improvement of things.

 I would like to continue with another ironclad proof.

Lili in early may very fiercely, after a few weeks of Cole's statements about slander and threats, which she did not respond to so clearly at the time, defended Cole and pointed out the private relationship and literally said that people should stop it and even though should hurt and bully her, but not him.

Question: did she defend her ex so publicly? Would Lili talk about a private relationship if that was the way her past relationship was most often? Would she have written anything at all if she didn't care about him and didn't feel something towards him? I don't think so, so it's gibberish to say so (about the break up) when it's the second unquestionable argument.

 Next, we need to talk about the general activity of Cole and Lili in social media. I just want to list some observations, in different order, but it seems like everything we have now:

If earlier it was visible in the posts of Lili that it was clearly a show off, then over time and after the published photos, she began to behave more sincerely and tenderly, began to publish Milo less, began to say that there was only the two of them less, has stopped showing how good she is without certain someone, as if for Cole showing that she could cope without him, which was visible in the posts and stories, she began to talk more about improving her mental health as a result of training, spoke about how later she was feeling better and that she was grateful for those who were with her and difficult times and in light moments, that you just need to live and enjoy.

Additionally, I can say how she shone with each photo, and it was a natural glow of happiness and settling down. She no longer sang sad songs or posted sad songs, on the contrary, posted sexy, funny and relaxed ones. She appeared more in photos taken by paparazzi. She posted sexy, energetic, romantic movies, funny cartoons, watched funny clips, was excited about her project, laughed, danced with her dog, played with a dog with macaroni, cosplayed Willy Wonka (we all have a feeling it’s Cole’s thing, no?), playing with sand, puzzles, posted funny memes in story, which unfortunately coolly accepted as the opposite, posted a poem with a typo and funny answered to a fan who corrected it, told more about poems and attached a photo with a fragment of a poem about love from her upcoming book. She liked some photos from the anniversary of the last episode of the series, where we remember there was a hot scene of her and Cole's character, she liked a Bughead drawing. Yesterday, she actually posted one of the sexiest videos that will not be posted, being single and lonely, we saw that she actually spent more personal time with Cole (I am not saying they weren’t doing t back then), which was investigated thanks to many amazing people here, and even if they don't live together yet, they are more likely to meet and have met with each other, and more hints on sexy times (because, come one, maybe Milo was the one who left a hickey on her neck, huh?), which is undeniable, just compare the fact that she is no longer in the old rental, and he is not in Kj's house, she then posted a photo from some place, which is very similar to where Cole shot a video with Jimmy Fallon.

 He also began to be more active in social networks, exactly after she started posting photos of the Antelope Valley, he posted a series of photos of the kissing couple, even if it was a gay drawings, they were filled with love, there was a photo of him with cattle with the sarcastic caption, then the photo about porn bots, with funny ask to leave him alone and saying it’s not allowed to be horny on quarantine, again a photo of himself with heart eyes that I talked about above, he posted a very funny video recently. There were more photos from the paparazzi after some time when Lili's usually flashed, and then it stopped, then his humorous photo in the washing machine appeared, which she probably had taken, and why so I explained in the attached post, he posted a photo from the walk, which was also probably taken with her, because again, she had a similar location, then he jokingly called Tommy ‘the’ muse, maybe roasting fans, but he didn’t use ‘my’, so, indicating he still has his own muse, then we saw him at that damn party, which caused people's panic, although he is an ordinary person and has the right to relax, and by the way at this party he was very happy and frisky, but nothing bad or shameful happened and he is innocent, then we even saw Cole, after Lili, delete many of the photos, although he had also unarchived some of them several times, as she had, which means that he did not delete them completely, but just removed many of them, leaving the most tender photo after or before the kiss at the famous moment when Lili wanted a toast and eggs at 1 am, or many photos reflecting her body, which also marks not a bad phenomenon, but a simple trolling from them. Proof of this trolling and unarchiving is on the vastness of other blogs and on Twitter, thanks to that girl's video.

 The way their condition and activity on social networks have changed is very noticeable and is also third undeniable fact of denial of the break up. You can compare photos of Cole taken by Alex, where he is clearly very sad and depressed, because it was taken somewhere in the interval of their real breakup. And compare this with his smiling and playful state during the interview with Jimmy, where he also sparkled with happiness and fun, constantly smiling and seemed to be aroused about something (or someone). I think even a newcomer will notice a change in their mood and attitude. You will see the difference. And this does not happen when going through the break up after 4 years of deeply imbued with love relationships. Please understand, damn it.

 I have listed alas not everything that speaks so vividly about things going in the right positive direction and is evidence that everything is getting better again, there will be only more I assure you and you will kiss my ass, as Cole said.

 Execution cannot be pardoned.

 You have one attempt to put a comma and decide your fate, but I think you’ll  fail because you are a total sucker anyway.

 Bye!

[spective90]

Medusa Complex - 1

Many people in my hometown believed that the house next to my parents’ place was destined to be empty for as long as it stood its ground. Built in 1929, the Victorian palace sat on top of the hill that cast its shadow upon the entire valley.

We think the royals lived in it before the world wars begun, where dynasties collapsed, and common people revolutionized the lands. It could have been torn down ages ago but after years of standing tall, the town has pretty much left it alone. It’s like a totem protecting Foxwood from disaster; we hadn’t had any devastation in a long time. Everybody knew about the house and its lonely reputation, so you can imagine my surprise when a black SUV pulled into its driveway one day as I returned from the grocery store, carrying a realtor and a pair of young house hunters.

“And here, as you can see, is by far the oldest house in the neighborhood,” the realtor said as he exited the car, “I figure this relic might not be ​exactly​ what you’re looking for, but if you’re going to move to Foxwood, this is a nice part of its history–”

“Well, we’re open to buying any property at this point, Mr. Lorem,” a middle-aged man said, climbing out of the back seat, his voice loud and deep. His skin fair, he sported long, ginger hair with a trimmed beard, and dressed nicely. He rounded the vehicle as the realtor waited by the cobblestone stairs, and opened the door for who I assumed to be his wife.

The first thing I noticed were her black pumps and silk tights as she climbed out of the car. I tried to keep my eyes on what I was doing as I gathered bags from the back of Waylen’s sedan, but despite myself, I looked again as soon as I heard the door close.

The woman, tanned and lean, wore white-framed sunglasses and a matching summer dress. Her hair was dirty blonde and she carried herself confidently beside her husband while he led her by the arm. The action struck me as odd, and I wondered if she was older than I originally thought; I couldn’t see her face too well, but the body she had was almost criminal.

My eyes traveled over her as the three of them walked into the building, and I nearly lost my grip on one of the bags on my way up the driveway.

As soon as they disappeared, I sighed and shook my head.

“Jessie,” my brother called from inside, “You good?”

“Yeah,” I replied back, throat feeling a bit dry, “Give me a sec.”

After the last of the bags, I shut the trunk and locked it up. Our parents had tasked us to fix their house up while they went away for a bit. Its birch wood structure and wide, open backyard was definitely a sight to see; it was exactly the same as I’d remembered it to be.

I headed into the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge. Sitting on the couch, my brother squinted his eyes as he watched a soccer game play out.

“Hey, do you know if the house next door is for sale?” I asked him as I unscrewed the cap.

Waylen made a confused face. “The castle-looking one?” I nodded. “Uh, not that I know of. Why?”

I took a few swigs and played with the hem of my tank top. “Some couple is looking at it right now. I don’t even think the guy showing it is from around here.”

Waylen scoffed and turned to look at me. “How does that even...? So it’s not someone from the local place?”

“No. The dude kinda looks like Willy Wonka.” I thought for a second. “With glasses.”

“Heh,” Waylen chuckled, “Maybe they’re from the next town over? Darton, or something?”

“Dunbarton,” I corrected. “Maybe. Or Cozy Lake.”

My brother shook his head and turned back to the game. “We’re surrounded by rich people out here,” he grumbled. “Not gonna lie, I’m happy to get away from everything, but I think I’ll be happier when the rents get back. You can only be out here in the boonies for so long before it just... gets to you.”

I put my drink down and looked out the living room window, watching the wind tickle the flowerbeds outside. “Yeah. I just hope mom and dad find what they’re looking for on their trip,” I mumbled.

“True.” Waylen threw his head back against the couch and closed his eyes. “They deserve it, right?”

“Mhm,” I nodded and glanced towards the stairs. “Hey, I’m gonna hop in the shower. When is Laurie coming over again? Sunday?”

Laurie was his fiancée. She’d offered to help with the job since we’d first gotten out here a few days ago. “Eh... I’ll call her. She said sometime this weekend,” he confirmed, his focus torn between the TV and our conversation.

I didn’t wait for him to elaborate. The floorboards creaked as I ascended the stairs and got ready for my shower.

What I knew about this entire expedition was that we had about two months to finish it. To celebrate their anniversary, my parents bought themselves a 6-week long vacation to rekindle what had been lost while they both worked and sent us away to college.

Waylen graduated with a degree in business management and I barely finished with a degree in traditional arts this past May. All I knew heading into school was that I was good with my hands, and I liked to create things. As far as I was concerned, maybe I’d be lucky enough to be in a gallery one day.

Part of the reason I decided to come out to Foxwood again was to take a break before finding a job, and to spend time with Waylen before he went back to his suburban life outside the city. Our parents’ place was still in good condition but definitely needed some touch-ups, as the wood was stained and matted from constant weathering, and my mother was having none of it.

“Just give it a facelift, honey,” ​she’d said to me over the phone not too long ago. ​“We’ve already asked your brother to come too. Think of it as a small vacation; you’ll be there until the end of November... you don’t have to pay us anything. We just want to see what you can do with it.”

“You’re asking the twins of​ terror,”​ I said dramatically, “to give your house a makeover while you travel the country with dad?”

“Yes, thank you, Jessie. You’re a sweetheart for agreeing to do this.” I​ hadn’t— not yet, at least. ​“We love you very much.”

I didn’t seem to have much of a choice in the matter, anyway. “Love you too, mom.”

Over dinner later that night, after the pizza guy came, the two of us started spitballing ideas for any serious reparations during the next few weeks.

“So here’s what I’m thinking—” I started, twirling some spaghetti with my fork, “We start with the outside first and work our way in. It’s gonna be cold by the end of October and I really don’t wanna be out in the woods with the temperature below 30.”

“True,” Waylen agreed.

“So outside first. We can figure out colors when the sun’s up.” A flicker of light caught my eye and I turned to the living room window, watching as the people from earlier wandered outside on the Victorian house’s balcony.

“Ooo,” I hummed as I pointed. “Look. Told ya.”

My brother looked at me quizzically before catching the scene outside. He stood and walked over to the kitchen window to get a better angle. “Huh. Yeah, they’ve gotta be from Dunbarton,” he mused, taking another bite of his pizza. “Imagine if they end up buying the place? That’d upset the town for sure. Watch them knock it down and build a park over it.”

I shook my head. “No way, dude. It’s held up since the beginning of time. They’d need a ton of lawyers for all that.”

Waylen scoffed. “Well, from the looks of it, I don’t think money would be a huge problem for them...” He paused. “Do you see that guy’s wife? She’s wearing sunglasses and it’s like 6 o’clock at night.”

Furrowing my brows, I leaned forward to get a better look. Sure enough, she hadn’t taken them off, and the sun had definitely gone down since they arrived. My curiosity grew

when the woman stalked back inside, her husband still supporting her with his arm, and the realtor shuffled through a bunch of papers in his hands as he followed them.

“You think the rents would be psyched if they came back here with new neighbors?” Waylen said, wiggling his eyebrows. “Living in that house, no less.”

“Funny.”

“I mean, the dude’s got the paperwork right there,” he pointed out. He probably had a better view than I did. “Yeah, wow, I think they’re shaking hands.”

I was still highly skeptical, no matter what it looked like.

Waylen moved back into the living room and joined me on the couch. “If anything,” he said, grabbing the remote, “you’ll have some good eye candy for these next two months, right?”

“Shut up.”

[tyleroakley-obsessed]

Happy Friday, Memphis! Here are more than 60 things to do in Memphis this weekend, plus my top five picks. Be sure to check out the marked free and family-friendly suggestions, too!  Photo by Andrea Zucker But first, be sure you didn’t miss anything on the blog lately: Memphis Has A Bakery! With Real Fresh-Baked Bread! Check Out Hustle & Dough. $10 Lunch Deal: Delicious Pizza + Sandwiches at Tamboli’s DU-NUH. DU-NUH. IT’S COMING! New Foodie Event: Memphis Char Week 5 Memphis Beers You Need To Drink Right Now Who’s Performing at Beale Street Music Festival 2020? Full Lineup An Enormous List of Things To Do In February In Memphis OK, here’s your weekend guide. 1. Young At Art Roaring 20s Party, Dixon Gallery & Gardens, Friday, 7 p.m. – 9 p.m., $35 nonmembers, 21+ The Dixon hosts their annual Young at Art party, this year with a 1920s theme featuring Michelle Bush Shrader’s Hot Swing Three, silent disco, appetizers, drinks, and more. It’s free for Young at Art members and just $35 for nonmembers. Don’t forget to dress up in your flapper/gangster/1920s outfits. 2. Crosstown Brewing 2nd Anniversary, Crosstown Brewing, Saturday, noon – 10 p,m., free to enter, all ages Crosstown celebrates two years of taproom fun this weekend with an all-day party on Saturday. They’ll have several beer releases, Live tunes, New Wing Order Food Truck, specialty glassware and more. 3. Mardi Gras Parties, Railgarten, Saturday, noon –  midnight, free to enter, all ages/kid-friendly Railgarten hosts Mardi Gras for everyone on Saturday, starting with a Kids’ Mardi Gras party at noon; the Mighty Souls Brass Band performs later. At 6 p.m. the more adult version gets started with NOLA-inspired drink and food specials, Abita beer, and Marcella & Her Lovers at 8 p.m. and Lucky 7 Brass Band at 10 p.m.  4. Ameripolitan Awards Beale Street Showcase, Beale Street Clubs, $10 wristband, 21 and up Roots, rockabilly, and country swing artists are in town for the annual Ameripolitan Awards weekend—there are music showcases, including a Saturday evening of nominees performing on Beale Street—and the awards themselves are on Monday night at The Guest House at Graceland. 5. Soup Sunday, FedExForum, Sunday, 11 a.m. – 2 p.m., $20 adults/$10 youth, all ages/kid-friendly Youth Villages’ annual event features about 50 local restaurants set up in FedExForum’s concourse offering soups, breads, appetizers, desserts, and more for sampling. There’s also a kids zone with inflatables, entertainment, and games. It’s free for kids ages 5 and under and proceeds benefit Youth Villages programs. Bishop Grand Opening Masquerade Ball, Bishop Memphis (545 S. Main), Saturday, 7 p.m., $100, 21 and up Celebrate the grand opening of the Central Station’s French brasserie, Bishop, from Chefs Andrew Ticer and Michael Hudman. Enjoy food, wine, beer, and cocktails, a silent disco, mask bar, live music, DJ, and a performance by Opera Memphis. Proceeds benefit the Southern Foodways Alliance. Collage Dance Collective’s RISE, GPAC, Saturday 8 p.m./Sunday 2:30 p.m., $20 and up, all ages RISE showcases the Collage company’s athleticism through “powerful, historically inspired performances including Kevin Thomas’ iconic Rise ballet”. This is your chance to see one of the city’s professional dance company along with rising stars. Winter Mix, Ballet Memphis, Friday 8 p.m./Saturday 8 p.m./Sunday 2 p.m., $35, all ages Ballet Memphis hosts their Winter Mix performance at their midtown headquarters this weekend, featuring three new original works inspired by people and ideas that live as outliers of culture and society. Stop into Midtpointe before the show for a snack and drink. Plus a few more ideas… Friday, Feb. 21 Ameripolitan Awards Weekend #FightForLiteracy Week at Multiple Locations Al Chymia 78th Annual Shrine Circus at the Agricenter Showplace area family Firepit Fridays at the River Garden family Galentine’s Sip + Shop at Propcellar Ballet Memphis Winter Mix at Ballet Memphis family Wine for Wishes at the Cadre Trio Plus Band at Marlowe’s Calum Graham at The Green Room at Crosstown Arts South Main Sounds Songwriter Night free Moses Crouch and Mississippi Medicine at Loflin Yard Lost Dog Street Band at 1884 Lounge at Minglewood Hall Steve Selvidge and Band at Bar DKDC Legends Karaoke Tribute Night at RockHouse Live Midtown Memphis Coin Club Annual Coin Show at the Landers Center Saturday, Feb. 22 Ameripolitan Awards Weekend Civitan Frosty 5K at Overton Park family Al Chymia 78th Annual Shrine Circus at the Agricenter Showplace area family Skate School at Society Skatepark family Our Stories Matter 4th Annual African-American Read-In at Whitehaven Library free, family Beginner Square Dance at Bartlett United Methodist Church Introduction to Energy Healing at Somos Un Dinosaurs of Antarctica 3D Movie opens at the Pink Palace family Fine Silver Metal Clay Basics at Memphis Botanic Garden Crosstown Brewing 2nd Anniversary  Tigers v. Houston at FedExForum (Men’s Basketball) family Trolls Live at the Cannon Center family Vivaldi and Piazzolla Four Seasons at The U of M’s Harris Concert Hall family Mardi Gras at the ‘Garten at Railgarten family Native Blood and Sunweight at Black Lodge Video Neon Mooners at The Bluff 2020 American Advertising Awards at Spectrum (616 Marshall Ave) Collage Dance Collective Presents: RISE at GPAC family Coalescent Saxophone Quartet in The Green Room family World Heavyweight Championship Viewing at Rec Room Ameripolitan Weekend Beale Street Showcase Will Sexton Band + Jimbo Mathis (Fat Possum) at Bar DKDC Memphis Coin Club Annual Coin Show at the Landers Center Sunday, Feb. 23 Ameripolitan Awards Weekend Soup Sunday 2020 at FedExForum family Willy Wonka Party at Primas family Vivaldi and Piazzolla Four Seasons at The U of M’s Harris Concert Hall family Brunch w/ Chef Fran at Footlose Enterprises Al Chymia 78th Annual Shrine Circus at the Agricenter Showplace area family The Plagues of Early Memphis Tour at Elmwood Cemetery family Brewskis and Books Third Edition at Memphis Made Brewing Trolls Live! at the Cannon Center family Collage Dance Collective Presents: RISE at GPAC family Forever Abbey Road Beatles Experience at Lafayette’s Ballet Memphis Winter Mix at Ballet Memphis family Southern Literary Salon at TN Shakespeare Company Endless Love Music Showcase at Memphis Slim House Memphis Coin Club Annual Coin Show at the Landers Center Memphis Restaurant Association Banquet at the U of M Holiday Inn Are you a home owner in Memphis, with a broken garage door? Call ASAP garage door today at 901-461-0385 or checkout https://ift.tt/1B5z3Pc

https://ilovememphisblog.com/2020/02/5-things-to-do-this-weekend-2-21-2-23/

[ourrvroadtrips]

Heading to the Ozarks: Part 2- Meet Me In St. Louis

No problems getting the RV out of storage- didn’t have to be towed out of the mud this time! We took 66 to 81 to 64 and boy did we hit some major “hills.” Thank goodness we upgraded to the diesel. I was slowed down to 40 and hit 3rd gear several times. But it was a beautiful drive. Started singing John Denver’s Country Roads once we crossed into West Virginia and 4 days later I still can’t get it out of my head. We were able to add West Virginia, Indiana, Illinois and after crossing the Mississippi River (still think the Hudson is more impressive) Missouri to our map. We stayed overnight half way to St. Louis in Huntington, WV in a very nice Walmart and got to St.Louis in the late afternoon on Saturday. RV park was just OK, roads desperately needed paving and basically filled with “more white trash than anywhere we have been” according to R. I didn’t think it was that bad but our neighbor across the way while very pleasant, was flying a large Confederate flag. But it was a good location and quiet. We had a good Thai meal at a local restaurant and adjusted to the fact that it was now 1 hour earlier than when we left.

Sunday morning we went to St. Louis to explore but first we made a trip to the US Grant National Historical Site. We didn’t stay for the tour but did a quick run through the museum (picked up some interesting facts I didn’t know) and I got 4 stamps for my passport. Next stop was Pappy’s Bar B Que- but when we got there it was closed for the first time in 10 years. Fortunately, it was closed because they were hosting a big 10 Year Anniversary Party in their parking lot. We made a donation to local children’s causes and grabbed a table where we enjoyed Pappy’s chilli and pastrami as well as other vendors who were serving everything from Pho to Chicken Tender Sundaes. All was delicious but the highlight was Pappy’s whole roast pig which was fabulous! And the band was good too. We definitely turned a frown upside down! It was a lot of fun and a real treat.

Then we went on the Anheuser Busch tour. What a great time! First of all, the brewery is gorgeous. It’s on 100 acres and almost all of the buildings are red brick. It looked like we were at an adult version of Willie Wonka’s Choclolate Factory. We opted for the free 45 minute tour (paid $5 to reserve a spot because apparently it often sells out). We’ve been to enough wineries that if I never hear about fermentation again I’d be happy. But we were actually sorry we didn’t do the tour where the speak mostly about the buildings. Maybe next time! We got to see the Clysdales and their magnificent barn and got lots of free beer. Hung out in the Biergarten for a while because it was just so pleasant. We really, really enjoyed the whole thing- shame we don’t Iike the beer!!!

Onto the Gateway Arch. Not at all what we expected. It’s beautiful. And huge. Really quite spectacular. And they did a great job with the visitor’s center as well. We decided to go up to the top. You get into these very small 5 seat compartments that take 4 minutes to get up the 630 feet (it’s also 630 feet across). As soon as we got up there I got back on line to get back down ( it goes back down every 10 minutes). We had terrific weather so the views were great but the whole thing kind of freaked me out. The floor is curved and you go up to these little windows that you can see downtown from one side and the river and Illinois from the other. But maybe there was some sway or something but both R and I felt slightly off and uncomfortable. Definitely worth doing but I was very glad to get down onto firm ground again.

Got back in time for R to watch (and then not watch) the Giants game (they lost). Brought some decent pizza back to the RV for dinner. All in all a great day (except for the Giants). We had planned on going to St. Louis only because it was pretty much on the way and we had never been there and it turned out that we had one of our best sightseeing days. You never know!

[noahowls]

Happy 1 year anniversary for Wonka 2023 :)