Week Seven - Cellular South Cup

One of the events I look forward to the most each year in Memphis is the professional tennis tournament. It always falls right around Valentine's day, so I always drop monster hints to Sarah that I want tickets for V-day. Fortunately for her, I didn't have to drop any hints this year because one of our clients is Cellular South and our company was contracted out to work the tournament for them. This meant an all-access pass for me, and tickets for Sarah. Here is a rundown of the week's activities:

Cellular South VIP Party - We kicked off the tournament week with a VIP party at the Racquet Club. Sarah and I scooted over to the Racquet Club after we saw Jersey Boys at the Orpheum and got prepared for the party. I was working the registration table while Sarah and my co-worker's wife went into the party. After we got everyone checked into the party, Grant (co-worker) and I were small talking and just happened to look up and who do you know was in front of us...Maria Sharapova! Talk about star struck...words couldn't even come out of my mouth. After she was escorted into the party, I rushed in there and got in line with Sarah and got this picture taken:

Gray and Grant working the VIP Reception (Gray is hidden by the sign!)

Pictures Courtesy of Cellularsouth.com

Working - All week I worked at a table placed outside a room that was being used for the Cellular South hospitality lounge. At first I thought it was terrible and wanted to be inside the room b/c the hallway was about 2 degrees, but I quickly came to enjoy my new cubicle. What I didn't realize until lunch time was that my new "cubicle" was located in between the players locker room and the lunch buffet. There is nothing like pecking away on a spreadsheet and someone asking you where the lunch buffet is and looking up to realize it is Melanie Oudin and her entourage standing in front of you. James Blake, Andy Roddick, Sam Querrey and John Isner were others that I saw from my "cubicle". Not a bad group of co-workers in the office!

Matches - I only got to catch glimpses of a couple matches during the week, but Sarah got to watch some. The best match of the whole tournament was the Andy Roddick, James Blake match. It went three sets with Roddick winning in a close third set. Here are a few of our pictures from the matches:

Sharapova - Women's Singles Champion

Isner - 1/2 of Men's Doubles Champion

Blake

Roddick

Arvidisson

Querrey - Men's Singles Champion & 1/2 of Mens Doubles Champion

King/Krajicek - Women's Doubles Champions

Awards Ceremony

Enough from us this week. Enjoy the pictures and we will catch you next week!  

Week Six - 80's Prom and Jersey Boys

Gray has been busy busy with the Regions Morgan Keegan/Cellular South Tennis Tournament this week so I thought I'd give posting a try!  I'll keep it short though!

Saturday night we went to the "Second Chance Prom" a fundraiser event benefitting the Neighborhood School in Memphis.  We got all dressed up in true 80's fashion (thanks to Brian's impressive 80's costume collection and Margaret's amazing thrift store find!).  I think I'll let the pictures do the talking for this night...

Wrigley was all dressed up - too bad he had to stay home!

Let's hope 80's fashion never makes a come back! 

"Too Cool for School" at the Hibachi restaurant

Check out Michael Thompson's blog for more pictures from the event.  The costumes were hilarious!!

Prom Pictures

For Valentine's Day Gray got us tickets to go see Jersey Boys at the Orpheum Theatre!  I absolutely love going to the theatre so I was thrilled to head downtown to go see a show.  The music was amazing and I still have some of the songs stuck in my head!  If you haven't seen Jersey Boys yet I would highly recommend it! 

Happy Valentine's Day!

After the show we went to a very special VIP event to kick off the tennis tournament that Gray is working at this week.  You'll have to stay tuned to next week to see more pictures...

Week Five - Memphis Grizzlies

I'm early this week!

One of the projects that I have been working on at work has been a promotion for First Tennessee Bank at the Memphis Grizzlies' games. Our promotion launched last Monday agains the Lakers, but it needed some adjustments. Most of last week was dedicated to making sure that we buttoned up the issues with the promotion. One great thing about this promotion is that I (Gray) have been able to go to these games to witness the promotion. Well I scored an extra ticket for Friday night's game against the Rockets and decided to bring my lovely wife Sarah along with me.

Mind you, our NBA fan meter is about like my gas guage in my car...Very Low, but surprisingly the games are a lot of fun. Unlike college basketball, most of the so called Grizzlies' "fans" come for the whole entertainment package and not the game. Fortunately for us, we came for the entertainment because the Grizzlies got rocked. No Yao, No problem for the Rockets. Here are some of the highlights:

1. First Tennessee Bank Promotion - of course this was a highlight...we didn't win it, but someone did get upgraded to floor seats
2. Our Seats - Despite not winning the floor seats, we had great seats that were on the front row of the club level. Thanks to the crew at the Grizzlies office that hooked us up. We appreciate the seats.
3. Spotting Uncle Ricky - Think of the farthest thing from an NBA fan and you will arrive at my Uncle Ricky. It was fun to see him with his dentist and of course he had better seats than we did...3rd row.
4. Grizz Girls - or maybe a lowlight...In Sarah's words, "Are they naked?"
5. University of Memphis players - We know why the UofM Tigers lost the next day against Gonzaga...Pierre Henderson-Niles and Willie Kemp were too busy enjoying the game. As we walked back to our car we saw Willie Kemp hand every bum a $20 bill, and for those of you who don't go to downtown Memphis a lot that is a lot of money. Wonder where that cash flow is coming from...
6. Shane Battier's Mustache - Two words... "en fuego"

In the end, we had a great time checking out Memphis' only major sports team and hope to go back soon. Enjoy the pictures and check back for next week's installment of The Fiser 52. 

From Sarah - We also had a snow day!!  Here are some pictures we took today!!

Wrigley loves to army crawl through the snow!  I wish I had a video camera - it was hilarious!  Gray worked out of his "high point" office today and set up in the dining room, while I worked out of my office.  It was fun to have a "co-worker" again!

Week Four - Burke's Hunting Club

One of the reasons that we love living in Memphis is that it is so close to Clarksdale, MS. Braving the icy roads and freezing temperatures, the three Fiser amigos, Wrigley being the third, loaded up in the car and headed down Highway 61 to the delta.

Beginning of the Ice Storm

Bear with me. This post will require me to be a bit nostalgic. The Fiser side of the family has been hunting at Burke's for longer than I can remember. Some of my (Gray) fondest memories have been at Burke's involving hunting, fishing, riding four wheelers, or just sitting on the porch watching the Mighty Mississippi flow by. It will always be a special place.

View from the Front Yard

Ok, off of the nostalgia train...

We were going to leave on Friday night to get down to the delta, but a nasty ice storm decided to change those plans. However, there was no holding us back on Saturday. We hit the road around noon and got to Burke's around 2ish. The main road in the club has been under construction the whole season, so we had to go the long way to the cabin. By the long way, I mean the really muddy way. I've made it through the muddy way every time this year with out getting stuck, and proceeded to go that way. Well...what do you know...I get stuck. Wrigley is going nuts in the car and when I jumped out he jumps out too. Within two minutes I couldn't tell what was dirtier, Wrigley or the car. Luckily the caretaker at the camp was around and came and pulled me out. With that episode over, we went the other way and finally made it to the house.

My grandparents came down and met us at the club house and came bearing Wong's steaks, baked potatoes, and my grandmother's famous salad. It was just what the doctor ordered in the freezing cold weather. We had a wonderful time eating dinner with my grandparents and listening to them tell stories about when my grandfather was in the Army. As a side note...I highly recommend that if your grandparents are living to get them to tell you stories about the past. You quickly realize why Tom Brokaw coined them "The Greatest Generation". After dinner we lounged around watching the TV and then headed to bed.

Checking on the Apple Crisp!

On Sunday, I woke up early to hunt, and was to Sarah's delight, unsuccessful (she loves deer). Nevertheless, it is always fun the sit in the woods with the sun rising watching deer. When I got back to the house, my grandmother had cooked one of her famous "Grandmamma" breakfast for us. Biscuits, sausage, and the most unbelievable eggs you will ever eat. Honestly, they are the most fluffy eggs you will ever put in your mouth. After breakfast, we decided it was time to get ready to go. We loaded up the car and called it a Fiser 52 road trip as we headed back to Memphis.

See you next week!  Check out some pictures of the barges that came by the club...

2 Barges Passing on the River

Gray also has a new "helper" as he writes the blog :)