Category: east nashville

A New Year…Some New Stuff

Holy cow! I believe my wordpress.com page has changed three or four time since I last posted something of unimportance. I am a huge slacker in the blog world. My Twitter account is seeing all the action these days. Maybe I should look back on my ‘tweets’ and consolidate them into some sort of narrative longer than 140 characters.

Here’s the update: The Elder Extroverted Holy One is now the Reverend Elder Extroverted Holy One. Damn, her alias is getting longer. Maybe I’ll just call her “The Chosen”, or “The Truly Better Half.” How about “The Reverend Extroverted One?” That works for now…Well, The REO (awesome! “I can’t fight this feeling anymoooooorrrrrrrre”) was called to a church in Chattanooga and has since been ordained in the Presbyterian Church(USA) and is now serving that church. It’s a pretty cool small thang but with some great potential and I do believe that The REO is the youngest person there. tee hee

The Young Extroverted One is now firmly planted in a new school which is near our new house. It was a totally different experience dropping her off for her first day than her first day at the old school in east Nashville. But that’s for another post I suppose.

The Mullethead is now one year old and is doing great. Cruising around and standing on her own. We’re waiting for her to take some steps any day now. Look out world! When she can walk by herself I’m getting her a job! She needs to start earning her keep around here.

Speaking of earning one’s keep, I am no longer earning mine. I am back to being a full-time stay-at-home dad. My frequent tweets have changed dramatically from ‘doom and gloom’ to ‘rainbows and unicorns’. Sort of . . . those of you who follow me either on Facebook or Twitter would understand.

Selling our house in Nashville has been another issue entirely. The economy bit the big one right around the time we were getting our house on the market. And there it sits. All alone and empty. Waiting for someone to move in. Anyone? Anyone? Bueller? Bueller? Something-d-o-o economics…anyone?

We are in a house that we really like in Ooltewah, TN but it’s only under a lease/purchase agreement. Basically, we’re renting it until someone buys our house and than we can buy this house. But since we’re renting the owners didn’t want us to have our pets here. So, Bosco, Maya and Aine (pronounced “anya” yeah, we’re weird) are living the good life at grandma Lucy’s house until we can buy this house. I don’t care much about the cats but I miss my dog. Sigh . . .

So, that’s us in a nutshell. Boring I know but that’s all I got for now. I would like to write more regularly on things that interest me in the future and hopefully I will. Until then? Just read this over and over again.

Huh?!?…Wha?!?…Oh! Hey there!

Don’t sneak up on me like that!

Yeah, so, it’s been a while. I guess my Twitter account is seeing more action than this place. I need to work on that.

Here is something that has been on my mind lately (among lots of other things). They’ve just added a new channel to DirecTV called Planet Green. Which is pretty cool and they have some good shows which appeal to my moderately handy, mostly granola self. But it mostly just pisses me off.

Seeing these architect/developer/real estate agent/independently wealthy couples either building green or fixing up old houses green kinda makes me a little mad. I’ve always felt that being environmental (and I do mean mental) is only possible if you have the money to do it. We do what we can here in east Nashville. We recycle pretty much everything, we compost (even though we don’t have a garden)(this compost heap looks like Marjory, the trash heap from Fraggle Rock but not as matronly), compact fluorescent bulbs throughout the house, buying produce from our friends’ farm in Springfield (if anyone wants info on buying from Natural Fields Farm let me know!), etcetera, etcetera, yadda, yadda, yadda. I agree that every little bit helps but I also believe that it’s the big stuff that will make big differences.

Big differences like solar panels, wind turbines, a brand new house…the list goes on of what we can’t afford as normal human beings. It just seems like these people on Planet Green are doing it because it’s cool and they get to be on TV. I think it’s cool but I also think it’s very important. Why aren’t these planet saving things more affordable? If they were more people would probably be able to obtain them which means more people doing the green thing. Wouldn’t that make the planet green?

Alright, I’ve ranted long enough. At the moment I’m helping do my part by not driving to work…which I have to do…right now…sigh.

Movin’ On Up (or across town really)

My days here are numbered. The new director of event technology will start next week and for the next several weeks I will help him transition into this position. I’ll be training him until the Elder Extroverted Holy One brings forth the second child. During the delivery I will be in the corner of the room with an epidural and copious amounts of drugs to help us get through the delivery. With all of my saved up vacation time I will be able to stay home with the family and help with everything. It will end up being some great daddy-Young Extroverted One time as the new one learns what kind of crazy world it was forcibly brought into.

After the holidays and the new year I should be starting here. Where I will, hopefully, be the official director of event technology. So, I’m slowly finding my work getting me closer and closer to our home in the east Nashville area. Also, it puts me closer to the Sommet Center and the embattled Nashville Predators whose tickets I still can’t afford (not because they’re outrageously priced but we’re outrageously broke) but would go to every single game if given the chance.

Speaking of hockey, I got the YEO signed up for the G.O.A.L. program hosted by the Preds and Delta Dental of Tennessee. She’s excited about it or I’m excited about it for her. Maybe I’ll just go as her and get some ice time! Our equipment fitting session is this Monday and, unfortunately, we have to drive to the Southern Ice Arena in Franklin for this fitting and all 4 sessions of the program. Looking at past G.O.A.L. programs we missed the ones at the Centennial Sportsplex. Which would’ve been way closer. But then I think about the sacrifices that hockey greats’ parents made to drive their wunderkinds to their respective games and practices uphill both ways in the deep snow all across the Canadian wilderness and figure it’s not so bad driving down to Franklin except maybe for the exceptionally poor drivers the most Tennesseans are.

Welcome to the ‘hood

Well, I guess we have now been initiated into the ‘East Nashville Victims Club’. My Pathfinder was broken into yesterday while we were up in Hendersonville visiting with the mother-in-law. She took the Young Extroverted One to see Ratatouille.

Upon returning to our house we drove up our driveway and pulled in behind my car. This is when we noticed that the driver’s side door was ajar. I have been known to leave doors open and stuff so, at first I wasn’t too concerned. But, I then remembered that I had not even been in that car all day. Crap!

Sure enough upon further investigation (with my trusty 90+ pound dog at my side) glove compartment was open, old receipts strewn about and my iTrip Auto GONE! AAARRRRGGHH! They did all of this under the watchfull eye of the Buddy Christ on my dashboard! buddyjesus.jpgEh, oh well. The radio was intact, my drawer full o’ change still full of change, the house untouched and the alarm still armed.

I admit it’s my fault that I didn’t lock the door. But, in order for someone to get to our backyard they have to walk up a shared driveway! The houses aren’t very far apart, mind you. Plus, after the deed they either have to jump a six foot high privacy fence or walk back down the shared driveway. That’s ballsy folks! At least, nobody was hurt (except the ability to listen to my iPod in the car) and I still have a CD player.

To whomever took my i Trip: I hope you’ll get a good price for it. I hope your short lived high was worth it and not tainted with some bad stuff. I’d like to believe that you needed to steal it so you could sell it and feed your baby. But, I’ve probably seen you on my street and you look like you don’t have a baby, or one you are feeding properly just so you can get high.

Close Encounters of the . . . Well . . . I don’t really know

As the Elder Extroverted Holy One and I were taking the Young Extroverted One to her grandmother’s house for the night we had quite a surreal encounter. At the stop sign of our street waiting to turn onto Gallatin Road a vision in a faded magenta-ish velvet jumpsuit and purple suede-like shoes with black bushy hair and sideburns crosses in front of us. Pushing a shopping cart. What a time not to have a camera or a cell phone with a camera!

He turns and looks at us through his big, wraparound, bejewelled sunglasses and says, “You didn’t think you’d ever see the son of Elvis pushing a shopping cart, did you?”

Um, I didn’t think I’d ever see the son of Elvis ever! Let alone pushing a cart on Gallatin Road. I was so astounded freaked out that I didn’t even notice what he was pushing in his cart. But I did notice his purple suede shoes.

I thought I was having a flashback to when I was in Key West during Fantasy Fest (unbeknownst to me) and was passed by a pink Cadillac full of popes and a drag Marylin Monroe.

Porch Swing Bliss

Last week I got the bug for some basic home improvement.  We have a lovely front porch on our house and for the longest time had a couple of folding chairs, a plastic picnic table (kid-sized) and several pint-sized . . . mmmmmmmm pint . . . chairs.  There were hooks already installed in the ceiling of the porch but they were of questionable descent.  So, after removing the old, scary hooks I realized that there was acceptable safety in what the hooks were installed in.

I ran to the home improvement store and picked up some eye-hooks, springs, quicklinks and a porch swing.  What a difference a porch swing makes!  We have sat upon that thing everyday since the installation.  The weather here is not oppressively hot yet so it has been enjoyable to be on our front porch.  With the occasional waves and “How ya doin’?”‘s with the people who live on our street it has been a different world.

Then there is the other side of front porch livin’.  We observe the traffic patterns on our street better from our perch.  It’s looking like there might be some drug/prostitution activity farther down on our street.  Ah, gotta love life in East Nashville.  We hope things might change for the better since we’re outside more.  And with the Young Extroverted One playing with the neighboor’s son there is more of a presence of children and family life.  Hopefully, a family with children will move in on the other side of our house to further encourage community.

In the meantime, Bosco (90 pound mixed breed of BIG ancestry) will be on the porch with us during this lovely stretch of weather.  It also won’t hurt to make a courtesy call to the East Precinct‘s non-emergency phone number.

Spring Break Adventures

This is pretty old news but worth writing about.

All of which would have been forgotten if it had not been for my trusty Moleskine Pocket-sized Ruled Notebook. Yay for pens, paper and no short-term memory!

The Young Extroverted One’s spring break was a week later than the Elder Extroverted Holy One’s. So, we had to scramble to line up some ways of childcaring while we were working. Luckily, I was off on Days Three and Four!

Day One: Hanging out with her bud Griffin at Natural Fields Farm. Then over to her grandmother’s house for the night and most of the next day.

Day Two: See above.

Day Three: Off we went to the Nashville Public Library for Story Time. After story time we browsed the stacks for a little while and found some books and a DVD. When we were done there we decided to hit the Mellow Mushroom mainly because I wanted a beer with lunch but also to try to have lunch with EEHO since it was near the divinity school. My cell phone calls were ignored so YEO and I had a lovely lunch.

After a little digestion at home we headed out to Shelby Park and Shelby Bottoms for the YEO to ride her bike. Considering that we’ve never been to Shelby Bottoms we just decided to walk it orI walked it and she rode on my shoulders. It’s pretty nice out there along the Cumberland River. Plus, they’re in the process of building a nature center.

After my lovely, laden walk we hit the new ice cream joint in East Nashville called the Pied Piper Creamery . All I have to say about this place is MMMMMmmmmmm . . . me likey. I think the YEO liked it too.

Day Four: We went to the Nashville Zoo ! Unfortunately, so did everyone else. Beside the crowdedness, which I LOVE, it was very fun and the weather was, in YEO’s words, “AWESOME!” After zoo time we went home waited for EEHO to get home and we took her to the Pied Piper Creamery. Another convert was made that evening.

Day Five: Was spent with the EEHO and they went to the Frist Center for the Visual Arts . I had to go back to work so I can’t report on that trip.

Day Six: Was a Saturday and we had planned a cook-out and general family/dog fun time back out at Natural Fields Farm with the Say crew and a couple of other families. Good food, good beer, creek time, good beer, bratwurst, dogs, ticks, good beer. I’m pretty sure it happened just like that. Really, all that I remember were the bratwurst and the beer and, I believe, nobody got hurt.

No zoo animals or naturally grown foods were harmed during these adventures.

All Backed Up

I have a backlog of things to write about. I just need the time to do it. So, here’s a little teaser:

  • The Young Extroverted One’s Spring Break adventures with daddy at the library
  • The Young Extroverted One’s Spring Break adventures with daddy at Shelby Park
  • The Young Extroverted One’s Spring Break adventures with daddy at the new ice cream joint in East Nashville
  • The Young Extroverted One’s Spring Break adventures with daddy at the zoo
  • My missing cooking/baking
  • Good times down at the farm
  • Jesus Christ: Vampire Hunter

Soon to come:

  • The Young Extroverted One’s first hockey game

Black Mountain Ramblings

I’m sitting here in the fine home of our dear friends, currently stealing someone’s wi-fi (thanks whoever you are!) and enjoying the scenery here in Black Mountain, NC. I have certainly missed this quaint town on the verge of being surrounded by gated communities spoiling the ridge tops of these Blue Ridge Mountains. I’m not really sure if it’s B.M. or just the area because we really enjoy Asheville too. Whenever the Elder Extroverted Holy One graduates I’d really like to be back here.

It’s not that we don’t like Nashville. We really do enjoy being there. I think it’s the community feeling that we miss the most.  As we pulled into the Ingles parking lot to pick up some wine* for our host family the EEHO saw and greeted three or four people she knew. I only see one person that I know when I go into the Inglewood Kroger every couple of weeks and that doesn’t guarantee they’ll speak to me (or me to them . . . what can I say? I AM an introvert!).

Just driving from one place to another in this place we have seen people that we know going about their business. It’s comforting to experience that kind of thing. In East Nashville it’s more like, “Hey!  There goes that kid who broke into my car last week!”  Definitely not the warm and fuzzy feeling that one gets from a small, mountain community.

I guess the one thing that’s going for Music City is that we wouldn’t have to pack and move again. Plus, the hockey team. Oh and the museums and concert venues. Add to that the fact that I have a job that is year round. Oh well, maybe we’ll stay. I swear to you out there in the blogospherical universe I will have seasons tickets to Predators hockey if we stay!

*It is SOOOOO nice to be able to buy wine at the grocery store and not some nasty liquor store.