Nashville, TN

If you’ve got small kids who have Fisher Price toys, you may want to check them. A couple of popular toy lines–including some in the Dora family–are being recalled due to lead based paint used. This is the second time in as many months that we’ve had news of a toy-line being recalled due to lead-based paint. (The other was Thomas the Tank Engine toys)..

Here’s a bulletin about this recall.

And here’s a list of the toys recalled:
33662 Elmo Light Up Musical Pal
33664 Big Bird Light Up Musical Pal
39038 Elmo Tub Sub
87946 Elmo Keyboard
90609 Elmo Collectible
90612 Zoe Collectible
90614 Big Bird Collectible
93068 Elmo Boom Box
93307 Press N Go Elmo
93492 Cookie Saxophone
93615 Splash Tub Puzzle

B7554 Count To Beat Elmo
B7987 Elmo In The Giggle Box
B9620 Dora’s Talking House
C6908 Dora, Backpack, Perrito Figure Pack
C6909 Diego Figure Pack
C6911 Boots, Tico Figure Pack
G5112 Sing With Elmo’s Greatest Hits
H2943 Grow With Me Elmo Sprinkler
H3344 Birthday Dora
H5570 Elmo & Pals (Elmo, Zoe, Bigbird)
H4628 Water Fun Tote
H8237 Blue 3 Pack Figures In Tube
H9124 Chef Dora
H9186 Giggle Grabber Ernie

J0338 Diego Talking Field Journal
J0344 Go Diego Go Deep Sea Rescue
J0346 Go Diego Go Talking Rescue 4 X 4
J5936 Giggle Grabber Chef Cookie Monster
J6537 Sesame Street Giggle Toolbelt
J6763 Royal Boots And Tico
J7983 Sesame Street Tub Pots & Pans
J9692 Dora’s Talking Pony Place
K3414 Diego - Talking Gadget Belt
K3580 Fairytale Adventure Dora
K4140 Toucan Motorcycle Rescue

L3194 Surprise Inside Diego Eggs
L3488 Sesame Street Birthday Figure Pack
L3507 Sesame Street - Super Boom Box
L5202 Birthday Dora
L8905 Pablo & Pals
M0352 Dora Figures Diego & Bear
M0527 Sesame Street Giggle Doodler
M2051 Lets Go Rescue Center
33663 Ernie Light Up Musical Pal
34658 Elmo Stacking Rings
39054 Sesame Street Shape Sorter
90267 Ernie Splashin’ Fun Trike
90611 Cookie Collectible
90613 Ernie Collectible
90745 Construction Playset
93107 Action Fire Engine
93308 Rev & Go Cookie Monster
93493 Elmo’s Guitar
93780 Music And Lights Phone

B7888 Shake, Giggle & Roll
B7989 Silly Parts Talking Elmo

C6910 Swiper Figure Pack
G3825 Dora Talking Vamonos Van
G9717 Giggle Doodler
H3343 Cousin Daisy
H5569 Elmo & Pals (Elmo, Cookie, Ernie)
H4187 Dora Figures In Tube
H8236 Dora 3 Pack Figures In Tube
H8238 Sponge Bob 3 Pack Figures In Tube
H9125 Bedtime Dora
H9188 Giggle Grabber Oscar The Grouch

J0343 Go Diego Go Antarctic Rescue
J0345 Go Diego Go Mountain Rescue
J5935 Giggle Grabber Soccer Elmo

J6762 Queen Mami
J6765 Prince Diego
J9518 Sesame Street Giggle Drill
K0617 Twins Nursery
K3571 Go Diego Go Mobile Rescue Unit
K4139 Go Diego Go Dinosaur Rescue
L0305 Dora Figure

L3215 Sesame Street Elmo Jack-In-The-Box

L5813 Diego Tub Trike
M0351 Dora Figures Dora & Kitty
M0524 Go Diego Go Talking Gadget
M0732 Dora’s Talking House
M2052 Fairytale Castle

Things aren’t looking good for the Nashville Sounds to be in Nashville much longer. Metro Council has cut off paying the team for upkeep of Greer Stadium.

If you’re a sports fan, this news should be of a major concern to you. Heck, if you’re a citizen of this area, this should be a major concern to you. I know that it’s “just a sports team” but if we lose the Sounds, that’s a major blemish on your fair city. The Nashville market is too small to support a major league team, but surely we can find a way to support the minor league team–one that is the farm team of an up and coming big league team and that has had some success within it’s own league the past few seasons.

Letting the Sounds wither and die would be a huge mistake. And think about this–there are people who depend on the Sounds for their livelihood and will be out of work should the team have to fold up its tent and move elsewhere.

It’s a shame…a huge, crying shame that this is even a possibility.

I’m kind of glad most of the shows I’ve been keeping up with this summer are on cable. It’s helped me avoid the ads for the Nashville mayoral race.

I just had the mud-slinging that goes in political commericals for any campaign and avoid them when I can.

Anyway, today is the day….if you live in Nashville and haven’t early voted, you need to exercise your right to vote and get out there. This is one of those elections that can and will have a direct impact on your life. So, vote to see who will be in the run-off and then vote then, too!

My inside sources have told me that the Caffino on Old Hickory Blvd at Nippers Corner has packed up and moved out. In it’s place, a glorious industry pioneer will establish presence, bringing light, love, and low-fat, low-carb, high-protein, deliciously smooth and cold pre and post workout meals-through-a-straw to all who patron its walls. What is this modern marvel, you ask?

Why Smoothie King, of course. Sandwiched in between Schlotsky’s and State Farm.

Life is about to get even better.

The big news out of Titans’ training camp yesterday was Courtney Robey’s catch….one that he apparently took by reaching around Vincent Fuller.

I just hope this spectacularness shows up on the field in the regular season. Vince Young needs some good receievers to throw the ball to so defenses won’t tee up on him. Also, I really, really hope that VY breaks the Madden curse.

If you missed your flight, how might YOU go about sweet-talking the crew into coming back for you?

Here’s a tip on what NOT to do.

What? You mean that’s illegal? No wonder people don’t use this method more often.

The Titans have informed Pacman Jones that he can’t participate in the TNA wrestling because it would violate his contract.

Of course, it’s not like that clause has ever stopped anyone before…(::cough::cough::Ben Rothlesberger::cough::cough::)

Which it’s a shame…I might have paid to see Pacman wrassle….

Ok, not really, but now that he’s not going to, I can say that.

As promised, a few things about home that I didn’t miss in Panama:

traffic
election advertisements
my job
the parking lot at the Brentwood Target shopping center
celebrity gossip
Pac Man Jones

Quick story: on Friday the 20th, we were headed to our departing gate at BNA. I noticed a little boy - no more than about 50 pounds - running full speed ahead towards me….just barreling through the crowds and coming straight for me. He was gaining speed the closer he got, and then at the last second, before wiping me out at the shins, he made a bee line to the left around me. Whew! As I looked up from whence he came, I noticed his family lagging behind him. A good looking family…the father was tall, dark, bald, and…Eddie George. And then my heart stopped.

I knew at that moment, it was going to be a good trip.

I returned home from a week in Panama at 9:48 Saturday night. The trip was wonderful and cannot be fully described in words on any blog. But in case I happen to come close to doing it any kind of justice, check here periodically as I will be posting stories and pictures of things I experienced and people I met.

In the mean time, here is a list of things I missed about home while I was away:

Air conditioning
cold water
diet coke with lunch and dinner
not being sweaty all the time
my family
my friends
English
toilets that I could flush toilet paper in (we had to throw our t.p. in the trash in most places)
non-mangy dogs

I know these things are not necessarily unique to homelife in Nashville, but it never hurts to be thankful for the little things once in a while…

Stay tuned for things things I did NOT miss about home.

Just when you think this whole Adam “Pacman” Jones saga can’t get any more strange…it does.

TNA Wrestling signed the suspended Titans’ player to a pro-wrestling contract.

Ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmm, alrighty then….

I did love the line about how the Titans had no problem with this. For some reason, that really amused me.

There are two blogger meet-ups coming up

Saturday, July 28, is the monthly meeting of the Middle Tennessee Bloggers and Podcasters group in lovely, downtown Smyrna, TN. It kicks off at 2 p.m. CST.

it is a pleasure to formally announce the meeting this Saturday at 2:00 p.m. for the Middle Tennessee Bloggers and Podcasters’ Group. The meeting will be held in the 2nd floor conference room at my business: Bob Parks Realty, 557 Sam Ridley Drive in Smyrna.

We have invited Alderwoman Senna Mosely from LaVergne to talk about our grassroots efforts (via the blogging community) to start a Beautification Committee in Smyrna’s sister city. We’d love for people in Smyrna to also attend to share your experiences with the folks from LaVergne.

Sunday, August 26 is the blogger picnic, organized by the social committee over at Music City Bloggers.
Let’s get together and celebrate our blogging community!

We’re gonna have a picnic at Sevier Park in Nashville on Sunday, August 26 from 1pm until 6pm.

This is an All-Skate. Families, kids, doggies, kitties and small farm animals are all invited.

Please bring a covered dish…or two. A grill will be provided for those who would like to fire it up. Sorry, no alki allowed at the park, but there is a great playground! (I’m sure a game of challenge-kickball will break out, as well.)

We will be under the covered pavilion…it has picnic tables, but you may want to bring a lawn chair along.

Sevier Park is located at the corner of Granny White Pike (12th Avenue South) and Kirkwood Avenue. Feel free to e-mail me at GingerSnapsTN-at-gmail-dot-com if you are unclear as to where that is.

If you did not receive an “official” Evite from me, PLEASE send me an e-mail so I can send you one.

We hope you can make it!!!

This evening marks the final concert in the Ryman’s Bluegrass Nights series for the summer. The show has an opening act and two headliners, including popular act the Grascals.

I can’t wait to see it. I am eager to hear the Grascals live and from what I’ve gathered from other blog posts I’ve read they put on a great show.

I am a bit sad the series is ending. It’s been five great weeks (well, OK all but one act has been great–Cadillac Sky was disappointing at best) and I’ve enjoyed the music. I will definitely make plans to go next year and I encourage you to think about tickets for next summer’s bluegrass series.

You have to admire the optimism of some sports fans–Cubs fans, for example.

Or locally, the fans of Vanderbilt football.

I love how every year about this time, they’re so optimistic. “This is the year,” you’ll hear them say. “We’re going to have a big year. We’re going to a bowl game.”

I just smile nicely and wonder what’s in the Kool-Aid they’ve been drinking.

I would love to see Vandy do well becuase it goes to show the greatness that is SEC football (best conference in the nation, hands down….don’t even try to argue with me you Big 10 people….you can’t even count how many teams you’ve got correctly). Yesterday, the City Paper had an article that this could be the year…Vandy could go bowling.

I hope it turns out to be true….again, it helps the SEC in terms of having more money for revenue sharing.

But this morning, I heard a prediction that almost made me drive off the road laughing. I flipped over cause Rick and Bubba were in a break and heard a guy call into 104.5 the Zone and predict Vandy would go 8-4. At this point, I busted a gut laughing.

I know one thing–Vandy ain’t going into God’s House (Neyland Stadium) and beating the real state school again. You had your one win for the next 23 years…so that weekend it might be best to whip out that DVD and re-run it. Cause that’s about the only way you’re winning that game. And looking at the schedule, I can see that Vandy has some other difficult road games. You can’t tell me y’all are going to the Swamp and going to win either.

So, 8-4…I don’t think so. I think bowl eligible would be a good year for y’all….

As I watch this whole Michael Vick situation unfold, I have to wonder–how long will it be before Pacman sues to get back in the league.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has a “no tolerance” policy for off-the-field incidents, leading to the suspension of Adam Jones and two other players.

But then along comes Vick. He gets indicated on charges and instead of taking a stand, the NFL is playing wait and see with Vick.

Is it becuase Vick is a marquee player? Is he getting special treatment?

Is this how Pacman’s lawyers will argue when they inevitably sue?

Titans training camp opens today.

Hallelujah!

Perhaps, at last, we can put on the back burner the whole “Pac-Man” thing and start getting some discussion of how the team might do this year. At least now we’ll have some substantial stories to read about the team and where they are. I’ve heard Coach Jeff Fisher say in radio interviews that he’s happy the way the team came together in the second half of the season last year has carried over to this year and that he’s optimistic. And that the team has the goal of getting to the playoffs.

I call that goal optimistic as well. I think the team has taken a step backward by losing the wide recievers we did and letting Travis Henry go. I think it will be a struggle this year for Vince Young to improve upon his stellar first season, but that said, I’d love it if they proved me wrong. Realistically, I recall the Titans went 8-8 their first two seasons in Tennessee and then became one of the NFL’s elite teams for the next several years. So, if we can have this year as a building block to the return to glory, I could live with that.

But that’s all just speculation, for now. Let’s all just be happy that the Titans are back and we can finally start talking about a real sport….