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Nashville Dad Introduces 3 Year-Old Son To Country Music

November 25, 2013 at 10:21 pm , by 

3 years.

Dear Jack,

When theToyota Tundrawas delivered to me last week to test drive for 7 days, as part of your 3rd birthday gift from me, the SiriusXM radio was set to a jazz station.

In theory, jazz is technically my favorite kind of music.

However, considering the vehicle I was driving, it just felt wrong while going the quarter of a mile from my office to your school.

In fact, I almost think that any new Toyota Tundra should automatically come with a cowboy hat…

So, I changed the station to Country music.

After your intial ecstatic reaction to seeing the truck for the first time and I got you buckled in, you asked me, “Daddy, what’s that music playing right now?”

“That’s Country music, son.” I explained.

It was about that time that we discovered the entire back window behind you rolled all the way down with the simple flip of a switch.

That, combined with the moonroof being up, created the ultimate “pick-up truck convertible” situation as we cruised through the constant red light stops of Cool Springs, TN as Willie Nelson played through the stereo.

The next morning, and every day I didn’t automatically set the station to Country, you simply requested/mumbled:

“Country music, Daddy.”

It wasn’t until this past week that I even realized you had no idea what Country music even was.

Growing up in the same small town as the band, Alabama, it was a given that the first (and main) kind of music I heard when I was a boy was Country music.

Granted, our family lives in Nashville, so it’s about time you know what Country music is about.

You were born in this city.

So maybe I need to do a better job of introducing you to more Southern culture.

I’d say getting to ride around in a huge pick-up truck while listening to Country music the week following your 3rd birthday is a good start.

 

Love,

Daddy

 

Disclaimer: The vehicle mentioned in this story was provided at the expense of Toyota, for the purpose of reviewing.

 

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Dad Gives 3 Year-Old Son A Monster Truck For Birthday… Sort Of

November 19, 2013 at 11:25 pm , by 

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Born And Raised In South Detroit… Or I Just Drove Around There

November 11, 2013 at 11:48 pm , by 

2 years, 11 months.

Dear Jack,

At the risk of coming across as a “selfie” pic obsessed guy, I’m delivering what I promised to you yesterday (more pictures of my trip) in my letter entitled, “Say Nice Things About Detroit.”

You know my general rule; I basically refuse to have my picture taken these days unless you and/or Mommy is in it with me. It just seems weird for a 32 year-old dad to be taking pictures of himself and posting them on the Internet…

But a picture of myself is justified when taken with my family.

Unless… I happened to be on a scavenger hunt hosted by OnStar and Buick, where in order to get credit for each event, I needed my picture taken with the OnStar logo to prove I was actually there, then Tweet it to the judges of the competition…

In that case, I guess I look less weird… or maybe it’s just my excuse this time.

So for the scavenger hunt, the dozen or so of us bloggers needed to pair up, and then hop in either a Buick Regal or Lacrosse, and accomplish as many tasks as we safely (and legally) could within the following two hours. Each task was worth an appropriate amount of points, based on difficulty.

It was only natural that the two dad bloggers teamed up. So my buddy was Fred Goodall of the blog, Mocha Dad. We named ourselves, “Team Dad.”

Fred was clever enough to think, “Let’s just do the challenges that are worth the most points first, then worry about the other ones if we have time.”

So we did.

Given that Fred has a smart phone and I don’t, I became the driver and Fred became the navigator and researcher. It helped tremendously that our Buick had OnStar on it, so I just pressed the button each time I had a new destination, and the friendly person on the other line helped me figure out which place I was trying to go, then instantly sent the directions to the built-in GPS.

It was all a blur at the time- and it still is. Actually, all you or I have to really go on are these pictures.

So appparently, Fred and I had to do our impression of the Detroit Tiger statue. And then I blocked in a competitors’ Buick while they were getting their picture made with it.

I ended up at Fisher Theatre whereMamma Mia! was evidently the answers to one of the clues.

How did “Team Dad” know the answer to that trivia question? We happened to see “Team Mom” take their picture with the poster… that’s how!

Then there was our visit to the all new Whole Foods in Detroit, where I first learned the slogan, “Say Nice Things About Detroit.” We picked up some organic food (untainted by Monsanto) then donated it to Gleaners Community Food Bank.

No, we didn’t win the scavenger hunt.

But I know we had a lot of fun driving in our classy ride across Motor City, doing random stuff a dad doesn’t normally get to do.

Most of all, I loved getting to discover the real Detroit (not the version reported by media).

Sure, along the way, I saw the “burned out buildings,” but they were alongside new ones; with growing new businesses.

It sort of reminded me of a baptism by fire- the new life is growing where the old one has faded away.

And perhaps accidently, the folks at GM and Buick used the journey of this scavenger hunt to show me the journey that Detroit is undergoing.

I’m so serious. I proudly stand behind Detroit.

Before this trip, I just didn’t realize what was actually going on- that in reality, Detroit isrebuilding, not crumbling.

Yesterday I changed my Facebook banner to the picture of the “Say Nice Things About Detroit” mural.

Something I am very passionate about is seeing a group of hardworking people overcome hard times.

That’s literally what’s happening right now in Detroit. And since the mainstream media isn’t willing to present the real news story, I am.

 

Love,

Daddy

 

P.S. A special thanks to my fellow dad blogger and the other member of “Team Dad,” Fred Goodall, of Mocha Dad for taking the pictures of our scavenger hunt.

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It’s Officially Cool To Drive A Minivan Now

October 15, 2013 at 9:12 pm , by 

2 years, 10 months.

Dear Jack,

There used to be this stigma with minivans. I was very aware of it.

I figured if I was a 32 year-old dad who drove a minivan, it would be like giving up on being cool.

To me, driving a minivan was like wearing a t-shirt of a wolf howling at the moon and tucking it into jean shorts, with a flip phone in a holder on my woven leather belt.

At best, driving a minivan would be an ironic thing to do- like it was when I did it in high school.

But this past year, I started realizing… minivans are actually pretty cool these days.

Call it perfect timing, but then Toyota let us take one of their 2013 Siennas on our family road trip from Nashville, TN to Louisville, KY this past weekend. That’s what made me realize, it’s officially cool to drive a minivan now.

(By the way, you were pretty sad to have to say goodbye to it today. You waved to it as I dropped you off for school.)

And no, I don’t just think it’s because I’m older now and have a kid that I think minivans are cool.

Driving a minivan is fun.

I can say this, now that I’m back in my normal car, it feels like I’m driving with the emergency brake on. Mommy coincidentally said the same thing today; with this being our first day back in our own vehicles.

She and I both agreed that the Sienna rode like a boat. I mean that in a good way.

It just seemed to effortlessly hover across the road; never seeming clunky or like driving a loaf of bread.

One of my favorite parts about driving the Sienna on our road trip this weekend was when I shuttled the 8 of us around Louisville.

You, me, and Mommy met my parents, sister, brother-in-law, and your cousin there in Louisville. There were 3 vehicles and I figured we would have to do sort of a caravan thing as we drove around the city for the weekend.

But sort of by accident, Mommy discovered the stowaway seat in the very back of the van which could be attached in between the 2 captain’s chairs in the 2nd row.

That meant there were 8 seats for 8 people; 2 of those people being 2 year-olds. It’s not like we felt like a can of sardines, either.

In fact, my mom (your Nonna) commented: “I feel like I’m riding in 1st class!”

(She’s never actually ridden 1st class so we’ll let this count.)

It was a lifesaver for me because I get stressed out when I have to lead, or be part of, a caravan; especially in a city I haven’t completely memorized. Instead, all I had to do was drive (with Mommy riding shotgun) and follow the built-in GPS to the zoo.

Also, we saved money on parking by being in just one vehicle.

So, I’m over my conditioned belief that minivans uncool, or at best, ironic.

Things have changed, now.

We had a great family road trip anyway, but it totally (!) added to the enjoyment factor and subtracted from the stress factor by having the Sienna. Now I don’t like the thought of taking another family road trip the old fashioned way… without a minivan.

 

Love,

Daddy

 

Disclaimer: The vehicle mentioned in this story was provided at the expense of Toyota, for the purpose of reviewing.

P.S. To see more pictures of our family road trip, go to The Dadabase’s Facebook page and click on the picture folder, Louisville AdVANture Road Trip October 2013.

 

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We’re Ready For A Family Road Trip…Minivan Style!

October 11, 2013 at 10:14 pm , by