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Leave a comment Posted on August 6, 2014 car reviews, parenting, reviews, Uncategorized

Fairgrounds Speedway Nashville: Family Friendly Review

Both last summer and this summer, our family has made a habit of attending the Fairgrounds Speedway Nashville, home of the All American 400, to watch the races.

For a very affordable price (usually tickets are $10 but children 5 and under are free), your family can attend several races featuring many types and sizes of racecars, lasting a couple of hours. (Parking is $5.)

There is no doubt it is entertaining. I think of it as “NASCAR on a budget.”

You can tell that many of the drivers are apparently self-funded, with spray painted race cars and taped on numbers on the sides of the trucks.

I always like to root for those underdogs! (Meanwhile, my young son is smart enough to cheer for the cars at the front of the line-up; since they were the fastest during the time-qualifying pre-race.)

When we’re in the mood for an all-American, blue collar kind of family fun event, this is where we go.

I will say that much of the fan base smokes cigarettes… and this is an open-air event.

In fact, the demographics for the Fairgrounds Speedway Nashville are so predictably smokers, that when you first walk in to the event after handing in your ticket, the first thing you see is a booth in which an e-cigarette vendor is eager to convert anyone they think are smokers.

However, your family can avoid most of the cigarette smoke by sitting in the C section, which is specifically set aside for families: Smoking and drinking are not allowed in that section.

There are some who try to sneak doing it, but typically the hired security guards catch them.

Our family is always entertained when we visit the Fairgrounds Speedway Nashville. Again, it’s inexpensive and entertaining; not to mention, it’s full of Southern flare.

If you end up checking it out, you may see our family there in the C section. Thanks for reading Family Friendly Daddy Blog today!

Leave a comment Posted on August 4, 2014August 10, 2014 food reviews, Health, reviews, Uncategorized, vegan

Vegan Review Of The Farm House In Downtown Nashville

Even though I live just about 12 miles from the glory and fame of downtown Nashville, I only end up there a couple times each year…

But last week while attending the Lexus NX Press Preview at Union Station Hotel, we car reviewers were treated to dinner at a high end restaurant called The Farm House; featuring the music of Jeff Hyde and Jeremy Spillman.

We got to ride a trolley there…

One of the things that tremendously sets The Farm House apart is that the food they offer is local. Their slogan is “local farms create local plates.”

That’s impressive, seriously!

However, The Farm House’s food truly is fresh- because the food didn’t have to travel that far to the plate.

It’s a very relevant idea that I believe will becoming more of a trend. But The Farm House is already doing it.

Perhaps the true test of how good a restaurant really is, is to have a vegan like me to do the review:

When you strip away the rich flavor of meat, eggs, and dairy from a meal, you get to really find out how good the food actually is or isn’t.

I can confirm that I was not disappointed in the least with my meal. As peculiar as it may sound, my meal was a huge bowl full of garden vegetables including potatoes, okra, tomatoes, and eggplant; varying from pickled, seasoned, and fried.

It was a complete delight! And so hearty.

(It reminded me of a month ago when I visited my parents in Alabama. They have an all organic, non-GMO garden. For a few meals during our family’s visit, we simply ate grilled garden veggies.)

For dessert at The Farm House, I had cantaloupe sherbet infused with chili powder. It was a lot of fun.

As you can see from my photo collage above, I am not the only one to say that The Farm House is a truly respectable establishment. (It was the winner of the 2014 OpenTable Diner’s Choice.)

I predict that if you end up at The Farm House, you will be pleased. I definitely was.

And if you’re curious about other stories I’ve written that feature the Lexus NX…

I now invite you to view the Lexus NX Press Release Flickr page, as well as the completely library of posts I’ve published on the 2015 Lexus RX:

The “True Grit, Pure Grace” Lexus NX Press Preview In Nashville, TN

2015 Lexus NX Review/Preview Across The Natchez Trace Parkway Bridge

Vegan Review Of The Farm House In Downtown Nashville

2015 Lexus NX 200t: 10 Professional Photos

2015 Lexus NX 300h: 11 Professional Photos

2015 Lexus NX 200t F Sport: 13 Professional Photos

Luxury Package of 2015 Lexus NX 200t F Sport: 7 Professional Photos

2015 Lexus NX: A Flickr Link To Professional Photos

Thanks for stopping by. Be on the look-out for more of my reviews on the Lexus/Toyota/Scion family!

1 Comment Posted on August 2, 2014August 2, 2014 parenting, Storytelling, Uncategorized

Dear Jack: I Feel Like I’m Getting My Life Back, Part 2

3 years, 8 months.

Continued from Dear Jack: I Feel Like I’m Getting My Life Back, Part 1.

Dear Jack,

I sort of feel like an actor who had a steady gig on a popular sitcom that ended.

This is my time to regroup and figure out who I am apart from the magazine I wrote for the past 3 years.

Keep in mind, you are currently 3 years, 8 months old.

That means for the majority of your life, at least two hours of each day of mine was consumed with me keeping the blog up.

I did 25 posts a month; over 1,000 different posts during those 3 years. That’s a lot of hours!

Now that I’m choosing to only do around 3 posts per week, half of what I’m used to, I find myself with more free time on my hands and less stress.

I really paid my dues as a daddy blogger and now I get to be on cruise control. It’s nice to sort of sit back and just watch you be a kid; not feeling that I have to constantly be writing a story about what I see in front of me.

I no longer am preoccupied when I come home, thinking about needing to check my email to see what my editors had to say or how the blog did that day.

Nor do I have to always be writing; sacrificing sleep and quality time with you and Mommy.

Just now, I finished Rocky on Netflix. I have time to watch movies now! That concept is very awesome to me.

I have more undivided time for both you and Mommy. I am liking life a lot more now.

It sounds weird, but I’m realizing that I am laughing out loud and smiling more now. I’m a happier person.

So much stress is off my shoulders and my brain. I feel like I’m getting my life back. And by “my life,” that always means you and Mommy.

Love,

Daddy

1 Comment Posted on August 2, 2014August 2, 2014 parenting, Storytelling, Uncategorized

Dear Jack: I Feel Like I’m Getting My Life Back, Part 1

3 years, 8 months.

Dear Jack,

It’s been a month now since I revealed to you that for the past 3 years of your life, I had been the daddy blogger of Parents.com, known as The Dadabase. I will always be grateful for those years; for the experience and credibility I received as a writer.

I also can’t deny that the supplemental income that came with the job was quite helpful. It helped get our family out of debt and has helped us start saving our down payment on our next house.

Not to mention, would I be gaining any notoreity in the car review world if it weren’t for the platform that writing for a major magazine gave me? Nope.

Just a few days ago, I was invited as one of America’s car review bloggers to cover the big Lexus NX reveal. And ultimately, I have Parents.com to thank for elevating my career and giving me the kind of visibility and connections that live on even after the contract ended.

I thank God for Parents.com seeking me out. I have always considered that a miracle; especially because it happened at a dark time in my life. I am eternally grateful for my 3 years writing for Parents.com and will always think the world of them. I still can’t believe they picked me and kept me all that time.

They indirectly taught me to write and think more professionally. I totally see that now.

Granted, I was never famous. (I was, however, a candidate for both Katie Couric’s show and Steve Harvey’s show. They had their people calling me, halfway trying to recruit me to come on their shows. Ultimately, I don’t think I was “shticky” enough for the character I needed to play for their segments.)

Now that I no longer have a major publication attached to my name, I’m finding myself as a regular guy now; a normal dad who happens to have his own daddy blog.

To Be Continued…

Dear Jack: I Feel Like I’m Getting My Life Back, Part 2.

Love,

Daddy

6 Comments Posted on July 30, 2014August 10, 2014 car reviews, reviews, Uncategorized

2015 Lexus NX Review/Preview Across The Natchez Trace Parkway Bridge

Despite living in Nashville since September 11, 2005, I had never been to the iconic Natchez Trace Parkway Bridge.

Fortunately, I was invited by Lexus to test drive their upcoming NX to it; serving as a perfect, and not to mention, beautiful, test drive.

Seeing the bridge in person somehow made me think of the setting of The Hunger Games…

I enjoyed walking the trail leading underneath the bridge. My co-driver Jason Muxlow of Automotive Trends thought he lost me there for a minute after I disappeared while he was taking pictures of the NX as we were stopped at the scenic view parking lot.

As far as driving the Lexus NX for the test drive, the very first word that came to mind was “effortless”. I had nearly driven all the way back to the Union Station Hotel before thinking to myself, “Oh yeah, I’m driving a Lexus NX right now, and I have been for the past 30 minutes. Soak this in right now; this is a big deal.”

I mean that as a good thing. It’s like when I hear a good classic song, like “1979” by The Smashing Pumpkins, for example. It takes me to a different place for a few minutes and it’s not until the song ends that I realize that escape itself is proof that I love it.

In case you’re wondering, the NX is a small sport-utilility vehicle, but it looks and feels like a sports-car.

Obviously, the folks at Lexus make sure their vehicles provide a certain kind of experience. For me, and I have reviewed many Lexus vehicles by now, there’s this quiet, subtle power that comes with the experience of driving one.

I’m not the kind of guy who likes huge, loud, obnoxious, attention-stealing vehicles. Granted, every time I review a Lexus, I see people turning their heads and then trying to pretend they’re not once they see me catching them.

Something that I particularly appreciated about the Lexus NX is its size. I like that it feels lower to the ground, handles perfectly, and has the right amount of power.

Usually I would close with some official stats on the car, but since the NX is still just a prototype, I can only give estimates.

According my notes taken during the “True Grit, Pure Grace” Lexus NX Press Premiere, the estimated cost of the vehicle will be “less than $40K.”

The targeted demographic is “men and women in their 30s and 40s who are single or married with young kids, having a combined household income of $130K.”

Estimated gas milage will be 22 city, 28 highway, and 24 average.

For the hybrid version, it will be 31 city, 35 highway, and 33 average.

Some other features of the 2015 Lexus NX include the following:

-All new 2.0-liter, 235 horsepower turbocharged gasoline engine with a combination water-cooled cylinder head, integrated exhaust manifold and twin scroll turbocharger.

-All new six-speed automatic transmission networks with turbo engine and torque to demand ideal level of boost pressure for quick response for quick-response performance and fuel economy.

-G-Force Artificial Intelligence (G-AI) system automatically selects optimum gear and downshift pattern in response to G-Force.

-Pre-loaded front differential (and yaw rate feedback control on proactive all-weather AWD versions) to ensure optimum grip, control, and agility.

-Wireless Charging Tray for compatible phones and devices.

-Lexus Remote Touch Interface (RTI) with a touch pad and comprehensive Multi-information Display that features a G-Force meter and boost gauge.

I would also normally tell what my 3 year-old Jack said about the vehicle, but since he was at daycare while I did the test drive, he was unavailable for an interview.

All I know is that he’s looking forward to me officially reviewing it once it’s available to the general public sometime around November 2014.

That’s it for today! Thanks for reading my review/preview.

If you’ve enjoyed reading about the Lexus NX today…

And there’s plenty more where those came from…

I now invite you to view the Lexus NX Press Release Flickr page, as well as the completely library of posts I’ve published on the 2015 Lexus RX:

The “True Grit, Pure Grace” Lexus NX Press Preview In Nashville, TN

2015 Lexus NX Review/Preview Across The Natchez Trace Parkway Bridge

Vegan Review Of The Farm House In Downtown Nashville

2015 Lexus NX 200t: 10 Professional Photos

2015 Lexus NX 300h: 11 Professional Photos

2015 Lexus NX 200t F Sport: 13 Professional Photos

Luxury Package of 2015 Lexus NX 200t F Sport: 7 Professional Photos

2015 Lexus NX: A Flickr Link To Professional Photos

Thanks for stopping by. Be on the look-out for more of my reviews on the Lexus/Toyota/Scion family!

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