High-tech parking in Tampa, recycling in St. Petersburg on the way

Good news if you're one of those people who park in downtown Tampa and often find yourself with no quarters:

By next spring, people could be able to cover parking fees by calling from their cell phone.

The pay-by-space technology would be revolutionary for a number of reasons, not the least being that you can extend your time by calling from anywhere instead of rushing back to the meter. Initially, the new meters being installed in October will allow folks to update their time from any meter using the parking space's number. …

Curbside recycling will soon be an option for St. Petersburg residents, and I'm baffled that it took this long. It reminds me of when the Clampetts boasted about getting the latest Mary Pickford movie in Bugtussle. …

Seen on a bumper sticker: Mother Nature Always Bats Last. …

Organizers for the Hillsborough Youth Collaborative's spoken word event promises it will be moving, emotional and thought-provoking. Check out "The CommUnity Speaks" at 6 tonight at Tampa's Museum of Science and Industry. …

The Rays have first baseman Carlos Peña. Big Time Rush, the Nickelodeon Channel boy band, features another Carlos Pena. I don't think they're related, but my daughter wants me to get the Rays to line up Big Time Rush for their 2011 Summer Concert Series so Peña and Pena can meet.

It's funny how an 8-year-old thinks dad can do anything. …

I wish that Coors Light party train you see on commercials actually existed. I would love to catch it at Union Station for happy hour, especially if it could drop me off behind the Pizza Hut in Seffner.

That's all I'm saying.