Keeping the faith … for others who might be losing theirs

Last night, Friday night. I finished work around 9 p.m., and drove to Publix to grab a sandwich and some coffee for the morning. I picked out my few groceries — cat food, coffee, a sandwich, and got in line to pay.

The man in front of me was all smiles, but the slightly nervous kind. He was simply, but neatly, dressed in flip flops, shorts and a tee shirt. The cashier rang his single item up. He swiped his card. It was denied. (more…)

Aging extravagantly … birthday blog #3

Whoo hoo! My day just keeps getting better and better. I’m receiving an extravagant number of wonderful birthday messages from so many people. Call me goofy, but (more…)

Pricking our hearts … giving pelican-style

I heard from All Faiths today, and in just one week, Reality readers have donated $612 to help feed the needy and hungry folks in our community. That’s the equivalent of 970 meals if you can believe it! Isn’t that amazing?

I’m really blessed (and I don’t say that lightly) and very grateful for the response from so many of you. Thank you SO VERY MUCH for participating in the drive.

There’s still time to make donations — the drive continues through December 18th. (more…)

It’s about love

When you share what you have with someone else, no matter what word you throw at it – charity, compassion, philanthropy, kindness, generosity – really, it’s all about love. (more…)

A Season for Believing

As published in the Tampa Tribune November 21, 2007.

Years ago, late on a Sunday afternoon, I found myself sitting in my favorite café in the North End of Boston, calculating whether to buy another cappuccino or save the few dollars I had in my pocket for subway tokens to get back and forth to work that week. Post-college, I was broke, as usual, and relying on cigarettes and coffee to keep the stomach from rumbling too much. (more…)

Thankful for what matters

Originally published October 2007.

Newspapers – good ones — help foster connections and compassion within a community, and I’m grateful to be a small part of that through the Pelican Press.

But without readers, newspapers (not to mention moi) would be out of business. (more…)

Happy Anniversary — MC Reality Online hits one year mark!

Last week on August 25th, this online column cum blog reached its one-year anniversary! I was so crazy-busy last week that I missed the actual anniversary … but I’m celebrating it on Friday night (September 4) under the light of the full Harvest Moon (sounds appropriate, doesn’t it — celebrating at harvest time?). I plan to have a martini (or two) and toast my little Internet endeavor.

All I ever wanted to be — from the time I was old enough to remember — was a writer. By reading my work … each one of you make me one. Really can’t thank you enough.

Reading in my Beacon Hill apartment the year I decided I was going to become a columnist come hell or high water. I got damn near burned up before I nearly drowned but I'm on dry land, now. Big thanks to Brian for capturing the moment, for believing in me when I didn't believe in myself. XO ad infinitum

Some fast facts:

• I launched MC’s Reality Online in August 2008, just one month after the debut of my book — Sideways in Sarasota. Because both anniversaries fall so closely together … and since several people have asked me in the days of Sarasota News & Books closing, where they could buy a copy of my book — I’m also celebrating my book (oh, good — another reason for a martini on Friday night) and offering an anniversary price via my own website of $13 (taxes and shipping included; signed copy). Just click on the hypelinked words Sideways in Sarasota above and you’ll be directed to information to buy, if you’re interested. Also, Sideways is available at Circle Books on St. Armands Circle.

• Since September ’08, the number of unique readers who visit the site each month has grown from 377 to 1,225. Guess it’s a tortoise – slow and steady growth. But what matters to me is that a lot of you keep coming back to read more. SO appreciated!
• MC Reality Online readers donated $1,943 to All Faith’s Food Bank in my 2008 drive. Stay tuned for news about the 2009 drive.
• MC’s Reality Online averages 26,000 hits per month.
• 938 of you have posted a comment at one time or another – I invite you to continue to use this site as a place for dialogue.
• I instituted advertising on the site in summer ’09 and have already sold several ads and the advertisers have received a pretty darn good return-on-investment in terms of hits to their own sites, etc. BIG thanks to those advertisers who have already supported my site and my writing by choosing to advertise here!
• I have to thank David Martin of Brighter Technologies, Inc. He’s my all-things-web guru and keeps me going when I can’t figure things out. If you need a great web guru, check him out and tell him MC referred you.
• My first blog ever – MC enters the blogosphere.
• In the year that I’ve been blogging, I’ve been asked to speak as a local blogger on a media panel , in a classroom and as an occasional guest panelist on WEDU’s political roundtable television program — Florida This Week, with moderator Rob Lorei.
• And BEST OF ALL, the folks who read this blog – um, that’s ALL OF YOU – were super, super kind to vote me as Creative Loafing Best of the Suncoast Best Local Blogger in the 2008 Reader Poll, and in Sarasota Magazine’s Best of 2009 Reader Poll as one of the best local bloggers. THANK you so much for helping me spread the word about my blog, achieve some street cred as a blogger, and most importantly, give me more reasons to ask bartenders all across Sarasota to “Shake me another ‘tini, baby!”
• And, lastly, if you like what you read here and want to help me snag another year as Best Local Columnist and/or Best Local Blogger in Creative Loafing’s annual Best of the Suncoast Readers Poll – you can vote for me in either or both categories – online right here! I sure would appreciate it!

Mostly, though, thanks for reading – for taking the time to visit this site, agree, disagree, encourage, chastise … I love being able to stay connected to readers even though I don’t have a weekly print column. It’s been a great year.

On Siesta, life’s a beach

I’m not a sun worshiper by any stretch of the imagination. I slather on a 45 SPF just for a walk from my front door to the mailbox.

When I first moved here a couple of years ago, I think I had an innate suspicion of the nearly-naked, let it all hang out mentality of “the beach.” Moving from the boxed up, work all night, often uptight big city to the sun-soaked, knock off at 5 o’clock, Jimmy Buffet-style tourist town has taken some getting used to.

Despite my Draculian dread of the sun, (more…)