MC … Sarasota Smoothie Queen

If you read my July Cappuccino Chez MC column, you might recall that I’m slowly transitioning from outsourcing my meals to insourcing them. Meaning — yup, that’s right, I’ve got to feed myself at home!

My desire to transition is based on a lot of ideals — I don’t want to waste my time in always running out someplace in search of sustenance; I want to save money; I want to reduce my impact on my Earth by reducing my reliance on packaging and my use of fossil fuels expended in the going-after of things like early-morning coffee or mid-day smoothies; and I want to have more control over what ingredients are actually going into my body.

While my efforts might seem tortoise-like, my energy is increasing to rabbit-like levels. (more…)

Encore! Encore! MC Coolidge to speak to Encore of Sarasota, Inc.

Encore of Sarasota, Inc., has kindly booked me for my first fall season speaking event on Thursday, September 9th. I’ll be talking about facing aging with guts, gratitude, and grace …. yikes … guess I better figure out how to do all of that since usually, I just facing aging with a Grinch-like grumpiness. (more…)

Love between the raindrops

If you have no idea who you are anymore, try to recall a time when you did. When you knew who you were undeniably. When you moved with a sureness that came from presenting yourself in the truest way — whether people liked you or not, whether someone hired you or not, whether you could avoid an argument or not.

The you you were when belly-laughing was something that happened often. When seeing someone you cared about made you feel excited rather than obligated. When just being outside in the sun or in a coffee shop reading left you with the undeniable buzz of being alive.

A time when you thought and felt, hell, you knew, the whole world was at your feet. Your whole life was in front of you, figuratively or literally. (more…)

Me, myself, and I

A while back I posted a blog about Word of Mouth — and in it, I was coming down hard on the service — the manners of the wait staff mostly, and then I followed that up with a blog called Heads Up, where I came down hard again on people whose dining manners left some to be desired.

Well, all I can say is that my readers are MUCH more polite than I (sheesh I hope that’s the right use of I!). Because several of them wrote to me OFF the blog — to my email address — to point out my own very poor grammar when I wrote “the server greeted my guest and I.”

Yikes! (more…)

MC (and Coco) in da house

Clearing out a folder of photos and came across these. Just goes to show the fact that at least in 2008 and early 2009, I actually did get out of my house and into “da house!” (more…)

Getting in bed with the wrong guys — Sarasota’s vote on the Economic Development Ad Valorem Exemption makes me wonder

I voted no on Tuesday — against giving our local government leaders the right and power to decide whether some new or growing businesses will be eligible for property tax exemptions for as long as the next decade. Proponents of the Economic Development Ad Valorem Exemptions call these tax breaks “incentives.” I just call them kick-backs. (more…)

My Vote is No on Economic Development Property Tax Exemptions

I’m voting no tomorrow, August 24 — against giving our local government leaders the right and power to decide which businesses will be eligible for property tax exemptions for as long as the next decade. They’re calling the tax exemptions “incentives” to attract businesses, ostensibly to create jobs.

I’ve never believed in paying somebody off, bribing somebody, or giving something to someone to encourage them to do business with me personally, and I don’t believe in doing it as a city or as a county. Really, bottom line, if it wouldn’t be okay behavior for you personally, or for yourself professionally, then why is this kind of behavior okay when a government does it? (more…)

All signs point to stillness

Signs come at you in little ways at first, right?

Someone mentions their timing belt blew out on a drive to Orlando. You pass by a car on the side of the road with it’s hood up and a guy standing beside it with his cell phone out, looking hot and late for wherever he was headed. Later, you hear an ad on the radio for a discount on oil changes. Damn, you think. I’m definitely taking the car in on Friday to check out that rattling in the engine. But you don’t.

The weekend arrives. You’re at Publix and your car won’t start. You have to pay to get it towed; you have to call friends for a ride. And your borrowing your Mom’s car for work on Monday. (more…)

Heads up

I know, know for sure, I’m going to alienate some friends, family, maybe even a paramour or two with this blog.

But, HELLO!!? Can we please eat with our heads up? (more…)

Word of mouth works!

A month or so ago, I was on Cliff Roles’ radio show and he and I got into a conversation about service at local eateries in Sarasota. I chimed in about my experiences at the Word of Mouth restaurant on Osprey Avenue saying that I’d stopped going to the restaurant because of the repeatedly very unfriendly welcome my guests and I always received.

photo courtesy of WOM website