In Sarasota … the haves and the have-nots

The Sarasota Herald Tribune ran a piece of mine today. You can read it on page A10 or simply follow the link here: In Sarasota, gap widens between the haves and the have-nots.

Here’s a snippet:

Yes, a lot of people made a lot of money, and most of it was done with little regard to how regular folks would survive the seemingly unending upward spiral of housing costs and the correlative costs of living in what had become, essentially, a rich man’s town.

Box turtle? … only on birthday blog #4

OMG — I’m not usuall prone to using acronyms like that, but this newest twist in my never-ending fabulous birthday is so WICKED cool. (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…)

Beethoven on a birthday … birthday blog #2

A few weeks ago, a man invited me out on a date for April 4th, (more…)

Intruder at the bird bath … birthday blog #1

I’m one of those wacky people who LOVE their birthdays. I don’t really care that much about getting older (just don’t ask me how much older I’m getting! ;)) but I do care about having fun on April 13th. Which, by the way, is also the birth date of my adopted felines, Einstein, Coco, and Boomerang. Since they are all rescue cats, I decided we should all celebrate on the same day … and what better day than mine?! (Not too egocentric of me, huh?) They will get canned tuna fish for their dinner in honor of another year.

Today has already started off FABULOUSLY. After morning coffee, I went (more…)

The perfect outing on April Fools Day … laissez-faire … lazy fairy … laissez-aller!

Oh, if there really are magical-power-imbued fairies running around loose in Sarasota, they’ll tap me with their magic, star-tipped wands and clear my calendar for tomorrow night so I can go catch the closest thing to the real thing (more…)

Sarasota Magazine/BIZ 941 “restructuring” … when does the bleeding in local media stop?

Jiminy cricket. When does the bleeding in Sarasota’s media world stop? Word I heard from the street earlier today that Jeff Lawenda, former Executive Publisher of Sarasota Magazine and BIZ 941, had been let go — was just confirmed in a telephone conversation with Tiffany Soukhaphaly at the magazines’ offices. “We’ve had a restructuring,” Tiffany told me and indeed, it appears Lawenda is out. I think Lawenda became Exec Publisher over these local publications just two — or maybe three — years ago now. (more…)

Remembering Ardren

Tonight, around 5:30 p.m., the Pelican Press newspaper was tossed from a car driving by, and landed in my driveway. From somewhere in the recesses of my mind, for some reason, I thought “Oh, good, I get to read Main Street Beat.” As soon as the thought came into my head, of course, it rushed back out again. Bob Ardren, the writer of that column I used to so look forward to, has been gone for well over a year now. (more…)

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…)

First date, last date? Follow my dating do’s and don’ts to make it to round two

Is anybody else out there wondering at what point it’s easier to just stay home rather than keep putting yourself “out there” first date after first date?

It’s a crazy world here in Sarasota for singles. I’m not sure what they put in the water down here, but Sarasota men, I’m sorry, have got the rest of the country beat when it comes to being deadbeat or dysfunctional dates.

I know. I know. I’m going to get blasted for being a snob and a princess and an anti-feminist and a bitch, etcetera, etcetera. But, is it too much to ask for a guy who acts like a man, and has some manners to boot? I’m pretty sure I’ll hold up my end of the bargain by acting like a woman and I pinky promise not to drink all the wine and steal French Fries from his plate. (more…)