Mark & Carrie
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NEW this Week “The Rainbow Table” by Mark & Carrie
A friend once asked us, “What advice do you wish an older Gay person would given you when you were young?” This got us a thinking. Here is something we would like to share.
When you become a couple it is not about you & me anymore. It becomes about “us” or “n” as in Mark n Carrie. We are not saying that you should loose your identity but that a third person is created “us/n”. Life is much easier and a lot more fun if you let “us/n” do the cooking. Here is what we did. Over the years we cook back and forth for each other. Sometimes cooking old family traditions and other times new things. When we both agreed that the recipe was GREAT we would write it down in our “Best Dish” journal. All theses recipes then received the “us/n” stamp of approval. Some times we would also write a note about the recipe too. What fun to come home not knowing what to cook and to just pick up this book. Then to find ourselves saying, “That sounds good, we haven’t had that for a long time!” or “Remember that crazy party when…?”
For many years we have wanted to write a cookbook for our nieces & nephews. With “Dishing with Mark and Carrie” we now have 10′s of 1,000′s of nieces and nephews across the world. Suddenly a light bulb went off. Since we already have our web site www.mcfilm.co why not write it on the site. Now we can share the progress weekly. To be quite honest… by writing one or two recipes a week we actually might get the book written!!! LOL LOL We invite you to join us on this journey of creating our book “The Rainbow Table.”
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Where did the title “Rainbow Table” come from?
We were at a auction with our good friend Marie Hall, a neighbor and good ol Southern Charm Mom. A new classic Florida antique white pedestal dining room table with 6 matching chairs came up for sale. While Carrie was out getting Marie & Mark our beer soaked hot dogs, Mark bought the table. When Carrie came back with the hot dogs Marie leaned over a with a smile laughing said, “How do you like that table Carrie? Mark just bought it!” Carrie was not amused but we took it home that night.
The next day when Carrie came home around 5pm Mark was in the back yard with the chair seats removed and was busy spray painting the chairs. Carrie yelled, “What are you doing?!?!?” Mark said, “You really didn’t think I like antique white chairs, did you?? 6 chairs 6 colors in the Gay Rainbow flag, it’s a natural.” We both laughed and the chairs have been a big conversation piece ever since.
Visit www.MCFilm.co and click on The Rainbow Table.
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July 3rd GaYBOR Style with Mark & Carrie
After dinner we went out for a stroll down 5th Ave in GaYBOR/Ybor City. The sun was just starting to set and the lights were coming on. People forget how beautiful the homes are in GaYBOR/Ybor. Our first stop was at the Crowbar to see Bonnie & Tom. Out on the patio Tom was busy grilling hotdog for the big Annual 4th of July HOTDOG Contest! Inside Bonnie was looking beautiful, as always. We popped into Hamburger Mary’s to say hi. Dinning on the sidewalk was Frank Sinatra with his wife & friend. At New York New Ybor Pizza there were busy remolding. New store front & larger kitchen. Looks like they are keeping the Hot Guys!!! wink wink… At Bradley’s on 7th it looked like a Friday night. Many groups of fun party people getting the party started. Liquid TAMPA’s party was “Candy Land USA” Hosted by DJ Power Infiniti. There was candy every where and we do mean every where!!! On the way to G.BAR we thought we were seeing double!!! A Flaming Orange Honda Element exactly like ours was parked next to us! G.BAR felt like a Wild Saturday Night. Dances on top of the bar everywhere. Miss Esme Russell Hosting a Crazy show and from NYC DJ Chris Cox!!!!
What a Great way to kick off the July 4th Celebration, GaYBOR Style!!!
Viva La GaYBOR
For more Adventures in GaYBOR with Mark & Carrie Visit
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From the Tampa Bay Times
Read in the Tampa Bay Times Miss Melanie Minyon calling BINGO at Hamburger Mary’s.
Congratulations!!!!
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Photo of the Week
Mark & Carrie’s Nephews Justin & Jarrod
Photographer Mark Melnick
Clothing provided by MC Film
Location GaYBOR of Course!!!
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People R Talking
A new night club is opening in Ybor City replacing the old Empire Club on 7th. It is called Dream but will it become a nightmare? The Empire Club had many shootings, 1 shooting death inside and closed last November. St Pete Pride Parade has come and gone. It is interesting to see the attendance counting from the news agencies. Fox network reported 40k there. Channel 10 CBS reported 80,000 as did Tampa Bay Times, Channel 28 ABC & Watermark magazine reported 100,000. Such a disparately in attendees.
What a wonderful surprise as our niece Natalie & boyfriend Ryan came from Satellite Bch for the weekend and surprised her uncles in Tampa. She has a lot of Uncles as she says about all the friends we have and say she is there niece too!
Is it to early to clean up Tampa for the RNC convention? Trees and shrubbery are being planted and after the storm replanted! Trees and shrubbery are being trimmed. New paving jobs are in the works on the Tampa downtown streets. Are the private building owners being responsible and cleaning up and painting their historic frontage structures? The Code Enforcement officers in Tampa told us they have been warned. The biggest convention in Tampa’s history, the GOP National Republican Convention is just 1 month away!
The only tri-lingual (Spanish- Italian English) newspaper in United States is La Gaceta located in Ybor City and is celebrating its 90th Anniversary. The newspaper started in 1922 by Victoriano Mantiega, a lecture at Ybor City cigar companies reading to the hand making cigar rollers. Congratulations to editor/ publisher Patrick Mantiega.
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GaYBOR Member of the Week
PFLAG-Tampa
John & Nancy Desmond
(53)
Tampa Bay has had a number of PFLAG’s (Parents & Friends of Lesbian & Gays) organizations start and close. But because of these 2 devoted individuals John & Nancy Desmond, they have started a new Tampa chapter,created, generated a great awareness to the Gay youth right here in Tampa. They have been active members of GaYBOR District Coalition and recently had booths at St, Pete Pride and the First Pride Event held at the VA Hospital in Tampa
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Mark & Carrie’s Nephew/Niece of the Week
Natalie & Ryan
(118)
We are proud to say that our niece, Natalie and boyfriend, Ryan are our featured nephew and niece. We just love Natalie’s go get’ em energy! Natalie graduated from USF and stayed with us during her off times. And yes, she has hundreds of friends here in Tampa because she brings them all over to our house! Our little Space Shuttle niece was working at Kennedy Space Center and is now at Patrick Air Force Base in Satellite Beach. She is also the Satellite Beach High Swimming Coach and dance instructor at a Greek Church group in Mehlbourne. She got us passes to see the last space shuttle last summerl. She is in a High Security position! We don’t ask and she can’t tell!
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You Just Can Not Make This Stuff Up!
The names have been changed to protect the innocent! Kinda – Sort of… LOL
“Pianos of Ybor”
(8)
The Pianos of Ybor was a social & art exhibit. We purchased 10 pianos had them tuned and then had 10 artist paint the pianos. The pianos were the placed thru out Ybor City in public spaces. Everybody was encouraged to play the pianos. At the end of 6 weeks not one piano as damaged not even the piano beaches!! The pianos were then auctioned off and the moneys were given to charities. On the 1st day we were moving the pianos into lo actions. The pianos were on top of a moving platform. As we were moving down 15th street suddenly Stephen Moss started to play the piano. Who knew he studied class piano!!! More surprises came everyday. Dancer Mica & even the mailman were great pianists.
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You Just Can Not Make This Stuff Up!!!
The names have been changed to protect the innocent! Kinda – Sort of… LOL
“4th of July Fireworks at the SunCoast Resort”
(7)
The fireworks at The Suncoast Resort were one of the crowds favorites. The first few times the maintenance manager would drive to Tennessee and come back with a car load of fireworks. Later after words from the city this all changed and it was done professionally. The fireworks were shot off the second floor of the parking garage. One of the first times one of the rockets went into the garbage dumpster next to the SW building. The fire department was called out to put the fire out. The next time they started to shoot off fireworks somebody tipped off the fire department. With sirens blazing and lights all flashing here came the BIG NEW Fire Truck. They hit the horns and told security to get out of the way here they are coming in. They went straight back to the up ramp to the second floor. Once again security tried to stop the fire trucks but they insisted they were coming in!!! Driving up on the second floor of the garage to stop the fire works. The Suncoast management turned white and ran up to the fire chief. The upper deck of the parking garage was CONDEMEND Unsafe for small cars!!! There sat the new many ton fire tuck. Back up police & fire were called. The garage was closed with 100’s of cars packed in below. VERY SLOWLY the fire truck was backed out with dozens of firemen on radios trying to back out over supports only. Many new large cracks were made in the concrete that long night!
To read more “You just can not make this stuff up” visit
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RNC Rejection Letter
This week we received a media rejection letter from the Committee on Arrangements for the 2012 Republican National Convention. Last fall we applied for special press passes. We thought it would be interesting to cover the Gay Republican Log Cabin & Go Proud GLBT groups from a GLBT perspective. After filling out the online applications the RNC requested, we sent in samples of our “Dishing with Mark & Carrie” newsletter columns and advised we had been writing our column for over 16 years. We sent printouts of our on line blog & copies of magazines that we are in. We have been kept in the RNC loop for media briefings all along though. We were told if you are in the media communications emails it looks good for you to be a RNC accepted journalist. Now 6 weeks before the convention we get this letter.
Several months ago on behalf of GaYBOR District we filled out the online request to use the RNC logo on “Welcome RNC from GaYBOR” posters. We were told NO but we could purchase welcome posters from the RNC.
Humm…….. I’m not saying homophobia, but we are not getting warm fuzzy’s here either. Actually it’s much like the same reception we receive from the Hillsborough County Board of Commissioners.
In the past Tampa has hosted large national events like the Super Bowls. Leading up to these events there is excitement in the air. People are looking forward to the special events and all the fun festivities. Now here comes the RNC and people are already stressed out and nervous. It feels more like we are getting ready for a natural disaster like a out of control hurricane coming.
With Gay PRIDE,
Mark & Carrie
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Caught at Muvico 20 Centro Ybor
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Christian & Bobbie & the Crowbar
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Dogs Welcome at Centro Cantina
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Great Food & Service
@ Fresh Mouth
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Great Pizza @ NY NY Pizza
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Judy B. Goode @ Bad Monkey
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Field Trip to Ybor
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Caught @
Bradley on 7th
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Sunday FunDay
@ Liquid Tampa
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G.BAR
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Cast of Steam Fridays
Party @ Steam Fridays
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Cast of Hamburger Mary’s
Stephanie Shippae”
@ Hamburger Mary’s Every Sunday
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Collage Night
@ the Social
