Every Kiss Begins With K...

After a several-month hiatus, I've decided to started posting on my own personal little ol' blog again. I'll warn you now: it very likely will be sporadic. But here's something I wrote on another site on Feb. 13, that I will share here, just to give me an honest-to-God, up-to-date post:


Valentine’s Day came early for me this year and I can tell you this: the Kay Jewelers commercial is right when it says, “Every kiss begins with K.”

For me, that is “K” as in “Kel-Tec.”

Yes, gentle readers, my darling husband bought me a gun for Valentine’s Day. A Kel-Tec .380, to be exact. And he accompanied this token of his affection with these words: “Honey, this is the finest in purse weaponry.”

Ahhhh, say it again. Romance was in the air. The angels sang. Birds twittered. And then ducked for cover. Would-be burglars ran for the hills. And that damn barking dog next door sensed that something was up and he got a little quieter. Well, for a minute.

This Valentine’s Day, Cupid has nothing on me. My gun can out-shoot his arrow without a doubt. I know. I’ve already fired about 40 rounds of ammunition through it at the Tenoroc shooting range.

I will admit that this definitely is not the kind of handgun you want to target shoot with. It will beat your hand to death if you shoot 40 rounds of ammo through it in 20 minutes. The muscles in my forearm and hand are still feeling the punch this pistol packs.

But I say that’s a small price to pay. After all, we’re talking about having the finest in purse weaponry.

Vegan/Raw Food Restaurant Coming to Lakeland

I first read about this as a result of my new membership in the Barefoot Gardeners group, but I've since confirmed it: Grass Root Organic Restaurant is opening a Lakeland location in August.

Grass Root is a vegan/raw food restaurant that started in Tampa.

Check out their Web site for more information, which I'm sure will be coming in the next couple of weeks: http://www.thegrassrootlife.com/.

Update: – I just learned that Grass Root will be in the old Petals florist building at the corner of Belmar and S. Florida Ave.

I'm sure the Dixieland neighborhood is happy at the prospect of having another restaurant, especially a trendy one like this! I think it will be a good fit.

Update to THAT update: Petals isn't going anywhere. The restaurant is going in BESIDE the Petals Florist building.

CSX Getting Beat Up In Massachusetts, Too

Poor, poor CSX. It seems they just don't undestand why citizens don't want to be fed garbage politely with a spoon...

If Floridians thought we were the only ones suffering from CSX trying to shove liability down our throats for this commuter rail project, fret no more. They're doing it in Massachusetts, too.

Downtown Lakeland Partnership Executive Director Julie Townsend recently was interviewed by the Worcester Business Journal for an article on the topic. You can read the article here.

Publix Murals

When I think about Publix, I think about this:


The Publix in Ocala where my mom shopped when I was a child had one of these murals. I always associated Publix with the murals- and the S&H Green Stamp store next door.

Recently I rode my bike over to the Lakeland Wabash Publix and took pictures of the mural there. That is (obviously) where these photos came from. I decided I'd better get it done, because it dawned on me that the store had been vacant for so long, and some day, a new tenant might come along and remove the mural. While photographing various portions of the mural, I found the artist's information:

I spoke to Pati today by phone and she informed me that she glazed and fired about 200 murals for Publix stores throughout a 25-year period. Pretty amazing.

What are your thoughts on the murals? Are they a part of your childhood memories, too? Do you think they should be salvaged when Publix stores undergo remodeling or the stores get sold to other businesses?

More insight on the CSX deal

In my routine perusal of local blogs this morning, I came across Julie Townsend's post on the Downtown Lakeland Partnership blog. This particular post is a response/clarification to a recent article that appeared in The Ledger about the future of the CSX project.

In my opinion, there are few people outside of government officials who appear to be as well-versed on this issue as Julie. If you have any opinion on the CSX issue, you owe it to yourself to read her post, titled CSX Q&A in The Ledger.

Remember, the CSX project is not a done deal. Right now, we all have a bit of breathing room in which additional informaton can be gathered and perhaps Lakeland's voice can finally be heard on the same level as the voices in Orlando and Winter Haven.

Make Every Day Earth Day

I know the title is rather cliche, but perhaps if it keeps getting repeated, we'll all eventually take it to heart. In honor of Earth Day, I'm sharing some of the things I do to make every day Earth Day.

• I live inside the Lakeland city limits, where recycling is almost too easy. Here's what goes in my recycling bin each week: glass (clear and colored), steel cans, plastic bottles with a #1 or #2 on them, newspaper, office paper, empty cereal boxes, magazines, basically any fiber that I can tear. I also learned this morning that the 40-pound bags my chicken feed comes in can go in the recycling bins because there's no plastic lining inside them.
• I recycle the aluminum on my own because the recycling center is nearby and I get cash for it!
• I have a compost bin. All of my non-meat food scraps go in there, as well as shredded paper, leaves and grass clippings, tea bags, coffee grounds and paper towels. Placing these items in a compost bin instead of the garbage greatly reduces the amount of trash I dispose of every week.
• I recently attended a Florida Yards & Neighborhoods rain barrel workshop and purchased two rain barrels. Now I can collect up to 110 gallons of water when it rains and use that to wash my car, water my plants, hose off garden tools, and rinse off my dirty feet before I go inside.
• I use cloth napkins with meals to cut down on my use of paper towels and napkins.
• I cut up old socks and use them as dish rags.
• Old T-shirts go into the rag bucket in the workshop.
• I hold a little contest with myself every year to see how long I can go without turning on the air in the spring, and how long I can go without turning on the heat in the winter. I open all my windows and as the sun crosses the sky, I close the windows and curtains where the sun will beat in and heat up the house, and vice versa in the fall/winter.
• I turn off ceiling fans when I'm not in the room. Fans cool people, not rooms.
• I ride my bicycle to run errands as often as I can, so I don't have to use my car. The less I use it, the less harmful stuff I'm putting into the air, and the farther I can stretch my diesel. At $4.11 per gallon, I'm doing this to save money as much as to do right by the environment.
• Ziploc bags that I've used and rinsed out are donated to the SPCA, where they can use them to bag dog food and dog treats for foster parents.
• Old cell phones, rechargeable batteries and used ink jet cartridges are donated to Keep Polk County Beautiful for recycling. The cell phones and ink cartridges actually generate a bit of income for the organization.
• I use canvas or other reusable bags for shopping, rather than plastic bags.
• If I buy just a couple of items from a store, I tell the clerk I don't need a bag.
• I recycle egg cartons, styrofoam food trays and plastic bags at Publix. This includes the plastic bags The Ledger is delivered in, as well as bread bags, fruit bags, empty cereal bags, etc.
• I've replaced about half the light bulbs in my home with Energy Star bulbs that last longer and use less electricity. I'm working on replacing all of them.
• I buy some groceries in bulk, and I try not to purchase items that contain excessive packaging. Some food packaging that is particularly irksome to me and I avoid at all costs are the little individual pudding, fruit and jello cups, Lunchables, and anything packaged in microwavable/discardable containers, like chili, soup, mashed potatoes, etc.
• I recycle Christmas cards by cutting out the pictures and making new cards with them.
• I make my own glass and all-purpose cleaners using more Earth-friendly incredients, such as vinegar, baking soda and ammonia.
• When the weather is nice, I hang my clothes on the line to dry, instead of throwing them in the dryer.

Other tips I've learned about that I'm considering implementing:

• Place a brick or a half-gallon jug of water in your toilet's tank. This will reduce the amount of water used by the toilet.
• When taking a shower, turn off the water while shaving, soaping up or shampooing hair.

Now it's your turn. What are some things you do to be kinder to the environment? Let's share, and maybe we'll all pick up a few new tips.

Happy Earth Day!

CSX Information Presented at Downtown Lakeland Kiwanis Meeting

Lakeland Director of Community Development Jim Studiale spoke on the CSX project at the Kiwanis meeting yesterday, and I'm glad I was there to hear it.

I'm one of those bloggers who just hasn't wanted to get involved in this topic. Chuck over at Lakeland Local , Josh at Empirical Polk and Billy Townsend at the Tampa Tribune have done a superb job at covering the controversial topic and they seemed to know and understand far more about it than I perhaps cared to know. But to be honest, the more I read of their blogs, the more irritated I got at the fact that this project may very well happen, whether the citizens like it or not. So it was great to get a crash course of sorts on the CSX project yesterday.

Throw in Sen. Paula Dockery's comments at the end, and I was sold on what a railroad job (pun intended) this has turned out to be.

Here are some myths that were busted- again- yesterday:

Myth #1- Train traffic will increase by just 2-4 trains daily.

Currently, 20 trains go through Downtown daily. Improvements to the S Line will make it possible to increase that to 54 trains daily. Sen. Dockery and Studiale both said CSX officials have indicated a desire to put as many trains as possible on that track.

Currently, the trains that roll through Downtown are 1,000 feet long. If the CSX deal goes through, future trains will be as much as two miles long.

Myth #2- Lakeland is opposed to commuter rail.

The city built the Downtown train station with future commuter rail in mind. They certainly didn't sink all of that money into building a nice train station for the four Amtrak trains that used to stop in Lakeland, which has dwindled to two stops today.

Myth #3- The CSX project will bring $40 million per year in taxes to the county.

Railroads have special taxing. This project actually will generate about $437,000 in tax revenue.

Senator Dockery

The good news, according to Dockery, is that as of Friday, this deal is dead in the Senate. The bad news is that there are two weeks left in the session.

This is not a commuter rail project, Dockery said, adding, "This is a freight project to get a subsidy into CSX's pocket."

Dockery's argument is that if they want to do that, they can do it with their own money, not taxpayer dollars. And there's no reason why they shouldn't- CSX is a company whose revenue has risen 12 percent to a record $2.7 billion.

Regarding the infamous liability issue where CSX wants the state to assume all liability for accidents that occur on the tracks- even those caused by CSX- Dockery mentioned that the state would be taking on a company "with a very bad safety record."

Here are some additional facts presented yesterday that I feel are worth repeating:

• Lakeland's urban area includes about 255,000 people. Those in favor of this project have drawn a picture of a sleepy little town full of NIMBYs who don't want progress. In fact, Lakeland is the largest city in inland Florida, after Orlando.
• Lakeland has managed growth with a Downtown bias. Downtown truly is the heart of the city. Years of work by the CRA has resulted in a thriving downtown community that until recently, only lacked a residential element. Today, renting and owning housing Downtown is a reality. Increased freight traffic will make additional residential opportunities more difficult.
• In other cities, Lakeland is heralded for its inner city growth and comprehensive plan. The city recently purchased 16 acres behind the Lakeland Police Department- a severely drug- and prostitution- infested, blighted area- and has plans to bring 500 units to the area. This will not be low-income housing.
• Lakeland's Citrus Connection bus system increases in ridership every year. Last year, it increased by 36 percent. Because of the bus station's location near the S Line, increased train traffic will make it impossible for buses to remain on time. This will jeopardize ridership, because people will not use the buses to get to work or appointments if it's going to take an inordinate amount of time to get from Point A to Point B, or if they can't be reasonably assured that the bus will arrive on time.

As a voter and a resident of Lakeland, I don't want this raw deal to be spoon-fed to Lakeland residents. On Monday, April 21, the Downtown Lakeland Partnership will hold the Anti-CSX Rally in Munn Park. People will begin gathering at noon and speakers will take the stage at 12:30 p.m.

For more information, contact DLP Executive Director Julie Townsend: 863-513-3669.

Hazel Haley Dead at 91

It's a sad day in Lakeland, folks. The Ledger has reported that Hazel Haley, beloved English teacher to thousands of Lakeland High School students, died Monday.

This dynamo taught school for 69 years, a record that I can't imagine will ever be broken.

You can read all the specifics of her life and death at the linked Ledger article above, but I have a fond memory of Ms. Haley that I want to share.

I was a reporter at The Ledger and was assigned a reaction story on Barbara Walters' Monica Lewinsky interview- her first since the world had learned of her trysts with President Bill Clinton. I was asked to contact several people in the community. One of the editors suggested I call Hazel Haley.

I called her and asked if she would watch the interview that evening and I would call her afterward for comments. She told me no. I don't remember the direct quote, but it went something like this:

"There's a special on PBS tonight about castles in England, so I'll be watching that. I can always see Monica Lewinsky on TV, but it's not every day you get to see a show about English castles."

I burst into laughter. It was the best denial for an interview I've ever received.

Ms. Haley loved to travel, especially to England.

The last time I saw Ms. Haley was last year at a Lakeland High School football game. I didn't speak to her- I just admired her from a distance.

I'm not from Lakeland originally and didn't have Ms. Haley as a teacher, but her reputation reached far beyond the LHS walls. Although it was just once, I'm grateful for the chance to have spoken to such a legend.

Keep Polk County Beautiful Wants Your Tires- And Your Dollar Bills

Chuck over at Lakeland Local published a post this week about the county's upcoming Hazardous Waste recycling event that will be held tomorrow, April 5 from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. in Lakeland.

I'm adding some juicy information. Now keep in mind that blogging is simply gossip, according to esteemed City of Winter Haven Spokeswoman Joy "The Rumor Stops Here" Townsend, but this information is accurate:

In conjunction with the Hazardous Waste collection event, Keep Polk County Beautiful is hosting a tire recycling event at the same location: 3241 Lakeland Hills Boulevard in Lakeland.

Residents- read: NOT TIRE BUSINESSES- are invited to dispose of up to 10 regular-sized vehicle tires that are off the rims. By regular sized, I mean something that comes off of the average car, truck, wheelbarrow, lawn mower, bicycle, etc. Do not bring your bulldozer tires, your semi-truck tires or your monster mudders. These tires fill up the containers quickly.

Also, feel free to bring old cell phones and computer ink cartridges for KPCB to recycle.

Finally, this is a personal request: if you plan to dispose of any items during this free event, I ask that you bring a $1 bill to donate to Keep Polk County Beautiful.

This organization nearly had its county funding cut this year, due to necessary budget adjustments. The funding came through at the last minute, but as a member of the KPCB board of directors, I know it is a strong reality that the county may not be able to fund this worthwhile organization next fiscal year.

Keep Polk County Beautiful comes into contact with more than 100,000 volunteers and program participants each year. If each person would donate just $1, KPCB would not need county funding to continue the excellent work it does each day.

Let me put this into perspective: if you were to pay to dispose of your own tires at the Polk County landfill, you would be required to pay a fee PER TIRE. I'm just suggesting that you pay $1. Period.

I hope Polk County residents will come out and participate in this event on Saturday. Don't forget your dollar bill!

Lakeland and Polk County Landmarks

Can you identify these Lakeland and Polk County landmarks? Hint: one is a rolling landmark...

Tonight is Pics on the Promenade

Check out Darby's post regarding Lakeland's Pics on the Promenade: West Side Story.

And My Husband Doesn't Want Me Putting Bumper Stickers on the V-Dub...

...perhaps he fears it would eventually lead to this. If you live in Lakeland, I'm sure you've seen this car around, but he/she has taken their message to a new level since last I saw it. Today I noticed that this person has glued Noah's ark to the hood, roof and trunk lid. I think this person should consider blogging. The message might be conveyed a bit better that way.

The Ledger Buys The News-Chief

Well, kiddies, the big news in Polk County today is that The Ledger has purchased the last (feeble) attempt at good, old-fashioned competition among newspapers. Other bloggers have written some great posts on it, so I'm not going to re-hash this. Instead, I'll kindly refer you to Chuck's post today at Lakeland Local, Josh's take on the situation at Empirical Polk, and the Tribune perspective from Billy at the Polk County News Blog.

Here's what I want to do: let's have a contest to rename the paper! I know Chuck is longing for The Ledger to return to The Lakeland Ledger. But with the combining of The Ledger's East Polk section and the News-Chief, there have to be some great renaming ideas out there. So put on your thinking caps and send me your suggestions.

Mark Calendar for the Next Pics on the Promenade

The next Pics on the Promenade in Downtown Lakeland is March 14, and the feature this time is West Side Story.

If you haven't been to one of these yet, I can't recommend it enough! This free event is a great time for date night or a family night out. Last month's feature of Casa Blanca attracted about 600 movie watchers.

The City of Lakeland has created a Web site for the event, which offers all kinds of information and tips to follow to make your experience pleasant. Check it out: www.picsonthepromenade.com.

I hope to see you there!

Attend the Speed Networking Event

I wrote this for the Polk County Business Journal, but wanted to post it on my blog, too. I think this is a great idea and if you're looking to make some business connections, you should plan to attend.


LAKELAND- The Puerto Rican Chamber of Commerce of Polk County will offer a new spin to an old business activity on March 7.

Business networking will be done in speedy fashion during the “Rapido Networking” event held 8:30- 10:30 a.m. at Black & Brew Coffee House & Bistro.

The event is similar to speed dating, but with a business twist, said Ana Rivera, Chamber president and the event’s organizer.

“I attended a speed networking event in Brandon a while ago,” Rivera said. “It’s being done in larger cities.”

Just because Lakeland is a nice, quiet community doesn’t “mean we don’t have metropolitan people who live here” and could benefit from speed networking, she said.

Here’s how the event works:

Attendees pay a $5 entrance fee, which includes coffee and a coupon good for food discounts at Black & Brew.

Each person gets a name tag with several table numbers listed on it. Attendees go to their first assigned table and have two and a half minutes to introduce themselves and the company they work for and explain what they hope to get out of the event, Rivera said. After five minutes, attendees move on to the next table listed on their name tag and repeat the process.

“No one ends up talking to the same person the whole time, Rivera said. “Each person could get to meet up to 90 people.”

Rivera anticipates having 25 people attend the first event, which is open to everyone. For more information call Rivera, 863-838-2084 or visit the Chamber’s Web site: www.puertoricanchamberofcommercepolkcounty.org

Black & Brew is located at 205 E. Main St.

Shuckey's Restaurant Review

I promise not to make this a habit, but I have to write about Shuckey's Oyster Bar and Seafood Company. Ever been someplace that you really wanted to love?

That was Shuckey's for me. Mike's friend from high school, Gus, recommended the place, which is a stone's throw from our house. When I forgot to thaw salmon for supper tonight, Shuckey's was the first choice for dining out.

Here's what I liked:

• Brightly painted exterior, reminiscent of Key West.
• Christmas lights hung throughout (made the place look cool!), along with lots of cool signs, posters and neon lights.
• An outside eating area.
• A menu full of reasonably priced food.
• A server who kept a smile on her face the ENTIRE evening, even when I'm sure I appeared to be losing patience.
• Big shrimp, great tasting grouper and crispy fries and hushpuppies.

Here's what I didn't like:

• The speed of service. We got there at 5:15 p.m. and left a few minutes after 7 p.m.
• The raw oysters (see photo above).
• The cole slaw.
• No fountain soft drinks. We were brought canned Cokes, and charged $1 each for them.
• By the time our food finally came, 45 minutes had passed and our Cokes were watered down.
• The speed of trying to get out of there.

When we arrived, there were two people at one table who were nearly done with their meal, and one table of four people who were ordering. After waiting 30 minutes for our food, I asked the server if Mike could at least get his raw oysters (they required no cooking, after all) and she politely told me they were filling orders in the order they were received and there was a BIG order ahead of us. Uh...that was the four people at the table behind us. I think that's a clear sign of trouble when four people constitute a "big order."

Shuckey's needs a lesson in cole slaw making. It was white cabbage and dressing. Period. No carrots. No purple cabbage. Not finely chopped. Big, hulking pieces of cabbage.

Regarding said oysters, the menu offers a "Shuckey's Dozen," which is 13 oysters. The shells above housed two of the oysters. I swear to you, I thought Mike had been short-changed two oysters when the tray came out because these two runts were hidden under bigger oysters. Note to Shuckey's: if you're gonna brag about how your dozen oysters is more than the next guy, don't include oysters in shells like the ones pictured above. You do nothing to advance your reputation by pulling a stunt like that.

If I go to a sit-down restaurant, I want my Coke from a fountain, not a can. If there was to be a next time for me at Shuckey's- which, unfortunately, there won't- I would bring my own can of Coke.

At the rate everything had gone that night, we knew better than to wait for our server (the ONLY server in the entire place, mind you) to bring us the check. We went to the bar to ask for it. She kindly asked us if we could wait a minute. That's what we had been doing all night, so why stop now? She delivered beer to a table outside, took a guy's order (after politely apologizing for his long wait) and then brought us the check. While waiting for her to run through the credit card, we chatted with some people at the bar, all of whom complained about the slow service.

So, as badly as I wanted to like Shuckey's, I have to say that sometimes it takes more than good food to make a restaurant good. I'm sure if anyone from Shuckey's reads this, they'll refer me to this info box printed on their menu: "Just about everything at Shuckey's is hand prepared in our kitchen. Some menu items may take longer than others...we appreciate your patience and your business."

This is my response. I don't care how good the food is, 45 minutes is too long to wait to get it.

Promenade and Pancakes

Friday night's Music on the Promenade was awesome. Above is an early shot of the crowd- oh, and my husband. Karasoul was an awesome band, as long as they stuck to covers. Sadly, I didn't dig the original stuff. I planned ahead this time and packed a picnic basket full of Riesling, cheese, crackers, kiwi, strawberries, veggies, dip and pretzels. Mike's oldest son and the girlfriend joined us for a while, so there were plenty of snacks to go around. The sunset was beautiful, the weather was perfect and we can't wait til next month's event.

This morning, it was off to the annual Kiwanis Pancake breakfast. Note to those who attend next year: I'm told by an insider to get there before 9 a.m. and you can zip right through. Mike and I ate a bunch of warm, buttery pancakes with some sausage and OJ on the side. Yum!

I'm ashamed to say that we missed the Lakeland Farmers Market today. After pancakes, we were so full and tired that we came home and took a nap.

No Excuse to Stay Home This Weekend

If you live in Lakeland, you ought to have a full dance card this weekend! Tonight is Music on the Promenade, featuring the band Karasoul. It's free- bring a blanket or a chair and a picnic basket.

Tomorrow is the Farmers Curb Market downtown- 8 a.m. until 2 p.m. You don't want to miss out on the fresh strawberries and collard greens, people! Also, there's a new vendor there who sells the cutest little dwarf bunnies for $10. He also sells cages for them and the quality is amazing. Artist Richard Bond will be there, wondering when I'm gonna buy that painting that I've had my eye on for weeks.

Also on Saturday is the Kiwanis Club's annual Pancake Festival. Here's what appeared in The Ledger:

"North Lakeland Kiwanis Club, Citrus Kiwanis Club and Kiwanis Club of Lakeland will hold the 50th annual Pancake Festival to support Kiwanis community programs on Saturday at the hangar at Tiger Town on Massachusetts Avenue in Lakeland. All-you-can-eat pancakes, sausage and coffee will be served from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. There will be displays and booths by merchants and groups along with entertainment in the afternoon. Tickets are available from Kiwanis members for $4 for adults and $2 for children or at the door for $5. Call 838-9686."

Now that's more fun than you can shake a stick at! I hope to see y'all there.

What's This Guy's Beef?

I went to The Chop Shop in Downtown Lakeland with a friend today for lunch and saw this guy at the Mid-Florida Building on Kentucky Avenue. Does anyone know what the deal is with him?

Pics from Lakeland Pig Fest

We just got home from the Lakeland Pig Fest, which will continue tomorrow (Saturday, Jan. 26) at Tiger Town. We highly recommend the BBQ pork sandwich from Natural Born Grillers. It was awesome. One of my favorite things about the Pig Fest (besides the BBQ) is the names of the grillers who are competing. Rather than write about each one, I'll tell you in pictures:

I also like the decorations you find at the booths. I think there must be a contest for that:
Some of the cooks are even fun to look at:


And the entertainment can't be beat. Firefall was the Friday night headliner on the main stage and there were several guitarists and bluegrass bands scattered throughout the event. But bar-none, my favorite was this cutie :

That's Robby Cox. He's from Hendry County, Kentucky. He has no specific musical heroes, but says he loves it all. He sort of sounds like it all, too. His voice sounds like Waylon Jennings at times, mixed in with a little Johnny Cash and Jim Morrison for good measure. It makes sense, since he can't choose a favorite.

"Picking an influence, picking a song or picking a genre, it's like picking your favorite child," he says.

Robby is 24 and good news, ladies. He's single! If you want to catch a glimpse of him before he leaves town, Robby says he's performing Saturday night at Louie Mack's on South Florida Avenue.