Niece of the Week: Miss Amber Douglas
During our nine years at the Suncoast Resort, Miss Amber became a good friend. We both so enjoyed her performances and the truly wonderful person she is inside. When she would come on stage Amber would say that she’s just a little country gal. When we adopted our Australian shepherd she was a little country dog. Trying to pick out her name, the name Miss Amber Jillie came up. We can not look at our Miss Amber and not smile. Just a little country LSU gal!
You Just Can’t Make This Stuff Up!
Carrie and I were going to the Kobe Japanese Steakhouse in Brandon to celebrate our 36th anniversary together. We made a quick shopping stop at Burlington Coat Factory. It was our first time there. Standing in the check out line in front of us was a well-dressed lady. She turned and was looking at us when she asked, “Do you work at Hamburger Mary’s in Ybor?” I smiled and said, “Yes I do!”
The lady went on to say, “Aren’t you Tea Cup? You were our bartender. We had such a great time with you. We were celebrating our 26th anniversary that night.” Carrie and I both smiled and said,”Yes, that was me and we are celebrating our 36th anniversary today.”
She went on to say, “I will never forget how much fun we had together that night. It was our very last date together. The next day he had a massive stroke and passed away by the end of the week. You were our angel that night.”
WOW… what do you say to that?! We told her that we were very sorry for her loss. What a coincidence to run into her at that Brandon store.
Bear Time Jamboree
What a great Ybor City weekend. The annual Gasparilla Softball Tournament was all over Tampa Bay’s ball fields. 2500 players and teams came from out of state to get out of the northern cold weather states to play ball in the 20th annual softball classic in sunny Florida! Well, at least they played ball in Florida. The nights turned into large sporting bar event mixers.
The one stop that most of the guys wanted to go to was the monthly Social Bear Party held at The Social in GaYBOR, which is the third Saturday of the month. The placed was packed with bears and visiting ballplayers from opening the doors at 9 p.m. until closing at 3 a.m.!
It was a great place to meet up with friends and acquaintances from all over the state and out of state players as well. Congratulations Florida Entertainment Group and promoter/bartender Vinny on a very succesful ‘Welcome to the GaYBORhood’ event.
Three Cheers for the Tampa Police Department!
GaYBOR/Ybor City has become a much safer and fun place to live, work and play. A huge part of this is the improved communications between The Tampa Police Department and local Ybor City businesses. There is a facebook page called “Ybor Watch” (facebook.com/yborcitybusinesswatch). Thanks to Tampa Police Officer Sean Mahabir, we also know not only who is protecting us but how to personally contact them. THANK YOU Tampa Police Department. You’re the BEST!!!
Guess Who is Reading Dishing! 
This week a young friend came in and started with saying, “You’re not going to believe this.” His grandmother in cold-weather Chicago called him and said how good he looked in his pirate costume. Surprised, he asked where she saw this photo. Grandmother laughed and said in “Dishing with Mark and Carrie” of course! Later he found out that he had forwarded a photo of himself in Dishing to his brother. The brother forwarded it to their grandmother. She then signed up for the weekly newsletter on the web site. The grandmother went on to say that his mom reads Dishing too. OMG what did we start! LOL
