Divabetic Podcast: Mermaid Parade

Tune in to Divabetic’s podcast on the 42nd Annual Mermaid Parade with our guests, Coney Island USA’s Artistic Director Adam Rinn and Poet Lorraine Brooks.

The Mermaid Parade is the nation’s largest art parade. It brings together creative minds in art and fashion and attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors to Brooklyn’s amusement district. The Parade originated to help preserve the tradition of Mardi Gras-type events popular in Coney Island between 1903 and 1954.

This year, painter, performer, and sideshow historian Joe Coleman will be King Neptune, and his wife, artist, and photographer Whitney Ward will be Queen Mermaid. The couple will officially open the beaches for the beginning of summer and celebrate the sun, sand, sea, and salt air.

Our first guest, Adam Rinn, Coney Island USA’s Artistic Director, is a Coney Island native who has worked as a sword swallower, strongman, and variety performer for the past 20 years, so you’re sure to enjoy this fun and colorful interview!

Frequent contributor Poet Lorraine Brooks revisits her groundbreaking poem “Beauty & The Beach,” which premiered over thirteen years ago on Divabetic’s Roundtable podcast. “Beauty & The Beach” resonates deeply with podcast listeners and Diabetic blog readers. Since then, we have reshared Lorraine’s poem on body love, swimwear, and beaches on subsequent podcasts and blog entries.

During our interview, Lorraine shares how her opinions about her body and wearing a swimsuit have changed over the past decade, but her feelings about her diabetes diagnosis have not. She emphasizes the time, effort, and care she has put into her diabetes management, which has helped her remain free of diabetes-related complications.

Our discussion also touches on how negative self-talk can hinder us from enjoying life. Lorraine has agreed to revisit the themes of body love, beaches, and swimwear in a new poem entitled “Summer Skin” for this podcast.

Diabetes advocate turned reluctant amateur sleuth, Mr. Divabetic finally takes the plunge and ventures into a new career as a healthy caterer. With the help of his co-workers and nosy Italian mother, he heads for Coney Island to cater his first party aboard a yacht for his former swim coach, Ted Rockow. But his nautical soiree quickly capsizes when the guest of honor is found swimming with the fishes.

Was it an accident or foul play? Now Mr. Divabetic’s grilling Burlesque dancers, a lifeguard lothario, a gypsy fortune teller, and some sequined mermaids, all intent on keeping their secrets buried deep within the sand.

Can Mr. Divabetic overcome his green pea phobia in time to prove Coach’s death was a murder, not an accident? Or will he end up floating out to sea? Will he sink or swim? Tune in to find out if he can solve the murder of his former swim coach with the help of his nosey Italian mother and friends. Along the way to revealing the identity of the murderer, he uncovers expert tips for diabetes self-care during the Summer months.

FEATURING Max ‘Mr. Divabetic’ Szadek, USA Best-Selling Author Tonya Kappes, Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDE, MaryAnn Horst-Nicolay MEd, NDRT, Lorraine Brooks, Catherine Schuller, We Are Diabetes Founder Asha Brown, Chef Robert Lewis aka ‘The Happy Diabetic’, Mama Rose Marie, and Seveda Williams.

Divabetic Cozy Mystery: Kill Me Madam, Part 8

Narrator: With no time to spare before the competition’s official start, Max hurries below deck to retrieve his food processor.

SOUND EFFECT: footstep (man clopping) 

Narrator: Making his way back to the deck, Max is ambushed by a woman who is blocking his path.  It’s the stylish Millicent Merriweather.  And she’s holding the stolen pearl handled pistol.

Millicent: Stop right there and hand over that box!

Max: This box? It’s just a kitchen appliance! Granted it has 8 speeds and reversible blades but still –

Millicent:  I saw you handing cash to Britannia for that food processor in the parking lot after you left without buying anything. I searched Britannia’s trunk after I ran her over and the whales’ there weren’t there.  The only place they can be is in that box.

Max: So that’s why Britannia put those Botox receipts in my pocket. She was warning me about you. They’re yours! You get Botox shots to numb your feet so you can wear sky high heels.

Millicent: It’s a small price to pay for how great my legs look in these Manolo Blahniks. Now this gun is going to eliminate another source of my pain.

Max: Wait! Those heels don’t have any scuff marks. If a robber had dragged you into the storeroom then there would at least be scuff marks or a broken heel.

Millicent: Yes, Captain Obvious, I faked the robbery to give me an alibi. Britannia Coffin betrayed me. I had no choice but to kill her. We planned this heist for months. She couldn’t pull it off alone in her condition. We agreed she would get the insurance money and I would sell the teeth to the highest bidder. I even had a buyer lined up but then she went behind my back and made a deal herself.

Max: That’s why you killed her?

Millicent: The retail business is dead thanks to Amazon. Those whales’ teeth were my ticket to a new life. After she came into my shop this morning and didn’t bring me the whales’ teeth like we’d agreed, I thought Britannia might be planning to double cross me. That’s when I called the buyer and found out she’d made a new deal with him and had cut me out. Then I remembered seeing her give you that box in the parking lot. I was heading over to her house to confront her when I saw her coming out of the Treasure Island Antique Shoppe. I just saw red!!! She was an easy target without her poles.

Max: You won’t get away with this. My friends are probably already looking for me.

Millicent: Open that box and give me what’s inside!

Max: Look! It’s only a food processor.

Millicent: I can’t see. Move your mangy stuffed parrot out of my way. Where are they?

Max: I swear I don’t know.  I don’t have them. But why don’t you let me help you find them?

Millicent: Not unless they are at the bottom of the ocean. Let’s go, Jolly Roger!

Max: No, you don’t want to do this!

Millicent: You know too much! I’m going to make you walk the plank like in one of those old pirate movies. You’re already dressed for the part.

Max: You do know I can swim, right?

Millicent: Not with a bullet in you. Goodbye, Captain Bartholomew Maxwell!

SOUND EFFECT: gun shot and splash

Narrator: Max falls headfirst into the ocean with his food processor.

TO BE CONTINUED 

Divabetic’s Mystery podcast, Kill Me Madam, cast includes USA Best-Selling Author Tonya Kappes, Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDE, MaryAnn Horst-Nicolay MEd, NDRT, Lorraine Brooks, Catherine Schuller, Wendy Radford, Coach The Cure‘s Trisha Artman, Mama Rose Marie, Seveda Williams, and Max ‘Mr. Divabetic’ Szadek. Produced by Leisa Chester-Weir.

Throughout the podcast we will be featuring music from the Broadway Cast Album of ‘Call Me Madam’ courtesy of SONY Music.

 

Looking for a fun way to socialize without putting your diabetes wellness at risk? Do you need a little help staying on track with your diabetes self-care?

Join the happy healthcare host, Mr. Divabetic for this free, fun Tea Party with special guests, Divabetic Image & Style Advisor Catherine Schuller, Tessie’s Teas’ owner Rose Hall and Harlem Heaven’s Hats owner Evetta Petty on Tuesday, November 17, 2020, 7 – 8 PM, EST on Zoom.

FREE REGISTER – REGISTER NOW