Happy Friday everyone. I hope you have great plans for the weekend. Have fun!
With Thanksgiving and traveling to Fort Dodge, Iowa, last week and weekend, and then coming home to decorate for Christmas, it seems we haven’t had any down time. My unemployed life doesn’t count! However, we’re going to chill out this weekend and watch movies and season three episodes of “Fringe”.
As I’ll do each Friday in December and January, I re-posted a ’80s Flashback earlier for those that new to my blog or missed them back in the spring and summer. But, I want to share a new video that is fun.
You know I love Britney, but I have no desire to watch “The X-Factor”. I saw her in concert in July 2011 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on the “Femme Fatale” tour and I knew she wouldn’t have a new album this year.
But, she’s back — as a guest.
Britney and The Black Eyed Peas’ will.i.am are racing up the charts with “Scream & Shout”, from his new album, #willpower, due in early 2013. Actually, this is the fifth single from the unreleased album!!! The first was released last November and you can probably guess, none of them have done well on the charts. However, this time, he has star power. “It’s Britney, bitch”. (Note: The “s-word” is in the video if you’re watching it at work or in front of little ones!)
This isn’t the first time that Britney has worked with will.i.am. He appeared on “Big Fat Bass” from her “Femme Fatale” album and appeared on tour with her via video! This was shot by a fan at the concert I was at.
And, here is a fun and exciting video to the song by a very sexy Aaron Milo and Daniel Skelton, actors in “Eating Out: Drama Camp” and “Eating Out: The Open Weekend”. I love this version. (Aaron is originally from Rockford, Illinois).
We’ve all heard of the Charlie Brown Christmas tree.
Now that it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas at our house, I’ve come to the conclusion that we now know what Charlie Brown’s Christmas tree would look like if it had been injected with steroids or had some Bruce Banner-like (The Incredible Hulk) radiation accident.
Sunday night, when Ray, Gretel, and I went to pick out our tree, my only request was that I wanted a fat, full tree. So, the search began.
After looking for about 30 minutes and with hands smelling like Christmas trees, we found that “perfect” tree and Ray took the most awesome “retro” looking picture of our 2012 Christmas selection.
It’s always funny how much larger trees look once you get them into your house. After a day of letting the tree “fall”, Ray added the lights Monday night and we added the ornaments Tuesday.
But, from the computer desk, the tree looks like it’s going to fall over into the fireplace! It’s the leaning tree tower of Christmas!!!!!!
So, we adjusted the trunk of the tree in the tree stand to no avail. If you look deep inside the tree, you see the problem. While it started out very straight near the bottom of the tree, it veered off to the right near the middle of the tree all the way to the top! 🙂 How did we not notice this Sunday night? Maybe we were chilly?
And, I’m really torn this Christmas. I love those annoying icicles that you throw onto the tree by the thousands. Ray is indifferent to them, but I feel that he wanted an icicle-free tree this year although he wouldn’t say it out loud! So, I asked my Facebook friends, icicles or not? And, Gretel and I lost, 59%-41%.
Don’t get me wrong. The tree is absolutely gorgeous in its simplistic, leaning glory. 🙂
UPDATE: Ray and I lifted up the tree with the lights and ornaments already on it and Gretel slid the old tree stand out and we put a different one under the tree and now it’s standing much more upright!!!!!
We have a second tree in the dining room that I decorated with lights that continuously blink from red to green. It’s like a Christmas disco lighted tree!
And, in our bedroom (no, you don’t have to cover your ears or eyes), we have a cute little tree if it can survive the next month with Gretel’s two hellion cats!
And, Ray always decorates the hutch!
The outdoor lights are the same this year, blue. Instead of a round wreath, this year we got a candy cane shaped wreath. A candy cane with blue lights!
Another difference from this picture from last year is that the multi-colored lights are not on the two King Hawthorne trees and the wooden, stand-up carolers are not out this year! They must be singing, “It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas, everywhere you go”, in the basement!
I love sending out Christmas cards and I love getting them. While I know most people are not like me and take them to the post office the day before Thanksgiving so they start their trek across the country, it’s a routine that I’ve done for the past twenty years.
It’ll be exciting to start getting them in the mail. While the holidays are just now beginning, I’ve already gotten three cards from friends, one from my bank, and one that I will cherish and keep forever.
When I saw the envelope, I was very careful in opening it because I knew I wanted to keep it.
If you’ve read my blog, you know that I absolutely love President Jimmy Carter and his wife, Rosalynn. I’ve blogged about how much I’d love to spend a week with President Carter and how he was given a bum deal in the late-1970s with the many problems he faced while President.
When this was originally published in November 2012, I wrote, “No, I don’t personally know President Carter. I was probably added to the mailing list of “The Carter Center” by donating money to Habitat For Humanity, which I’ve done many times and recently. But, I’d love to think that I was added to the mailing list because the former President has read my blog.” 🙂
However, in July 2017, my wish came true. I got to meet President Carter and Rosalynn!
Inside the envelope was a four page letter from Jimmy Carter that started out with why he and his wife have worked so hard since leaving the White House in January 1981.
And, there was a note from the former First Lady, Rosalynn.
The president went on to talk about how their work had to be “non-partisan and non-political”, had to approach the problems of the world in a new way, and that their work toward a “peaceful, healthier world” would be interfaith. And, it must be working because President Carter says that more than 900,000 Americans have joined The Carter Center.
Right now, the organization is “working to avert violence and foster peace and growth in Asia, the Caribbean, Africa, and Latin America”,” is working to end hunger in developing countries, teaching farmers to be self-reliant” and combating Guinea worm disease “that threatened more than 120 million people from India to Africa” in 1986. Today, there are fewer than 500 reported cases.
Along with the business part of the mailing was this Christmas card. The cover, “White Dove”, is from an original oil on canvas painting by President Carter.
As I stated before, I know this is a standard mailing. However, it still touches my heart and solidifies my thoughts that President Carter is one of the greatest men alive.
I got my first Christmas card of the season yesterday (thank you, Kelly and Sam) and last week, I got my first Christmas present. Actually, while it arrived closer to Christmas, it’s really more of a birthday present six weeks late.
As you recall, I spent my birthday in Las Vegas with Ray, Madonna, and 12,500 of her closest friends.
The concert was incredible, my unlimited champagne and mimosa brunch was amazing at Stratosphere, and the overall trip to Las Vegas was very fun.
I’m already looking forward to our next trip there in late January to see Lady Gaga and hopefully, Rod Stewart and/or Faith Hill and Tim McGraw!
But, what about my belated birthday present? I would like to say that Madonna was so happy that I’ve been a huge fan for 30+ years, that I’ve seen her in concert three times, and that I’ve blogged about her countless times that she just had to send me something. However, I know in the universe of the Material Girl, I’m one of those small specks out in space.
Last March, because we bought VIP tickets, they sent us two copies of Madonna’s “MDNA” album. I also bought the “deluxe edition” to get the best song on the album “Gang Bang”, since it was so violent that it was left off the clean version. The “deluxe” version also came with a second disc of five songs.
Nevertheless, because we had VIP tickets for the “MDNA Tour” (with only mediocre seats), Live Nation rewarded both Ray and I with gifts last week.
In addition to getting the CD last spring, the VIP package also got us the “MDNA” tour book, a Madonna poster, a “MDNA” key chain, a “MDNA” VIP laminate, a laminated commemorative ticket, and a Madonna concert t-shirt!
There are now only ten shows left in the sold-out worldwide “MDNA Tour” in South America. It wraps up in Argentina on December 22, 2012, and then Madonna can go home for Christmas.
All I need to know now is when the concert DVD comes out so I can sit back, watch it, and re-live everything I missed because I was so excited. Oh Madonna, please add some of Martin Solveig’s performance before your set. He’s incredible.
Thanks for the gift, Madge and Live Nation. Merry Christmas!
(wife of actor John Travolta, talking about their son Jett, who was 16-years-old when he died in January 2009 after falling and hitting his dead in a bathroom in the Bahamas): “[Jett] was autistic. He had seizures and when he was very young, he had Kawasaki Syndrome. I strongly believe as a mother, as does my husband, that there are certain contributing factors that lead to autism and some of it is very much the chemicals in our environment and in our food.”
TALK SHOW HOST ANDERSON COOPER
(to Kathie Lee Gifford, who was offering him breast of chicken): “I’m more of a stuffing man.”
“HALLOWEEN” STAR JAMIE LEE CURTIS
(talking about her holiday tradition): “I do a traditional post-Thanksgiving and post-Christmas meal, which is a very rich turkey soup with mashed potato pancakes and sweet potatoes on top of those floating in them. It’s excellent.”
DR. ERNESTO TORRES
(About the condition late last week of boxing champ Hector “Macho” Camacho, who was shot in the face while sitting in his car in San Juan. He died Saturday.): “We can’t declare him brain dead. We’re going to ask the people of Puerto Rico to keep praying.”
POP STAR JUSTIN BIEBER
(at the American Music Awards where he won all three awards he was nominated for, including Artist of the Year): “This is for all the haters who thought maybe I was just here for one or two years.”
MORE FROM BIEBS
(losing his train of thought while accepting the “Artist of The Year” award with his mother Pattie Mallette on stage with him): “I can’t even think. I’m just so blown away right now. I just want to always thank you for believing in me.”
Now that Thanksgiving is behind us and Christmas is one month from today, I don’t feel as crazy listening to and blogging about Christmas music.
Last Sunday, I highly recommended new holiday music from Rod Stewart, “Merry Christmas, Baby” and “On This Winter’s Night” by Lady Antebellum. Today, I’m reviewing two more new Christmas entries this season and one from four years ago that you definitely need to get if you missed it then.
“CHRISTMAS SPIRIT”– RICHARD MARX
Chicago singer/songwriter Richard Marx was on fire in the late-1980s and early-1990s scoring 14 Top 40 hits on the Billboard Hot 100.
He topped that chart with classics like “Hold On To The Nights”, “Satisfied”, and “Right Here Waiting” and he also reached the Top Four with “Don’t Mean Nothing”, “Should’ve Known Better”, “Endless Summer Nights”, and “Angelina”.
While Marx hasn’t had a Top 40 radio hit since 1994, he’s had many hits on Adult Contemporary radio. His latest album, “Christmas Spirit” has already introduced two new songs you’re hearing this holiday season on the radio, “Little Drummer Boy” and “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town”, a duet with singer/songwriter Sara Niemietz.
If you were a fan of Richard Marx during his heyday two decades ago, you’ll love his new Christmas album. “Christmas Spirit” is a perfect collection of holiday songs and it also features a duet with another 1980s pop star, Kenny Loggins, on “Let The Be Peace on Earth” and a duet, “Silent Night” with singer and fiddler Sara Watkins.
There are two new original songs on the 13-song album, the title track, which is spectacular and “Christmas Morning”, which is a decent song.
Marx excels on “I Heard The Bells on Christmas Day”, “O Come All Ye Faithful”, “White Christmas”, and “O Holy Night”.
His version of “Little Drummer Boy” is my favorite on the disc and will likely be a staple of Christmases in the future.
My only regret with “Christmas Spirit” is not a fault of Richard Marx. I wish I had shopped around before buying the CD from Amazon. If you buy the Target version, it comes with four additional songs, “Blue Christmas”, “Silver Bells”, “Jingle Bell Rock”, and “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas”.
GRADE: A
“CHRISTMAS WITH SCOTTY McCREERY — SCOTTY McCREERY
The other new purchase I made recently is the second album from 2011 “American Idol” winner Scotty McCreery, “Christmas With Scotty McCreery”.
His debut album, “Clear As Day”, was released in the fall of 2011 and sold more than 1.1 million copies and generated three country hits, “I Love You This Big” (#15), “The Trouble With Girls” (#17), and “Water Tower Town”, which barely cracked the Top 40, (#38).
Since I’m not an “American Idol” viewer, all I know about Scotty is that he’s 19-years-old, from North Carolina, is cute, won an ACM Award for “Best New Artist”, and that he has a voice that reminds me of Josh Turner.
McCreery is great on the upbeat classics like “Let It Snow!”, “Jingle Bells”, and “Holly Jolly Christmas”, but the album drags a little on “Mary Did You Know” and on the new song, “Christmas Comin’ Round Again”. The other original song on the album, “Christmas In Heaven” has the potential to be heard again next year.
McCreery has a great voice and this is a decent album for the holidays.
GRADE: B
“JOY TO THE WORLD” — FAITH HILL
While it isn’t new, I missed out on buying Faith Hill’s “Joy To The World” when it was released in 2008.
Epic fail on my part. Of the eleven songs on the album, ten are classics and there’s one new song, “A Baby Changes Everything”. That song actually reached #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart.
Faith’s voice is just angelic with the big band orchestra sound of the album. It features such classics as the title track, “O Come All Ye Faithful”, “Holly Jolly Christmas”, “Away In The Manger”, “O Holy Night”, “Winter Wonderland”, and “Silent Night”.
Faith blows me away with her version of “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town”.
Let’s play word association. If I say “stuffing”, you probably start thinking of Thanksgiving leftovers and not the scarecrow on “The Wizard of Oz”. If I say “hope”, maybe the future of the world comes to mind. And, if I say “faith”, many of you think of Christmas and religion. I, too, have hope and faith that there will be more peace and love on Earth, but since I don’t live in a fantasy world, I know it won’t replace hate.
When I hear “faith”, I think of the holidays and mankind, but also of Faith Hill.
I’ve been a huge fan since her first single, “Wild One”, was released in the fall of 1993. That song, and many others that have followed, shot to the top of the country music charts.
I was fortunate enough to meet her at the Hodag Country Festival in Rhinelander, Wisconsin, in the summer of 1996.
While working at WJFW, we profiled all of the singers performing. But, I did a separate story and bonded with Faith over the challenges her father faced with literacy. Three years later, in 1999, Faith’s tour supported a national children’s book drive, The Faith Hill Family Literacy Project, which collected more than 35,000 books.
Before the interview, the only thing her people told us that was off-limits was any personal questions about her relationship with Tim McGraw. While it was no secret, the two grew very close on the “Spontaneous Combustion Tour” that spring. Both broke off previous engagements and by the fall of 1996, they were married. They’re still together and are the parents of three girls.
The couple will be opening a new show, “Soul2Soul”, this winter in Las Vegas at the Venetian.
After selling more than 40 million albums worldwide, scoring an amazing 37 country hits, with 22 of them reaching the Top Ten, and nine topping the country charts, we haven’t heard much of Faith until recently.
She performed “Come Home” at the “CMA Awards” in November 2011. The song was to be the first single from her upcoming album, but it didn’t catch fire. As much as I love Faith, I didn’t care for it and neither did country radio. It stalled at #26.
However, she is currently at #29 on the country airplay chart and at #39 on the Billboard Country chart with “American Heart” and I really hope radio embraces it. She sounds great and looks absolutely fantastic in the video.
Sadly, I think Faith will have a hard time selling her new music and the new album, expected in early 2013, to country radio because of the same thing that Reba, Dolly, Loretta, Martina McBride, Pam Tillis, Lorrie Morgan, Trisha Yearwood, and so many other women face. Age.
While Faith is only 45 years old, the hottest stars at radio now are Taylor Swift (she turns 23 in December), Carrie Underwood and Miranda Lambert (both 29 years old), and Kelly Clarkson, who is 30.
And, those younger ladies are the hit makers. Taylor Swift has charted 28 country hits and 40 pop hits. Of her country hits, 14 have hit the Top Three and seven have hit #1. Miranda Lambert has scored 14 Top 40 country hits since 2004 with seven reaching the Top Ten, and 3 topping the charts. And, pop star Kelly Clarkson is finding a home on country radio since reaching #2 with Reba on “Because of You” in 2007 and #1 with Jason Aldean in 2011 with “Don’t You Wanna Stay”.
However, the hottest female on country radio is Carrie Underwood. Despite her “American Idol” song, “Inside Your Heaven” stalling at #52 in 2005, once she released her first real country song, “Jesus, Take The Wheel”, all 16 of her songs sent to country radio have peaked at #1 or #2! Of those sixteen country hits, 12 have topped the charts.
I really hate bringing up Faith, Reba, or even in the pop world, Madonna’s age, because I think it’s irrelevant. However, it’s a reality. Programmers had rather play young women on the radio. On the pop charts, the same thing happens, too. While her music is fun and catchy, it’s only taken Rihanna six short years to tie Madonna and the Supremes in fourth place with the most number one hits (12) on the Billboard Hot 100.
I’m going to have “faith” that the new Faith album will be hot in 2013 and you’ll hear her all over country radio where she was for much of the 1990s and the 2000s.
Faith’s first album, “Take Me As I Am” was released in October 1993.
The first two singles, “Wild One” and “Piece of My Heart ” both topped the country charts. The third single, “But I Will” was a misfire at radio only peaking at #35. The fourth and final single from that debut album, the title track, went all the way to #2.
The “Take Me As I Am” album is my second favorite of Faith’s six studio albums (not counting 2008’s Christmas album, “Joy To The World”), but it is a very close race. My favorite is the follow-up to that debut album, “It Matters To Me”. (This is my autographed CD cover from when I met Faith!)
That album came out in August 1995 and produced five Top Ten hits: “Let’s Go To Vegas” (#5), “It Matters To Me” (#1), “Someone Else’s Dream” (#3), “You Can’t Lose Me” (#6), and “I Can’t Do That Anymore” (#8).
Faith would have her next chart topper in the summer of 1997. “It’s Your Love”, a duet with husband Tim McGraw from his “Everywhere” album, reached the top of the chart in only five weeks and dominated all of country music for six weeks.
In the spring of 1998, Faith released her third album simply titled “Faith”. Unlike her first two albums that were straight up “country”, this album was aimed toward a crossover crowd.
The lead off single, “This Kiss”, not only topped the country charts, but it reached #7 on the Billboard Hot 100. The country and pop success of that first single also helped “Faith” become her biggest selling album to date with U.S. certifications of more than 6 million albums shipped.
Faith would also have four other country hits from the album: “Just To Hear You Say That You Love Me”, another duet with McGraw (#3), “Let Me Let Go” (#1), “Love Ain’t Like That” (#12), and “The Secret of Life”.
But, Faith’s star was still blazing bright and would shine even greater in the fall of 1999 when her fourth album, “Breathe” came out.
The title track was the lead single and it hit #1 on the country charts and #2 on the Billboard Hot 100. The follow-up, “The Way You Love Me” would also top the country chart and it made it into the Top Ten on the Billboard Hot 100.
The video to “The Way You Love Me” was a pure sugary confection and it’s still one of my favorite Faith videos.
The album “Breathe” would ship more than 8 million copies and produce two more Top Ten country hits, a duet with McGraw, “Let’s Make Love” (#6) and “If My Heart Had Wings” (#3). That was followed by the “Pearl Harbor” soundtrack hit, “There You’ll Be”, which hit #11 on the country chart.
With more than 14 million albums shipped of her last two albums, Faith released another pop album, “Cry”, in 2002.
While the album debuted at #1 on both the pop and country charts and sold more than four million copies worldwide, radio was not very receptive.
“Cry”, the first single only reached #12 country and #33 pop. But, it did reach #1 on the Adult Contemporary (AC) chart. Two more singles would chart at country radio, but they would only reach #26 and #28. The song, “One”, would also reach the top ten on the AC chart.
Faith did win two Grammy awards for “Cry”, “Best Country Album” and “Best Female Country Vocal Performance”.
I loved the “Cry” album, but I’ll admit that eleven of the songs on the album are almost perfect, but the album drags a bit toward the end with filler material. Sadly, this was a precursor of things to come.
In August 2005, Faith veered back to country music with the release of “Fireflies”. It debuted at #1 on both the pop and country charts and would go on to sell 3.8 million copies worldwide.
The first single, “Mississippi Girl” would top the country chart and three more songs from the album would reach the Top Ten.
I feel almost bad for saying this, but this is by far the least enjoyable Faith Hill album. I loved the first three songs from the album and a few others, but most of them are sub-par for a woman of Faith’s caliber.
A greatest hits album would come in 2007 with two more modest hits that only reached #32 and #28 on the country charts. “Red Umbrella”, the second new release from “The Hits” album should have been a bigger smash at country radio.
Faith’s first Christmas album, “Joy To The World”, was released in the fall of 2008 and it is absolutely amazing. I love every song on the album and if I had to choose a song that was my least favorite, it would be “A Baby Changes Everything”. However, it would top the AC charts for three weeks. I highly recommend this one!
I would love to see Tim and Faith in Las Vegas when I’m there in January 2013 to see Lady Gaga, but it’s going to take a stroke of luck on eBay like when we won the Elton John tickets in October.
Check out “American Heart”, it’s Faith better than she’s been in years!
In my “Fringe”-inspired parallel universe, it’s still Thanksgiving for us since we’re cooking today.
My biggest contribution to our feast is finished. My “Sweet Potato Pecan Cheesecake” turned out beautifully. I can’t wait until noon to sample it.
Ray is making the pretty and very dead turkey.
With about two hours left to bake, here’s what “Tom Turkey” looks like.
And, here is the final product.
My sister is making the dressing, green beans with ham, and deviled eggs. Okay, she called them “scrambled deviled eggs” because she dropped them. I’m not sure I’ll try those. 🙂
WE’RE CHRISTMASING, TOO
While we’re cooking, we’re listening to the angelic voice of Faith Hill and her 2008 Christmas CD, “Joy To The World”.
Santa Ray did some shopping online for Miss Gretel and I bought the movie “Rock of Ages”, season two of “Justified”, and Blake Shelton’s “Cheers, It’s Christmas”, all on sale and for free. I used my birthday money from my mother-and-father-in-law, Donna and Ray.
WHAT, IT’S SNOWING????
Speaking of the in-laws, we’re heading to Fort Dodge later today until Sunday for Thanksgiving.
While it’s very breezy in the Quad Cities with variable clouds, light snow is falling in Mason City, Iowa, and it’s only 18° at mid-morning. Closer to Fort Dodge, there are some snow flurries. “Tis the season!
My friends, have a great Thanksgiving weekend. Worry with the weight gain Monday. I’m not counting calories this weekend.
Happy Thanksgiving! I wish you and yours the very best today and every day of the upcoming holiday season. I’m very thankful for what I’ve been blessed with in life, especially the platypus! More on that later. 🙂
It’s bright and early and if we were feasting today, our turkey would already be in the oven. However, my sister works, so we’re doing our family Thanksgiving tomorrow.
Ray will be making the turkey and his amazing cheesy potatoes this year. My sister, Tammy, is adding a Southern flair to our feast with her spectacular dressing, which is heavy on the sage, and green beans cooked with ham. I’m making a hot corn dish and Sweet Potato Pecan Cheesecake!
This is only my second cheesecake and I hope it turns out better than the Lemon Cheesecake I made this summer. While that one tasted great, I didn’t like the consistency!
Since we’re doing Thanksgiving tomorrow, this afternoon, Ray, Vickie, a friend of ours that works with Ray, and I are volunteering for the community dinner hosted by Mr. Thanksgiving. It’s expected to serve about 2,500 people.
CLOSURE BEFORE GIVING THANKS
As the year draws to a close, most people reflect on where they’ve been and where they’re heading in the new year. I’m definitely one of those people.
Last weekend, I wrote my annual Christmas letter and I’ll share it with you Christmas Day. In it, my past seven years of employment was relegated to three short sentences. The reason is that I’m moving on and not looking back — after this blog entry. I have something to vent about and yes, it leads me into why I’m thankful today and every day. This is my therapy.
Regular readers of my blog already know that I learned on Halloween that my contract would not be renewed. Yes, I was shocked and disappointed that there was no discussion on the matter. It was just a done deal!
I would be lying if I said it doesn’t bother me to have that career door slammed in my face. I know this opens up endless possibilities for me in the future, but maybe not in television. The thing that disappointed me the most, at the time, was the tacky way it was handled without me being given a chance to say goodbye to those that allowed me into their homes for the past seven years and to finish working out the last month of my contract.
Luckily, for me, I have my blog and Facebook to correspond with the people who matter the most.
It’s been very interesting having to sit back and let people who know little or nothing about what transpired with my employment situation make comments publicly, to which I could not respond. (I was banned from commenting on the station’s Facebook page and that’s fine.)
What angered me, in the aftermath, was having a woman make public comments on the WQAD Facebook page and then send private correspondences to a friend of mine informing her of what really happened. I know this woman was upset that people started attacking others in the weather department because of what transpired. I did ask several times for people not to personally attack those still working at the station. Some of them I’m friends with now and some I didn’t care for then or now!
The reason I’m bringing up this woman’s comments (and I’m being a gentleman by not calling her the more appropriate word) is that it’s been standing in my way of putting this horror story to rest! She informed my friend, “I thought you should know there is more to things with Anthony then you are aware of…. Anthony has never made it a secret that he has been unhappy for years. I have numerous Christmas letters with his notes of discontent. He has talked for years about getting out.”
I will give her partial credit for that. In 2007, I wrote “Although I completed my contract with the station, I’m actively looking to leave. After two years in the Quad Cities, I decided it was time to move on to a bigger TV market. There are many contributing factors to this decision: no social life, a horrible work schedule, the station was sold, and a series of news director and general manager changes in just two years. However, I’m being very selective in my search, so it may take some time for me to find out where we’re heading next.”
And, here’s what I wrote in 2008.
After that letter went out at Christmas 2008, three months later Ray and Gretel came into my life and you know the rest of the story.
In 2009, I wrote, ” Work is going great. In July, I was moved to the morning show and I love it.” Needless to say, if she had gotten that letter or the ones in 2010 and 2011, she would have noticed that I found the missing part of the puzzle — a fulfilling home life that make the professional life more enjoyable. But, then again, that doesn’t make for a juicy story!
I’ll give her credit for remembering that or for whatever reason she was saving the letters, but here’s where I contemplated long and hard about using her name publicly since she’s already been talking publicly about my dismissal.
In the correspondence, she told my friend, “He really shouldn’t have told them he was going to leave over and over again. They gave him his wish….. We hope nothing but good things come Anthony’s way as I’m sure they will.”
The bottom line is that I wish she wasn’t acting like a rat under the table talking about me. On November 1st, when I blogged about what happened, it was public. So were many of her comments. She could have addressed that with me instead of talking behind my back.
Now that I’ve gotten that off my chest, I don’t want friends to attack people in my defense. I’ve always joked to Ray and Tammy to never fight my battles publicly because I’m capable of doing it myself and I don’t want to be a weak man who has to have someone else do it for him.
By expressing this, I have the weight lifted off my chest that has been bothering me all of November. This topic is now behind me unless she goes all Crazytown on me and then the gloves will be off. Otherwise, I’m looking to 2013 and new beginnings.
NOW, TO GIVE “THANKS”
As I mentioned while venting earlier in this blog, my life in the Quad Cities changed in late February 2009. I’m so blessed to have a loving husband and daughter and to have my sister living just across town from me. Ray and Gretel have brought me so much love and happiness over the past four years. The two of them made the last three years of Miss ABBA’s life even more incredible.
For Thanksgiving, I didn’t get two golden retrievers. That is a battle that Miss Gretel and I are losing. Ray is opposed to it right now. 🙂 (And, to be honest and keep this a secret, I am, too. The time isn’t right!)
However, I did get a platypus!
That is Priscilla, or “Prissy” for short. Gretel made it in her art class recently. When she saw the picture of it on the fish pond, she was horrified thinking it could have fallen into the water. Does she think I’m clumsy??? After the holidays, I told her that “Prissy” can sit on the fireplace mantle.
I’m very thankful not just this Thanksgiving, but everyday, to have a beautiful daughter to make things in school that I’ll cherish forever. Who cares that she still calls me “Anthony” most of the time. It’s only Dad #2 when she wants something or on Father’s Day! 🙂
WEDDING GIFTS
As you know, Ray and I got married on September 30, 2011 and we had our beautiful reception the following day. I don’t think we’ll ever run out of wine and liquor since that’s what we asked for in lieu of other gifts. But, we did get a gift card from Johnny’s Italian Steakhouse in downtown Moline and more than a year later, we finally had lunch there yesterday!
And, for dessert, we had banana cheesecake!
Thanks Chris and Lindsay!
I have so much to be grateful for this Thanksgiving and holiday season– including not having to juggle work, family life, and the holidays!
And, I’ll leave you with a smile and maybe even a laugh on this Thanksgiving!
And, here’s Reba channeling Lucille Ball in Reba’s 1994 television special!
Our turkey is thawing in the refrigerator and I can’t wait to smell its aroma Thursday as it bakes in the oven. I hope you’re ready for a very Happy Thanksgiving.
Ray, Tammy, and I will be preparing our feast for lunch on Friday since Tammy is working Thanksgiving. Ray and I are volunteering to help out at Mr. Thanksgiving’s community feast for the first time Thursday afternoon. On Friday, after we enjoy our belated Thanksgiving, we’ll spend the weekend with Ray’s family. My sister, Tammy, won’t be going with us because she has to work. So, if you eat out at Ryan’s this weekend and my sister waits on you, tip her well. 🙂
Since I have a Thanksgiving blog for tomorrow, today I’m reflecting on my favorite Thanksgivings.
This was our feast from last year, which was Tammy’s first Thanksgiving with us in the Quad Cities. It was also the first turkey day that my sister and I spent together since 1993, my last fall in Kentucky before I moved to Chicago.
Last year was also special, too, because it would be the last Thanksgiving that I would glance down from my plate and have two of the most beautiful, brown eyes looking up at me asking a bite. A bite of anything would do as long as it wasn’t bananas, jello, or apples! As you can see from my plate, I was eating for two. This year, I can’t use that excuse.
Miss ABBA, Daddy A will have an extra bite of turkey this year just for you!
Two years ago, Ray’s parents, Ray & Donna, and his sister, Ann, and her family joined us for a family feast. Gretel is on top of the world any time she gets to spend time with her cousins, Sydney and Addison.
In 2009, the first Thanksgiving Ray and I were together, we spent the afternoon with our friend, Tracy, and her family. She also invited us over last year for appetizers and wine since my sister was working!
Also, at Thanksgiving 2009, Christopher, my Chicago friend, and Betty (Mom) were in St. Thomas, so Miss ABBA was doggie sitting for Mr. Panda.
On Black Friday, we drove Mr. Panda back to Chicago and cooked Thanksgiving for Betty and Christopher. The next day, we met Gretel in downtown Chicago for a stroll through Macy’s before coming back to the Quad Cities and picking out and putting up our Christmas tree.
While we’ve had people over in the past, here is how ABBA and I spent Thanksgiving 2007.
While Miss ABBA ate her fair share of goodies that day, she only sat at the table for the photo. But, she definitely was sniffing the turkey and the gravy!
As a child through the early 1990s, all of our Thanksgivings were at my Aunt Norma’s house. After that, I moved away and usually worked on the holiday. In the late-1990s through the early 2000s, I spent my Thanksgivings with Betty’s family in Andover, Ohio.
And, my final memorable Thanksgiving was in 1996. I was living in Rhinelander, Wisconsin, for my first television job. There were many of us that were new at the station that fall and none of us were able to go home. So, I made a big feast and then we went out partying afterwards. Closing down the bars and then working the morning show two hours later probably wasn’t a good call. Luckily, that only happened once!
One of my friends celebrating with me that night was Elizabeth Goodsitt, who anchors at KWQC in Davenport, Iowa, the number one television station for news in the Quad Cities.
With this flashback, I wish you a “Happy Thanksgiving” one day early!
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