2026: Welcome and Let’s Do This

Happy New Year! We’re one-quarter of the way done with this century and I’m looking forward to the year ahead.

Politicos are ready for the November midterm elections. Sports enthusiasts are ready for the Super Bowl, March Madness, the NBA playoffs, Wimbledon, or the World Series.

I’m ready for a new and improved life. I’m ready to walk the walk and talk the talk!

MY NEW PHILOSOPHY FOR 2026

Between movies or episodes of whatever series I’m binge-watching, I fall into the YouTube “rabbit hole” of Kylie Minogue, ’80s dance music, slot machine bonus rounds, etc.

I came across this video and I’m totally mesmerized.

I guess Manny Patel has been doing these forever, but “I Just Wanna Fuckin’ Dance 2026” with Alison Jiear is fuckin’ incredible!

2025, GOOD RIDDENCE

The last year was rather trying and one I’d just as well forget.

A move to a new apartment in March turned into hell (okay, it felt like it inside all summer).

A tyrant boss made me re-think my life and leave Central Illinois and my job after 5.5 years. In retrospective, thank you so much! I’m happy and he’s someone else’s problem now!

That led to another move not just across town, but hours away.

And, days before Christmas, I lost my my sister and my best friend, Tammy, at the age of 59.

I’m ready for a new beginning.

QUAD CITIES 2.0

I made the first step toward that by moving back to the Quad Cities this past November. I’m now back at my old station, WHBF-4 and Fox 18.

Here’s how I summed up my first six weeks on the air to someone: “I’ve been here six weeks and it feels like six months with four straight hours of news instead of two and two hours each with two different co-anchors.”

Xanadu and I are settled into our new apartment.

She already has a new bestie, Phineas — a pug one year old than her.

Miss Xanadu turned three a couple of days before New Year’s Eve!

She and I celebrated on the actual day and that weekend, she invited Phineas and his brother George over for a grumble (a real word for three of more pugs in a group)!

We enjoyed our feast, too.

SOCIALIZING MORE

I’m making it a point to get out more.

Weeks into the move back to the Quad Cities, I went to a Christmas fundraiser premiere party and the next Friday, I saw country superstar Clint Black in concert.

And, the weekend before Christmas, I attended a holiday party at a real castle!

It was festive and gay!

CONCERTS

In last year’s look ahead, I was highly anticipating seeing Kylie Minogue in Chicago in April and it was a spectacular show. (And, that’s how close she walked by me!)

This year, I can’t wait for the concert DVD to relive it.

That fulfilled my concert bucket list after seeing Reba (13 times), Madonna (four times), New Kids on the Block (three times), Lady Gaga and the Chicks twice, and Patty Loveless, Olivia Newton-John, Helen Reddy, and Mariah Carey once.

I’m excited for the new year ahead. I’d still love to Daryl Hall & John Oates (if they ever play together again), Culture Club, Toni Braxton, and Vanessa Williams in a Christmas show!

THINGS THAT EXCITE ME FOR 2026

As I mentioned above, clearly the DVD to Kylie Minogue’s “Tension Tour” is at the top of my list.

“DEXTER: RESURRECTION”

Also, in February 2026, I can’t wait to see and add the latest season of “Dexter” to my collection.

Yes, I love Michael C. Hall. Or, do I really love Dexter Morgan?

If it’s Dexter Morgan I love, I definitely want to stay on his good side!

And, there’s season 5 of “Hacks” arriving this year.

I can’t get enough of Jean Smart as Debra Vance and Hannah Einbinder as Ava Daniels.

Also, the long-awaited sequel to “Red, White & Royal Blue”! It’s being shot right now!

Plus, season two of “Heated Rivalry”, but that’ll likely in 2027!

And, either in 2026 or 2027, a sequel is coming to one of my all-time favorite comedies — a box office bomb, but now a cult favorite!

Yes, “Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion”!

And, since I shared that GIF — IYKYK — the biggest music event I’m looking forward to in 2026 is Madonna’s sequel to the her 2005 masterpiece and my second favorite Madonna album, “Confessions on a Dance Floor”!

I’ve seen Madonna in concert four times and the “Confessions Tour” was the first one.

That Chicago show was mind-blowing from the moment she was lowered onto the stage in a giant mirrored disco ball and it opened!

And, then this iconic visual (scandalous?) performance of “Live To Tell”!

My favorite Madonna show was the “MDNA Tour”, which I saw on my birthday in 2012, in Las Vegas!

DATING?

Yes, the thought is still alive after alluding me for nine years. I talked to Santa and he wasn’t too optimistic.

However, he thinks the prospects are better in the Quad Cities than Decatur!

TOTALLY RANDOM THOUGHT

Totally random thought, but it ties in… In February 2025, I wrote about LGBTQ actors playing lead straight roles, “I totally bought my lesbian crush Jodie Foster as a straight woman (?) in “The Silence of the Lambs” and in “True Detective: Night Country“.

But, the point, I’m getting to is this. I also wrote: “And, I totally buy my (gay) dreamboat Jonathan Bailey as a straight man on “Bridgerton”. However, I’m totally jealous it’s not me he’s in love with and making out with!”

Well, I was onto something. “People” named him “Sexiest Man Alive” in the fall. 🙂

Jonathan, see topic above — “DATING?”! 🙂

And, if Jonathan is busy or unavailable, Aaron Tveit, give me a call!

Nevermind, he’s married!

There’s enough of them [married men] in the single life “dating” pool already!

Ironically, both Bailey and Tveit have both played Fiyero Tigelaar in “Wicked”!

Here he is for his talent and not looks (well, not entirely)!

MY FAVORITE SONGS OF 2025

Back in the day, I used to share countdowns of my favorite albums, songs, and movies. I only do movies now.

However, this year, here are my eleven favorite songs (that many of you likely didn’t hear)!

“I’M GOING OUT” (Steve Aoki, Sam Feldt, XANDRA, Nile Rodgers & Zak Abel)

“LAST NIGHT I DREAMT I FELL IN LOVE” (Alok & Kylie Minogue)

“SAVE MY LOVE” (Marshmello, Ellie Goulding, & AVAION)

“NO ONE ELSE” (Two Friends & Corbyn Besson)

“I WANNA GO” (Britney Spears — John Summit Remix)

“TASTE OF YOUR TONGUE” (Elephante featuring babyidontlikeyou)

“FANCY $HIT” (CID x Taylr Renee)

“INTO THE BLUE” (Will Sass featuring Kamille)

“BLESSINGS” (Calvin Harris & Clementine Douglas)

“XMAS” (Kylie Minogue)

***Seriously, this one is amazing if you didn’t catch it this holiday season. Take a listen!***

“NO BROKE BOYS” (Disco Lines & Tinashe)

And, she’s from Kentucky!

Thank you for traveling along with me on this journey called “life”!

Anthony

2025: Holiday Greetings & More

For me, this is “the most wonderful time of the year” — decorations sparkle, snowflakes glisten, and Michael Buble and Mariah Carey jingle all the way to the bank with their holiday classics!

I hope 2025 was a great year for you and you’re happy and healthy!

For this holiday letter, I can’t say what I said in 2024: “Life for us is very much the same as last year”. It’s been a whirlwind and many times over the past nine months, I said, “Well, that wasn’t on my 2025 Bingo card”!

First off, the “calm before the storm”: Miss Xanadu continues to bring so much joy to my life as she turns three just before New Year’s Eve.

She’s still the naughtiest, most mischievous, and the most adorable little pug!

In March, we moved to a new place with a balcony and a partial view of Lake Decatur.

Xanadu love the balcony and the tropical plants loved the sun and heat. My lime tree actually had limes this year.

Sadly, the central air couldn’t cool the apartment and it was in the 80s inside most of the summer!

Now, back to that elephant in the room and what made 2025 a “whirlwind”.

Last fall (2024), I extended my work contract. However, over the next year, differences in opinions and style with my new news director led to “irreconcilable differences”. It made me rethink my life.

The expression, “you can never go home again” is true to some extent because things and people change. Out of the blue, I was given the opportunity to right a wrong I made in 2017. That spring, my ex and I ended our eight-year relationship and marriage and I made the irrational decision to move away from the Quad Cities.

I took a job in Panama City (FL) and stayed a year, moved to Duluth (MN) for two years, and spent the past 5.5 years in Decatur, in Central Illinois.

I’m thankful for the first four enjoyable years at WAND in Decatur working with Deron and Sierra (above) and meeting Lacey (below) before I left the station.

Fate brought me full circle in early November.

I returned to the Quad Cities as the morning meteorologist and co-host at my old station, WHBF (OurQuadCitiesNews) in Rock Island, Illinois. I’m so happy to be “home” again. (I spent 11.5 years in the Quad Cities the first time.)

This photo is from 2013 when I started at WHBF the other time.

And, this is one of my favorite work wives, Emily, from 2016, at WHBF.

And, I have to say that I love my work photo. I think I’m holding up rather well. 🙂

Miss Xanadu now calls the Quad Cities home and she’ll enjoy the Mississippi River instead of Lake Decatur!

This year, I fulfilled my concert bucket list when I finally saw Kylie Minogue in Chicago in early April.

It was the most amazing time and I wish there had been two shows.

I’ve been wanting to see her in concert since 2001 and it was so worth it when she walked by this close to me!

I also saw two other concerts this year. In May, I saw international superstar LeAnn Rimes in Decatur.

It was the second time I saw her in concert. In 2005, I got to meet her in Salisbury, Maryland, before moving back to the Midwest.

And, just last month, I saw Grammy Award-winning, country superstar Clint Black in the Quad Cities.

My sister, Tammy, is still struggling with her health, but she’s alive!

This summer, we took a little road trip back home to Kentucky and spent a few days in Paducah.

We had a little party and I saw some friends I haven’t seen in almost 30 years! So much fun!

We then spent a couple of days in Murray (KY) with my two of my favorite cousins, Steve and Ronda, and did some boating on Kentucky Lake.

And, in October, we took another trip to western Illinois and stayed in a cabin on the Mississippi River.

To celebrate our birthdays (Tammy’s 59th, her boyfriend’s 60th, and my 61st), we drove to a casino for a crab legs buffet. It’s been years since we last pigged out on crab legs near Duluth!

And, the charcuterie board was amazing and beautiful.

Down the line, I still want to retire with a balcony view of citrus and avocado trees!

Oh, speaking of citrus, the limes — I now have eight and they’re loving the window view and are very happy to be on the inside with the snow outside!

With the recharge this November, I’m at peace and hopefully retirement can wait a few more years!

“May hope and faith conquer fear and hate this Christmas”.

Anthony