As each year winds down, I share a recap of my year in photos and stories. Then, in January, I look forward to the next twelve months and pontificate about what I want in life and what I want to change.
Last year, I hoped for three things. I got one of them! Yikes, that’s a success rate of only 33%! Good thing I’m a much better weather forecaster!
I’m starting 2024 quite differently than I started last year –βI’m finally a “Dog Dad” to a mischievous, silly little pug — Xanadu.
This is the little dictator’s reaction when I told her Santa “knows if you’ve been bad or good, so be good for goodness sake”!
She just celebrated her first birthday on December 29th!β
We had a little party with cake and ice cream (chicken tenders and fries for the humans) and we’ll have another party in late February — the one year anniversary of the “Gotcha” date!
In the past year, the silly pug has grown from a little 4-pound sweetheart to a bossy, naughty 18-pounder with long legs that likes to steal things off the kitchen table.βIt seems nothing is out of reach!
She definitely keeps me busy.βI can’t believe how much time I spend taking things out of her mouth — indoors and outdoors.
In 2024, I hope she remains fun and silly (she’s still a puppy), but I definitely want her to chill out a bit and listen more.
Who trained her? π
STILL SINGLE
After being single for almost seven years, dates or dating would be nice. Xanadu would love to have someone else spoiling her!β
It’s crazy because Facebook’s stalking algorithm thinks I’m in the market to buy rings!β
Isn’t that putting the cart before the horse?βDates first! π
SURPRISE INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL
When I returned from Turkey in November 2022, I knew that’d be my last international trip since I already knew I was getting Xanadu and my passport was set to expire in the spring of 2023.
And, then a work opportunity presented itself and I had to renew it.
This April, I’ll be hosting a group of 40-plus people on a Rhine River cruise that includes stops in Switzerland, Germany, France, and the Netherlands.
Shhhhh, don’t tell Xanadu.
This will be the first time we’ve been separated.βI’m not sure who’s going to have separation anxiety the most!
This fall, I’ll be reaching a milestone birthday and I have to plan something monumental. I’m sure it won’t top my 50th birthday, which was a fairy tale!
For that one, I had a dinner cruise on the Seine River, followed by a trip to the top of the Eiffel Tower at night to see the sprawled out city of Paris twinkling in the distance.
At midnight, as I turned 50, I was sitting right at the stage of the historic Moulin Rouge sipping champagne staring at boobies, acrobatic routines, and a woman in a water tank with snakes!β
And, then it was on to Tel Aviv, Israel.
I absolutely loved waking up and feasting on the Israeli breakfasts and enjoying the Mediterranean sunrises and sunsets.
And, one of my favorite meals ever was at Benny the Fisherman right on the Mediterranean.β
This was just the “starter”, their version of “salad”.βAll of it was so fresh.βI didn’t even have to have the entrees!
I was hoping to catch Kylie Minogue’s Las Vegas residency last fall, but I wasn’t able to even snag a “standing room only” ticket!β
Maybe that’ll happen in October when that monumental birthday happens!
And, I’ll treat myself to my favorite brunch and bottomless mimosas at the Wicked Spoon at the Cosmopolitan.β
(Yes, I select small portions of many things and eat every bite.βAlso, I get my money’s worth when it says “bottomless mimosas”!)
I appreciate you taking the time today to spend with me.βI wish the you the very best this year and I wish us all fun, safe, new adventures in 2024.β
While I forecast weather and I’m not a fortune teller or psychic, I really believe this!
While I’m not a “Dark Lady” that Cher sings about with a crystal ball, I think 2024 will be my year.
However, I also think it’ll be filled with some really fun highs and some not-so-fun lows, too.βI’m not sure why I feel that way, but again, I’m not a fortune teller or psychic!
Welcome to October! I have some things to talk about, some things I’m excited about for this fall, and, of course, I’m ready to decorate for the December holidays!
Have a fantastic weekend and thank you for checking out my Random Friday Thoughts!
WOULD YOU EAT THE SEAFOOD?
It’s now been more than twelve years (March 2011) since a 9.0 magnitude earthquake and the tsunami that followed destroyed the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant in Japan.
Plant operator Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings (TEPCO) is now releasing a second batch of treated radioactive wastewater (7,800 tons) into the Pacific Ocean!!! The first round of discharges (also 7,800 tons) in August and September went smoothly.
The wastewater discharges are expected to continue for decades!
Fishing groups and neighboring countries, including South Korea, are strongly opposed to this. And, China has banned all imports of Japanese seafood.
TEPCO says the water is treated to reduce radioactive materials to safe levels. It’s then diluted with seawater hundreds of times to make it much safer than international standards.
The International Atomic Energy Agency says if the safety plan it reviewed is carried out as planned, it’ll have a negligible impact on the environment, marine life and human health.
Now, would you feast on seafood coming from Japan?
IT FINALLY FEELS LIKE FALL!
Pug Xanadu and I took advantage of the recent warmth.
But, we’re very happy it’s turning cooler.
Since she’s 9-months-old, this is her first fall and it’ll be her first real winter. I’m thinking she’s not going to like it — especially the cold.
‘TIS THE SEASON (YES, THE BIG ONE)!
A few weeks ago, I posted this.
Well, it’s official. Mariah Carey says so!
The Queen of Christmas announced her holiday concert tour for November and December that’ll play 13 cities across the U.S. and Canada.
In 2014, 2015, and 2016, Mariah performed her Christmas concerts only in New York City. However, in 2017, she played NYC, three shows in Europe (Paris, Manchester, and London), and Las Vegas, which is where I saw her.
That’s a little photo montage of the show I saw and here’s what I had to say about it back then: “She [Mariah Carey] was absolutely gorgeous and flawless and her voice was crisp and angelic. The sets were magical and stunning and for just over 90 minutes, all my unhappiness was a distant memory!”
I think I need to take a road trip and see the new show!
PUMPKIN WHAT?
We know “pumpkin spice” season is getting longer and longer and Christmas items pop up in stores earlier. However, fall has now invaded our December holiday staple — egg nog!
I’ll try it if it goes on sale!
MY LATEST OBSESSION
I can’t wait to visit Las Vegas again and see the Sphere at the Venetian Resort in person.
I’m so intrigued by all of the pictures of the $2.3 billion (yes, that’s billions with a “B”), 17,600-seat arena that officially opened in late September with the U2 residency.
It’s the most expensive entertainment venue in Las Vegas history!
“THE WOMAN IN ME”
On October 24th, Britney Spears is scheduled to release her first tell-all memoir, “The Woman In Me”.
Trust me, with the stuff the pop superstar has been through, if she’s honest, this should be an interesting read.
Spears reportedly got $15 million from Simon & Schuster for telling her story!
MY FAVORITE BRITNEY SONG
“Everything”, from 2004, is my favorite Britney song.
It was the follow-up to “Toxic” from the “In The Zone” album and it reached #4 on the Billboard Top 40 Airplay chart.
“KARMA: MY BIORGRAPHY”
Also, coming this fall, Boy George will release his biography, “Karma” on November 9th.
I’m really looking forward to the book. I read his 1995 autobiography, “Take It Like A Man” with Spencer Bright.
There was a second book, “Straight”, in 2005, although I didn’t get a chance to read that one. Keep reading and I’ll share my five favorite Boy George and Culture Club songs.
What’s yours? Think about it!
NEXT WEEK IS FRIDAY THE 13TH!
“THE PEOPLE WE HATE AT THE WEDDING”
When it comes to movies, I’m more of a drama fan than comedy.
However, I recently enjoyed “Mafia Mamma” and I just checked out “The People We Hate At The Wedding” with Allison Janney, Kristen Bell, and Ben Platt.
Their characters are invited to a European wedding of Donna’s (Janney) daughter and the half-sister of Alice (Bell) and Paul (Platt).
I love the craziness and messiness that Alice and Paul bring to the wedding.
Also, it was such a pleasure seeing Dustin Milligan (Ted from “Schitt’s Creek”) again. He still looks delicious and was so awkward and funny.
GRADE: B+
“WOMEN TALKING”
This Oscar-winning movie (Best Adapted Screenplay — written and directed by Sarah Polley) is based on the 2018 book by Miriam Toews.
The book (and the movie) is just as advertised — it’s about “Women Talking”. While this account is fictional, it’s based on a true story.
Between 2005 and 2009, in a Mennonite community in Bolivia, 151 women and girls (ranging in age from three to 65) were raped at night in their homes after being knocked out by an animal tranquilizer spray.
The men in the colony blamed it on demons or ghosts, until a group of them were caught.
The movie and the book deals with the decision the women have to make while the men are away trying to free those accused.
In a barn loft, they debate their future — stay and do nothing, stay and fight, or leave.
I read the book first and it was so compelling and heartbreaking. I finally watched the movie last week and the acting was superb. However, after reading the book, I could only watch it in 30-minute-plus blocks over three days!
GRADE: B
MY 5 FAVORITE BOY GEORGE & CULTURE CLUB SONGS
With Boy George’s biography “Karma” coming out just in time for the holidays, I thought about my favorite songs from Culture Club and Boy George. What’s yours?
“I’LL TUMBLE 4 YA”
Boy George in “Take It Like a Man”: “Jon, Roy, and Mikey took brief dancing lessons. It was hilarious. Mikey proved to the only black man with no rhythm.”
“IT’S A MIRACLE”
“MOVE AWAY”
Boy George in “Take It Like a Man” called the video shoot a “two-day catastrophe” and a “mess” with his make-up sweating off. He said, “I had no grip on time or reality.”
“THE WAR SONG”
Boy George in “Take It Like a Man” called the video “epic”.
“KARMA CHAMELEON”
Boy George in “Take It Like a Man”: “We all loathed the finished video, but wherever we traveled in the world, people said, ‘Ooh, the ‘Karma Chameleon’ video, you all look so happy.”
BOY GEORGE BONUS And, while I love several of Boy George’s solo hits and his dance tracks as a DJ, “The Crying Game” remains my favorite.
Boy George in “Take It Like a Man”: “My greatest satisfaction was securing a Top 20 U.S. hit with “The Crying Game” and going back to New York after a seven-year absence. It was great to see it through clear eyes.”
THATβS IT
With all the craziness in the world, make it the best in your little part of it!
Since my passport was expiring, I wanted to take one more big trip and I wanted it to be the trip of a lifetime. I’ve had several amazing vacations in the past and exploring Turkey was right up there with the best of them!
Many of you saw the hundreds of photos I shared from my ten days trekking across the country. But, today, I’m sharing some stories behind the pictures and some things I learned.
However, I’ll get the sadness out of the way first. Last weekend, just three weeks after I arrived in Istanbul and eleven days after I left the city and country, police arrested a Syrian woman they say set off a deadly explosion that killed six people and injured more than 80 others.
The Turkish Interior Minister is now accusing the United States of complicity in the attack. It’s because we have a military partnership with a Kurdish-led militia in northeastern Syria originally formed to battle the Islamic State. American condolence messages were dismissed by the IM. He said, it’s like “the killer is among the first ones returning to the scene”.
My heart aches for the people of Istanbul and Turkey because of this senseless violence because everyone I encountered on my trip was very warm and hospitable despite language and cultural differences.
As the Turkish move forward to find security and peace again, I want to share more of this beautiful and geographically diverse country with you.
This photo is from Imagination Valley in Cappadocia. Can you see the couple dancing? That’s nature, volcanic activity, and imagination for you!
It was a very long two days getting to Istanbul.
After waking up at 2:30 a.m. Friday at home and working the morning show, I went home, packed, and then drove an hour to the airport.
Three flights later (fifteen total hours in the air) hitting three counties and two continents while straddling a third, I arrived in Istanbul.
This beautiful display was at the airport. Once I got to my hotel, I showered and went to bed!
What a way to spend a Saturday night in the largest city in the Middle East (Istanbul’s population is officially 15 million, but in reality, it’s about 18 million counting refugees, mostly from Syria. That’s about twice the population of the Chicago metropolitan area!)
Bright and early Sunday morning, I enjoyed a delicious breakfast and set off for the day.
First up was the breathtaking “Spice Market”…
the beautiful “Blue Mosque” from the outside…
and the going inside St. Sophia Basilica.
When my tour group of forty people left Istanbul the next day, it was wild how quickly the landscape changed from the sprawling metropolis of traffic and skyscrapers to vast empty land to forests to big cities again.
The photo below is Pamukkale in western Turkey.
This is not ice and snow. It’s terraces of mineral deposits (calcium carbonate) from seventeen hot springs!
The most beautiful city I explored on my own was the Aegean Sea-seaside town of Kusadasi.
That was the stunning sunset looking toward Greece while I sipped beverages with my new friends, Eleanor, and her daughter, Allison.
And, in Kusadasi, I couldn’t resist taking a selfie with this background. If only I could convince my morning colleagues I’m the “Greatest of All Time”! π
The highlight of the trip was a sunrise hot air balloon ride in Cappadocia just 3,000 feet about the jagged, volcanic terrain — an absolutely breath-taking experience!
We did experience a little more excitement that wasn’t part of the package. As we were heading to the balloon ride by van in the morning darkness, our driver was on his phone and rear-ended the car in front of us. No one was seriously injured and we obviously made the balloon flight in time!
One interesting thing about the Cappadocia balloon ride is how vital it is to the area’s economy. Do the math — about 100 to 150 balloons take off each day (weather-permitting) with about 20 people on board. This is a half-million dollar per day industry!
While I love my photos, this video is even more stunning to capture the experience.
As the trip wound down and we returned to Istanbul, I really enjoyed a beautiful cruise on the Bosporus (Bosphorus) Strait to see the city’s structures on both the European and Asian continents.
We then visited the “Grand Bazaar”, which was huge, but other than the beauty of some of the lamps and tea sets I’d love to have, it mostly left me unimpressed.
I loved the “Spice Market” from the first day in Istanbul more.
Now, let’s talk about food since you know how much I love eating and plating it for photos!
I so looked forward to the Mediterranean breakfasts and I ate plenty. There were many days I skipped lunch because I ate such hearty breakfasts.
This was one of my favorites breakfasts there.
Yes, I ate every bite on the plate since I don’t waste food and I only take what I’ll eat!
After this breakfast, I walked from the hotel into town and back twice that day to work it off!
And, the art work along the Aegean Sea was stimulating!
In addition to the breakfasts, I loved the desserts, especially the baklava and the honeycombs dripping with honey that you just cut off what part of it you want!
Also, the lamb kebabs were tasty and the homemade breads were incredible!
On this day, I ate two loaves of that bread with my kebab!
Out of everything I ate in Turkey, my favorite food was the persimmons — so sweet and delicious. Sadly, I was told by people familiar with them here in the States to skip them because they taste nothing like the ones in the Mediterranean!
And, while we’re talking fruit, I had freshly squeeze pomegranate juice with a splash of orange to sweeten it. This gives me a chance to show one of my favorite pictures I took on the trip — a fresh pomegranate splitting on the tree!
One of the best meals on the trip because of the heart-felt feelings behind it was when we stop at a small village and had lunch made and served to use by local women. (Again, notice the bread basket sitting right in front of me!) π
The food was great and the environment was so warm and inviting!
Also, on the trip, I ended up eating beef twice and both occasions were part of a “set menu”.
I gave up beef more than a decade ago and only had it once before this trip. (Disclaimer: These beef medallions were tasty, but I’m okay with it being another eight years before I eat cow again. If I want beef again, I’ll get the plant-based, fake beef “Impossible Whopper” at Burger King!)
Back in 2014, in Tel Aviv, Israel, when ordering beef and lamb kebabs to share, we Americans were expecting separate pieces of each. However, they were mixed together and so we ate them! (This Tel Aviv meal below is one of my all-time favorites! This is the “salad” part of the feast, even though they brought out fish, too.)
Yes, I ate a lot of food and enjoyed every bite. (I gained five pounds!)
At home, I only eat one meal a day — dinner. Unless I’m eating out, which is rare, or having dinner with my sister, Tammy, my dinner six days a week consists of a huge salad, and a piece of chicken or pork as a side dish, with my bread, salted butter, and wine.
Enough about food, I’m getting hungry.
In addition to Eleanor and Allison, I enjoyed spending time with Mike and Apar (next to me in the back) and Jonathan and Colleen.
One thing I learned the hard way in Cappadocia was not to get too close to a hungry camel. While this one was eating, I thought I’d a take a selfie.
The next thing I felt was its hard teeth biting at the back of my head! I didn’t get the selfie, but it hurt like hell for several minutes. Luckily, the skin wasn’t broken, so I didn’t get camel cooties!
There were many beautiful Turkish men and women. Here’s one example…
and, here’s another (on the left). I assume he was Turkish. He might have been a tourist like me!
I think he actually flirted with me, as much as you can in Turkey.
In Turkey, gay sex is legal, yet many in the LGBTQ community still face discrimination, harassment, and even violence and death from their relatives and neighbors. However, acceptance is slowly gaining there. This is especially true in the metropolitan city of Istanbul.
Oh, that photo above was part of a belly dancing lesson. The beautiful professional called some of us onto the floor to teach us some moves.
I think my moves were actually belly flopping instead of belly dancing! I definitely didn’t have “Moves Like Jagger”!
Now, here are a few things I learned about the country:
Turkey is 98% Muslim, but it’s much more relaxed than most other Muslim countries. (However, while I wasn’t looking to hook up, apps like Grindr are banned!)
Turkey’s population is officially 85 million, but there are about six million more refugees, mostly from Syria. (Turkey is the 18th most populated country in the world — the U.S. is at #3 behind China and India!)
Like any country, there are in the incredibly rich in Turkey. However, the average annual salary in Turkey is just about three thousand dollars a year per person! $3,000!!! In the United States, the average salary is 23 times higher, even though I don’t even make the average salary here, but I’m not complaining when I heard that sad statistic!
This incredible photo is on a ferry ride from the European continent of Turkey to the Asian continent of the country!
50 million people will visit Turkey in 2023, yet tourism is not a Top Five money maker for the country!
Like many other places I’ve visited, there are many stray animals. In Tel Aviv, it was cats.
In Turkey, there were cats, but I mostly saw dogs!
But, what’s interesting is that many of them are caught, vaccinated, spayed, and neutered. Most of the dogs are even ear-tagged to show they’ve been checked. And, people take care of the “strays” by feeding them and giving them water. I didn’t see one dog that was hungry and scared!
Speaking of water, there are many countries in the world where Americans are advised not to drink the water and to only drink bottled water.
However, Turkey, like China, is one of the countries where people that live there don’t even drink the water!!!
You can use tap water to make coffee and tea. However, I still used bottled water for that.
It just blows my mind. I can’t imagine that countries don’t make water drinkable for residents. (Yes, I’m aware that the U.S. doesn’t have a perfect record — Hello Flint, Michigan!)
On the trip, the hotels put out a nice breakfast buffet spread, but one thing that was missing — bananas. That’s very interesting because bananas are grown in Turkey, but mostly for export! (Yet, you could find them in stores.)
And, finally, the weather for the entire trip was perfect!!!
Not one drop of rain fell and high temperatures were mostly in the 60s in the higher elevations and in the 70s to near 80Β° elsewhere.
Those warmer days and nights proved a little bit too much for us Americans because the “tourist” season in Turkey usually winds down in early October and many hotels had already turned off the air conditioning for the season!
Visiting Turkey was amazing and if you every get a chance, go!
Before I wrap this up, I saw two things that I’ll call “signs” for my 2023… a wedding and this little adorable princess.
So, in 2023, I hope to become a pug dog dad and fall in love.
Hey, Turkey put it out there. It’s up to me to make it happen!
I’ll close with one of my favorite pictures I took on the trip. It was on the first day at the Spice Market. I loved that when I took the selfie, the woman behind me was smiling so warmly while her friends talked away.
It still makes me smile today seeing it!
And, here’s a song I fell in love with flipping through the channels. I mostly watched music videos because music is universal even if you don’t know what’s being said!
It’s “Hadi Bakalim” by 4 Yuz.
Again, I didn’t understand the lyrics, but it sounded so familiar. I racked my brain and realized that it a Loona song I loved while living in Chicago in 2001!
Anthony
P.S. If you’re still reading, either you’re bored or my stories and photos are interesting enough to keep your attention.
On a more twisted and morbid note, maybe it’s a good thing my passport is expiring. (Yes, I’m likely going to renew it.)
Why twisted and morbid?
Well, I talked about the terrorist attack in Istanbul just two weeks after I left the city. I know itβs only coincidence, but Iβm beginning to think that bad things follow me!
I was in Ottawa, Ontario, in September 2014.
A month later, a gunman opened fire on Parliament Hill and the Canadian National War Museum. He killed one and injured three others.
I was in Paris, France, in October 2014. Less than three months later, two French Muslim extremists attacked the “Charlie Hebdo” headquarters killing 13 people and two days later, another terrorist killed four others in a grocery story.
And, then on November 13, 2015, coordinated attacks across the city killed 137 (89 of those were at the Bataclan Theatre), including seven perpetrators.
I was in Las Vegas in March 2017, and October 1, 2017, a gunman opened fire on a country music concert killing 58 and injuring another 851 (422 by gunfire).
I was at The Jacksonville Landing Mall in January 2017. In August 2018, a gunman opened fire there killing three (including himself) and injuring 11 others (ten by gunfire).
If you’re going to a party, have fun and be safe. If you hand out candy, save me a Snickers or Baby Ruth!
And, if you’re trick-or-drinking, I’m coming to your house!
Have a fantastic weekend. I’ll be watching “Halloween Ends” on Peacock!
A LOW-KEY BIRTHDAY
I just celebrated another birthday — at home and working. I know how to live it up! π
In the past, I’ve been fortunate to celebrate some incredible birthdays — Athens, Greece (2021), Morocco (2018), Paris, France (2014), and in Las Vegas (2012) with Madonna and Elton John (the night before) on stage, of course.
Cheers from Athens last year with my first tasty and potent Ouzo…
… and outside the Moulin Rouge in 2014 before sipping champagne stage-side at midnight as I turned 50!
If I’m not traveling, I don’t even think of partying when another birthday arrives.
I think of how many more years until I turn 67 and I can retire.
It’s a good thing I love what I do. It sure makes the passing years more enjoyable!
COUSINS
Although I’m in good physical shape and in decent health as far I know, I find myself thinking more and more about mortality.
Last weekend, my sister and I ventured back to Kentucky to spend the afternoon with our cousins on my mother’s side. We haven’t been together with many of them in almost 30 years!
Here are the cousins (with Uncle Romey, at 85, on the far right)!
On our next trip to Kentucky, Tammy and I want to have lunch with our two cousins on our father’s side.
1985 CALLEDAND WANTS ITS FASHION & HAIRSTYLES BACK!!!
While at the reunion, many old pictures were shared including this one at my cousin’s wedding in January 1985. I never saw this photo before and I absolutely love it!
Can you believe that’s a barely 20-year-old me on the left with my sweet cousin Cindy? (On the right is my best childhood friend and cousin, Steve).
When this photo was brought to my attention, it blew me away!!! Without sounding vain, I didn’t realize I was such a sexy young man then!
Boy, if I had the confidence then that I have now, I would’ve gotten into so much (MORE) trouble! π
“SMOKE GETS IN YOUR EYES”
It gets a little dark now!
Since I talked about Halloween and mortality, I’ll use that as a segue to a dark, yet hilariously written book about the funeral industry and what happens when we die.
Caitlin Doughty’s 2014 memoir, “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes & Other Lessons from the Crematory”, was very informative, eye-opening, and creepy. And, she knew just when to throw in a little humor to make the book less dark!
Okay, before you think I’m strange (well, we all are to a certain extent), this book was a New York Times bestseller!
I was astounded and shocked by the embalming process.
I know the procedure is being performed on a body, but still it’s a very brutal event even to a non-living person.
It definitely made me regret having my mother’s body prepared for an open-casket funeral!
So, is it just a Southern thing to take photos of bodies in caskets? Why did we do this in 1990 when my mother, Dessie, passed away?
A final note about death, I had already decided to be cremated long before I read Doughty’s book and I’m glad I did!
CHILDHOOD NEWS EVENTS
In September 2020, I posted a blog called “My Life: The First 35 Years”. In it, I shared the 13 biggest events of my first 35 years and I counted down my 101 favorite songs of that era of my life. I had so much fun with it.
As a child and teenager in the 1970s, the news stories that vividly affected me were Jimmy Carter’s election as president in 1976, John Wayne Gacy’s arrest in 1978 after his serial killing of boys and young men in Chicago, and the Kent State Massacre in Ohio in May 1970.
If you’d like to see the biggest event that shaped my first 35 years or find out if “Macarena” was my favorite song of that era (it definitely wasn’t!), here’s that link:
But, as an adult, the three stories from that decade that I’m so fascinated about and have read so much on is President Richard Nixon, the Shah of Iran, and the Jonestown Massacre in Guyana in November 1978.
And, right or wrong, I’ve used the phrase “Drinking the Kool-Aid”!
βTHE ROAD TO JONESTOWN: JIM JONES AND PEOPLES TEMPLEβ
Jeff Guinnβs 2017 book was a concise and compelling read.
Here are some things Guinn shared that you might not remember or have known:
Jones moved from Indiana to California (Redwood Valley in Mendocino County and was associated with churches in Los Angeles and San Francisco) before heading to the jungles of Guyana in South America to a community he named after himself, Jonestown.
Even as early as 1975, Jones preached βI love socialism, and Iβd die to bring it about. But, if I did, Iβd take a thousand with me.β
On several occasions, Jones told his followers about Masada, an Israeli fortress in the mountains βwhere almost one thousand Jewish revolutionaries, women, and children committed suicide rather than surrender to a Roman army about to breach the walls.β
Jonesβs personal physician and Jonestownβs doctor Larry Schacht had been working to perfect a cocktail of Flavor Aid, tranquilizers, and potassium cyanide to make it taste less bitter.
In βThe Poisonerβs Handbookβ, Deborah Blum writes, βThe last minutes of a cyanide death are brutal, marked by convulsions, a desperate gasping for air, a rising bloody froth of vomit and saliva, and finally a blessed release into unconsciousness.β
This all led to the Jonestown tragedy where more than 900 of his followers were poisoned with that cyanide-laced Flavor Aid drink. (One-third were children that were killed first and found at the bottom of the mass of people.)
The bisexual Jones believed that everyone, women and men, desired him. One follower in his close knit managerial team was not afraid to stand up to him. Harriet Tropp told him that she didnβt desire him because βYou are 47 and fatβ, but she added, βI donβt have romantic illusions. They say the greatest orgasm is death, so I hope we have the great pleasure of dying together.β
PARTING THOUGHTS
Even today, people donβt recall any of the good that Jim Jones did before he became a delusional, drug addict.
What people remember is jokes about βnot drinking the Kool-Aidβ when it comes to religious leaders and institutions and their fanatical views. Politicians, too.
Sadly, it wasnβt even βKool-Aidβ. It was the cheap imitation, βFlavor-Aidβ β just like Jim Jones was a cheap imitation knockoff of God!
βJONESTOWN: TERROR IN THE JUNGLEβ
If you donβt have time to read Guinnβs book, this SundanceTV documentary following Jonesβ life was incredible!
This November will mark the 44th anniversary of the Jonestown massacre — some call it βmass murderβ and others, a βmass suicideβ.
Iβm in the βmass murderβ camp, since the Jones was deranged and pretty much forced those people to drink the cyanide-laced concoction at gunpoint.
I saw it in the fall of 2018 and gave it an βAβ!
STORIES FROM JONESTOWN
Another book I read recently was 2013’s “Stories From Jonestown” by Leigh Fondakowski.
She and her team talked to survivors that were in Jonestown and Guyana at the time and to those working back in the states for Jim Jones.
Their stories are incredible and sad!
THATβS IT
With all the craziness in the world, make it the best in your little part of it!
Fall officially begins next week, but many people consider Labor Day the “unofficial” end of summer.
It should come as no surprise to you if you regularly check out my thoughts that I’m ready for fall and what comes after it — the holiday season and winter!
Today, my random thoughts are dedicated to fall (and more).
DECORATED VERY EARLY THIS YEAR
All of my pumpkins and scary decorations are out and have been since July! (There’s a reason for the madness and I’ll share it later this year.)
These two metal decorations are my favorites and are hanging on the wine rack! I love the vintage look!
While I love wine and booze (boos), I don’t want to miss out on my candy corn, too, especially “Harvest Mix”!
“BROS”
I’m ready to see a movie in a theater again!
The last time I saw one on the big screen was in early 2020, pre-pandemic lockdown.
I plan on enjoying my large popcorn and large Coke Zero (and free refills) with “Bros”.
It’s “the first gay romantic comedy from a major studio featuring an almost entirely LGBTQ principal cast”! It’s hard to believe it’s 2022 and this is the first!
Hotties Billy Eichner (who co-wrote the movie, along with director Nicholas Stoller) and Luke Macfarlane (“Brothers & Sisters” and “Single All The Way”) are the leads.
The movie is co-produced by comedy giant Judd Apatow, which adds great visibility to the LGBTQ movie. And, what’s really cool is that Apatow retweeted my tweet about the movie!
When I saw the first trailer, I thought, “cute”. When I saw the second trailer, I was totally sold!
“Bros” hits theaters September 30th!
MY AFTER-BIRTHDAY BIG TRIP
In the past, I’ve celebrated my birthdays in Athens, Greece (2021), Morocco (2018), Paris, France (2014), and in Las Vegas (2012) with Madonna and Elton John (the night before) on stage, of course.
This year, I’ll be going to bed early on my birthday to get up at 2:30 a.m. for work the next day!
However, I have a big trip planned to a secret location before my passport expires!
WISHING I WAS IN CANADA THIS FALL
While I’ve never been to Toronto or Montreal (I’ve been to Ottawa), I’d still like to visit. However, the reason I wish I was there this fall is for a Frosty!
Yes, a Wendy’s Frosty. I last had one — chocolate-vanilla swirl — almost seven years ago.
This fall, in Canada, and for a limited time only, Wendy’s is replacing the vanilla Frosty with “Caramel Apple”!
It’s described as a “classic vanilla base, infused with apple syrup. On top is a healthy drizzle of caramel syrup.”
Yes, please! Bring these to the U.S. next fall!
“HALLOWEEN ENDS”
I’m definitely excited for my birthday to get here. It’s not because I’ll be traveling or turning 39 (again and again), but because Michael Myers returns to theaters (and Peacock) the next day, October 14th, with his latest (and hopefully greatest) killing frenzy.
This is the 13th movie in the “Halloween” franchise that started in 1978. It’s the third and final movie in the latest installment from Blumhouse Productions.
This latest trilogy is 50-50 with me. I loved “Halloween” (2018) and was less than thrilled with “Halloween Kills” (2021). Here’s the short of my reviews.
“HALLOWEEN” (2018)
“It was very entertaining and I loved the winks back to all of the other movies in the franchise that this one pretended didnβt exist.
Iloved that the movie was very violent (Michael Myers as a practicing dentist!). It could be because heβs psychotic and has been locked up and drugged for 40 years!
While the movie was great, it didnβt scare me since nothing can compare to the 1978 original!β
GRADE: B
&“HALLOWEEN KILLS” (2021)
In my review last year…
“After a year delay because of the pandemic, I was excited to see βHalloween Killsβ. After seeing it, Iβm glad I watched it for free on Peacock instead of paying to see it in the theater.
The next to the last kill in the movie was phenomenal and the moment of death is classic. Also, the final kill was surprising and shocking!
Now what I didnβt like about it!
For starters, the lack of a storyline for Jamie Lee Curtisβ Laurie Strode! After seeing this movie, I get it that theyβre saving her for the βfinaleβ (yeah, right) of the franchise.
The whole mob scene at Haddonfield Memorial Hospital went on way too long.
While I enjoyed the movie as a whole, Iβll never watch it again!
Final thoughts: The trailer is better than the movie, you see many of the kills, you saved money by not going to see it, and you didnβt waste almost two hours!”
GRADE: C
Here’s the trailer if you haven’t seen “Halloween” (2018).
“THE CROWN”
I absolutely love Netflix’s “The Crown” about Queen Elizabeth II’s monarchy since 1952.
The fifth season, which is expected in November, will cover the early-to-mid 1990s, and should focus on the crumbling marriage of Prince Charles and Princess Diana, his relationship with Camilla, and Diana’s relationship with Dodi Fayed.
Season six will likely focus on the death of Princess Diana in 1997 and the aftermath of that tragedy.
It’ll be interesting how much of the past 25 years will be covered in the final season — the marriages of Prince Charles, Prince William, and Prince Harry, the death of Prince Philip, and now the recent death of Her Majesty!
I need the team behind “The Crown” series to consider this for the final scene of the series: “We have breaking news this evening… we can now confirm that Her Majesty, the Queen has died. Repeating, Queen Elizabeth II has passed away. We go live outside Balmoral Castle in Aberdeenshire, Scotland.” (FADE TO BLACK AND CREDITS!)
“SPOILER ALERT: THE HERO DIES”
I can’t believe that I didn’t know Michael Ausiello’s beautiful, funny, and heartbreaking 2017 memoir, “Spoiler Alert: The Hero Dies”, is being made into a movie!!!
Jim Parsons and Sally Field are the top-billed stars and it’ll introduce me to sexy English actor Ben Aldridge.
I finally got around to reading the book in November 2020 and here’s what I shared:
“Iβve been wanting to read it since it came out, but real life and my own drama (D-I-V-O-R-C-E) got in the way.
By page eight, I was ready to date and fall in love in again. By page 26, I had tears streaming down my cheeks and I was happy no one was close enough to me as I was reading and walking by Lake Decatur to see me crying!
The book is amazing. While itβs a heartbreaking story of finding love, fighting for love, and then losing that love in a painful, year-long death sentence, itβs a beautiful love story!
Many will never experience the love that Michael and Kit did.
Ausiello knew just when to drop a funny line, a pop culture reference, or a naughty memory to bring a smile to my face alongside the tears.
One of the βother four-letter wordsβ could be my favorite word (think βF”).Another is one I absolutely love, but I canβt use it without offending someone! (I wonβt even give you a hint on that one, but if youβre busy this weekend and on Monday, Iβll see you next Tuesday!)
Also, after reading this beautiful book, βolive juiceβΒ takes on a whole new meaning and I hope to get to use it one day!Β
While the movie opens in limited release earlier, a wide release is set for December 16, 2022.
AND, WHILE TECHNICALLY NOT FALL…
“I WANNA DANCE WITH SOMEBODY”
And, on December 21, 2022, the big screen biopic about Whitney Houston hits theaters.
Naomi Ackie stars as Whitney and the always sensational Stanley Tucci plays Clive Davis, the legendary music maker that discovered Houston.
And, my week was made Thursday when the official trailer finally dropped!
While thrilling and beautiful, it didn’t give much away about her personal life with Bobby Brown or Robyn Crawford, except maybe when Whitney exclaims, “My dream, sing what I want to sing, be how I want to be”.
“I WANNA DANCE WITH SOMEBODY (WHO LOVES ME)”
So, go away summer, I’m ready for fall and the holidays!
HAPPY FALL!
Here is a photo I took at Scovill Zoo last fall, in Decatur, Illinois.
THATβS IT
With all the craziness in the world, make it the best in your little part of it!
It feels like the seasons jumped right from winter to summer this week across Illinois with highs 90Β°-95Β° and heat indices around 100Β°!
Yuck, is it fall yet? π
Have a fantastic weekend and thank you for taking the time to check out my random thoughts.
Oh, Happy Friday the 13th!
THE PANDEMIC AND COVID TESTING
The COVID-19 pandemic is still with us. We’re seeing another surge in infection rates and deaths.
Since masks and mandates are coming down, there’s still one change I hope happens soon.
I want the Biden administration and the CDC to drop its mandatory testing for American citizens returning from foreign countries by air. Currently, you have to have a negative COVID test one day before returning to the U.S.
This is from the State Department’s website: “The order relates to boarding a U.S.-bound aircraft and is meant to protect and preserve human life, as well as prevent further transmission of a highly contagious and often deadly virus.”β―
This made more sense early in the pandemic when there were more uncertainties and no vaccine.
But, it doesn’t make sense to me now that foreign travelers have to go through the expense of being tested before returning. (Last October, it cost me 10 Euros in Greece and $40 in Costa Rica in April to be tested.)
This is silly because people can travel freely on domestic flights in the U.S. without being tested and this could just as easily transmit the “highly contagious and often deadly virus”.
Drop the testing policy now for Americans traveling internationally and just bring back the flight mask mandates!
I’ll still be wearing mine! Your thoughts?
MY COSTA RICA SOUVENIR
While I’ve been back from my spring trip to Costa Rica for over a month, I finally have the souvenir I bought myself on display.
It’s now part of my memorable mementos’ wall in my bedroom — my photo with President Jimmy Carter and Rosalynn Carter and with Hillary Clinton; the Moulin Rouge in Paris where I turned 50 at midnight sipping champagne sitting at the stage; one of my all-time favorite meals at Benny The Fisherman in Tel Aviv; and Tel Aviv and the Mediterranean from Old Jaffa, which I visited during the same birthday trip to Paris.
SHOCKED AND NOT SHOCKED…
When it was announced that Naomi Judd, of the iconic country music duo The Judds, died at the age of 76 at the end of April, it sounded suspicious. In the back of my mind, I suspected suicide because she had battled mental illness for years.
On Thursday, her daughter, actress Ashley Judd, told Diane Sawyer on “Good Morning America” that Naomi did take her own life. What shocks me is it was from a self-inflicted gunshot wound!
May is “Mental Health Awareness Month”. If you (or someone you know) are overwhelmed and thinking of taking your life, please make this call and talk!
FREE PREMIUM CABLE
Recently, I had free premium channels from my cable company, so I was able to watch “The Flight Attendant” and other series and a movie to take advantage of the free week!
“THE WHITE LOTUS”
If you need to recharge, but you can’t get away or don’t want to spend the money, there are two series you can check out covering relaxation (and drama) — one in Hawaii and the other in California.
The six episode HBO series, “The White Lotus” was interesting.
A group of Americans arrive in Hawaii and they bring all their drama with them. Geez, after watching this series, I really feel for those in the hotel industry!
While the series was great, there were only two likeable characters — a guest and one employee! Jake Lacy and Sydney Sweeney successfully make their characters very unlikeable! π
Out Australian actor Murray Bartlett (“Looking” and the Netflix revival of “Tales of the City” in 2019) was incredible as hotel manager Armond. While dealing with the guests, he falls off the wagon after being “clean” for years.
And, when he falls off, some very interesting things happen. One scene was totally incredible (adult) and the other was nasty (yet, the person it’s directed at totally deserved it)!
Bartlett and Jennifer Coolidge both won the Critics’ Choice Television Awards for Best Supporting Actor and Actress in a Limited Series or Movie made for Television, respectively. Both were also nominated by the Screen Actors Guild.
I expect both to get Emmy nominations in July!
“The White Lotus” was renewed as an anthology series and Jennifer Coolidge will reprise her role as Tanya McQuoid in “The White Lotus: Sicily”.
GRADE: B
“NINE PERFECT STRANGERS”
This eight episode Hulu series is based on the book by Liane Moriarty (“Big Little Lies”).
While my girl crush Nicole Kidman was great (when isn’t she?), the standouts I expect to get Emmy nominations are Melissa McCarthy, Bobby Cannavale, and Regina Hall.
And, I was totally mesmerized by Manny Jacinto as Yao and I wished he had a larger role.
After watching the series, I read the book. Both were enjoyable, but neither were “Big Little Lies”!
GRADE: B-
“THE FLIGHT ATTENDANT” — THE BOOK
It was a year ago this week that I wrote about Chris Bohjalian’s 2018 bestseller, “The Flight Attendant”, and stated, “itβs incredible.”
I went on to say, “An alcoholic flight attendant wakes up in Dubai after hooking up with a hot man in first class on her flight.
The one night stand or doing the walk of shame would be the least of her problems. She wakes up and the bed is covered in blood! His throat has been slashed and she canβt remember what happened!
Did she do it????”
“THE FLIGHT ATTENDANT” — SEASON ONE
Well, I finally got the watch the first season and it was fantastic. While the book was very bleak, which was fitting with the subject matter, the series took a more comedic-dramatic approach. It worked perfectly.
Kaley Cuoco (“The Big Bang Theory”) was incredible as the alcoholic Cassie Bowden (she’s in denial about being a drunk). And, the men, (soon to be murdered) Alex (Michiel Huisman), Buckley (Colin Woodell), Max (Deniz Akdeniz), and Van (Nolan Gerard Funk) are all beautiful to look at.
And, Zosia Mamet, as Cassie’s best friend and lawyer, was amazing.
The second season is now airing on HBO Max.
GREAT SEEING BANGKOK AGAIN!
While the pivotal murder scene in the book takes place in Dubai, it’s Bangkok, Thailand in the television series.
I was in Bangkok in the spring of 2019 and it was absolutely stunning to see the Chao Phraya River again and the city aglow in lights at night.
The top left photo above is βWat Arun Ratchawararam Ratchawaramahawihanβ (try saying that!), also known as the βTemple of Dawnβ, and in the bottom left is Iconsiam, a $1.5 billion mixed-use complex including a high end shopping mall, hotels, and residences.
“FROM HARPER VALLEY TO THE MOUNTAIN TOP”
“Harper Valley P.T.A.” was one of my favorite songs as a kid and it’s still one of my all-time favorites. Recently, I read Jeannie C. Riley’s 1978 autobiography, “From Harper Valley To The Mountain Top”.
Even if it was the late-1970s when the book was published, I was still shocked that she used a quote with the n-word in referencing the blues — a title her father used!!!!
Some of the other things I found interesting about her. I laughed when she talked about not wanting to be noticed one day when she doing something “undercover”, yet she was driving around in a lavender Cadillac. π
Jeannie talked about her own hypocrisy and summed it up, “Not only was I Mrs. Johnson with her miniskirt, but I was philandering Bobby Taylor. I was the widow Jones with her window shades up, I was Shirley Thompson with the nip of gin on her breath. No one was as big a hypocrite as I was. But now, praise God, things are different.”
Jeannie was one of the celebrities welcoming President Jimmy Carter to Nashville in October 1980 at a “Town Hall Meeting” at the Grand Ole Opry House.
“HARPER VALLEY P.T.A.” (JEANNIE C. RILEY) (1968)
In a ranking of my 100 favorite songs in the first era of my life, “Harper Valley P.T.A.” was my #5 song.
“MY LIFE: THE FIRST 35 YEARS”
If you’d like to know the 13 biggest events of my first 35 years and take a walk down memory lane with my 100 favorite songs in those three-and-half decades (1964-1999), just click on the link below.
I had so much fun researching this blog and writing it. Obviously, many of you did, too, since it was one of my most viewed blogs over the past two years.
We work to pay bills and live our lives. When we’re lucky, there’s extra money left to buy new clothes, furniture, homes, cars, or whatever you like spending money on.
I live a simple, no frills life, so I spend my money on traveling when I can.
After vaccinations became available and a majority of Americans protected themselves against the Covid-19 pandemic (before the Omicron strain stressed us out), I jetted off to Greece for my birthday in October 2021. It was amazing, even without seeing the gorgeous beaches (I’ll have to watch “Mamma Mia” again for that!)
Once I got back, a great deal on a trip to Costa Rica presented itself, so I booked it.
I didn’t get to mark another continent off my list since Costa Rica is in Central America. As for continents, four down (North America, Europe, Asia, and Africa) and three to go (Australia, Antarctica, and South America). For the record, Antarctica won’t happen and the other two are unlikely!
A couple of weeks ago, I added that new stamp to my passport!
While you may have seen some of the pictures, here are some stories behind those photos — one is scary (and hilarious) from my last night in the country!!!! π
The Wikipedia page on Costa Rica perfectly sums up the country in a soundbite: “Costa Rica is a rugged, rainforested Central American country with coastlines on the Caribbean and Pacific. Though its capital, San Jose, is home to cultural institutions like the Pre-Columbian Gold Museum, Costa Rica is known for its beaches, volcanoes, and biodiversity. Roughly a quarter of its area is made up of protected jungle, teeming with wildlife including spider monkeys and quetzal birds.”
Surprisingly, because some people are loud when they should be quiet in nature, I did snap a few pictures of spider monkeys in the wild in the Arenal Volcano National Park…
and a cute little White-Nosed Coatimundi.
I posted that description of Costa Rica because it plays a big role in the beauty, yet the frustration of traveling there.
My Gate 1 Travel trip was the “9 Day Kaleidoscope of Costa Rica with Guanacaste”, which was a step up from the “7 Day Classic Costa Rica”. And, I’m so glad I did that because the two days in Guanacaste (Tamarindo) was definitely worth it for the gorgeous hotel, my room and balcony, and the Pacific Ocean sunsets.
However, of that “9 Day” trip, two were travel days, which were exhausting. Heading there, I drove an hour from Decatur to the airport in Bloomington, Illinois, for the first of three flights! It was a short flight to Chicago, three hours of sit time, then a three-hour flight to Miami, sitting three more hours, and then the final three hour flight to San Jose, Costa Rica.
The return trip was just as long: driving to the airport in San Jose, sitting three hours, a three-hour flight to Miami, trying to get through U.S. Customs in less than two hours to catch a three-plus-hour flight to Dallas. Once there, five hours of sitting before the flight to Bloomington, Illinois, and then the one hour drive home!
But, it was worth it to see Costa Rica. Here’s some of that biodiversity!
I absolutely love taking photos and the one below is one of my favorites. While the church in Zarcero was gorgeous, this is what captured my eye and my imagination!
In my travels, I’ve often talked about how much I love, love, love Mediterranean food and, especially, Mediterranean breakfasts.
This one is from Tel Aviv, Israel…
and, this one is from Greece.
Well, Costa Rican breakfasts are much simpler. One interesting staple of the diet there, even at breakfast, is beans and rice!
While I love beans and I love rice, I don’t eat them too often at home. But, since it’s part of the diet in Costa Rica, I had beans and rice each morning with my eggs. Also, the papaya was incredible!
My favorite meal there was a sea bass, which was preceded by a delicious shrimp and lobster bisque, and followed by pineapple cheesecake.
My favorite dessert was raspberry panna cotta, which came after a tasty Greek salad, and salmon with pesto linguine, my second favorite meal.
Costa Rica was my sixth trip with Gate 1 Travel. The other five were a Danube River cruise (2013), Scandinavia (2017), Morocco (2018), Bangkok, Thailand (2019), and Greece (2021). (My 2016 China trip was through another company and my 50th birthday excursion to Paris, France, and Tel Aviv, Israel was a trip I planned on my own.)
On many of these trips, I meet people that I’ve kept in touch with over the years! Hi Barbara, Maureen, Izzy, Katrina, Marcellus, Matt, Cortney, Shirley, and Robert.
In Costa Rica, I met four amazing people that I’ll be keeping in touch with from southern California. I spent most of my time socializing with Bill and Sandi…
and Kathy and Tim.
An interesting side note is that the four of them live within thirty miles of each other and Costa Rica brought them together!
The most scenic experience was the Arenal Volcano National Park, where I took this selfie.
One of coolest adventures was walking across eight hanging bridges, some of which were hundreds of feet long and hundreds of feet over the vast forest of trees.
Sadly, I was most disappointed with the Rio Frio River Boat Tour because of not seeing too many reptiles and creatures. We did see some small crocodiles, “Jesus Christ” lizards, birds, a sleeping sloth, and a few howler monkeys.
But, a stop for a bathroom break gave me the opportunity to see this beautiful macaw!
And, the flowers and plants were stunning. This was my favorite!
And, this one was the most intruiging!
One of the negatives to the trip was the horrible infrastructure. It took many hours to travel just a distance of 60-100 miles, and even longer in a large tour bus!
If you added up all the hours on the bus from one stop to another, we probably lost two to three days. But, we did see gorgeous landscapes along the way and sadly, forest fires that were burning up parts of Coast Rica.
One shocking (and interesting) thing I learned visiting the Pre-Columbian Gold Museum in San Jose on my last night in town was back in 1944, due to the fear of contagion from tuberculosis and leprosy, special currency was minted or pierced for internal use inside sanatoriums and leper asylums!
That’s just crazy!
But, there’s some justification to this paranoia. Almost a century before, in 1856, Costa Rica was under attack by a group of mercenaries led by American William Walker. Walker ended up dumping bodies into the wells which polluted the water supply. This caused a cholera outbreak that killed almost 10% of Costa Rica’s population (nearly 10,000 people)!
And, now that scary and funny story!
My trip started and ended in San Jose, the capital and most populous city (2.1 million of the country’s 5.1 million residents).
Since I had to get up at 2:30 a.m. for my return trip home, I went to bed around 9 p.m. While this may be TMI, it’s important to the story and adds the humor to it.
I sleep naked and usually I have my lounge wear on the bed with me. But, since it was a very early wake-up call, I had the clothes I was wearing home sitting out — across the room.
At 10:30 p.m., I woke up and I thought I heard a noise. I listened for a bit longer and I realized that someone had opened my door! In hotels, I always put the safety lock across the door and I’m so glad I did.
With the new visitors arriving at the hotel that evening, the reception desk must have programmed my room number onto the magnetic key for someone else.
Since I couldn’t reach my clothes, I yelled out, “Hello”, and I heard someone say, “There’s someone in there!”.
I’m totally convinced that it was a mistake downstairs and it scared them as much as it did me. If it had been burglars, I don’t think they would have responded and just left.
So, I almost had someone in my room, but not in the way I wanted! π
Thank you for coming along to Costa Rica with me through this travelogue!
If you ever get a chance to visit the country, the people are very nice and it’ll make you appreciate all that you have even more.
As winter slowly morphs into spring, there are a couple of things going on that I’ve keep close to my chest and I’m now ready to share with you.
April 1, 2022, will mark my two-year anniversary in Decatur, located in Central Illinois. It’s basically two hours east of St. Louis and three hours from the Quad Cities and three hours from Chicago.
With that being said, last month, I signed on to stay at WAND as the morning meteorologist for several more years!
I absolutely love my morning crew and I’m looking forward to spending more time with them!
After making that decision, I had the opportunity to move into a more modernized, updated apartment and I took it.
In the past, I’ve had good luck moving into new places sight unseen, but that wasn’t the case with my apartment here.
While it was in a great location on Lake Decatur, it was old and run down — basically, a dump. So much so that I didn’t invite people over for dinner other than my sister. (The pandemic helped with that, too.)
While I’ll no longer have a view of Lake Decatur out my bedroom window, I still have woods to look at instead of a parking lot!
And, I can still do my four-mile walk around the Lake a couple of times a day, weather-permitting.
When I loaded my U-Haul in Duluth, Minnesota, in late March 2020, to move to Decatur, six inches of new snow greeted me that morning, but my move-in day in Illinois was perfect.
For this move, 11.5″ of snow fell a few days before I started moving things into the apartment, but the melting snow posed no problems!
At this point, my new apartment is my favorite since Panama City, Florida, in 2017. While I hated my time there, I loved that apartment which was destroyed by Hurricane Michael less than five months after I left!
After more than a week of unpacking this mess and having fun decorating, it’s time to share my new place with you. I’m very excited about it!
First up, my living room.
Two more notes about my living room entertainment center area.
One day, I was visiting my sister, Tammy, and I commented on the lamps on her desk. And, just like the person that’d give you the shirt off their back, she made me take them!
I didn’t protest much and now they’re two of my most prized possessions!
And, of course, since I’m still waiting to see Kylie Minogue in concert, I’ll just have to enjoy the “Golden Tour” in the luxury of my living room!
You know I love wine and champagne (and vodka), I still absolutely love the wine rack I bought back in 2004 and the “art” work above it.
I took these photos while visiting the Sonoma Valley wine region in California years ago and I found the vintage metal “wine” sign at a yard sale for a dollar!
Cheers to getting wasted, classy people! π·
While I learned from my last apartment that not all come with lights in the living room and bedroom. I can understand that.
But, what I was shocked to learn about my new place — no light or light fixture in the dining room! What is this, the 1800s?
Should I have just saved money and invested in a couple of lanterns and candles for entertaining? Or, just dine in the dark? π
Well, I chose the more updated approach and treated myself to a couple of new lamps to accentuate my dining room!
Now, I can’t wait to have more dinner guests and small Christmas parties!
I love my bedroom with the tulips prints and framed personal photos of my 50th birthday celebration (champagne at the Moulin Rouge in Paris, a view of Tel Aviv from Old Jaffa, and my favorite meal ever at Benny the Fisherman on the Mediterranean Sea in Tel Aviv).
Also, photos of meeting my idols, President Jimmy Carter and Rosalynn Carter, and Former Secretary of State and First Lady Hillary Clinton.
And, of course, there’s my beautiful Reba “Read My Mind” album cover painting that my friend, David Krumwiede (Fifi DePraved) made for me when I left Chicago in 1996 to begin my television career!
And, I love this cool print, too, and the view out my bedroom window!
Also, the plants make the room feel so warm and inviting.
And, finally, the hallway from the living room and the dining room to the bedrooms is now the koi walls.
I picked this one (and the green ceramic tile one in the next photo) up when I visited China in 2016.
And, this beautiful one means the most to me. It was painted by my dear artistic friend, Katie, as a going away present when I left Duluth!
She knows how much I miss my koi pond from my former life and how I hope to have a pond again one day.
Oh, this one which I’ll likely have re-framed in black, I picked up at second hand art store in Urbana, Illinois, a few months ago, for only $4.
If you’re a regular reader of my random thoughts, you know I love making lists and countdowns.
On September 11, 2020, I posted a blog of the 13 biggest events of my first 35 years. (13 because I was born on the 13th and it’s my favorite number).
Along with that, I intended to share my 35 favorite songs of those first 35 years. Well, the initial list ended up with 236 songs, so I decided to be like the Billboard Hot 100 and share my top 100 songs of that era of my life.
In case you didn’t see it last year or last week when I posted it again, here it is:
Well, it was well-received, so why not be like Hollywood and make a sequel???
So, here are the top eight events that shaped the next era of my life (1999-2021) along with not my just my 22 favorite songs of the past 22 years, but my 100 favorites of that era!
EVENTS THATSHAPED MY LAST 22 YEARS
MEETING REBA McENTIRE (APRIL 2005)
While Reba McEntire became a powerhouse superstar in the mid-1980s, I was all about dance and pop music in my 20s during her rise to super stardom.
However, I discovered her at Sidetrack, in Chicago, on country night in 1990. That voice singing βRumor Has Itβ blew me away and Iβve been a huge fan ever since.
Regardless of what was happening in my life, good or bad, when Reba released a new album, there were songs I felt she recorded just for me.
Iβve now seen Reba in concert thirteen (13) times and I got to meet her in Virginia Beach, Virginia, in 2005.
MOVING BACK TO CHICAGO (JUNE 2002)
After my mother died in November 1990 and my grandmother, Helen, passed away in November 1993, I felt it was time to leave Kentucky and I moved to Chicago the following summer.
I stayed for two years before kicking off my television news career in the summer of 1996 in Rhinelander, Wisconsin. After jobs in Lubbock, Texas, and Mansfield, Columbus, and Youngstown, Ohio, working for a homophobic, racist, and sexist news director, I felt it was time to take a break from television.
So, Miss ABBA, my golden retriever, and my ex, Christopher, headed back to Chicago, where we had met in early 1995. (Look at how youthful we were 26 years ago!)
It was a very enjoyable return to the “windy city”.
I had a great time at Roscoe’s Tavern (a very popular gay bar on Halsted), worked as a freelance writer for the morning show at Fox News Chicago, and went back to school to earn my meteorology certification.
By the way, I don’t make it a point to lie, but I saw that sticker and it was just too much fun not to stick it on my shirt for a photo op! π
In the summer of 2004, Christopher and I realized our nine-year relationship had run its course, so I took a job in Salisbury, Maryland, and Miss ABBA and I moved to Delmarva for a year-and-a half before returning to the Midwest in November 2005.
When I started putting together the recap of my second era (1999-2021), I thought about the events that shaped the past 22 years of my life and I started thinking of my favorite songs of the past two decades-plus.
That list started with 221 songs and after the first cut, it was still at 155. After thinking long and hard, I narrowed it down to one hundred, just like the Billboard Hot 100!
Here’s to you, Casey Kasem! (Hint, the other 60 are at the bottom of this blog, along with some surprises!)
#40 “LOVE YOURSELF” (JUSTIN BIEBER) (2015)
#39 “I’LL BE” (REBA McENTIRE) (2000)
#38 “WOMANIZER” (BRITNEY SPEARS) (2008)
#37 “FADED” (ALAN WALKER) (2015)
#36 “THE EDGE OF GLORY” (LADY GAGA) (2011)
While that’s the official version of “The Edge of Glory”, here’s the version I love more. And, I “borrowed” the sparklers idea for my wedding reception!
#35 “WHO WOULDN’T WANNA BE ME” (KEITH URBAN) (2003)
#34 “CAN’T GET YOU OUT OF MY HEAD” (KYLIE MINOGUE) (2001)
NOW, BACK TO MY LIFE EVENTS….
LIVING NEAR MY SISTER AGAIN (AUGUST 2011)
Other than my years of living on campus at Murray State University in the 1980s, less than a half hour from where I was born and raised, I never lived apart from my sister, Tammy, until I moved to Chicago in 1994 and she moved away, too.
My career took me all over the country and my sister made Clarksville, Tennessee, home. After her marriage with her L-O-S-E-R husband ended and life dealt her several bad hands, I convinced her to move to the Quad Cities (Moline, Illinois) in 2011.
While she wasn’t thrilled to have to make her home there and deal with more snow than she was used to, it was nice to be in the same city again. We could now see each other whenever we wanted and we’d spend holidays together again.
After I moved away for 3.5 years, she joined me in Decatur, Illinois. It’s nice to have my best friend around again!
Love you Tammy!
MY 50TH BIRTHDAY TRIP TO PARIS & TEL AVIV (OCTOBER 2014)
While I don’t remember my first birthday, you see from the picture above that it happened and it was celebrated.
Other birthdays that stand out for me are my 30th, in Chicago, when I met a very attractive man that ended up being a psycho that try to kill me (stalker much?), my 48th, in Las Vegas, in 2012, seeing Elton John the night before and Madonna on the big day…
… and my 54th on an incredible solo trip to Morocco with a surprise birthday cake from my tour group!
However, it’s going to be really hard to top my 50th birthday!
In 2013, I took my first “real” international trip (officially, Cancun was the first in the early-1990s, but North America doesn’t really count any more!).
For my ex’s 50th, he chose a Danube River cruise of Europe. The following year, for my 50th, I chose to celebrate the milestone birthday with a trip to Europe (Paris, France) and the Middle East (Tel Aviv, Israel).
While the trip was incredible and I paid my own way, my actual birthday present was like a fairy tale. (He did well!)
I was treated to a dinner cruise on the Seine River, followed by a trip to the top of the Eiffel Tower at night to see the sprawled out city of Paris twinkling in the distance.
And, the night didnβt end there.
It was then off to the historic Moulin Rouge for a show and champagne.
At midnight, I turned 50 during the show sitting right at the stage staring at boobies, acrobatic routines, and a woman in a water tank with snakes!
For the record, years later, in the spring of 2019, I’d have my own encounter with a beautiful albino python in Bangkok, Thailand. I called it my Britney Spears moment! Britney is now free!
Then it was off to Tel Aviv for three days. From the hotel room, you could see the sandy beaches of the Mediterranean Sea!
Each morning, I looked forward to the Israeli breakfasts, which are world-renowned and very tasty and filling!
However, my favorite meal was at ΧΧ Χ-ΧΧΧΧΧ, which translates to Benny The Fisherman, right on the Sea.
That was just the salads and βstartersβ that they brought out. Yes, fifteen of them, including the bread basket!
Sadly, I didnβt get a stamp on my passport from Israel.
This was during the 2014 Ebola scare and the customs agent was so flustered from ranting at a woman in front of us for sticking her passport in her mouth that he forgot. He refused to let her go through his line because he wasnβt going to touch her passport. And, I really donβt blame him. However, his approach was a little abrasive.
On the return flight home, the snow-covered Alps were beautiful!
This crazy song went viral in 2013 and ended up being my third favorite song of that year. It didn’t make the Top 100 on this countdown, but it was on the initial list. So, it’s a bonus. π
Now, back to the countdown of my favorite songs of the past 22 years!
#33 “LOOKIN’ FOR A GOOD TIME” (LADY A) (2008)
#32 “TURN ON THE RADIO” (REBA McENTIRE) (2010)
#31 “I KNEW I LOVED YOU” (SAVAGE GARDEN) (1999)
#30 “TOXIC” (BRITNEY SPEARS) (2004)
#29 “YOU BELONG WITH ME” (TAYLOR SWIFT) (2009)
And, of course, there’s a cute and sexy alternative version of the Taylor teen love story!
#28 “IF I DIE YOUNG” (THE BAND PERRY) (2010)
#27 “MUSIC” (MADONNA) (2000)
#26 “LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT” (KYLIE MINOGUE) (2002)
#25 “LIFE GOES ON” (LEANN RIMES) (2002)
#24 “BECAUSE OF YOU” (REBA McENTIRE & KELLY CLARKSON) (2007)
#23 “IT’S BEGINNING TO LOOK A LOT LIKE CHRISTMAS” (MICHAEL BUBLE) (2011)
What! A Christmas song made it onto the countdown!!! Don’t be shocked!
My fourth favorite song of my first 35 years was Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas Is You”!
NOW BACK TO MY LIFE EVENTS OF THE PAST 22 YEARS!
MEETING PRESIDENT JIMMY CARTER & ROSALYNN CARTER (JULY 2017) …
In September 2016, I got to visit the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library & Museum in Atlanta, Georgia.
However, it would take a major change in my life and relocation to meet my childhood idols, President Jimmy Carter and Rosalynn Carter.
In the summer of 2017, I was living in Panama City, Florida, and I drove 180 miles (3.5 hours) through the backwoods of Florida, Alabama, and Georgia in the darkness of night to fulfill that life-long dream.
Once I arrived in Plains, Georgia, at the Marantha Baptist Church, I was one of the last people to make it in to hear a Sunday school lesson from President Carter.
After his lesson and the Sunday service from the pastor, I got to meet the man and woman that I helped put in the White House in the 1976 presidential election.
For the record, I was just a 12-year-old boy, but I got to go into the voting booth with my grandmother Helen back in Mayfield, Kentucky. She let me choose her candidate and, of course, it was Jimmy Carter.
My vote four years later didnβt keep the Carters in Washington D.C. and they headed back to Plains.
You might notice that the photo is autographed! I sent a copy of the photo inside of an anniversary card to the lovely couple and they signed it and sent it back!!!!!!!!!!
… AND HILLARY CLINTON (JANUARY 2016)
Iβve admired Hillary Clinton since she became the First Lady of the United States in January 1993.
There is no politician that hasnβt been raked over the coals in their career. And, now with 24-hour news channels and less objectivity in their reporting for higher ratings, itβs easy to vilify people, especially if itβs a strong woman — like Hillary.
I went to hear Hillary speak on a cold winterβs day in Davenport, Iowa, in January 2016.
When she finished, I politely edged my way through the crowd toward the roped off area in front of the stage. I lucked out and we talked a little β we exchanged hellos and I wished her success.
“Politely edged” sounds nicer than “aggressively made” my way through the crowd! π
Now, my 22 favorite songs of the past 22 years!
#22 “I WANNA GO (BRITNEY SPEARS) (2011)
#21 “CAN’T FIGHT THE MOONLIGHT” (LEANN RIMES) (2000)
#20 “SURRENDER” (LAURA PAUSINI) (2002)
#19 “IF I FALL YOU’RE GOING DOWN WITH ME” (THE CHICKS) (2001)
Iβve never met Natalie Maines of The Chicks and it’s one of the biggest regrets of my life.
When I took my second television job in Lubbock, Texas, (Natalieβs hometown), in 1997, as a reporter and Saturday anchor at the CBS affiliate, her sister, Kim, was the 10 p.m. weekday producer. What a sweetheart!
1997 was also the year that Natalie and sisters Martie Maguire and Emily Robison exploded onto the country music scene with βI Can Love You Betterβ, which went on to reach #7 on the Billboard Country chart.
I had a chance to see them and meet the unknown band and real life prevented me from going! Bummer!
#18 “MY BOYFRIEND IS GAY” (HAILEY ROWE) (2013)
#17 “SOMEBODY LIKE YOU” (KEITH URBAN) (2002)
#16 “YOUTH” (TROYE SIVAN) (2015)
#15 “WE’RE SO GOOD TOGETHER” (REBA McENTIRE) (2000)
#14 “SOME DAYS YOU GOTTA DANCE” (THE CHICKS) (2001)
#13 “SILENCE” (MARSHMELLO & KHALID) (2017)
#12 “YOU’LL THINK OF ME” (KEITH URBAN) (2004)
NOW, BACK TO MY BIGGEST LIFE EVENTS OF THE PAST 22 YEARS!
MEET, FALL IN LOVE, GET MARRIED, AND THEN DIVORCE (2009-2017)
We’ve all been there (well, at least half of us).
You meet someone that’s an Edward Lewis (Richard Gere) to your Vivian Ward (Julia Roberts) — with or with sex work involved!
You fall in love and sometimes it works out and sometimes it doesn’t.
I got to have a wedding, a beautiful reception, and a gorgeous cake!
And, I was a “like a dad” and I got to experience helping to raise a child. I loved and was loved in return, we traveled the world — Europe, Israel, China, and Scandinavia — and my golden retriever, ABBA, had two more people to shower her with love, and I got to foster 60 koi and goldfish!
While things didn’t work out, I’m glad that I got to experience the good before the bad.
There are many things I miss about those days and there are things I don’t miss. The serenity of the koi pond is definitely high on the list of things I miss!
This is a feeding frenzy in the summer of 2016!
Oh, if you were hoping for sordid details, there were several circumstances leading to the demise of the relationship. Those are being saved for the book (which is being written)!
WE NEED A BREATHER!
Now, back to my favorite songs of the past 22 years!
#11 “SOMETHING” (LASGO) (2001)
#10 “TILL THE WORLD ENDS” (BRITNEY SPEARS) (2011)
#9 “BAD ROMANCE” (LADY GAGA) (2009)
#8 “BLANK SPACE” (TAYLOR SWIFT) (2014)
#7 “EVERYTIME WE TOUCH” (CASCADA) (2005)
#6 “EVERYTIME” (BRITNEY SPEARS) (2004)
NOW BACK TO THE BIGGEST EVENTS OF MY PAST 22 YEARS
MISS ABBA (MAY 2000-FEBRUARY 2012)
My golden retriever, ABBA, and I traveled down many roads together.
From the llama farm in Ohio where I picked her up in July 2000 to swimming in Lake Michigan when we lived in Chicago to the salty waters of the Atlantic Ocean on Marylandβs Eastern Shore and then back to the cold, snowy Midwestern winters in the Quad Cities, Miss ABBA loved it all and she loved life!
She didn’t mind doggie sitting (or walking) her blind Shar Pei friend, Panda, and she loved road trips so much that you had to spell out R-I-D-E. She loved her fast food hamburgers and she loved treats and cakes!
And, she was the perfect drinking buddy!
From that first ride from the Ohio llama farm to her new life away from Dolly and Fletcher (her mom and dad) and her siblings to the last fateful ride, she enjoyed life so much and never met a stranger.
I wish we were more like ABBA!
As I was lying on the bed comforting ABBA on those final two days in early 2012, these words just came to me and I put them on paper.
While Iβm not a poet, I still love this β my goodbye to Miss ABBA!
If you can’t read my writing through the tears:
The fog hangs in the air shrouding the light, not only in the sky, but in your eyes
You look lost and just want to sleep with me close by your side
I listen to you breathe and each breath sounds deeper
Is it the end or just a peaceful sleep
As I caress your neck and shoulder blades,
You snore even louder as I try harder to hold back the tears
I donβt want you to hear me cry,
I want you to let go and not fight for me
Youβve been there for me all your life
And I want to be there for you now, my love.
My best friend β ABBA (May 22, 2000-February 3, 2012)
This is one of my favorite pictures taken of Miss ABBA in her last month with usβ¦
The song in the video tribute below is “Over My Shoulder” by one of my favorite singers, Patty Loveless, from her 1994 album, “When Fallen Angels Fly”.
Okay, this silly photo will take the sadness away…
FINAL BONUS TRACK!
When I put together a recap of my first 35 years and my 100 favorite songs of that era of my life (1964-1999), Olivia Newton-John placed four songs on the countdown: #3 “Xanadu”, #47 “Let Me Be There”, #50 “If You Love Me (Let Me Know)”, and #68 “Magic”.
I finally got to see her in concert at The Flamingo in Las Vegas in May 2014.
As a bonus, I’m featuring two of my favorites in one video — Olivia and Las Vegas.
In 2015, DJ Dave Aude re-worked Olivia’s hit “Magic” and “You Have To Believe” became a #1 dance song for Olivia and her daughter, Chloe Lattanzi.
And, one final fun fact, Olivia met her future husband and Chloe’s dad, Matt Lattanzi, on the set of the movie, “Xanadu”!
Just a random thought, since you know me for random thoughts, I think #Pug2020, which became #Pug2021, and then #Pug20-something, needs to become a reality in 2022!!!
I need a new drinking partner or, at least, a movie and television binge-watching partner!
When I was in Bangkok, Thailand, in the spring of 2019, I saw this in the taxi and I know it was a sign!
NOW BACK TO THE COUNTDOWN OF MY FIVE FAVORITE SONGS OF THE PAST 22 YEARS!
#5 “SOMEBODY” (REBA McENTIRE) (2004)
#4 “NOT READY TO MAKE NICE” (THE CHICKS) (2006)
#3 “CONSIDER ME GONE” (REBA McENTIRE) (2009)
Before I reveal my two favorite songs of the past 22 years, how about another bonus track!
This one didn’t make the list of my Top 100 favorites, but it was one of the 221 on the initial list and was my 13th favorite song of 2014! π
As I reveal my two favorites from 1999-2021, both are two of the most underrated songs that radio should have sent to the top of every chart!
#2 “ALL THE LOVERS” (KYLIE MINOGUE) (2010)
This one did top the airplay chart in Poland and it reached #1 on the Billboard Dance Club songs chart!
And. it’s so naughty and scandalous! π
#1 “DANCING ON MY OWN” (ROBYN) (2010)
This one only topped the chart in Robyn’s native Sweden!
NOW, THE BIGGEST EVENT OF MY PAST 22 YEARS…
THE DEPLORABLE 2016 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION! (NOVEMBER 8, 2016)
While this could be a divisive discussion starter, that is not the purpose.
We know “what happened”, since there’s a book about this with that title. It’s been five years now — almost half of the country was on the winning side, but a majority of us were on the losing end.
That statement, “a majority of us were on the losing end”, doesn’t just mean the almost 66 million people that voted for Hillary Clinton.
I’m talking about America’s reputation on the world stage and the handling of the COVID-19 pandemic in the first months — a major misstep that had now resulted in more than 700,000 deaths since early 2020 in the United States.
DISCLAIMER: If Hillary Clinton had been elected president, we would still likely have seen a significant death toll from Coronavirus. However, I believe with all my heart and intelligence, it wouldn’t be at 709K and counting…
But, is that why the 2016 U.S. presidential election is the biggest event of my past 22 years? In part, yes. However, it ranks above ABBA’s death and the failure of my relationship because it’s partly to blame for the separation and divorce.
That loss affected me greatly as 2016 turned to 2017. In the five years since, I’ve accepted it and moved on. Does it still bother me? Yes. Is there anything I can do about it? No.
Michelle Obama, in her 2018 autobiography, “Becoming”, sums it up best the day after that shocking loss: “And I will always wonder about what led so many women, in particular, to reject an exceptionally qualified female candidate and instead choose a misogynist as their president. But the result was now ours to live with.”
If you want to share comments about how/if that win or loss affected you, feel free. Do it diplomatically with respect to me and my friends.
The point was not to discuss politics, I’m just sharing my life — the good, the bad, and the ugly.
Thank you for taking the time to travel down the road of the second era of my life!
Before you leave, if you’re not interested in #41 to #100, scroll down a little for some of my favorite photos of the past 22 years!!!
Will I write a third? Probably not. Do you know how old I’d be by then! π
However, if I had two front-runners for favorite songs for my final chapter of life — the new Kylie Minogue and Elton John songs rock my world and are on repeat!
Now, that’s it…. except for some of my favorite photos of the past 22 years!
Wait, my friends, let’s keep going. They haven’t made “last call”!
You know I love lists and I’ve mentioned 100 favorites songs several time in this life recap even though the countdown started at #40 like “American Top 40”.
Scroll down and see which songs just missed out.
You might find one of your favorites on here, you might discover several songs you’re not familiar with, and some that might make you say, “Anthony has some very interesting tastes”, or “No <musical act> on the countdown?”
#41 “MY LOVE IS YOUR LOVE” (WHITNEY HOUSTON) (1999)
#42 “NEED YOU NOW” (LADY A) (2009)
#43 “THAT’S THE KIND OF MOOD I’M IN” (PATTY LOVELESS) (2000)
#44 “MURDER ON THE DANCEFLOOR” (SOPHIE ELLIS-BEXTOR) (2001)
Spring is here and it’s hard to believe we’re down to the last few days of March!
Make the most of your weekend and thank you for checking out my random thoughts.
COVID-19 VACCINATIONS
As we head into the second year of the Coronavirus pandemic, I’m so excited that 14.1% of Americans are now fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
In Illinois, that number is at 14.5%!
And, more than one in four (26.8%) Illinoisans have had at least one dose.
Earlier this week, I joined that group with the Moderna vaccine!!! (One shot down and one shot to go in April!)
Sadly, in the United States, there are more than 30 million reported cases of COVID-19 with 545-thousand-plus deaths!
REMEMBERING GARRY BOWIE
While that death toll rate is staggering and in any situation, one death is one death too many, I want to take a moment to remember Garry Bowie.
Like most of you, I didn’t know of the LGBTQ activist until he died in early April 2020 from COVID-19.
As the former executive director of Long Beach AIDS Foundation, Garry worked tirelessly helping people fight HIV and AIDS in the Greater Long Beach and Los Angeles areas.
What makes his death even more heartbreaking is that he was one of the longest living survivors of the AIDS epidemic. He was diagnosed with HIV in 1983, back when having HIV (and AIDS) was pretty much a death sentence!
Garry was 59.
“THE GREAT BELIEVERS”
I just read the most amazing book, 2018’s “The Great Believers” by Rebecca Makkai and it fits in perfectly with the previous thought.
It tells the story of how the AIDS epidemic decimated Chicago’s gay community in the early-1980s. While fiction, it felt so real — especially if you or your friends lived through that era watching your friends die.
Makkai’s story is so well researched and touching. It had you rooting for characters that you knew were doomed by the “gay cancer” and President Ronald Reagan’s blind eye.
The book isn’t just about a group of friends dying and struggling to stay alive in 1985 Chicago. It also takes you to 2015 Paris and ties the two stories and timelines together!
As a former Chicago transplant (I lived there two years in the 1990s and two more years in the early-2000s), it was fun hearing the names of places I hadn’t thought about in years (Nookie’s and Ann Sather).
Amy Poehler is adapting the book into a television series. I can’t wait to see who is cast as Yale, my favorite character. As I was reading it, I could definitely see Yale in my younger self!
“The Great Believers” is the best fiction book I read in the past year!
SPRING & SUMMER BBQS
On a lighter note…
It’s time to start firing up those grills, so remember the rules for wine pairings.
While it’s recommended you serve white wine with chicken and fish and red with beef, here’s how it used to be! π
“PROMISING YOUNG WOMAN”
What an incredible movie and it’s now at Redbox!
The dark comedy/drama is up for five Oscars: “Best Picture”, “Best Actress” (Carey Mulligan), Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Film Editing.
Mulligan is fantastic in this compelling and heartbreaking movie with a very strong #MeToo message.
It features an all-star cast, including Connie Britton (her one scene is powerful).
GRADE: A
“9-1-1: LONE STAR”
After finding this season’s 16 episodes of “9-1-1” and “9-1-1: Lone Star” on my DVR, I binge watched all eight episodes of the new season of each show, which were amazing.
And, WOW, the last 3 minutes of the winter finale of “9-1-1: Lone Star” brought tears to my eyes and it ended on a shocking out-of-nowhere cliffhanger!
While diversity is a staple of series from Ryan Murphy, I have to hand it to “Lone Star” for probably being one of the most diverse.
There’s a Muslim woman, a transgender man (trans women make up most of the few transgender characters on television), a Cuban woman, two Hispanic men, and then there’s Rob Lowe! π
Also, in the main cast, you have two gay men (one white and one Hispanic) and they’re beautiful together.
MORE JIMMY CARTER
Last week, I sang high praises for Jonathan Alter’s 2020 biography, “His Very Best, Jimmy Carter, A Life”. I also shared a few things I didn’t already know.
Today, I’m sharing a few more tidbits:
Freshman Delaware Senator Joseph Biden, then 33, was the first Senator to endorse Jimmy Carter in his presidential run in early 1976.
John Hinckley Jr., who was obsessed with actress Jodie Foster, planned to assassinate President Carter in the fall of 1980 to impress her.
In September, he followed the president to Dallas and even shook his hand in Dayton, Ohio! But, he had decided that he’d kill President Carter in Nashville, Tennessee, on October 9th. (For the record, but not from this book, Hinckley was arrested at the airport in Nashville for possession of three firearms hours after President Carter arrived there!)
But, the book says that Hinckley had already decided that Carter would lose the 1980 presidential election, so he changed his mind to kill future President Ronald Reagan. He attempted that in March 1981!
Finally, famous celebrity chef and TV star Ina Garten (“Barefoot Contessa”) was an analyst in the Office of Management and Budget in the Carter administration to study nuclear weapons!!!
ONE MORE THING ABOUT INA GARTEN
“Southern Living” says Garten always keeps these three things in her freezer: vodka, vanilla ice cream, and bread!
Those are definitely three of my favorites! (Well, I love flavored ice cream and flavored vodka!)
ONLY NINE MONTHS AWAY!
The countdown is on to Christmas!
It’s only nine months away and this spring, Reba McEntire is getting into the holiday spirit by shooting a Lifetime Christmas movie!
The movie is tentatively titled, “Christmas In Tune”, and will feature a new Reba song.
Here’s the plotline from the press release: “Christmas In Tune tells the story of Belle, a marketing executive who is worried she may lose her job. She decides to reunite a singing duo for a charity Christmas concert in order, but the problem is β the singers are actually her parents and they have not spoken to each other in years! Soon the at-odds couple is helping Belle get her life in order and she begins her own romantic duet with the new man in her life.”
“THIS IS JUST MY FACE: TRY NOT TO STARE”
This is the 2017 autobiography from Academy Award and Golden Globe-nominated actress Gabourey Sidibe (“Precious”).
Things I learned from Gabourey:
False reports of her death started on Facebook and then spread to other outlets. About Facebook, she wrote, “You know, that social-media site you use to spy on your ex and find out at election time which of your family members are racist.”
She’s funny as hell and shares many hilarious stories!
At one point she talked about “a girl like me”. Whatever you do, don’t mistakenly think about her being fat or black. She won’t take fat-shaming sitting down or hesitate calling you a racist!
She responds, “Fat-shaming racists make me sick! Just kidding.” You know she’s kidding, right? (Well, personally, my ex used to tell me, “there’s a little bit of truth to your jokes!”)
Sidibe is very serious about calling it like it is, whether you can handle it or not!
At one point in the book, she told of the time she was having a “poor-off” with a really handsome guy that she didn’t know well and she made the comment, “Oh, yeah? Your family ever wait in line for government cheese?”
This really made me laugh!
My personal story: We were very poor growing up, but we didn’t have to wait in line for our government cheese. That’s because my aunt volunteered at the hand-outs and brought ours to us! π
And, let me tell you, it was the best damn cheese I had until I tried international cheeses in my later adult life! π
One other thing that Gabourey and I have in common: we’re both recovering bulimics.
SPEAKING OF…
March 31, 2021, marks my one-year anniversary of being back on the wagon after falling off in the 2019 holiday season through late March 2020!
One year later and one day at a time, it’s a struggle. But, I’m winning!
“PROMISING YOUNG WOMAN” SOUNDTRACK
The soundtrack is phenomenal!
The first song in the movie, “Boys (DROELOE remix) by Charli XCX is so much fun!
It also features a very different remake of “It’s Raining Men” from DeathbyRomy and a very haunting instrumental version of Britney Spears’ “Toxic”.
And, in a very cute romantic scene in a store, Paris Hilton’s “Stars Are Blind” is played. Am I one of the few that absolutely disliked Hilton, but loved that song???
THATβS IT
With all the craziness in the world, make it the best in your little part of it!
What's Peeps Thinking About Now? It's Probably Random! 