Random Friday Thoughts — March 10, 2023

Winter is winding down and spring is now just over a week away.

In Central Illinois, we experienced a spring-like day earlier this week with a high of 70° and snow is expected this weekend.

Speaking of the weekend, enjoy yours and thank you for checking out my thoughts.

XANADU — THE FIRST TWO WEEKS

Last week, I shared that I’m now a “Dog Dad” again and I introduced you to #Pug2023 — Xanadu.

She’s had more wins than losses in the potty training process, but that’s because I’m watching her like a hawk when she’s inside.

In the two weeks since I’ve had her, she’s gained one-and-a-half pounds and now weighs six pounds!

She also experienced her first snow (less than an inch) after a rainy day with near hurricane-force winds!

And, she was intrigued by the cold of the ice and enjoyed licking it!

It’s incredible how, like a baby, everything she sees goes into her mouth outside! And, I guess there’s an upside to her biting — she allows my fingers in her mouth to take everything out that she picks up!

Xanadu is becoming much more sociable to people and to the select dogs I’m letting her near until she’s fully vaccinated.

WHY EVEN BOTHER WATCHING?

There are so many streaming services out there, with Netflix being the biggest, and many create its own original content.

And, then if they don’t get “Game of Thrones” or “Ozark” viewership numbers, they cancel the series after just a season or two.

This is never more apparent that now. So, my question is, why even bother investing time into a new series that won’t have a conclusion?

“UNCOUPLED” LIVES!

This happened to the Netflix series “Uncoupled” that I watched last summer.

It was cancelled on a cliffhanger after one season. Luckily, it was picked up by Showtime.

If you haven’t watched it, here’s what I wrote about it:

“Neil Patrick Harris leads this eight-episode, Netflix series, alongside Tisha Campbell, Tuc Williams, and Marcia Gay Harden. This is the show that got me to thinking about my life.

Michael and his boyfriend have been together 17 years and he’s planning a surprise 50th birthday party for his partner. However, it’s Michael that gets the biggest surprise right before he and Colin walk into the party. Colin tells him that he’s moving out!

The series is very funny, sexy, and naughty!

The one thing I didn’t like was Michael’s excessive whining and crying about moving on without Colin.

Don’t get me wrong! I shed tears after my marriage fell apart, but life goes on!

It’s so great seeing Campbell again, even though she’s been actively working since 1990s “Martin”. She plays Michael’s real estate agent colleague and friend Suzanne.”

GRADE: B+

“MARCH MADNESS”

While spring officially begins Monday, March 20th, it’s “Selection Sunday” weekend for the NCAA men’s basketball tournament.

I might wager $10 this year and put forth my brackets for “March Madness” at work.

In 2013, I was successful in picking Louisville beating Michigan in the finals.

Not only did I win $144 at work, but I also won a 55″ wide screen television from a local store in the Quad Cities. And, it still works!

MY OSCAR PICKS

The Academy Awards are Sunday night.

Here are my picks in the big categories — who will win, who might win, and who I want to win!

Best Picture: I have it narrowed down to three: “All Quiet on the Western Front”, “Everything Everywhere All at Once”, and “Tár”.

WILL WIN: “EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE“

MIGHT WIN: “ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT”

I WANT TO WIN: “TAR” OR “EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE”

Best Director: My final two are Daniel Kwan, Daniel Scheinert (“Everything Everywhere All at Once”) or Steven Spielberg (“The Fabelmans”)

WHO WILL WIN: THE DANIELS

WHO MIGHT WIN: SPIELBERG

WHO I WANT TO WIN: THE DANIELS

Best Lead Actor: My two final choices are Austin Butler (“Elvis”) and Brendan Fraser (“The Whale”) 

WHO WILL WIN: FRASER

WHO MIGHT WIN: BUTLER

WHO I WANT TO WIN: NOT COMMITTED SINCE I HAVEN’T SEEN “THE WHALE” YET.

Best Lead Actress: My finalists are Cate Blanchett (“Tár”) and Michelle Yeoh (“Everything Everywhere All at Once”)

WHO WILL WIN: YEOH

WHO MIGHT WIN: BLANCHETT

WHO I WANT TO WIN: A TIE — YEOH AND BLANCHETT BOTH GETTING OSCARS!

Best Supporting Actor:

WILL WIN & WANT TO WIN: Ke Huy Quan (“Everything Everywhere All at Once”) 

Best Supporting Actress: I’ve narrowed it down to Angela Bassett (“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”) and Jamie Lee Curtis (“Everything Everywhere All at Once”) 

WHO WILL WIN & WANT TO WIN: CURTIS

WHO MIGHT WIN: BASSETT

Best Adapted Screenplay: My finalists are “All Quiet on the Western Front” and “Women Talking”

WHO WILL WIN & WANT TO WIN: “ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT”

WHO MIGHT WIN: “WOMEN TALKING”

Best Original Screenplay: My finalists are “Everything Everywhere All at Once” and “Tár”

WILL WIN & WANT TO WIN: “EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE”

Best Original Song: This is no contest and I’d be shocked if “Naatu Naatu” doesn’t win!

“Applause” from “Tell It Like a Woman”

“Hold My Hand” from “Top Gun: Maverick”

“Lift Me Up” from “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”

“Naatu Naatu” from “RRR”  

“This Is a Life” from “Everything Everywhere All at Once” 

WILL WIN & I WANT TO WIN: “NAATU NAATU”

“EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE”

Typically, this would not be my kind of movie.

I watched it last December because of the awards seasons buzz and I love Michelle Yeoh. (Yes, I’m crying because we may never see the sequels to “Crazy Rich Asians”.)

The movie has already picked up the equivalent of “Best Picture” at the Critics’ Choice Awards and the Screen Actors Guild Awards and Yeoh has already won about three dozen Best Actress awards with the Oscars coming down to her and Cate Blanchett.

Ke Hu Quan, who plays Yeoh’s husband, is almost a shoe-in for the Oscar, and Jamie Lee Curtis earned her first Academy Award nomination for the movie in the Best Supporting Actress category.

While the movie ended up being my #6 movie of 2022, I’m so ready to watch it again just to see what I missed the first time since it was so mind-blowing!

GRADE: A-

I’M SO IN LOVE WITH MICHELLE YEOH

I’ve been singing the praises of “Crazy Rich Asians” for years.

When I saw the movie in August 2018, I gave it an “A” calling it “a classic romantic comedy — a masterpiece of not only love, but culture.” in a blog titled, ‘“Crazy Rich Asians” Sparkles — Fascinating & Irresistible”‘.

In that piece, I called Michelle Yeoh “ageless and gorgeous”. And, now that beauty graces the new “People” magazine.

The accompanying article on Yeoh is incredible — just hearing in her own words about the battles and stereotypes she’s been fighting since coming to Hollywood!

While I showed the cover because it’s beautiful, I also featured it because of the emerald ring from “Crazy Rich Asians”. It’s actually her ring and wasn’t just a movie prop!

However, here’s my favorite photo from the “People” article.

Now, just give her the Best Actress Oscar already (and if you’re reading this after Sunday night, you’ll know if the Academy Awards did just that)!

“YOU PEOPLE”

With a cast led by eight-time Emmy Award winner Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Emmy winner and Oscar nominee Eddie Murphy, how could you go wrong? Well, pretty easily!

The romantic-comedy movie is about race. Broker and podcaster Ezra (Jonah Hill), who is Jewish, meets and falls in love with fashion designer Amira (Lauren London), who is Black.

Dreyfus plays Ezra’s mother who tries too hard to show how thrilled she is by having a future daughter-in-law that’s Black. Meanwhile, Murphy doesn’t try hard enough to hide his feelings about having a white Jewish son-in-law.

While Louis-Dreyfus was great, the standouts in the movie were London and Sam Jay, who plays Mo, Ezra’s podcast sidekick, who’s a Black lesbian.

One of my favorite actors, David Duchovny, is pretty much wasted in this movie — not drunk-wasted, just no real purpose in the movie.

GRADE: C-

THAT’S IT

With all the craziness in the world, make it the best in your little part of it!

Anthony

Grab Your Popcorn — My Favorite Movies of 2022

The new year is here and awards season is underway. So far, I’ve only seen a few of the frontrunners that are winning and are likely to become Oscar contenders!

I saw one movie in the theaters this past year and the refreshments were a disappointment. Pre-pandemic, AMC Theaters gave a bucket for a large popcorn and this time it was a small bag!

I hope the attendant was confused. I’ll give it another try in 2023.

There were two movies I wanted to see in 2022, but I haven’t yet. “Spoiler Alert” didn’t play in my city and I didn’t get around to seeing “Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance With Somebody”. So, maybe they’ll be on next year’s list if they’re good!

Before we begin this year’s countdown, this was my favorite movie I saw in 2021. I’ve now watched “Promising Young Woman” three times!

The least favorite movie I saw in 2022 was “Licorice Pizza”. After the first hour, I was bored to death and stopped watching.

Here are the movies that just missed out on my countdown: #26 “Death on the Nile”; #25 “Umma”; #24 “Nightmare Alley”; #23 “Belfast”; #22 “Honk For Jesus: Save Your Soul”; and #21 “They/Them”.

Now let’s begin the Top Twenty countdown!

Oh, one final note: Jessica Chastain is in three of my favorite movies I saw in 2022!

“THE EYES OF TAMMY FAYE”

BOX OFFICE: $2.7 MILLION

“GOOD LUCK TO YOU, LEO GRANDE”

BOX OFFICE: $6.4 MILLION

“NOPE”

BOX OFFICE: $171.3 MILLION

“SHE SAID”

BOX OFFICE: $12.4 MILLION

“THE 355”

BOX OFFICE: $27.8 MILLION

“LAST NIGHT IN SOHO”

BOX OFFICE: $23 MILLION

“THE GOOD NURSE”

“TICKET TO PARADISE”

BOX OFFICE: $172.2 MILLION

“KING RICHARD”

BOX OFFICE: $39.4 MILLION

“HALLOWEEN ENDS”

BOX OFFICE: $105 MILLION

“FIRE ISLAND”

“RED ROCKET”

BOX OFFICE: $2.3 MILLION

“TOP GUN: MAVERICK”

BOX OFFICE: $1.489 BILLION!!!

“ELVIS”

BOX OFFICE: $287.3 MILLION

“EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE”

BOX OFFICE: $104.1 MILLION

“THE BLACK PHONE”

BOX OFFICE: $161.4 MILLION

“GLASS ONION: A KNIVES OUT MYSTERY”

BOX OFFICE: $15 MILLION

“RRR”

BOX OFFICE: $147.9 MILLION

“BROS”

BOX OFFICE: $14.8 MILLION

And, before we get to my favorite movie I watched in 2022, here’s an extra!

A tribute to Olivia Newton-John, who passed away in August 2022, at the age of 73, after a lengthy cancer fight.

Yes, the movie, “Xanadu”, is a little out there, but it’s now a cult favorite. And, this song is one my all-time favorites!

“HOUSE OF GUCCI”

BOX OFFICE: $153.3 MILLION

Yes, Gaga was robbed of not getting an Oscar nomination for this!

What was your favorite movie you saw in 2022?

Anthony

2023: Be More ’80s Patti and Less ’90s GOM

Well, the new year is here. I hope 2022 treated you well and that you enjoyed the holiday season.

If 2022 was great, I hope that extends into 2023. If it wasn’t a great year, I hope life improves for you.

As for me, 2022 treated me well. It was a continuation of 2021, which was fine. Since I’m financially stable, able to travel, healthy, and happy, I really have nothing to complain about since some are struggling.

However, there’s still something missing in my life.

I feel I’m a optimistic, drama free kind of guy, but over the past few months I’ve become more Max Goldman (Walter Matthau) and John Gustafson, Jr. (Jack Lemmon), characters in the 1990s two-movie series, “Grumpy Old Men”.

And, I don’t like it. In the new year, I’m going to be more Ms. Patti LaBelle!!!

I’m ready for a “New Attitude”!

CAREER & FUTURE

While I love my career, I’ve actually started thinking about the “end game” — retirement. That won’t happen until I’m 67 and I’m hoping Social Security is still a thing then, but I realize I want more in life.

DATING & SOCIALIZING

When I separated in 2017 and divorced the following year, I was in no hurry to see how fast I could get married again. Some do! (Maybe I should leave La Liz out of this because she’d passed on!)

However, dating would be nice. In the past almost six years, I’ve gone on three dates (two of those were in Duluth, Minnesota, in 2018!)

Last April 2021, I addressed this and wrote, “A very dear friend, now in her late-70s, lost her husband when she was around my age now. While her kids were grown and she had small grandchildren, she never dated again and never even thought about it.

She summed it up jokingly (or half-jokingly), “I’m too old to train another one!” 

So, this a rhetorical question. Again, don’t answer! Is it bad to only be 56-years-old and want to give up on meeting someone and forge ahead into another possible relationship?

Are my standards just too high? 🙂

That was then, this is now!

In my 2021 Christmas letter, I exclaimed, “I’m still single and the dating life is, wait, what dating life?  Good thing I enjoy my own company!”

I still enjoy my own company, but I want more in life in 2023. While I don’t want to turn totally into Blanche Devereaux (“The Golden Girls”), I want to channel some of her energy!

It’s just a matter of which of Blanche’s philosophies I want to follow!

I think I already know the answer! 🙂 Sitting home alone is no longer what I want is life. At my age, I’m now playing “Beat The Clock”!

#PUG2023

My top priority for the new year is to make #Pug2020, #Pug2021, #Pug2022, and #Pug20-something more than just a hashtag — #Pug2023!

I can’t believe it’s been almost eleven years since I’ve had a dog!

While we had household pets growing up, I’ve only had two dogs in my adult life.

There was Keshia, the chow chow, that I got in the spring of 1987.

I had her until early 1998. And, I waited a little over two years before Miss ABBA, my beautiful, sweet golden retriever came into my life (2000).

We had an amazing run together from Ohio to Chicago to Maryland and back to Illinois.

NEW PUG CONCERNS

While I hope that #Pug2023 becomes a reality this year, I admit to being a little frightened. I was in my first relationship when I got Keshia and I was in my second relationship when I got ABBA.

It should come as no shock that Keshia and ABBA both outlasted those relationships! LOL

However, it scares me a little to become a single, older “Dog Dad” going through potty-training and etiquette training alone!

Who can I blame any training failures on? 🙂

NO PASSPORT

I met some amazing people on my fall trip to Turkey.

I must have made a pretty good impression on Eleanor and her daughter Allison. We hung out together a lot and they’ve invited me along to an incredible sounding trip this October.

However, I’ve made no effort in renewing my passport that expires in May.

I hope they forgive me and don’t rescind the offer to visit them in Rhode Island one day!

Also, my friends Katie, Mary Kaye, and Duke in one part of Florida and my friend Rich in another part of the Sunshine State want me to visit. Maybe, I’ll make it a whirlwind tour!

KYLIE, I’M STILL WAITING!

As I’ve been saying for years, there’s still one concert that’s on my bucket list: Kylie Minogue!

From December 2020: “Personally, in 2021, I hope to take a real vacation and finally see Kylie Minogue in concert. Who knows, maybe I can accomplish both at the same time in a festive foreign city!    (Maybe it’ll be “Xanadu” – ♪ “a place where nobody dared to go” where “a million lights are dancing and there you are – a shooting star”!)”

From January 2022: “Seeing Kylie Minogue in concert is still on my bucket list.”

This the opening number from her last pre-pandemic tour. It’s incredible and so freaking hot!

2023, LET’S DO THIS!

As I wind down on my pontifications for the next phase of my life, I’ll leave you with a song that many of you may not have heard. I hope it makes you as happy as it does me!

“Naatu Naatu” is on the shortlist to be nominated for an Oscar this year for Best Original Song. (81 songs were eligible and 15 made the shortlist!) It’s already in the running for a Golden Globe award.

It’s from the three-hour Indian movie, “RRR”, which I loved and is one of my favorite movies of 2022. Okay, you may not know what it means, but who cares, just stare at and enjoy Ram Charan! (He’s on the right!)

Thank you for taking the time to spend with me and my thoughts as I look to new adventures in 2023.

I wish the absolute best to you and yours this year and in the future!

Anthony