Two winter storms and a blast of cold air are on the way to Central Illinois this week.
After generally 1-3″ of snow fell across Central Illinois Friday night and Saturday morning with about 3″ in Decatur, the light snow Sunday morning will come to an end.
It’ll be cloudy today with temperatures in the 30s and it’ll remain dry through Monday afternoon.
A “Winter Storm Watch” goes into effect Monday evening through early Wednesday for Cass, Menard, Morgan and Scott counties. More than six inches of snow could fall there.
With the first storm, heavier rain and wind moves in Monday night through Tuesday afternoon. Across the northwest, this could be a wintry mix or snow.
Much of our accumulating snow will fall Tuesday afternoon into Wednesday morning. Most of us will see 3-6″ with more in the “Watch” area and less to the southeast, 1-3″.
Once this storm departs early Wednesday, it’ll be quiet until Friday.
That’s when a second powerful storm could bring another round of heavy snow and wind to Central Illinois.
A bitterly cold blast of air will follow.
For my friends in the Quad Cities area, you could see 6-12″ of snow from the early week storm!
And, even my Peeps back home in western Kentucky could see some light snow with the late week system!
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!
I wanted to be a meteorologist before I even knew there was a word for it. I developed a fascination in weather by cutting the weather maps out of the newspapers as a 4-year-old.
As a teenager, I confirmed I wanted to be a television meteorologist. For that, I have “Good Morning America” weatherman Sam Champion, who was working at WPSD in Paducah, Kentucky, back then, along with WPSD meteorologist Paul Bouchereau to thank. Also, there’s former “Good Morning America” meteorologist John Coleman, who started the “The Weather Channel” back when it was fun and cutting edge.
It’s hard to believe my first network affiliate job was in 1996, more than a quarter of a century ago, in Rhinelander, Wisconsin. It was seven years after I graduated at Murray State University after gaining “experience” as a weatherman in the 1980s.
I am still grateful to this day that Mike Michalak, the news director, in Rhinelander, hired me!
My career has taken me all across the country and I’ve lived in some great places and some I’d never wish on my worst enemy. I’ve met some amazing people and some that, again, I’d never wish on my worst enemy. Okay, that part may not be true!
I’ve seen so many changes over my time in the business. I love computers and I don’t miss the plexiglass maps I used in college.
Normally, I’d draw on the two weather maps with a marker and wash it off the next day.
However, since I was getting my resume tape together to look for my first job, I spent the Christmas break cutting out fronts, rain and snow symbols, and high and low pressure systems from poster board and taped them to the plexiglass to make it look classier.
OMG, I’m still laughing (and thankful) that Mike hired me!
Another big change in the industry is how viewers communicate with us. That’s the real reason I’m venting today.
Back in the day (the 1990s), if you wanted to complain about the news or someone on the news, you had to call the station or write a letter and mail it!
These days people just fire off emails and social media rants without putting much thought into what they’re saying and they definitely don’t proof them!
Let me say that over the years, I’ve developed a thick skin when it comes to viewer comments. Back then, it would upset me.
Now, it just pisses me off — not because of their comments, but because I’m professional and diplomatic in my responses and I can’t really say what I’m really thinking!
This week was an especially trying one.
All of the forecasters in our area were calling for a decent snow, including me.
On the morning of the snow, I called for a range of 1″-6″ across our large portion of Central Illinois. We ended up getting 1″-4″!
But, that wasn’t enough for some and the vitriol came swift!
One guy called us “shitty weathermen” (I guess the two female meteorologists in the market are safe!).
Another guy emailed me and said we all need to go back to “metrological [sic] school”.
He didn’t like my “diplomatic” response when I told him how much snow had officially been measured in Decatur because he was just guesstimating the accumulation outside his house.
I closed with “You have a great day and be safe.” and “P.S. No thank you on going back to school. And, it’s ‘meteorological’.”
Well, that didn’t set well with him.
He replied back calling me “worthless” and closed his own postscript, “PS, “maybe” your PEOPLE skills need some work too. Your first reply sounded somewhat hostel [sic]. You failed at being diplomatic…..”
I’ve always replied to people when they send messages — good or bad. However, when people just want to argue, you’ll get one or two replies from me and then I ignore you.
My second (and final response) to him was “Have a great day Stan!”
And, he’s wrong!
In my initial response, I was truly being diplomatically because, in my mind, I had a three-word response for his belligerent email.
It starts with “Go”. And, only my dear sister and best friend, Tammy, knows the rest of it for sure! 🙂
As the wise poet Taylor Swift exclaimed in 2014…
I feel better already. Writing is such great therapy!
Anthony
P.S. While the nice people and their comments definitely outnumber the naysayers and mean people, here are three goodies from way back in the day.
These brought a smile and an eye roll to my face while writing this blog! 🙂
* In a letter to the station in Lubbock, Texas, on a story I did (1997): “there are plenty of people who are angry at your substandard investigative reporting.”
* Email from retired USMC Major Eric K. (August 2006): “I was very disappointed in your forecast…. I do know that if a Marine Corps weather specialist would miss a forecast by so much they would find themselves forecasting weather in Alaska. So, keep working on it. You will get better.”
* QC Media Review Message Board (March 2007): “Anthony is fine but lacks spark.”
Since we’re friends, you know I’ve already been listening to holiday music for weeks now and, for the first time ever, I put my two Christmas trees up on Halloween since it was on the weekend (I usually decorate November 1st).
And, I even made the wine rack festive this season!
I hope this finds you happy and healthy after another year of the pandemic.
From a professional and personal perspective, all is still the same as last year and that’s not a bad thing. I’m still the morning meteorologist for the NBC affiliate in Decatur, which covers all of Central Illinois. I’ve been here about 21 months now.
And, more and more people in Decatur know me as “the man that walks around the Lake reading”! I’ve been in the newspaper twice for it and I now do a twice monthly radio feature about what I’m reading! 🙂
I’m still single and the dating life is, wait, what dating life? Good thing I enjoy my own company! 🙂
It’s nice having my sister Tammy here — we cook dinner for each other, go out to eat, and celebrate holidays without having to travel.
With vaccines available and about half of America doing its part to fight the pandemic, travel became a reality again in 2021 and I took advantage of it. At first, I headed out to Vegas a couple of times this summer.
I enjoyed people watching and the great food.
I also boosted the economy. Well, the bottom line for the casinos!
In October, to celebrate my birthday, I took my first real holiday since Bangkok, Thailand, in early 2019!
I flew to Greece and visited Athens, Olympia, and Delphi.
The stunning views of Athens and the Aegean Sea were majestic.
The many archeological sites that unearthed thousands of years of history and the museums were captivating.
And, then the trip up the mountains to Delphi along the gorgeous Corinthian Bay was breathtaking.
And, the food was amazing, especially the Mediterranean breakfasts!
It was a pleasure to meet some wonderful people that I’ll be keeping in touch with for years to come.
There was Matt, Marcellus, and Cortney…
… and Cheryl and Jennifer.
Now that 2021 is almost behind us and we look forward to 2022, I’m still holding out for some things I’ve been waiting years for.
I still want to see Kylie Minogue in concert and if that happens in a festive foreign city, it’d be even more incredible!
Maybe it’ll be in “Xanadu” – ♪ “a place where nobody dared to go” where “a million lights are dancing and there you are – a shooting star” ♪!
And, #Pug2022 might one day become a reality!
My friends, here’s to a new year filled with happiness, excitement, goodwill, and peace.
By the way, this is one of my favorite ornaments. Peace has been broken, as in real life, but it’s been glued together and still makes me smile!
“May hope and faith conquer fear and hate this Christmas”!
Two weeks ago in my “Random Friday Thoughts”, I jokingly posted about breaking up with winter because summer is hotter!
It snowed earlier this week here in Central Illinois!!! That’s what I get! 🙂
Oh, if winter looked like this in the real world, I’d be all for it twelve months a year!
Thanks Gus (Kenworthy) for making my day!
And, thank you for taking the time to check out my thoughts this week! (Oh, apologies to the uninitiated to my blog about the pictures above, but my thoughts are really random!)
REMEMBERING WALTER MONDALE
Earlier this week, the world lost a great man when former Vice President Walter Mondale passed away at the age of 93.
Before become President Jimmy Carter’s vice president from 1977-1981 and running as the Democratic nominee for President in 1984, he served as the U.S. senator from Minnesota from 1964-1976.
Here are some interesting facts from Jonathan Alder’s 2020 book, “HIS VERY BEST, JIMMY CARTER, A LIFE”:
President Carter changed the role of Vice President. Before Carter, it was basically a useless role — other than becoming the leader of the free world in the case of the president died or became incapacitated.
But, Carter made Vice President Walter Mondale’s role real. He invited him into meetings, gave him real responsibilities, and valued his opinions.
At a farewell dinner before President Carter left office in 1981, Mondale said, “Never once did you put me down. Never once did you fail to treat me with dignity.” He made a toast and added, “We told the truth. We obeyed the law. We kept the peace.”
AND, ON A MORE INFAMOUS NOTE…
While on a high school trip to Washington D.C., future serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer called the White House and talked his way into a tour and met Vice President Mondale!
AMERICA, GET ON WITH YOUR BAD SELF!
Even though thousands are still being diagnosed with COVID-19 daily in America and the death toll continues to rise, more and more of us are fully vaccinated!
In the U.S., 26.7% of us are fully vaccinated! That’s slightly more than one-in-four!
In Illinois, we’re at 26.9% and up to 43.3% for those with at least one shot.
While this is great news, I personally feel that some are getting a little too comfortable a little too soon. However, I’m happy to see things moving toward the “new normal”.
With that being said, more and more artists are announcing fall 2021 tour dates.
In the past few weeks, Eric Church, Kane Brown, Andrea Bocelli, and Sammy Hagar announced new tour dates and Elton John and James Taylor posted new dates for their previously postponed tours.
Meanwhile, last week, Reba postponed her 2021 road concerts to 2022 and Michael Buble did the same for his 2021 U.K. dates.
I’m still waiting for Kylie Minogue to announce dates for her late 2020 critically acclaimed album, “Disco”. As I said before, she’s at the top of my concert “bucket list” and I want to see her in some foreign city!
Call it wanderlust!
How comfortable are you attending concerts with 100% capacity later this year?
I’m ready for us to safely travel again. However, it may still be a while for international travel.
At this point, only 2.8% of the world is fully vaccinated!
REBA ANNOUNCEMENT
Oh, back to Reba! When she announced the postponement of her summer arena tour, she also dropped something that made me very happy!
Yes, new music!!!!!
“ARMY OF THE DEAD”
My two most highly anticipated movies this year are “Halloween Kills” (October 15, 2021) and Netflix and Zack Snyder’s “Army of The Dead” (May 21, 2021).
I’m excited for two reasons: (1) it’s about zombies and (2) it’s set in Las Vegas!
Let’s just hope the excitement for me when I visit in June is winning big bucks (or breaking even) — no explosions or zombies, please!
The full trailer is now out and if you love Kenny Rogers’ “The Gambler”, take a look and listen!
RIP JIM STEINMAN
Earlier this week, the same day that Vice President Mondale died, the rock music world lost a legendary producer.
Jim Steinman produced some of the biggest hits in pop and rock music including Bonnie Tyler’s four week #1 smash “Total Eclipse of the Heart” in 1983 and Meat Loaf’s “I’d Do Anything for Love (But I Won’t Do That) in 1993, that topped the charts in 28 countries, including five weeks in the U.S., and Celine Dion’s “It’s All Coming Back To Me Now”, which hit #2 in 1996.
He also wrote and produced my favorite Air Supply song from 1983, “Making Love Out of Nothing At All”. It peaked at #2 for three weeks behind Bonnie Tyler’s “Eclipse”!
“ANOTHER ROUND”
Earlier this week, I checked out the 2020 Danish movie “Druk” (which means “binge drinking”) on Hulu.
While most of you haven’t heard of it, it’s actually nominated for two Oscars this year, including Thomas Vinterberg for Best Director.
My interest in the movie is that it stars Mads Mikkelsen (“Hannibal”).
It’s the story of four high school teachers in Denmark going through mid-life crises.
They decide to do an experiment with alcohol, since a leading psychiatrist believes that an alcohol blood content level of 0.05 makes you more creative and relaxed.
They test the theory and push it to the limits.
While a very interesting movie, I probably wouldn’t watch it again. However, the final scene is amazing!
Spoiler Alert: The captured image above is part of that incredible last scene.
GRADE:B
MORE MADS
If you love Mads Mikkelsen and you’re going through “Hannibal” withdrawals like me, check out “Arctic”, my #9 movie of 2019.
Awesome movie!
THEY SAID WHAT???
Fox News Sunday host Chris Wallace to Texas Governor Greg Abbott: “There were thousands of complaints of sexual abuse at migrant shelters during the Trump years. Not to say what’s going on now is right, but we couldn’t find one instance of you complaining & calling that out when President Trump was president.”
“ME”
I’ve read several book about and from Elton John, but his 2019 autobiography, “Me”, is by far the best!
I absolutely loved this book and I’d highly recommend it.
I was very intrigued about what he had to say about Michael Jackson (“He was genuinely mentally ill, a disturbing person to be around.”) and Tina Turner.
In 1997, he and Tina had planned to tour together but found her very difficult to work with. His band called her a “f**king nightmare” and Elton agreed!
Elton says she called him at home and told him, “She didn’t like my hair, she didn’t like the color of my piano – which for some reason had to be white – and she didn’t like my clothes.” And, then Elton says, she added, “You wear too much Versace, and it makes you look fat – you need to wear Armani.”
I loved that he and Rod Stewart have female nicknames for each other.
And, I was so touched when he told the story of how he and his husband, David Furnish, met in October 1993. (Elton was feeling down, so he called a friend and said bring others over for a dinner party before they went out to celebrate Halloween. David was one of the people his friend brought along to dinner!)
He and David are now the dads of 10-year-old Zachary and 8-year-old Elijah.
Since I haven’t had a date in more than two years, I should try that when the “new normal” post-pandemic world begins!
Also, I was curious about what he’d have to say about Madonna.
If I recall correctly, Elton mentioned her four times and three were positive. The other time he spoke of Madonna was about his anger toward her and he said he apologized to her!
THE NIGHT I SPENT WITH ELTON JOHN
Ha! That’s just tease writing! I never spent the night with Elton John — just the evening! 🙂
For my birthday weekend in 2012, I had tickets to see Madonna’s “MDNA Tour” in Las Vegas.
Earlier that year, Sir Elton John was forced to cancel nine shows due to health reasons and it was announced in the summer that he would make up those dates in October. But, I didn’t have tickets.
As luck would have it, just hours after arriving in Las Vegas, I searched ebay one last time and found fantastic rear orchestra seats for a great price. And, just like that, two hours later I was sitting there waiting for the show to begin!
I’ve always been a fan of Elton’s from the days of my childhood and his poppy ’70s songs, the fun, yet sometimes, moody hits of the ’80s, the more mature themed music of the ’90s when radio began to move away from playing his new songs (except for “The Lion King” and his tribute to Princess Diana), to his recent adult contemporary fare.
Elton closed out his 19-song set with his award-winning “Circle of Life” from “The Lion King”.
It was two hours of pure gold entertainment!!!
LAST CHANCE TO SEE ELTON
In January 2018, Elton announced his final “Farewell Yellow Brick Road” tour that would play more than 300 shows worldwide.
The North American leg kicked off that September and ran through March 2019 and then moved to Europe for the summer and then back to North America though November. The show moved “down under” to Australia and New Zealand from late 2019 to March 2020 when COVID-19 shut down the tour and the world!
Dates are now rescheduled and the tour is expected to resume in Europe on September 1, 2021, and return to the U.S. and Canada in January 2022 for 43 shows through April!
MY FAVORITE ELTON JOHN SONGS
On the Billboard Hot 100 in the U.S., Elton has scored 58 Top 40 hits. Of those, 27 reached the Top 10 with 19 making it to the Top Five. Nine reached #1!
And, he’s had even more hits on the American Adult Contemporary charts. He’s scored 74 Top 40 hits with 40 of them making the Top 10 and 33 of those reaching the Top Five! Eighteen topped the charts!
So, it was so hard narrowing the list down….
“I’M STILL STANDING”
“THE LAST SONG”
“SAD SONGS (SAY SO MUCH)”
“EMPTY GARDEN (HEY HEY JOHNNY)”
“I GUESS THAT’S WHY THEY CALL IT THE BLUES”
What’s your favorite Elton song?
If you want to see the full blog and my other 15 favorite Elton John songs, here it is! (It should open in a new window!)
The weekend is almost here and while we’re still shivering, relief is on the way.
Thank you for taking the time to check out what’s on my mind!
LOVE SNOW, BUT NOT THE COLD!
When I started putting this week’s “Random Friday Thoughts” together, I was going to share a humorous joke about the cold and snow.
However, after two powerful ice and snow storms across Texas that has left millions without power and heat, I put it at the bottom of the blog.
I know we experience power outages across the country when we have severe weather (ice storms, heavy wet snow, tornadoes, and severe thunderstorms), but to this magnitude is mind-blowing.
Come on Texas Governor Greg Abbott, get your act together and help these people.
Stop blaming the failure of renewable energy sources (wind and solar power).
Leave politics out of it for now!
COUNTRY WITH A RAINBOW TWIST
Last week I talked about a racist (or just a drunken, closet racist) country music star that people still want to support financially by buying more of his music than he was selling before his racist slip-up. Well, enough about him!
At basically the same time as this story was blowing up, another country music star was sharing his personal truth in a beautiful way.
While his family and personal friends already knew, 36-year-old T.J. Osborne, the lead singer and rhythm guitarist for the country duo Brothers Osborne came out as a proud, gay man.
Big deal, you think, because people are gay! However, in a very ageist, sexist, racist, and homophobic genre, J.T. is the only openly gay artist signed to a major country label!
Brothers Osborne have charted nine country radio hits, two of which have hit the Top 5 — their 2015 hit, “Stay a Little Longer” reached #2 on the Country Airplay chart and they were featured on Dierks Bentley’s #2 2018 Country Airplay hit, “Burning Man”.
Other than the fact that I thought T.J. was so dreamy and hot, I never thought he might be gay.
However, my gaydar went off with the “Stay a Little Longer” video, which featured same-sex couples kissing! Of course, it caused controversy! 🙂
And, here’s a little fun trivia about Brothers Osborne. T.J.’s name is Thomas John and his older brother and band mate is John Thomas!
“THE CROWN” — SEASON 4
The latest season of this incredible, award-winning Netflix series was my absolute favorite.
I loved the first two seasons with Claire Foy and Olivia Colman and Josh O’Connor are great in season three, but season three just seemed so disjointed to me.
However, season four with my girl crush Gillian Anderson as tyrant (oops, Prime Minister) Margaret Thatcher took the series to a whole new level.
Even if you haven’t watched the first three seasons, watch this one. You don’t need to see their first three to follow the storyline.
Anderson (Thatcher), O’Connor (Prince Charles), Emma Corrin (Princess Diana), Colman (Queen Elizabeth II), and Helena Bonham Carter (Princess Margaret) all got Golden Globe nominations.
The series was also nominated.
“THE WHITE TIGER”
This incredible Netflix drama is set in India and drives home the stark difference in lives of the haves and the have nots!
Adarsh Gourav is amazing as Balram, a dirt poor stone crusher in a small village, who dreams of becoming a chauffeur.
As an intelligent kid that had to drop out of school, he was told her was a “white tiger”, one person that’s born to each generation.
Once he lands a job as a driver, all goes well until a tragic turn of events one night leaves Balram having to make a life-changing decision.
The biggest English speaking star in the movie is Priyanka Chopra Jonas (“Quantico”).
GRADE: A
“THE WEST WING”
As much as I love politics (politicians, not so much), believe it or not, I never watched “The West Wing” during its seven-year run on NBC from 1999-2006.
It’s one of my dear friend, Katie’s favorite shows. She was always on me in Duluth to watch it, so I started. I got through season three, but was always finding other things to watch.
And, in November, she dropped the bombshell that it was leaving Netflix Christmas Eve! Guess what I did in all of my free time in those five weeks? Yes, I binge watched and finished the series.
Final thoughts: I loved the Christmas episodes, you definitely saw a quality change in the show after creator and writer Aaron Sorkin left, and while I still enjoyed them, seasons six and seven were my least favorites.
Oh, Donna, Josh, and C.J. were my favorite characters!
IF YOU MISS SORKIN’s INTELLIGENCE…
Definitely check out his latest, his directorial debut, “The Trial of the Chicago 7”, on Netflix!
It was my #3 movie of 2020 and it’ll rack up several Oscar nominations this year! Here’s what I said about it in November:
“The Whole World Is Watching!”
It’s sad that a movie about the riots at the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago resonates so strongly in the United States in 2020!
The movie and Aaron Sorkin’s screenplay and directing are definite shoo-ins for Oscar nominations.
While there are many compelling performances, I think Yahya Abdul-Mateer II, as Bobby Seale, National Chairman of the Black Panther Party, has the best chance of getting a nomination for Best Supporting Actor.
Seale was the eighth defendant and not part of the “Chicago 7”.
The Whole World Is STILL Watching!
GRADE: A
“KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON “
David Grann’s 2017 book subtitled “The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI” is so compelling and it was one of the best books I read in the past year.
It tells the story of the Osage Indians and how they had to continually move from place to place so the white man could expand on their land.
Finally, they were given rocky, useless land in Oklahoma. When oil was discovered there, they became the richest people in the world per capita. Then, one by one, they ended up dead — murdered!
The book also tracks the up and coming career of the young FBI director, J. Edgar Hoover.
When Mollie Burkhart’s sister Anna was murdered in the 1920s, it was common to charge the Osage close to $6,000 for a funeral. That’s equivalent to about $80,000 today! It was because the white man knew the Osage had all the oil money!
How pathetic!
While the murders continued, one Osage member replied, “It is a question in my mind whether this jury is considering a murder case of not. The question for them to decide is whether a white man killing an Osage is murder — or merely cruelty to animals.”
The book is currently planned for production as a film directed by Martin Scorsese with Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro set to star.
MORE FROM “GROCERY”
A couple of weeks ago, I shared a few interesting tidbits from an incredible book I read last year, Michael Ruhlman’s 2017’s “Grocery: The Buying and Selling of Food in America”! I’d definitely recommend it!
Who would think to write an entire book on just how groceries came to be, the changes grocery stores have to make to accommodate how quickly we change our eating habits, and just how small the profit margins are in the grocery business?
While I gave up eating beef more than a decade ago, Ruhlman shares some very interesting information about cattle and what would happen to them if we stopped eating beef. Intriguing!
Here are a few more things I learned:
Beef makes up about 40% of a grocery’s meat section (almost half of that is ground), chicken makes up 20%, pork 11%, and lamb 2.5%.
Before cows were fed corn (89% of it genetically modified which eventually makes the animal sick), it took them about four years to grow to the weight needed to slaughter. Now it only takes fourteen to seventeen months to attain that weight!!! Disgusting. I’m so glad I gave up beef!
If we didn’t use pigs, chicken, and cows for meat, eggs, and milk, the author claims they would only exist in the wild and “We would likely get rid of them for being a nuisance, scarcely different than rats and mice, the lives of which most seem to have moral qualms about extinguishing.”
And, a decade after World War II, the 1950s, frozen foods would become a $50 billion industry in the U.S. ($300 billion worldwide). This is all thanks to Clarence Birdseye: “Birdseye discovered in the 1920s that peas quickly blanched before being frozen result in a vividly green pea.”
GROUNDHOG HUMOR
After two bitterly cold weekends across Central Illinois and the Midwest, I’ll state it again, “I love the snow, but not the bitter cold“!
Thanks Punxsutawney Phil, you damn rodent!
THAT’S IT
With all the craziness in the world, make it the best in your little part of it!
UPDATED POST: TUESDAY, JANUARY 26, 2021, 1:29 p.m.
Here are some of the morning impressive snow totals from the Monday and Tuesday storm.
While the wind made it difficult to measure, the Quad Cities officially reached 6.1″!
UPDATED POST: MONDAY, JANUARY 25, 2021, 10:24 a.m.
The wintry mix is falling longer as snow instead of freezing rain as far south as Interstate 72 in Central Illinois.
With that being said, we’ll see a more widespread 1″-3″ of snow down toward Springfield, Decatur, Champaign, and Taylorville.
I’ll take more snow than ice anytime!
Anthony
UPDATED POST: MONDAY, JANUARY 25, 2021, 8:34 a.m.
Some in Iowa will see upwards to a foot of snow through Tuesday.
While heavy snow will fall areawide, I’m thinking many hometowns will be on the lower end of the snow forecast range totals.
For the Quad Cities area, 6″-9″ are still likely. Even around Galesburg, 4″-6″ will accumulate.
Over Central Illinois, one-tenth to one-quarter of an inch of ice will coat things.
1″-3″ of snow is possible across our northern hometowns.
Anthony
UPDATED POST: SUNDAY, JANUARY 24, 2021, 3:32 p.m.
For the Quad Cities: A “Winter Storm Warning” now covers much of eastern Iowa and northwestern Illinois replacing the “Winter Storm Watch”.
Snow will break out Monday morning south of Interstate 80 and move north throughout the day and become heavier. The heaviest snow will fall Monday afternoon and Monday night.
It’ll be rather windy, too, so blowing snow will be a problem, too!
Freezing rain will mix with snow across the south early Monday morning.
Here are my latest snowfall forecast totals.
Be safe!
For Central Illinois:
Ice and snow are on the way to Central Illinois late Sunday night through noon Monday.
A “Winter Weather Advisory” now covers much of Central Illinois beginning at 3 a.m. Monday.
One-tenth to one-quarter of an inch of ice could accumulate along with up to an inch of snow. By Monday afternoon, all of the wintry mix should be falling as rain.
The “Winter Weather Advisory” expires at noon Monday for Christian, Coles, Douglas, Edgar, Macon, Morgan, Moultrie, Sangamon, Scott, and Shelby counties and at noon Tuesday for Cass, Champaign, De Witt, Logan, McLean, Menard, Piatt, and Vermilion counties.
Anthony
ORIGINAL POST: SUNDAY, JANUARY 24, 2021, 8:46 a.m.
A major winter storm is heading to eastern Iowa and northwestern Illinois, including the Quad Cities.
Sunday is the day to get out and run errands!
Snow will begin Monday morning and become heavy Monday afternoon and Monday night. Snowfall rates could exceed an inch per hour.
A widespread 4″-8″ of snow is likely with 8″-12″ possible in the Quad Cities and across eastern Iowa. HOWEVER, I’m thinking more on the low end of that scale, Quad Cities area!
A “Winter Storm Watch” goes into effect Monday morning through Tuesday morning for much of that area, but I expect it to upgraded to a “Winter Storm Warning” for some later today.
For Central Illinois, it’ll mostly be freezing rain Sunday night and Monday morning that’ll change over to a cold rain Monday.
By Monday night, the rain could end as light snow with some light snow accumulations possible around Bloomington, Illinois.
With the Coronavirus and COVID-19, I know many of you, are under “stay at home” protocols with state governments, working from home, or unemployed because of restaurants being closed to diners, like my sister and her family!
As for me, I’ve been working since the media is considered “essential” in this crazy time across the United States and the world.
It seems just like yesterday that I left snow-covered Duluth, Minnesota, and moved into my new apartment in Decatur, in central Illinois.
What a whirlwind month it’s been! I moved into my apartment on Wednesday, April 1st, and started work the next day. I’ve already been on the air at WAND-17, the NBC-affiliate, four weeks!
Except for hanging two pieces of wall art that’s rather heavy and needs to be done by someone that know what’s they’re doing, my apartment is set up and livable.
It’ll “do” for a year and I’ll find another place here that I’ll make my forever home. I’m tired of moving, but this apartment is not that place!
However, I do love the view out my bedroom window, which gave me a front row seat of deer frolicking and playing in the shallow end of this part of Lake Decatur one afternoon.
I’ll share more pictures when I’m totally done decorating. But, with “social distancing”, I’m not sure when that’ll be!
PASSING THE TIME
It’s bizarre and interesting to have lived here a month and not be able to experience life in Decatur, to invite my morning co-anchors over for dinner, or to meet new people for drinks.
I know that one day I’ll get to eat out and see what central Illinois has to offer.
Until then, to pass the time, I take regular four-mile walks from my complex and through the marina around one part of Lake Decatur.
Since I walk and read at the same time, I’ve already finished four books, all by my idol, former President Jimmy Carter.
I’m currently reading “Vulgar Favors: Andrew Cunanan, Gianni Versace, and the Largest Failed Manhunt in U.S. History” by Maureen Orth.
The book is the basis for the Emmy-winning FX series, “The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story” with ALL of Emmy winner Darren Criss!
Oops, sorry for not warning you! 🙂
My connection to Cunanan and this story goes back to 1997 when it was happening and I was the weekend anchor in Lubbock, Texas.
Yes, this made it “on air” and we did get calls because of the eerie similarities! 🙂
Since I didn’t watch a lot of television in Duluth, I dropped cable this past January.
My new apartment complex offers “free” cable (I still pay for DVR service and internet), so I’ve been catching up on the shows I used to watch.
In April, I binge-watched 60-plus hours of television!
I watched the last season of “Homeland” (except for the series finale because Showtime and xfinity suck and aren’t making it “free” like it did for the first eleven episodes of the last season.
I’ve also watched the 2020 episodes of “How To Get Away With Murder” and “9-1-1” (the final two episodes of both series air in May — for “Murder”, it’s the series finale), along with “Prodigal Son”, “9-1-1 Lone Star”, “The Good Doctor”, and the third season of “The Sinner”!
In Duluth, for some reason, I got this message on my television while trying to watch Netflix.
What’s bizarre is that Netflix works on my television in Decatur!
Since discovering this, I’ve already binged the third season of “Ozark” and I’m almost done with the third season of “The Crown”.
Up next, seasons two of “Sex Education”, “Mindhunter”, and “You”, the first season of “The Politician”, and the fourth season of “Eastsiders”.
And, to make my bestie, Katie, happy, I can now binge-watch all 154 episodes of “The West Wing”!
Speaking of “Ozark”, season three is the best, so far!
While nominations don’t come out until this summer, just go ahead and give Laura Linney, Janet McTeer, and Tom Pelphrey their Emmy awards now!
BACK ON THE WAGON
The last four months in Duluth were very stressful for me.
While I’ve talked about the crazy stretches of work (days and nights for several days with just a couple of hours of sleep in between), I never mentioned and I won’t elaborate here on a police-involved harassment ordeal that forced me to “fall off the wagon”.
Over the years I’ve been very open about being a recovering food addict.
Since 1995, I’ve pretty much successfully fought the daily battle by eating healthier with a great dose of exercise.
There were a few stumbles (most recently in early 2017 when I was going through a divorce). But, with the stress of work, being stalked and harassed, job hunting, and relocating, I took a big step backwards and my weight dropped has dropped from 163 to 138 pounds.
My new schedule not only allows me more free time each afternoon, but it gives me the opportunity to cook more and eat at a reasonable hour!
I’m back on track, “on the wagon”, and I have one month under my belt now!!!
I don’t know what I weigh now and I don’t need to know. All I know is that I should gain a few more pounds to be healthier again.
I owe much of that success to Kroger! Yes, the grocery chain. There’s one located right by work and another one a couple of miles from my apartment.
On my first visit to each, I noticed they marked down all kinds of fun produce as it approaches the “sell by” or “best by” dates.
So, now instead of binging and purging on high caloric junk to satisfy an addiction, I’m now a little O-C-D about making very regular trips to the Kroger stores in Decatur and stocking up on greens and veggies!
(For the record, I went to three Kroger stores a total of 17 times in April!) 🙂
I’ve also treated myself to fried chicken three times and three rotisserie chickens, along with the chicken that I cook at home.
Did I mention several bottles of wine, too?
FOND MEMORIES AND MAKING NEW ONES
I’ll fondly remember my two years in Duluth.
Lake Superior was beautiful and the almost 107″ of snow my first winter there was mind-blowing.
When I left Duluth at the end of March, we had already picked up almost 90″ this past winter!
I had the pleasure to work with some fun and entertaining people at Fox 21 in Duluth (and one that I hope I never, oh, never mind)!
And, I’ll always have a special place in my heart for my dear friends, Katie (who was my evening director at work), her mother Mary Kaye, and my neighbor, Kass.
Over the past two years, I shared many delicious meals (including Thanksgivings and Christmases) with these special ladies.
And, Kass and I regularly had “cocktail hour” at her place. (Kass, I don’t have a drinking buddy here yet, but I did see your spiced rum at a liquor store and I smiled!) 🙂
While I miss my Northland Peeps, I know that when America is healthier again and it’s safe to socialize, I’ll find some dear friends and colleagues in central Illinois.
To all my friends reading this, stay safe and healthy!
And, while it’s not a “Random Friday Thoughts”, I’ll end it with my signature sign-off.
THAT’S IT
With all the craziness in the world, make it the best in your little part of it!
While most were carving jack-o-lanterns 🎃 and wanting to feast on turkey, I was impatiently waiting for the first weekend of November to arrive to put up my Christmas tree 🎄!
I hope 2019 is a year that you’ll remember fondly. If not, there’s hope for us in 2020! 🙂
I’ve now been in Duluth, Minnesota, for a year-and-a-half and I’m still the Chief Meteorologist at Fox 21 News.
My first winter in the Northland lasted from October 2018 through May 2019 and brought over 106” of snow – the most I’ve seen in my lifetime!!!
Ironically, that didn’t even rank as one of the ten snowiest winters on record!
The bitter cold was relentless, too, with a few consecutive nights with -30° low temperatures! Wind chills were even lower at -50°!
Oh, in February, I did a “Polar Plunge” into the icy waters of Lake Superior to raise money for Special Olympics Minnesota!
In March 2019, I escaped the “winter wonderland” for a week in Bangkok, Thailand, and it was very hot & humid.
The temples were beautiful,
the food was amazing and I got to hold a large, gorgeous yellow and white albino Burmese python – my Britney Spears flashback moment!
I saw my sister, Tammy, a few times this year. She visited me in April and I saw her in the Quad Cities (an eight hour drive) in June, August, and October.
That August visit was for a trip to Las Vegas.
It was her first time there and she wasn’t impressed! 🙂
It was my first time back to Vegas since December 2017 when I saw Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas” show.
I also saw Tanya Tucker and Lionel Richie in concert and I got to meet him before the show!
As strange as it may sound, I’m looking forward to another long winter in the Northland.
Yes, I love snow. But, I’m more excited for the “next chapter” in my life in 2020. I know I said that last year, but there’s actually a plan in place this time! 🙂
As Belle sings in “Beauty and the Beast”, ♪ “I want much more than this provincial life… I want adventure in the great wide somewhere, I want it more than I can tell!” ♪
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”!
Here’s wishing you a bright and beautiful holiday season and an incredible year ahead!
“May hope and faith conquer fear and hate this Christmas!”
Happy Mother’s Day weekend to all of the moms and future moms out there, whether it’s children, godchildren, pets or plants!
Here’s a flashback to spring 1990 with my mother, Dessie, and my sister, Tammy. While we didn’t know it then, this would be her last spring and Mother’s Day with us! 😦
Thank you for taking the time to check out my random thoughts. If you disagree, feel free to diplomatically share yours with me!
IT’S SPRING, BUT NOT SO MUCH IN DULUTH
Okay, we’re already past the first week of May and we just experienced record May snowfall in Duluth, Minnesota.
10.6″ of snow fell Wednesday night and Thursday morning. Of that, 8.3″ fell Wednesday night making it the snowiest May 8th on record and the snowiest single day in May.
An additional 2.3″ fell on Thursday making it the snowiest May 9th on record.
This is now the snowiest May on record with 10.9″ (so far).
For this snow season, we’re up to 104.4″ in Duluth, making this the 15th snowiest winter on record and these records go back to 1884!
REALLY CLASSY PANAMA CITY BEACH!
As you know, I was miserable the year I spent in Panama City, Florida, before moving to Duluth.
While I made three amazing friends and I’m sure there were many other great people I didn’t meet, there were a lot of people there that believed every word that spews out of 45’s ugly mouth.
He was in Panama City Beach this week and while talking about immigrants and how to handle the border, a woman in the audience shouted, “Shoot them”!
He smiled and commented, “That’s only in the Panhandle, you can get away with that statement. Only in the Panhandle!”
Sadly, it’s probably true! Pathetic!
PINK SAID WHAT????
To “Entertainment Weekly” about the title track of her latest album, “Hurts 2B Human”, a duet with Khalid: “I feel like if you’re present in 2019 and not totally escaping your feelings and looking around at what’s going on in the world, especially this country, it hurts. It fucking hurts your heart. I think that’s a good thing, because that’s what creates change, and we’re starting to see change and people show up and fight back!”
“FERRARO: MY STORY”
This 1985 autobiography is by Congresswoman Geraldine A. Ferraro.
In 1984, she became the first woman to make it on a major presidential ticket when Democratic nominee Walter Mondale chose her as his running mate.
While she talked about her family, her mother raising her and her brother as a single parent after her father’s death and her early political career, the book focuses mostly on the weeks leading up to her nomination and the long and painful 1984 presidential run.
In the book, this story stood out to me and it’s very relevant today as we head into a bitter fight into the 2020 race to get Donald Trump out of office.
It was early 1983 and Ferraro was talking about which eventual Democratic candidate she’d support. She wanted someone who shared her values to be the candidate, but she would campaign for any Democrat to defeat Ronald Reagan.
Ferraro wrote, “Even an imperfect candidate would be better than Reagan — that’s how strongly I felt.”
“THE BLOOD OF ABRAHAM”
This 1985 book by my idol and former President Jimmy Carter traces the history of the Israeli-Palestinian turmoil back to biblical times when the Arabs, the Jews and the Christians all came from Abraham.
If you’re not a reader of the Bible, some of the history is overwhelming and, to me, unbelievable (Abraham fathered children when he around 100 years old and he lived to 175!).
But, this was only in the first few pages of the book.
The great, concise book (just over 200 pages) details the torturous history of Palestine that only became more daunting once Israel came into existence in 1948 and Arab Palestinians didn’t have a home or home state.
As you recall, President Carter worked night and day for almost two week at Camp David in the summer of 1978 with Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachen Begin to broker a peace agreement between the Israelis and the Arabs.
Sadly, there will never be peace between the two peoples over this small piece of real estate because neither side wants to give up anything to make peace.
Carter sums up the book talking about Abraham’s blood flowing through the veins of the Arab, Jew and Christian people and the bloody history of the Middle East with this chilling line, “The spilled blood in the Holy Land cries out to God — an anguished cry for peace.”
AMERICA’S CRY FOR PEACE
It’s easy for Westerners to shake their heads over the long-standing history of violence in the Middle East. But, that’s very narrow-minded of us.
Without being too judgmental, it’s like that right now in the United States. We have strong race divisions, religious divisions, human rights divisions, and many more.
Just look at the divide between Democrats and Republicans, Hillary Clinton supporters, Bernie Sanders fans, and the ones that think that Donald Trump can do no wrong!
We’ve crossed a line from which we can’t (or will never) rebound!
I’m not a pessimist, I’m a realist!
“MADAME X TOUR”
Madonna announced her latest tour this week to support her 14th studio album, “Madame X” coming out June 14th.
And, not surprising, it’s something new for the ever-changing icon.
Instead of taking her very expensive and incredible tours to arenas and cities all over the world, she’s doing mini-residencies in smaller theaters in large cities in the U.S. and Europe.
So far, only New York City, Los Angeles and Chicago have been announced. The tickets sold out so quickly that five more shows were added in New York City and four more in Los Angeles.
While only 25 show dates are known now, she’s set to announce additional dates for Boston, Las Vegas, Miami, and Philadelphia for 2019.
Since I didn’t get to Vegas last year, I’m planning on seeing Madonna for the fifth time when the show plays at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace.
And, while the dates aren’t public yet, I’d venture to say that it’ll be in December since no headliner has been announced there in that month! 🙂
“KILLING EVE” UPDATE
I couldn’t take the suspense any longer. After finishing season one of the critically acclaimed BBC America series, I slowly started watching season two.
I’m four episodes in (five of the eight season two episodes have aired).
In the second episode, I almost peed myself with a line that likely went over the heads of most Americans!
Giving a power point presentation to her new team of detectives about Villanelle’s murders, Eve mentions that Bill was killed (oops, spoiler!) on a club’s dance floor and she quickly replies:
“MURDER ON THE DANCEFLOOR”
“Murder on the Dance Floor” by Sophie Ellis Bextor was a minor dance club hit here in the U.S. in the early 2000s, yet it hit the Top Ten in, at least, 18 countries worldwide.
I fell in love with this song at Roscoe’s when I moved back to Chicago in 2002.
It’s from her fantastic debut album, “Read My Lips”.
MARIAH CHRISTMAS EARLY!
While Christmas is still more than seven months away, Mariah Carey recently announced that she’ll be performing her holidays standards again in Las Vegas.
Her “All I Want For Christmas Is You” will be returning to the Colosseum at Caesars Palace for five shows November 22-30, 2019.
Trust me, this is a phenomenal show! I saw a version of it in December 2017 in Vegas.
This is what I wrote about it on my return, “She 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!”
THAT’S 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! 