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Access Atlanta > Blog > Archives > 2006 > November > 22
Wednesday, November 22, 2006
Readers take time to give heartfelt thanks
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
As you baste the bird and tune in to see if a large balloon will once again menace the crowds at the Macy’s parade in New York, we cordially invite you to take a few minutes to see what your fellow Peach Buzz readers are thankful for this year.
As always, it’s a diverse list, with everything from running shoes (and running!) to new grandchildren, parents, military children returning home and one structurally unsound gingerbread house. Happy Thanksgiving!
Kenny Cheek, Marietta: “I am thankful for when I wake up on a cold morning with my wife on one side of me and Buddy the golden retriever on the other. For my two beautiful daughters, for Costa Rican coffee and for Mizuno running shoes. Mostly, though, I’m thankful that Army Pfc. David Cheek will be home from Iraq on Saturday and joining us for our Thanksgiving on Sunday.”
Theo Pinkston Jr., Stockbridge: “For the anonymous donor that gave me his bone marrow, thus allowing me to survive leukemia.”
David J. Payne, Ormewood Park: “Friends are my Thanksgiving. They listen to me, provide opinions, counsel, and enable me to live life more fully than I can do on my own. Thank you all for being yourselves and with me.”
Rottweiler Suede Clayton, Cartersville (submitted by Suede’s owner Nancy Clayton): “For turkey leftovers and that I only have to wear this outfit once a year at Halloween.”
Laura Byrd Sanio, Tucker: “For my loving husband, Will, of one year. Our wonderful circle of family and friends anxiously await our best Christmas present ever: Our new little girl now kicking strongly in my very pregnant belly. As older parents-to-be, our true blessing will be her arrival during the holidays.”
Barb Evangelista, Canton, “I’m thankful that I retired in May so now I can read the AJC across the breakfast table from my husband each day … except on Thursdays when I bowl and on Saturday and Sundays when he plays golf. Oh, and on Mondays when I volunteer.”
Melanie Massell, Atlanta: “For the five senses of a singer: The beautiful sight of a full house, the appreciative sound of an audience, the sincere touch of a fan’s embrace, the sweet smell of success, the humbling taste of these experiences have made me thankful to be an Atlanta entertainer.”
Ana Carolina Thome Claus, Atlanta: “I’m from Brazil, and I got to the United States in January 2006 to live in Atlanta with Felicia and Billy Huger and their family as their au pair. It’s my first time in another country, so this began as an incredible adventure to me. I take care of three amazing kids: Caroline, Billy and Sarah. I love them very much. This year, I’m not going to be with the Hugers on Thanksgiving Day, but I’d like for them to know that they are… who I’m thankful for, because God put them on my way.”
Jerry Schwartz, Chamblee: “For each new day that God has given me where I have, in good health, something to do, someone to love and something to look forward to.”
Dianne Gilbreath, Duluth: “That I have lived almost 70 years in Atlanta and was born in this city, this state and this country that I love and cherish. I am blessed to have a great husband, three wonderful children, seven fabulous grandchildren and a huge family who cares for each other and keeps in touch almost every day, thanks to the wonderful world of the Internet!”
Meryl Healy, Loganville: “I am so thankful for the 46 years that I had with my father, Marty Myles. He was 81 years old when he passed away unexpectedly in February. Every child should be so lucky to have a father such as mine. He was so funny, supportive, warm and loving. Now I am thankful for all the wonderful memories that I have of daddy.”
Susan Hartsfield Tanner, Cumming: “My husband was diagnosed with prostate cancer at the tender of age of 46 in September of this year. He now receives daily radiation and is doing very well. In the midst of it all, we became grandparents to beautiful Lily on Oct. 1.”
Kathryn, Jeff and Lawrence Foster “Jack” Breedlove, Atlanta: “For the bundle of joy we adopted in June, a 5-year-old little boy with a very sad history. Now, I am listening to my husband and son spell China, the country of his birth. I now cannot remember life without my son — except when I want to do something else on Saturday that does not involve soccer, swimming and Chinese school! “
Lisa O’Driscoll, Dunwoody: “I am so thankful to be married to a man as wonderful as my husband, Jon. He truly is the perfect man and I love him even more than I did when I married him five years ago.”
Echo Montgomery Garrett, Marietta: “Two years ago this month, my husband Kevin Garrett was rear-ended on I-75 by a speeding driver in a construction zone. He suffered mild traumatic brain injury as a result. On Thanksgiving, I am running my first half-marathon through the heart of this city to celebrate his courage and survival. Kevin and our wonderful teenage sons, Caleb and Connor, will be at the finish line cheering me on. I am thankful that I’ll be able to see my hero’s face this Thanksgiving and that after almost 25 years of marriage, I’m more in love with him than ever.”
Lisa Turney, Atlanta: “For the kind stranger, Aaron Dent of Decatur, who found our lost dogs miles from home and kept them safe until we could recover them.”
Kathy Welch, Powder Springs: “For our traditional lopsided gingerbread house at Christmas time.”
Celebrity birthdays
Screenwriter Joe Eszterhas (“Basic Instinct,” “Showgirls”) is 62. Singer Bruce Hornsby is 52. Singer-guitarist Ken Block of Sister Hazel is 40. Actor Oded Fehr (“The Mummy”) is 36. Rapper Kurupt of Tha Dogg Pound is 34. Actress Miley Cyrus (“Hannah Montana”) is 14.
If you have a tip, call 404-526-2749. Or fax 404-526-5509. Or e-mail: buzz@ajc.com.
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TLC’s Chilli to return with solo album
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
More than four years after Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes’ untimely death, TLC founding member Rozonda “Chilli” Thomas is making plans for a solo debut.
Billboard reports that the TLC singer has inked with Akon’s Konvict Muzik label, which is readying her as-yet-untitled solo debut for mid-2007. The album will be distributed by Interscope.
“This will be totally opposite from when she was with the multiplatinum group,” Atlanta-based Akon told Billboard. “She’s an incredible artist, and I want people to reconnect with her.” Akon is working on the album with Thomas, along with production assistance from the likes of Missy Elliott, Black Eyed Peas member Will I Am and Timbaland.
On Tuesday, it could not immediately be determined whether any part of the project would be recorded here, where TLC was birthed in the last millennium. Thomas has kept an extremely low profile since the release of TLC’s final album, “3D,” after Lopes’ death in 2002.
Stuck in the middle — with Wendy’s
Granted, Wednesday will likely be a pretty miserable day at Hartsfield-Jackson. The fine folks at Wendy’s, however, are setting up shop at their large location inside the airport atrium to reward the fliers who draw the least enjoyable seats on any flight — the dreaded middle seat.
If you show the fast-food folks your boarding pass indicating your unfortunate seat designation, they’ll give you one of approximately 10,000 gift cards for the chain’s new Double Melt burger (apparently, cheese and jalapeño peppers are hidden in the midsection of the new menu item).
On Friday, we’ll be awaiting the statistics on exactly how many folks on either side of the lucky winners will be inconvenienced when they attempt to hurtle past them to, um, freshen up in the in-flight restroom.
Last call for ‘Thanks’
Today is your final chance to slide us your thoughtful, funny and original contribution for our annual reader-driven “What I’m Thankful For” Turkey Day Buzz column. E-mail us your entry with your full name, where you live and a daytime phone number. Also, if you’d like, send along a head shot of yourself in the e-mail — we’ll have a bit of room to run some reader photos this year as well. Send your info to buzz@ajc.com with “Giving Thanks” in the subject line.
‘The View’ to a feud
“View” co-host Rosie O’Donnell managed to insert herself into the Kelly Ripa-Clay Aiken tiff on Tuesday when she played excerpts from Aiken’s guest stint Friday on “Live With Regis and Kelly” with Ripa. During an interview with “Dancing With the Stars” champ Emmitt Smith, the “American Idol” finalist, apparently frustrated with Ripa dominating the chat, put his hand over her mouth live on the air. Ripa ripped Aiken, telling him: “That’s a no-no. Besides, I don’t know where that hand’s been.”
On Tuesday, O’Donnell replayed the clip and then accused Ripa of being homophobic. Seconds later, Ripa was live on the air via phone to defend herself. “What you said is downright outrageous,” Ripa told O’Donnell. “He reached across and covered my face with his hand. I have three kids. It’s cold and flu season. That’s all I meant … Rosie, you have to be more responsible. To imply that I’m homophobic is outrageous.”
We temporarily interrupt this incredibly juicy catfight to interject the following piece of logic: Clay Aiken has not actually publicly identified himself as a homosexual …
Damage control?
“The Late Show With David Letterman” studio audience didn’t quite know how to react when former “Seinfeld” actor Michael Richards appeared via satellite at Monday night’s taping to apologize for his behavior onstage Friday night at a Los Angeles comedy club. He attempted to apologize for calling two black hecklers by the “n-word.” And then he proceeded to dig himself a fresh hole by referring to the parties as “Afro-Americans.”
At deadline Tuesday, Buzz was still trying to determine when Richards perfected time travel and when exactly he had returned from 1952.
Meanwhile, veteran publicist Michael Levine, whose clients have included comedians George Carlin and Sam Kinison, says he thinks the comic’s career is toast.
“I’ve never seen anything like this in my life,” Levine said. “I think it’s a career ruiner for him. … It’s going to be a long road back for him, if at all.”
Overscene
It would appear that Kevin Federline scored Atlanta party promoter Scooter Braun in his upcoming divorce from Britney Spears. Braun phoned ahead Saturday night to book a reservation for the fledgling rapper and a group of 12 at Ten Degrees South in Buckhead. We’re told that the “Dance With a Pimp” performer and company dined on chicken curry, rack of lamb and calamari and sipped beers and vodka tonics. The “hefty tab” (around $1,000) was only partially picked up by the Ten Degrees South folks.
Celebrity birthdays
Comedian-director Terry Gilliam (Monty Python) is 66. Guitarist-actor Little Steven (the E Street Band, “The Sopranos”) is 56. Bassist Tina Weymouth of Talking Heads is 56. Actress Jamie Lee Curtis is 48. Actress Mariel Hemingway is 45. Actress Scarlett Johansson, above, (“Lost in Translation”) is 22.
Contributing: news services.
If you have a tip, call 404-526-2749. Or fax 404-526-5509. Or e-mail: buzz@ajc.com.
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