Finally Meeting Frankie Torres

Last year, I interviewed musician Frankie Torres for Global Traveler. That interview is at Talking Travel with Frankie Torres.

Since then, I have followed Frankie, a former contestant on The Voice, on social media, hoping she would get a gig in Chicago. That performance happened a couple weeks ago.

Frankie appeared at Cafe Mustache on the near northwest side of Chicago. It's a small pub, but perfect for such a show. The opener was Adam Bohanon, a fellow Minnesota musician who was also on The Voice with Frankie.

We arrived and found a table close to the stage. I quickly spotted Frankie, but didn't bug her, figuring she might be in show-mode. There would be plenty of time to meet her later.

After about 15 minutes and about 10 minutes before Bohanon was to take the stage, Frankie came over to us. We chatted for several minutes, before she left to get ready for Bohanon's set.

After Bohanon's set, Frankie took the stage. Sh did a few original songs and some covers. Her take on Janis Joplin's "Bobby McGee" was great. Her original tune, "Losing to the Letters," about dealing with her father's battle with ALS, was beautiful.

After Frankie's set, we met both performers at the merch table. Both were really cool.

I was really impressed with Frankie. It is fun to see her at this stage. At 26, she is just starting her journey. She definitely has the chops. She is positive, hopeful and confident. It was a pleasure meeting and seeing her perform in person. I look forward to seeing where her career goes.

Frankie Torres and me in Chicago, IL-April 2026.

Talking Travel with Dr. Tiffany Brown

April was Autism Acceptance Month (formerly Autism Awareness Month). To learn more about how autism impacts travel, I turned to Dr. Brown, an autism mom, veteran traveler and author.

The author part of her description is one she shares with her son Caleb. Together they are raising awarness and spreading acceptance of autism. It's a beautiful, interesting and informative story they share.

Dr. Brown gave so much information, I couldn't do it justice in a recap. Go to Talking Travel with Dr. Tiffany Brown to hear it all. While you are here, please subscribe to the Global Traveler YouTube channel. 

Really Meeting Notre Dame's Leprechaun

Yesterday, I relayed the story of my first picture with Notre Dame's Leprechaun mascot. I left with the big mystery of whether I got a closer picture with the lass. I am sure everyone was up all night wondering.

Anyone who knows me, knows if it is at all possible, I will get a picture with every mascot I see. While she bounced around the entire game, it would have been a logistical problem to meet her. That problem was solved at the end of the game. As we exited our section, she was at the top of the steps. I certainly didn't miss that opportunity. As you can see, she even gave me the 'fists up" pose.

Notre Dame's Leprechaun and me in Notre Dame, IN-April 2026.

The Notre Dame Leprechaun

As I always do, if there is a mascot on the scene, I do my best to get a picture. Heading to Notre Dame, I knew there was a leprechaun mascot, but I didn't know if it would be at the softball game.

As the game started, eagle-eyed Tony spotted the leprechaun, but we couldn't get to her. Yes, it was a female leprechaun. Unfortunately, we were unable to get to her. Knowing my fascination with mascots, Tony snapped the picture of us "together" when she was reasonably close. I thank him for the effort and I must admit, it is a unique mascot picture to add to my collection.

Notre Dame officially debuted the Leprechaun in 1964. From the 1930s until then, Irish Setters named Clashmore Mike served in the mascot role. Seemingly there are multiple Leprechauns (they are a magical bunch). I was a bit pleasantly surprised to see a female leprechaun, but it made perfect sense for women's softball.

I would have been happy with this picture, but did I get a closer pic with the lass? Check back tomorrow.

The Notre Dame Leprechaun and me in Notre Dame, IN-April 2026.

Friend Encounters: Dennis Rodman, Ed and Heather

Friend Encounters is a weekly series featuring friends meeting celebrities.

In March, I attended Squared Circle Expo VI. It's not just a great wrestling convention. SCX has quickly become one of the best celebrity conventions of any kind. 

Dennis Rodman was one of the headliner guests this year. What perfect timing, too. The three-time NBA champ with the Chicago Bulls was just voted into the Basketball Hall of Fame. This was probably his first autograph signing since that announcement.

For those who don't know, Rodman dabbled in pro wrestling as a tag team partner of Hulk Hogan and a member of the NWO. While Rodman would never be confused with Bruno Sammartino, he did what he needed to do. He was himself, in all his fabulous outrageousness. 

Getting him as a guest at SCX was a big coup and it paid off as his line was ridiculously long. Two folks who didn't have to wait in line though were Ed and Heather, one-half of the Fab Four who run SCX. 

I've known Heather for about 15 years and Ed not much less. I first met her at Resistance Pro Wrestling and Ed at a different convention. Saying they are a fun couple is an understatement. They are great folks who bust butt to make the convention fun for all. They also squeeze in a little fun for themselves and rightly so.

With SCX VI in the books, everyone is already looking forward to SCX VII. No info is known about that yet, but you can learn a bit more about SCX at squaredcirclex.com.

Ed, Dennis Rodman and Heather in Indianapolis, IN_March 2026.

Celebrity Jersey Cards #795: Tess Boyer & Krista Tesreau

Celebrity Jersey Cards is a weekly series in which I create virtual trading cards for celebrities wearing sports jerseys. Today, I continue my season-long alphabetical journey through all Major League Baseball teams.

From Glen Carbon, Illinois, singer Tess Boyer was on The Voice, season six. She was a cheerleader for the St. Louis Rams and has worked with special needs children. When she took a hiatus from social media, Boyer frightened her fans who stared searching for the "missing" singer. Her father assured all she was fine. Boyer got her Celebrity Jersey Card wearing a St. Louis Cardinals jersey. She might have been at a game, but the background was too bright to tell.

A native of St. Louis, actress Krista Tesreau has carved out a nice career on daytime dramas, among other projects. One of her roles was as Tina Lord (described fantastically as a "whirling dervish" on Wiki) On One Life to Live. That role was also played by two of my favorites in the late Andrea Evans and Kelli Maroney. Tesreau also appeared in Ringmaster, starring Jerry Springer. For her Celebrity Jrsey Card, Tesreau was accompanied by Hall of Famer Ozzie Smith.

Cards That Never Were: Ted Simmons 1969-'70 & '89

Cards That Never Were is a recurring series in which I create virtual trading cards for players missed in various sets. It is a concept I borrow from far too many to list, but I appreciate all of their efforts.

Ted Simmons was selected by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 1st round (10th) of the 1967 MLB June Amateur Draft. He made his MLB debut in 1968, appearing in two games. He followed that in 1969 with five games. Then he became a regular in 1970. After the 1980 season, he was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers. Prior to the 1986 season, he was sent to Atlanta, where he finished his career in 1988. All told, Simba hit .285 with 248 HRs, 1,389 RBIs and 1,074 runs scored. In 2020 the Modern Baseball Era Committee voted him into the Hall of Fame.

For his efforts, Topps gave Simmons cards 1971-1988. That left two early cards and one career capper missing. Lynn from the Custom Baseball Cards Facebook group created these masterpieces to finish his career set. Lynn is a genius, creating thousands  of such cards in the group, which isn't just baseball cards. I couldn't come close to Lynn's wizardry, especially with these specific card designs. It is much better to highlight his work, than try to duplicate it and fail.

Introducing Anna Meixner of the PWHL

Born in Austria, Anna Meixner is a forward with the Vancouver Goldeneyes in the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL). In her second PWHL season, she previously played for the Ottawa Charge until a trade this midseason.

In addition to her PWHL play, Meixner is a four-time European Women's Hockey League (EWHL) champion, the second-highest all-time scorer in EHV Sabres Vienna history and the fourth-highest scorer all-time for Austria. She also won several snow boarding events while in school.

When I met Meixner, I was standing behind a young fan who was coughing a lot. When she reached Meixner, her dad proudly told Meixner that the girl had a bad cold but really wanted to meet the players. This was also after the kid high-fived Meixner. I sensed Meixner was not too happy to hear that news, but she kept smiling.

I did not hear of Meixner being sick after that, but I was. I caught whatever germ the kid was spewing. I could not move away from the line, because I was the last person in line. I tried giving space, but apparently, I did not leave enough.

Even with a cold as the result, I am still glad I got to go to that practice and game, along with the next game in March. The PWHL is exciting and I really hope for a team in Chicago next seaon.

For more info on the league, go to thepwhl.com. Check here for my recurring coverage. 

Anna Meixner and me in Rosemont, IL-December 2025.

FGCU 's Azul

While in Florida visiting my sister Jean, we saw the Loyola women's basketball team was playing an NIT game in the area. My last night there unexpectedly became a night of cheering for the Ramblers.

The big question was if the Ramblers would have their mascot LU Wolf at the game. If he was there, I would find a way to get a picture. Unfortunately, he was not there.

Florida Gulf Coast University, their opponent, was playing in their home arena. Naturally, their mascot was there. Call me a turncoat, I had to get a picture with him. I do not apologize for my fascination with mascots.

.FGCU's mascot is Azul the Eagle. Introduced in 2001, Azul is named after the school's colors (cobalt blue and emerald green). That's an odd connection. Azul is a multi-time winner of the ASUN Conference Most Valuable Mascot Award. Azul wears jersey No. 23 and leads the "Dirty Birds" student cheering section. "Wings Up" is the official, popular cheer of fans and the Azul.

I was automatically on a mission to get a selfie with the mascot, but he made it easy for me by coming into the stands. Jean became an unintentional photo bomber in my picture, but she is a good sport about it.

I do have to comment on his costume though. While his head was fine, his upper body was okay and his lower body was basically green sweatpants. Call me a mascot snob, I expect a bit more from mascots. FGCU needs to step up their game a bit. Still, I appreciate adding Azul to my collection.

and me in Fort Myers, FL-March 2026.

Dirk Manning at C2E2 2023

This year was a rarity for me. I missed Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo, but creator Dirk Manning made it.

I have been a fan of Dirk's for many years. I think I first met him more than a decade ago at the Motor City Comic Con. I have seen him and interviewed him many times since then.

Dirk is often listed as a comic book writer, but he is so much more. Dirk has created several comics, but he also created graphic biographies for wrestler Arn Anderson and announcer Tony Schiavone. In addition to comics, Dirk is the author of the how-to column turned book series Write or Wrong: A Writer’s Guide.

As engaging as he is talented, Dirk is always a popular guest at any comic con. He always makes time for me at cons though and I appreciate that immensely. If you are at a convention, stop by his booth and feel free to give him advice on great ice cream wherever you are. He is an ice cream aficianado.

For more info on Dirk, go to dirkmaning.com. Also, check here for my recurring updates on him.

Dirk Manning and me in Chicago, IL-March 2023.