Ok -- so that totally fixed it. My cron was pointing to an alias "php" which went to an older version. I changed it to:

* * * * * /usr/local/lsws/lsphp82/bin/php -q /home/*****.com/public_html/periodic/cron.php

and the upgrade went fast and smooth.

Note... after the update, the site would not load. I followed the instructions, upgraded the modules, and boom. Everything looks great.