Saturday 9

Welcome to Saturday: 9. What we've committed to our readers is that we will post 9 questions every Saturday. Sometimes the post will have a theme, and at other times the questions will be totally unrelated. Those weeks we do "random questions," so-to-speak. We encourage you to visit other participants posts and leave a comment. Because we don't have any rules, it is your choice. We hate rules. We love memes, however, and here is today's meme!

 Secret Love (1953)

Unfamiliar with this week's song. Hear it here.  I love doing this song because it was from her movie Calamity Jane, the soundtrack of which was one of the very first LP records I bought as a kid.

Rest in peace, Doris Day (1922-2019)

1) In this song Doris admits she's spoken to the stars, "the way dreamers often do." Do you often daydream?

Always.  I have weird daydreams.  When I am reading something and am starting to feel sleepy, my brain rewrites a scene into whatever I'm reading.  When I "come to" and go back to the book the scene my brain wrote has nothing to do with the story, though it has all the same characters.

2) What's the last secret you kept? (It doesn't have to be romantic.)

I learned how to keep secrets typing medical notes for an ob/gyn clinic.  I was very careful to forget all the personal secrets that I uncovered, so well that now when I am told a secret, I don't usually remember it myself, unless it requires me to do something.

3) While "Secret Love" was one of Miss Day's best-selling records, and the song won an Oscar, she did not perform it at the Academy Awards Ceremony. She said she was just too nervous to sing it live before an international television audience and an auditorium full of entertainment professionals. When did you last suffer an attack of nerves?

Good lord, I suffer nerves about everything.  I'm nervous speaking to an acquaintance at a party (not a friend, fortunately).  I'm nervous making a business-type phone call.  Heck, I'm even nervous to check my bank balance on line for fear I won't understand it.

4) Doris' well-publicized attack of Oscar stage fright was unexpected because she began her career as a band singer, performing before live audiences every night. But she reportedly did develop more phobias over the years, including a fear of flying. Is there anything that scares you now, as an adult, that didn't frighten you as a child?

I am more nervous now driving/riding on the freeway than I ever was before some 30 years ago. 

5) Doris Day made 39 movies between 1948 and 1968. She said one of her favorite things about filmmaking was working with costume designers on her wardrobe. Do you enjoy shopping for clothes?

I hate it.  When you are built like I am it's terribly embarrassing to shop in the fat ladies store and discover they have nothing that fits you.  And if it fits you, it looks terrible.  I can't remember when I last shopped in a store for clothes, but it's probably been 10 years at least.

6) Doris confessed that when she had to lose weight for a role, she gave up ice cream. If we checked your freezer, would we find any ice cream?

You would indeed.  We have mini Haagen Daz bars for dessert every night so there is almost always ice cream in the freezer.

7) In 1985 she hosted a cable show called Doris Day's Best Friends. She used the show as a platform to promote pet adoptions and animal welfare. Most of the guests were celebrity friends who reportedly donated their salaries for appearing on the show to Doris' pet foundation. Did you more recently ask a friend for a favor, or perform a favor for a friend?

It's a little thing, but the last favor I asked for was when I asked Ned if he could change the water bottle in our water cooler for me.

8) For more than 20 years, Doris co-owned the Cypress Inn in Carmel, CA. The Inn expects to continue on without her, and maintain the pet-friendly policies she introduced. Have you ever traveled with your dog or cat?

Only once.  When we first got Sheila, I took her everywhere with me.  We took her camping once (though not overnight) and it was fun, but since we usually had two dogs and traveling with Lizzie was a pain and Polly won't ever settle down, we leave her home when we go anywhere.

9) Random question: What's the last thing you complained about?

Well, THIS week it's the damn new laws going into effect in Alabama.  Or maybe the impending war in Iran.  Little things like that.

Saturday 9

Welcome to Saturday: 9. What we've committed to our readers is that we will post 9 questions every Saturday. Sometimes the post will have a theme, and at other times the questions will be totally unrelated. Those weeks we do "random questions," so-to-speak. We encourage you to visit other participants posts and leave a comment. Because we don't have any rules, it is your choice. We hate rules. We love memes, however, and here is today's meme!
Saturday 9: Mighty Clouds of Joy (1974)

Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

1) This song celebrates serenity. Are you feeling peaceful this morning?
Yeah, pretty much.

2) The lyrics include allusions to sun and clouds. How does the world look where you are? Is it sunny or cloudy?
Bright, but grey.

3) This week's featured artist, BJ Thomas, is in the Grammy Hall of Fame for another hit record that uses weather as a metaphor, "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head." Make up a Hall of Fame that you believe you should be inducted into. (For example, Crazy Sam has inducted herself into The Meme Mistress Hall of Fame for her service to Saturday 9.)
Oh, it would have to be the Blog Hall of Fame, 'cause this has been going almost 20 years, and very few other blog writers can say that.

4) When Crazy Sam hears this song, she always sings along ... loud. Is there a song you simply cannot resist singing along with?
Lately I am on a Hamilton kick, and always sing along with "The Room Where it Happens"

5) BJ Thomas has performed this song at The Grand Ole Opry. The Opry has been broadcast on the radio every week since 1925, nearly 95 years ago! Of course, back in the 1920s, radio was the only broadcast media. Today we have other choices. Is listening to the radio part of your daily routine?
Only when I'm in the car.

6) Though their dress code is lenient, country music fans who attend the Opry for a live show are warned: "Just remember, there's one rule we take very seriously here at the Grand Ole Opry -- you must wear something." Easter Sunday is a day many of us dress up. What will you be wearing on Sunday?
For many years, I dressed up on Easter, starting when I was a kid....

These days it's not a big deal and I don't go to church, so I'll just be wearing what I wear every other day.

7) Easter is recognized as the start of the spring season. What are you looking forward to this spring?
It's been spring around here for at least a month...our blossoms have already leafed out.

8) Lilies are popular at Easter. Do you have a favorite flower?
Red roses with a rose smell.  Not the red roses that have no smell.

9) Which would rather find in your Easter basket: yellow marshmallow chicks (aka Peeps) or a plastic egg filled with pennies?
Actually, I'd rather find a chocolate bunny!

Saturday 9

Come Saturday Morning (1969)
Unfamiliar with this week's tune.  Hear it here.

1) What are your plans for this Saturday morning?
I don't know.  We just looked at a board and care home I hope to move my mother to, and if all goes well, we might start moving her Saturday.

2) In this song, a man sings of going away for the day with a friend. Where did you go on your last day trip?
We have spent so much time going to Kaiser this past month, I can't remember a last day trip that was NOT to Kaiser!

3) The lyrics say, "we will remember long after Saturday's gone." What's something you've done recently that you predict you'll remember for a long time to come?
Well, if this board and care home works out, the first meeting with the owner is something I will remember pleasantly for a long time to come.

4) This song was the Oscar-nominated theme from the movie The Sterile Cuckoo. What's the first movie song that pops into your head?
"The Man That Got Away" from A Star Is Born

5) In the movie, Liza Minnelli played Mary Ann Adams, an eccentric girl everyone called "Pookie." Have you ever been known by a memorable nickname? Who gave it to you?
I haven't, but in her teens my mother was called 'Chubbie' by a guy who was living in their house.  My aunt picked it up and soon everyone called her Chubbie.  Now she is known as Aunt Chubby by the next generation.

6) Today's group began their career as The Grads. Recording artist/producer Herb Alpert liked their sound but hated their name. Alpert picked "sandpiper" at random out of the dictionary. Do you still have and use a bound dictionary? Or do you rely on the internet for word searches and spelling?
I'm afraid I haven't used a bound dictionary in a very long time.  I'm an internet gal.

7) The biggest news story of 1969, the year this song was popular, was one of the biggest news stories of all time. On July 20, Neil Armstrong stepped foot on the moon. Other than the moon landing, what's the most consequential event that you've seen in your lifetime. How do you feel it changed America, and the world?
The assassination of John F. Kennedy (11/22/63).  In this day when the press no longer protects/respects politicians, it's hard to know what the Kennedy administration was really like, but it seems like the country has not been the same since.

8) 1969 was a big year for music festivals, with Atlanta, Toronto and Woodstock all holding famous fests. Have you visited Georgia, Ontario or New York (state)?
I don't think I've been in Ontario, but I have been in Georgia (once) and New York (several times, both NYC and other parts of New York.

9) Random question -- According to some plant enthusiasts, house plants do better when they're spoken to. Do you talk to your plants?
I no longer have house plants.  I killed them all, gradually, but when I had them, I did, from time to time, talk to them.  My mother, when she was a gardener swore by talking to plants, which is why they flourished.

Saturday 9

Saturday 9: Backfield in Motion (1969)

Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here

1) This week's Saturday 9 has a football theme because there's a big game Sunday. Will you be watching?

I am not a sports buff and if we have the game on, it's usually just for the commercials.  However, our football fanatic son will be here on Sunday, so we will probably watch the game more closely than we ever have since the last time the 49ers played.

2) The Super Bowl is the second-largest day for food consumption in the US, second only to Thanksgiving. What's on your menu this weekend?

I haven't decided yet.  There will only be 3 of us and I don't want to overdo.  I will probably make a slow cooker chili and then some finger foods.

3) Super Bowl Sunday is the #1 day for consuming guacamole. When did you most recently eat something with avocado in it?

We usually have something with avocado in it nearly every day.  I don't think I've eaten avocado in 2 days, but will have it in a salad tonight.

4) The Pro Football Hall of Fame is in Canton, OH. Have you ever visited Canton, or any other city in Ohio?

Canton, no, but we've been to Cincinnati and to a town I forget the name of, but where Jeri did summer stock for two years.  Also to Lancaster, OH to visit Georgia Griffith

5) This song mentions different moves that football players -- and, it seems, girlfriends -- can make that will result in penalties. What's the last rule you broke? What were the consequences?

I can't think of anything.

6) In 1969, the year this song was popular, the Colts lost to the New York Jets in Super Bowl III. The game is famous because of all the hype leading up to it, including Joe Namath "guaranteeing" his underdog Jets would win. Tell us about a time when you felt like an underdog.

Ned started keeping an extensive journal about his father's health, all the doctor's appointments, etc., which each of our guest caregivers are adding to.  Because of my "whatever it was," I'm kind of not included in the care, but it did make me feel like chopped liver when someone wrote that Walt was looking forward to "alone time" -- when I would be here!

 

7) This week's featured duo, Mel and Tim, are cousins from Mississippi. Tell us about one of your cousins.

That's a subject that gives me a pang in my heart.  Two of my cousins, Peach and Kathy were my good friends and we met with my mother one weekend a month, for many years, to visit, play cards, drink, eat, and spend the night.   It was my favorite time of the month.  Kathy died of COPD in 2011 and Peach died of cancer a couple of years later...and, of course, my mother now has Alzheimers and barely remembers either of them.  In total, I have 32 cousins, but those two were the two I was close to.

8) The song is about a man who catches his girl cheating and he just won't put up with it. In romance, do you find it easy to forgive and forget?

It is much easier to forgive than to forget.

9) Random question: You've collected a box of gently-used items to donate to a second hand store. What would it be most likely to contain: clothes, housewares, or books/video/music?

We probably donate more books than anything else, though if I get ambitious and do a lot of closet cleaning, there might be clothes are housewares.

Saturday 9

Saturday 9:  I Forgot to Remember to Forget

Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.
In honor of Elvis' birthday (January 8.) 

1) Elvis sings that he thinks about this girl all the time. What person or topic is on your mind this Saturday?

Well with my husband's hospitalization this week and his slow recovery, he is on everybody's minds this week.

2) He wants to forget the day he met his girl, but simply can't. Think about someone very important in your life. Did you know right away that they were going to be influential?

Of all the people I've met in my life I would think of about four or five who were influential.  The first would have been my typing teacher and lifelong friend, Sister Anne (sadly, now dead)

Since this week's song is about memories, let's check on how well you recall events in your own life.

3) What was the first concert you ever attended?

Judy Garland at the Opera House in San Francisco.   This was the concert before the tour she made after her "Carnegie Hall" album (I saw that concert too)

4) Where did you get your first piercing? (Not only where on your body, but who did the deed and where did they do it?)

Only been pierced once.  When I was in (Catholic) high school, only "bad" girl had pierced ears.  I waited until 1967, after I'd had my second child.  I  went to a jewelry store in San Francisco, was lead to the back of the store and up dark stairs to an attic type room (at lest that was my memory of it).  I felt like I had gone in for an abortion.  When my ears developed an infection and swelled up, I was too embarrassed to go through it al again, so I just kept swabbing them with alcohol and eventually it subsided and I've had no trouble since.

5) What's the name of the bank where you had your first checking account?

My mother worked for Bank of America throughout her career, so my first bank was at B of A.  Never thought of any other bank.

6) Tell us about your first bicycle.

It was a used one-speed that we found an ad for in the paper.  I loved it, but was a bit jealous when my sister, a couple of years later, was given a brand new 3-speed.

7) Who received the first text you ever sent?

Probably Walt.  But that was a very. long. time. ago.

8) What had you been drinking when you suffered your first hangover?

I can't remember the incident, but it was probably either champagne or a champagne cocktail.  I didn't start heavy duty drinking until I was in college.  Hating hangovers was one of the reasons I gave up drinking many years ago.

9) Whose was the first wedding you ever attended?

I'm not sure.  The first one I remember was my cousin's in the late 1950s.  I was her maid of honor.

oops

I inadvertently erased Saturday 9.

Saturday 9

Saturday 9: Winter Wonderland (1968)

Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.
 

Welcome to the last Saturday 9 of 2018! Thanks for a great year, everyone.

1) This is an unconventional take on an old familiar song. Over the holidays, do you prefer traditional carols? Or do you like to mix it up with with more contemporary fare?

I'm old fashioned.  I prefer the traditional carols.  It's not Christmas without Bing Crosby.

2) Now that Christmas is behind us, are you enjoying a relaxing week? Or do you have socializing/celebrating/chores to do?

Definitely relaxing.  Walt is post-op and my surgery was yesterday.  We aren't doing ANY socializing or celebrating (except that the procedures are over!).  I'm binge-watching Mrs. Maisel

3) Winter is a time for cocooning. What book or movie did you enjoy in 2018 that you would recommend to your fellow Saturday 9-ers?

We only saw two movies.  Of them, Jane (about Jane Goodall) was my favorite.

4) Looking back on the past year, what was one of your happiest moments?

Yesterday, when they told me, after a 30 minute procedure and an hour waiting for lab results, that I am cancer free.

5) What was the smartest thing you did all this past year?

Hmmm.....we've been dealing with doctors for so long it's hard to think of anything else, so I guess deciding to have the "wart" on my nose checked...finding out it was basal cell carcinoma in early enough stage that it could be removed entirely.

6) As 2018 comes to a close, what are you most grateful for?

That all my kids are happy and healthy, that my mother, though with worsening dementia, is as happy as she can be and safe where she is. 

7) This week's featured artist is Herb Alpert. Because of the style he popularized and the name of his band, people assume he's Hispanic. Yet his parents were Jewish immigrants from Romania. What's something we'd be surprised to learn about you?

That I really don't like to listen to music much.

8) He performed an instrumental version of "The Star Spangled Banner" at Super Bowl XXII. How did your favorite sports teams do in 2018?

The 49ers and the San Francisco Giants didn't do well, but as Jeri lives in Boston, I was happy for the Red Socks

9) Random question: When did you last check your social media feed?

I check it regularly, so probably half an hour ago.

Saturday 9

Welcome to Saturday: 9. What we've committed to our readers is that we will post 9 questions every Saturday. Sometimes the post will have a theme, and at other times the questions will be totally unrelated. Those weeks we do "random questions," so-to-speak. We encourage you to visit other participants posts and leave a comment. Because we don't have any rules, it is your choice. We hate rules. We love memes, however, and here is today's meme!

Saturday 9:  Happy Holidays

(from the archives)

1. As you can see, Sam loved giving her annual wish list to Santa. Yet some children are reluctant to climb into Jolly Old St. Nick's lap. Did you enjoy the tradition or were you shy? Or did you by pass it altogether -- either because you wrote him a letter or because your family didn't celebrate Christmas?

I was terrified, but my mother needed that Santa picture so I endured it each year.  I also wrote a letter.  If you ever get a chance to see David Sedaris' Santaland Diaries, it's worth seeing and very funny.  This is part of one of my reviews of the show, about a visit to Santa:  We get a tour of Santa’s Village, including "vomit corner" and learn about high tech parents who force their kids to sit on Santa’s lap to be photographed, even if they’re screaming in fright. (Anyone who has ever stood in line to see Santa, whether as a parent or as a child will find someone with whom they can identify here.)

2. Are you currently on the Naughty or Nice list? How did you get there?

Oh, I'm very boring.  I've been so housebound for so long all I can be is nice!

3. Did you ship any gifts to friends and family this year? If so, which one traveled the farthest?

Again, because of immobility, I did all shopping and shipping on line.  It was so effortless and so pleasant, I may do it that way all the time from now on!

4. Did you buy yourself a gift this year?

Not really.  I did just order a headphone splitter adapter for my phone, though.  Maybe that counts, though since I "bought" it with my saved account money, it was really "free."

5. What's your favorite holiday-themed movie? Have you seen it yet this year?

Two:  Miracle on 34th St (the original, without colorlization) and White Christmas.  I have seen both this year, White Christmas twice.

6. Thinking of movies, Christmas is lucrative for Hollywood. Have you ever gone to a movie theater on Christmas Day?

Nope.

7. Have you ever suffered an embarrassing moment at the company Christmas party?

Not that I can recall.  I always worked in small offices that had low key parties, if we had parties at all.

8. What's your favorite beverage in cold weather?

Coffee

9. Share a memory from last Christmas.

Two.  First was spending $254 for the very first (and probably only) prime rib I have ever cooked, but I decided to splurge and make it.  I was terribly nervous I would botch it and read every recipe and hint on the Food Network pages, but ultimately it was probably the very best roast I had ever made and worth every penny, but not to repeat.

But on Christmas eve, Jeri and Phil were here and I decided to dust off the fondue pot and make fondue for dinner.

 

I had forgotten how delicious cheese fondue is...and compared to the price for skimpy servings in fondue restaurants, it's a great bargain!

Saturday 9

Saturday 9: We Need a Little Christmas

Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

1) At the beginning of this recording, Daffy says he hopes all his friends remember his size, style and favorite color. What piece of clothing would you like to add to your wardrobe?

I am gradually running out slacks.  I used to have a lot more but they are wearing out--I have not bought a new pair in probably 10 years.  One of these days I'm going to have to get mself to the tent maker and find out if there is anything that fits me.

2) His friends are late for Daffy's holiday soiree. Think about the last get together you attended. Were you early, late or right on time?

The last social event we went to was Thanksgiving at Ned's in-laws'.  Walt was just post-op (or was it pre-op) and only wanted to go for a short time, so we arrived late and left early.  Usually we are pretty much on time.

3) It hasn't a snowed a single flurry where Daffy is. Have you had to shovel yet?

Only leaves.  We've lived here 45 years and it has snowed twice, for about half an hour each time.

4) Daffy sings that he's looking forward to fruitcake. How about you? Are you a fruitcake fan?

I'm wishy washy.  Not a fan, but not a hater either.  I've had some I like very much and some I'm not too fond of.  It depends on the kind of dried fruit in it...and how much liquor is poured over it before it is served!

5) Daffy is an American Black Duck. Their usual diet doesn't generally include fruitcake. These ducks more commonly dine on seeds, foliage and bugs. What was your most recent meal?

Tamales with guacamole and some Spanish rice.

6) The only Christmas card Sam has received so far this year is from her insurance agent. She never sees her agent socially. In fact, she doesn't think she's seen him at all in 2018. Have you received many cards this year? If so, were they from people you feel close to?

We have only had a handful of cards, and most of them from businesses (the first one was from Chewy.com).

7) When do you start holiday shopping: Christmas Eve, Thanksgiving/Black Friday, Halloween?

I'm kind of passively shopping all year long.

8) Sam was recently driven crazy by kids running through store aisles wearing elf hats with bells. Do you have any apparel that makes noise?

I have one Christmas sweater with a little bell on it.  Hardly makes any noise at all.

9) This time of year is big for charitable fundraising. Here's your chance to plug a cause or organization that's near and dear to you.

There are two, one for people, one for animals.  I have been a sponsor with Compassion International for several years and now sponsor 17 kids.  You look at all the problems around the world, here at home and in other countries and feel so helpless.  But this is a way I can make a difference in the life of a few kids.  It ain't gonna save the world, but it's going to maybe save the world for those 17 kids.

In animals, my support goes to the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust.  They rescue orphaned baby elephants, most of whose mothers have been killed by poachers for their ivory tusks.  They raise the babies and get them ready to go back to the wild.  I've been following their work for many years now and watched babies grow, return to the wild, and come back with their own babies to show off.  Again there are so many problems for so many animals world-wide but here is a place I can help one or two of them.

I'd also like to put in a plug for Kiva, a  non-profit organization that allows people to lend money via the Internet to low-income entrepreneurs and students in over 80 countries. Kiva's mission is "to connect people through lending to alleviate poverty."  Al Gore mentioned it in An Inconvenient Truth.  Make a loan of $25 and when it s repaid, you can either get your money back or you can loan it to someone else.  My $25 has helped dozens of people over the years.

---

Good news -- Walt's catheter is out, for the first time since June.  We are holding our breath and hoping that he is finally DONE with the damn thing.

And my blood numbers are down again and the doctor says I can quit the blood testing every other week.  I may try driving next week.  I haven't done that in months because my legs were too weak to trust them on the pedals of the car.

Things are looking up for better health in 2019.

Saturday 9

Saturday 9: I'm Gonna Put Some Glue 'Round the Christmas Tree (So Santa Will Stick Around All Year) (1954)

Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

1) This week's featured songstress, Peggy King, sings that she'd like to extend the Christmas season all year. How about you? Do you wish the season was longer? Shorter? Or do you think things are fine as they are?

With the kids spread out over the country, the grandkids in Santa Barbara, and my mother with Alzheimers, I don't think a lot about it any more.  So I guess "fine as they are" i my answer, though I wish they would stop putting out Christmas stuff at Halloween!

2) She specifically mentions toys. Have you purchased/will you purchase any toys as holiday gifts this year?

I have a game for the grandkids, but mostly book instead of toys.

3) Search for "glue" on The Home Depot's website and you'll get more than 3,000 results. There's heavy-duty adhesives, all-purpose glue, clear epoxy, wood glue, and more. Do you currently have glue in your home? If yes, how many kinds?

I don't use "glue" per se, but a "gluey tape."  I don't have a lot of gluing needs.

 

4) What's the last thing you used glue for?

A journal I was working on.

5) This week's featured artist, Peggy King, was a TV staple in the 1950s. With her perpetually upbeat persona, she was known as "Pretty, Perky Peggy King." Do you consider yourself upbeat, aka "perky?"

Definitely not.  But interesting thing about Peggy King. She never made it big because she looked and sounded too much like Judy Garland (though not in this particular recording)

 

6) Ms. King got her start singing radio jingles for Hunt's tomato sauce. Prepared tomato sauce, properly stored, can safely be kept in the refrigerator for days. Do you have any leftovers in your refrigerator right now?

Tons!!!

7) Her biggest movie role was in Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy (1955). Do you watch scary movies and shows all year around? Only at Halloween? Or not at all?

I am not a big fan of scary movies.

8) In 1954, the year this record was released, President Eisenhower dedicated the Marine Corps. Iwo Jima Memorial at Arlington National Cemetery, just outside of Washington DC. If you were to play tourist in our nation's capital, what site would you be certain to visit?

I have fortunately been in DC many times.  I love the Smithsonian American History museum, but I want to return to the Newseum, the museum for the news media.  Definitely not enough time to see it all in one day.

9) Random question: Which of these common household items would you miss most if it suddenly went on the fritz -- your bedside lamp or your hair dryer?

I have neither, so wouldn't miss either.

Saturday 9

Welcome to Saturday 9. What we've committed to our readers is that we will post 9 questions every Saturday. Sometimes the post will have a theme, and at other times the questions will be totally unrelated. Those weeks we do "random questions," so-to-speak. We encourage you to visit other participants posts and leave a comment. Because we don't have any rules, it is your choice. We hate rules. We love memes, however, and here is today's meme!

Saturday 9: "It's a Jungle Out There" (Theme from Monk) (2003)

Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear ithere.
 

1) This week's song is the theme from the detective show that ran from 2002-2009. Were you a fan?

A huge fan.  I'm still a fan and watch all the marathons.  In fact, I have about 10 of them on my DVR right now!
2) The song warns us about the air we breathe and the water we drink. Does your home have an air or water filter?

No.  But I drink bottled water.
3) The lyrics say, "People say I'm crazy to worry all the time." Are you a worrier? Or do you just take things as they come?

I worry less now than I have in the past.  Now that Ned has taken over my life, I just turn it all over to him.  (Yes, I'm kidding.  Sort of)
4) TV's Adrian Monk is known for his outstanding deductive powers, an homage to Sherlock Holmes. Have you read any of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's books featuring Sherlock Holmes?

One or two, maybe.  I was not a huge fan.
5) Monk was also known for fastidiousness and precision, an homage to Hercule Poirot. Have you read any of Agatha Christie's books featuring Poirot?

I don't think so.  I inherited a whole set of all of Agatha Christie's books 30 years ago and don't think I have read any of them.
6) This song was written and performed by Grammy and Emmy winner Randy Newman. Do you have any trophies or plaques?

I won an award for best writing of an original musical in 1999, and I have a plaque for that, but since I didn't strictly speaking do any of the writing, but was more the muse, I never felt I deserved it.
7) Before winning an Oscar in 2001, Mr. Newman had the distinction of having the most nominations (15) without a win. Do you consider yourself a graceful loser?

Well, never having been nominated for awards, I don't have the experience of being a graceful loser!
8) In 2003, when this song was introduced, Lance Armstrong won his fifth Tour de France. Later, he was disgraced in a doping scandal. Can you think of a time when a hero disappointed you?

Other than Armstrong, no.  Well, maybe Barry Bonds.
9) Random question -- We're catering lunch. Should we put you down for a burger or a taco?

Tacos, please.  Extra guacamole.

As an aside to all of this, Adrian Monk was played by the remarkable Tony Shalhoub, who was previously in the TV series Wings.  I was reviewing a play in Sacramento recently (Daddy's Dyin'--Who's Got the Will?) and one of the characters was played by a Deborah Shalhoub.  I came home and looked up Tony Shalhoub's biography and learned he's the second youngest of 10 children born to an immigrant from Lebanon.  And yes, Deborah is his sister.

A Kaiser Day

First the good news -- I slept all night last night!  I have started taking Advil-PM and for the first time in literally years I am sleeping better.  I've never been a pill taker for "minor" things like headache or insomnia, so I put off something as a sleeping aid.  I'm a new convert.

Yesterday was somewhat ridiculous.  Walt had an appointment at Kaiser first  thing in the morning.  There is no urology clinic in Davis, so he had to go to Vacaville, 15 miles away.  They were removing the catheter he's been wearing for a week and then return later in the day to see how his system handled no catheter.

I was to go to my PCP in Davis in the late morning to check on the edema I have developed in my legs and feet and check on that damn booboo on my backside that comes and goes and is a big part of my inability to sleep.

So Walt went off to Vacaville in the morning.  Ned came to our house to announce he would  take me to my appointment because he wanted to be sure he understood what I was supposed to do for the edema, so he could continue to be the enforcer.  Walt was relieved because with all that fluid in him he wasn't comfortable leaving home.

We went off to Kaiser and Ned came in for the edema part of the exam and left before the butt exam part. (I was thrilled to see that I have lost almost 10 lbs since this "whatever it is" started because I just have no appetite.) While Ned was waiting for me to finish up, Walt called and said he needed to go back to his doctor NOW.  Ned called his friend Jessica, who came to sit with me and take me home while Ned went and got Walt. 

The doctor said I had a sight heart murmur and so ran an EKG (everything fine) and then sent me for a different blood test.  Then Jessica brought me home (fortunately SHE has a key to our house, because I didn't have mine with me!).

Walt came home, back on the catheter for another week.

Ned tried to set me up so I could keep my legs raised.  The new recliner doesn't lift the foot rest high enough, so he went to a new furniture store in town.  As luck would have it, they had just sold a couch that came with an ottoman and the buyers didn't want the ottoman and the salesman said he'd give it to Ned for $10.  It's just perfect. 

I am so incredibly grateful to both Ned and Jessica for being here and taking charge.

SATURDAY 9

Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

1) This week's song is the theme from a sitcom that originally aired from 1993 to 1999. Were you a fan?
Not a "fan" but I watched from time to time--Fran Drescher's voice bugged me!

2) The song tells us that Fran once worked in a bridal shop. Have you ever worked in a retail setting?  Never

3) The kids in the Sheffield household appreciate their nanny's "joie de vivre," which is defined as "exuberant enjoyment of life." Are you feeling joie de vivre this morning?
My joie de vivre has been dampened by my falls, my painful backside and my inability to walk normally (which means I can't drive because I can't lift my leg high enough to reach the pedals!)

4) "The Nanny" is the colorful one, the one who wears red when everyone else wears tan. What color do you think you look best in?  A bluish-red, though I wear mostly black.

5) The TV show, The Nanny, was the brainchild of actress Fran Drescher. She got the idea while visiting her an old friend in London. Her friend's pre-teen daughter enjoyed having Fran as a confidante and shopping buddy. Do you enjoy shopping as a leisure activity? Or would you prefer to just dash into a store, grab what you need, and get out and go home?
Definitely not a leisure shopper though it sometimes takes a bit of time before I find something I like.  I can't remember the last time I "shopped".

6) The friend Fran was visiting in London was Twiggy, who was the world's most famous model in the 1960s. Name another famous model.  Heidi Klum

7) The Nanny: The Complete Series is available on DVD on Amazon. It consists of 19 discs and takes 55 hours to watch, start to finish. What TV show have you recently binge watched?
I binge watched Season 3 of Better Call Saul while I had my feet lifted yesterday.

8) The Nanny theme was sung by Liz Callaway. Her father, the late John Callway, was a long-time Chicago newscaster. Have you, or has a loved one, ever been on TV?
I was on a kids' program when I was younger.  In high school, I was a pretend pregnant woman on a show about a home for unwed mothers--I was in the choir.  Didn't realize as i put on my smock that I would LIVE in them for so many years!  I was interviewed about breastfeeding when I was a young mother (I nursed David on TV),  I've been on the radio, but not TV in a long time.  Our kids were on TV occasionally while the band was in its heyday

9) Random question -- Which of these adjectives comes closest to describing you: sexy, sophisticated or down-to-earth?
Definitely down to earth.

Saturday 9

Welcome to Saturday 9. What we've committed to our readers is that we will post 9 questions every Saturday. Sometimes the post will have a theme, and at other times the questions will be totally unrelated. Those weeks we do "random questions," so-to-speak. We encourage you to visit other participants posts and leave a comment. Because we don't have any rules, it is your choice. We hate rules. We love memes, however, and here is today's meme! 

Saturday 9: I Love Lucy (1951)
 
Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

1) Before today, did you know that the "I Love Lucy" theme had lyrics?

Yes.

2) Since its premiere in 1951, I Love Lucy has never been off the air. Are you a fan?

Not really (sorry, Jimmy!)  I enjoy it when it's on, but I don't turn it on.  I'm not a big fan of slapstick, or of Lucy's kind of humor.

3) On the show, Ricky Riccardo supports his family by performing in a nightclub. Do you know anyone in show business?

Oh, my lord, Yes.  The aforementioned "Jimmy," Jim Brochu, was a friend of Lucy's and played backgammon with her every day the last year of her life.  He is an award-winnng TV and theater (actor, writer, musician, etc.) in New York, his partner, my friend Steve, is a musician and an actor (or so he tells me).  And, being a theater critic, I know dozens of actors in Sacramento and San Francisco.

4) Lucy and Ricky's best friends are Fred and Ethel, their landlord and his wife. Are you friendly with your neighbors?

No.  We nod to each other on the street.  It is one of my sadnesses.

5) One of the most popular episodes has Lucy and Ethel working on the conveyor belt at a chocolate factory. When did you last have chocolate?  

Tonight.  I had our nightly Haagen Dazs mini chocolate covered bars.

6) Another famous episode has Lucy promoting Vitametavegimin. This tonic is made with vitamins, meat, vegetables -- and 23% alcohol. Do you read the ingredients statement before you take an over-the-counter medication? Or do you trust that it's safe because it's on the store shelf?

Given the fact that I am now suffering from side effects of a physician-prescribed statin I've been taking for a year, I will now be  bit more careful about reading the fine print....but why do they print it so tiny?

7) I Love Lucy was filmed before a live audience. Desi Arnaz (Ricky) always maintained he could identify the chuckle of his mother-in-law, who attended every taping. Do you know anyone who has a distinctive laugh?

I'm sure I do, but nobody comes to mind right now.  Walt has a kind of distinctive laugh.

8) The show ended when the Lucille Ball/Desi Arnaz marriage ended. Have you ever had to choose sides when a couple broke up?

You pretty much always do.  You can't remain friends with both, so unless you write them out of your life, you have to choose sides.

9) Random question -- You must eat the same dinner, every day, between now and Labor Day. An identical menu, no deviation. What will you be having?

Sausage, mushroom and basil pizza.

Saturday 9

16 June, 2018

Welcome to Saturday: 9. What we've committed to our readers is that we will post 9 questions every Saturday. Sometimes the post will have a theme, and at other times the questions will be totally unrelated. Those weeks we do "random questions," so-to-speak. We encourage you to visit other participants posts and leave a comment. Because we don't have any rules, it is your choice. We hate rules. We love memes, however, and here is today's meme!

Cat's in the Cradle (1974)

This song was chosen in honor of Father's Day. Hear it here.
 

1) This song began as a poem, written by Harry's wife Sandy before the couple even met. Have you ever tried your hand at writing poetry? 

I'm terrible at it.  I can write limericks and funny verse, but anything high-falutin' defeats me.

2) The lyrics include a reference to "The Man in the Moon." The original Mother Goose rhyme ends: "It's time for the children on earth to think about getting to bed." Do you remember what time your childhood bedtime was?

I don't remember but assume it was between 8 and 9.

3)  When did you go to bed last night?

1:30 a.m.

4) In 1966, President Lyndon Johnson signed the proclamation that made Father's Day a holiday on the third Sunday in June. Can you name all 45 Presidents? (No, you don't have to list them here.)

Probably not.  I'm sure I'd miss a few.

5) Since Sam's father is particular about his Cole Haan loafers, her Father's Day present to him is always a DSW gift card. Who on your gift list is especially easy to buy for?

The grandkids.  Their mother keeps an Amazon wish list (which I guess is cheating!)

6) Sam's father is a voracious reader. So much so that the local librarian knows him on sight and by name. When did you last visit your neighborhood library?

Years ago, when it was our polling place.  I should be ashamed to admit that since the library is only 3 blocks from our house, but I have SO many books here in the house that I'm trying to work through.

7) Back when Sam was in high school, her father gave her driving lessons. Do you consider yourself a good driver?

I used to be an excellent driver and could even parallel park on San Francisco's steepest hills (driving a shift!)  Now that I'm 75, I find that my driving skills are not what they used to be.  I can't even park, in an automatic, on a flat surface with lots of room without jockying back and forth several times.  It is very frustrating.

8) He is a stickler about car maintenance and reminds Sam to check her car's air filter regularly, because a dirty air filter can reduce mileage. Share your own car maintenance tip.

Marry well.

9) Whenever he fills up the car, Sam's father also stocks up on his favorite candy: LifeSavers. So Sam is celebrating Father's Day by giving everyone a roll. Would you prefer Wild Cherry, Butter Rum, Winter Green or Peppermint?

If I had to choose one of those, wild cherry, but I'd prefer lemon.

Saturday 9

Welcome to Saturday: 9. What we've committed to our readers is that we will post 9 questions every Saturday. Sometimes the post will have a theme, and at other times the questions will be totally unrelated. Those weeks we do "random questions," so-to-speak. We encourage you to visit other participants posts and leave a comment. Because we don't have any rules, it is your choice. We hate rules. We love memes, however, and here is today's meme!

Saturday 9: Last Night a DJ Saved My Life! (1982)

Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.
 

1) This song is about a girl who is heartbroken about a boy who won't take her calls. Do you screen your calls, deciding to let some go to voicemail? Or do you pick up whenever you possibly can? (We're referring to calls from people you know.) We get more robo calls than anything else, so yes, I screen my calls.  I would say that I don't pick up unless I recognize the number, but sometimes I get calls from Atria about my mother and I never know which number that is.

2) When she was feeling her lowest, she heard a song on the radio that lifted her spirits. What's the last thing you heard on the radio?
The last thing?  I don't listen to the radio a lot, but it was some talking heads program on NPR.

3) This song includes the sound of squeaky wheels, indicating a sudden stop and perhaps a near-miss. Tell us about your most recent traffic mishap.
When parking in a garage, my foot slipped off the brake and onto the gas and I bumped into the chain fence...no noticeable effect, though.

4) "Last Night a DJ Saved My Life!" is featured in the 2002 video game, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. Do you spend much time on video games?
The only game I play on my cell phone is 1001 squares, which I have in 3 different versions for 3 different machines.

5) This week's featured artist, Indeep, was a trio. We've had many groups, some duos and tons of solo artists on Saturday 9, but not many trios. Can you name another popular trio?
No.
 

6) The last time Indeep performed together was in 1997, at a New Year's Eve show in Paris for French TV. Have you celebrated a holiday in another land? We might have been in England one 4th of July.  Oddly enough nobody celebrated.

7) Britain's Royal Family is in the news this weekend, with attention centered on the nuptials. The Royals made news in 1982, as well. When this song was popular, Michael Fagan gained momentary fame by breaking into Buckingham Palace. He found The Royal Bedroom, where he came face-to-face with the Queen. He reports that Queen Elizabeth sleeps in a nightie that "reached down to her knees." What did you wear to bed last night?
sweat pants and a sweat shirt.
 

8)  In 1982, you could buy a loaf of white bread for 50¢. Today, the national average price for that loaf of bread is more than $2.50. When you go grocery shopping, do you comparison shop and make purchases at more than one store? Or do you prefer one-stop shopping? Oh definitely one-stop shopping.  Walt will shop in every store in town, if he could.
 

9) Random question: What's the first famous quote that comes to your mind? "Theater is our lifeline to humanity. Without it, we’d all be Republicans."
- Ken Ludwig

Saturday 9

Welcome to Saturday: 9. What we've committed to our readers is that we will post 9 questions every Saturday. Sometimes the post will have a theme, and at other times the questions will be totally unrelated. Those weeks we do "random questions," so-to-speak. We encourage you to visit other participants posts and leave a comment. Because we don't have any rules, it is your choice. We hate rules. We love memes, however, and here is today's meme!
 

Saturday 9: Lowdown (1976)

Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

1) In this song, "the lowdown" is an unpleasant truth. Tell us about a time when you had to do like Boz and give someone "the lowdown."

I can't think of any time.

2) The lowdown Boz delivers is about the woman his friend is seeing. Specifically, she's gossiping about his finances. If you discovered something negative about a friend's romantic partner, would you share it with your friend? Or would you keep it to yourself?

Having been in that situation and not said anything and then saw the results, I think I would say something, difficult though it might be.

3) Boz was born William Royce Scaggs, but in high school he was given the nickname "Bosley" -- later shortened to "Boz." His friends thought "Bosley" sounded nerdier than "Bill," and Scaggs was quite the music nerd. What is something you're nerdy about?

The whole computer thing, I guess.  I hear so many of my contemporaries (old guys) talking about how they know nothing about the Internet or how to use their cell phone, which is my major involvement every day.  It's difficult when the people in your age group want nothing to do with your obsession.

4) His son Austin Scaggs is a contributing editor at Rolling Stone. What magazines are in the room you're in right now?

I'm not a magazine person.  But we do get "The Week" (for our polical fix), the Food Network magazine and the new Pioneer Woman magazine.

5) Boz and his wife own a vineyard in Napa. Do you prefer white or red wine?

I don't drink a lot of wine, but my druthers, when I do, would be white.

6) In 1976, the year this song was popular, movie queen Elizabeth Taylor needed an escort to one of the nation's Bicentennial celebrations. Former Under Secretary of the Navy John Warner was asked to take her to the event, and within months he became her husband. Have you ever had a "blind date" that turned into a relationship?

Not only is the answer no, I'll go even further...I've never had a "blind date" !

7) Also in 1976, Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs founded Apple in Jobs' parents' garage. Does your garage serve as your office, workshop or studio? Or is it just home to your car?

We have a one car garage which has never had a car in it.  It's an extended storage room, with barely enough room to move.

8) The Bionic Woman premiered in 1976. Because of her "bionic parts," Jaimie Summers could run faster than most cars, had superhuman strength, and super-sensitive hearing. If you could have one of those qualities enhanced -- speed, strength or hearing -- which would you choose?

The older I get, the weaker it seems I get, so I'd go with strength.  It doesn't even have to be "superhuman."  I'll settle for above average strength, so I can lift a cast iron skillet off of an overhead hook without difficulty!

9) Random question: When you lean in for a kiss, do you tilt your head to the right or to the left?

That's an interesting question.  I've never thought of it, but now that I do, it's to the right.  I wonder if that goes along with being left handed.  I'd be curious to hear what "-handed" people coordinate with head tilting.