Saturday 9: Like You Were Dying

Live Like You Were Dying (2003)

Unfamiliar with this week’s song. Hear it here.

1) This song is about a man whose father advises him to live life to the fullest, to become “the friend you’d like to have.” How about you? Are you the friend you’d like to have? You know, there are things I could do better, but overall, yes.

2) The song lists several “bucket list” items: skydiving, mountain climbing, riding a bull. Have you done any of those things? Would you like to? I haven’t done any of them. I would love to climb a mountain, I could probably be talked into skydiving, but I would never ride a bull, not entirely because of safety–although that is a factor–but more because I don’t see the point and don’t like the idea of using an animal in that way.

3) In the music video, Tim McGraw is wearing a white button-down shirt, blue jeans and a cowboy hat. Which of those items is in your wardrobe? Definitely jeans, maybe a white button-down.

4) He wears a cowboy hat because he is embarrassed by the size of his forehead. When you wear a hat, are you more likely doing it for style, like Tim, or for protection from the elements? The elements. The closest I come to style is a little white knit hat I have, but even then, it’s only really coming out in cooler weather.

5) McGraw’s biological father was Tug McGraw, pitcher for the Mets and Phillies. How did your baseball team do this season? My team is the Pittsburgh Pirates and that’s all I need to say for you to know how they did this season.

6) Tim McGraw and wife Faith Hill live just outside of Nashville. They enjoy inviting friends over to sit around a bonfire, drinking beer and playing guitars. Tell us about the most recent gettogether you had with friends. My friend Marissa just bought a house and had a housewarming party. It was a pretty standard deal for us with booze, a board game, and conversations that ranged from the serious to the absurd, but it was a lot of fun and we had a really good time.

7) Tim likes his tattoos. He admits his silliest one — a leprechaun wearing a cowboy hat — was acquired during a night of drinking. Do you have a tattoo? If so, are you glad you have it and would you get it again? I have a small heart on my wrist. My feelings towards it now are…complicated, given the circumstances under which I got it. And whether or not I’d get it again is also…complicated. I guess I’d say if I could go back in time and talk to myself and tell myself about things that happened afterwards, I absolutely would not. I intend to make some changes to it, actually.

8) In 2003, when this song was popular, the supersonic Concord took its last flight. When did you most recently board a plane? What was your destination? It’s been a good few years. I think it would’ve been when I flew to St. Louis (and back, of course) with my dad to go to my brother’s graduation from boot camp.

9) Random question: When did you last walk around the house naked? This morning, I think! I was only wearing a pair of red pajama shorts and did laundry, and I happened to be washing reds and figured I might as well take them off and toss them in. So I was naked after that, until I put on a different pair of pajama shorts.

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Saturday 9: (Dear Mr. Gable) You Made Me Love You

(Dear Mr. Gable) You Made Me Love You (1938)

Unfamiliar with this week’s song. Hear it here.

1) This version of “You Made Me Love You” is the teenaged Judy Garland’s fan letter to Clark Gable. Tell us about one of your teen crushes. Pretty much any dude in a rock band, especially if he sang or played guitar.

2) Garland sang to this to Gable at a birthday party thrown for him at MGM. Who is the last person you sang “Happy Birthday” to? I don’t know! We haven’t really done it in a while, even when we have celebrated a birthday. Maybe one of my in-laws?

3) Thinking of birthdays … Judy received an engagement ring from the man who would be her first husband, David Rose, for her 18th birthday. Are you wearing a ring, or any jewelry, as you answer these 9 questions? Nope. I just woke up a little bit ago and I’m just hanging out at home today while I have the day off, so no jewelry.

4) It’s said Judy’s favorite dish was steak and kidney pie. If you could have anything at all for dinner tonight, what would you choose? A pasta of any kind.

5) Judy was ambidextrous, writing with her left hand but playing tennis with her right. Are you equally comfortable using your right and left hands? Not at all.

6) To relax between takes of her most famous movie, The Wizard of Oz, Judy read comics in the newspaper. Do you still read a printed newspaper? Not printed, but I do have a digital subscription to my local paper. And I know we’ve all gotten accustomed to getting those kinds of things for free, but please consider paid subscriptions to publications you like! If you value it, a paid subscription will help keep it alive.

7) She could also knit. Judy was known to make blankets and caps for the children of crew members on her films. Do you knit? No.

8) In 1938, when this record was popular, the March of Dimes was founded. Do you have any dimes in your wallet (or pocket) right now? There are probably a couple in my wallet.

9) Random question: Catsup puddle next to your fries, or a drizzle of catsup on your fries? Puddle!

Friday 5: Enclosures

1. What’s something (besides an electronic device) for which you spent extra money on a protective case? I don’t think I have. I mean, I have a case for my contact lenses that’s a unicorn, but that was a small part of my birthday present from my mom.
2. What product’s packaging do you find excessive or inadequate? I had an online order through Sephora semi-recently that came in a cardboard box that was kind of big for what was in it–it was mostly small things like lipsticks or eyeliner that have small, skinny packaging and could honestly be shipped in a large padded envelope, probably, instead of a box Come to think of it, I think Sephora, when it comes to small orders, is bad with wasteful packaging. Similarly, one of the brands they carry put out a vegan mascara people were really excited about, but it came in this huge package that was definitely for aesthetics and a lot of people weren’t happy about it.
3. What are your preferences for food storage containers? We have these nice glass dishes with lids that seal tight that we really like. I also bought covers like these that just fit over our regular bowls, and we use the tiny one for the cats’ canned food.
4. This coming week, what would you like to be shielded from? Annoying assignments at work.
5. What’s something interesting you’re keeping in a plastic storage box in your home? Woof, whatever is lurking in boxes we haven’t touched since we moved in last year. There’s one with my old scrapbooks and other photos somewhere and one that I think is housing books still. There’s one with Christmas decorations. And two small ones with just silica powder that I used to preserve my wedding bouquet.

From Friday 5.

Saturday 9: Shake It Off

Shake It Off (2014)

Unfamiliar with this week’s song. Hear it here.

1) This song makes Crazy Sam want to dance. What song inspires you to get on your feet? There are many.

2) Paul McCartney met Taylor Swift at the SNL 40 Anniversary special and told her he really enjoys playing and singing this song. What’s the last song you sang along with? I don’t know, which is weird because I sing along to almost everything. Nothing that’s popping up in my “recently played” tabs is something I sing along to.

3) The lyrics tell us Swift “shakes off” nasty gossip and unfair criticism. What about you? Do you worry about what others think of you? Generally, no. I toe this weird line where I don’t care about the world at large, yet I don’t like it if I think someone dislikes me.

4) Her parents are big music fans, and were going to name their baby (boy or girl) “Taylor” after their favorite artist, James Taylor. Can you think of a singer that your mom and/or dad really enjoyed? Oh, easy. We were raised on music. For my mom, her biggest two were and still are Prince and Stevie Nicks. The only solo artist I ever remember my dad really enjoying was Meatloaf–and Steve Perry–but he was mostly into classic-rock bands.

5) She grew up on an 11-acre Christmas tree farm. Do you get a fresh tree every year, or do you have an artificial tree, or do you not put up a tree at all? We have an artificial tree, but we never finished putting it up last year. We were kind of trying to do it in stages because of the cat, who was new at the time, and never finished, and this year, we’ve added a second cat to the mix, so who knows?

6) Taylor Swift is 5’10”. According to the CDC, the average American woman is 5’4″ while men are, on average, 5’9″. Are you taller or shorter than average? I am technically taller than average, coming in at 5’4 1/2″.

7) She enjoys good, old fashioned mysteries, especially those by Agatha Christie. Are you currently reading a book for pleasure? I am always reading a book for pleasure. The current stack is Ella Minnow Pea by Mark Dunn, The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larson, The Vampire Lestat by Anne Rice, and Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett.

8) Her brother Austin is a freelance photographer who took the official pictures for her 2008 concert tour. Who took the last photo of you? Myself, but other than that, my mom took one of my recently being harassed by the dog for food.

9) Random question: What’s your go-to comfy outfit? Anything involving leggings. Unless I’m at home, in which case it’s either my undies or, in the winter, flannel jammies.

Friday 5: Time to Face the Strain

1. When did you last make an adjustment to your daily getting-ready routine? This week and last month–I usually work from home, but we have an in-house rotation that’s a month long and comes up about once a year. Mine was in September, so I had to go to bed earlier so I could get up earlier so I could get ready for work and then make the drive in. The schedule changes on the first Monday of the month, which also happened to be the start of my weekend rotation, so I got Monday off, and for the rest of the week and the foreseeable future, I’m back to getting up about a half-hour before I’m due to start my shift. I have anywhere from 60 to 90 minutes back every day, too. It’s really nice. It’s kind of amazing what you can do with an extra hour every day
2. When did you last try a new personal hygiene product? I bought one within the last couple weeks ago to try. It’s a toner that’s supposed to help control oil and minimize the look of your pores, and so far, it does seem to be working.
3. What food or drink item have you most recently added to your regular consumption? When I was in the office, I was back to taking a lunch, so I was taking some sort of entree item and a few little side things like yogurt and other little snack items. I’m back to a smaller, simpler lunch since I can just grab something if I’m still hungry.
4. What’s a brand-named product you recently abandoned your loyalty to? I can’t think of any in particular, and I say that as someone who does take things like politics and social issues into account when I buy things. I don’t think anything’s gotten the axe recently.
5. What item in your wardrobe have you recently moved out of the regular rotation? I have this long purple skirt I was wearing to the office about once a week, and I was wearing a plain, darker purple shirt with it. Near the end of the month, I discovered it had a small hole in the shoulder that started to get bigger, so that’s been moved out of rotation and into a bag designated for clothing recycling.

From Friday 5.

Saturday 9: The Candy Man

THE CANDY MAN (1972)

Unfamiliar with this week’s song? Hear it here.

1) This song is from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, starring Gene Wilder. The movie was remade as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, with Johnny Depp as Willy Wonka. Which Wonka did you prefer? In high school, I definitely would’ve told you Johnny Depp’s, but these days, I’m not sure which I prefer.

2) In the movie, this song is sung by Bill, the candy store shopkeeper. Think about the last counter person you dealt with. We know that he or she likely didn’t break into song, but did you two engage in conversation? No, but I did have a brief conversation with a cashier recently.

3) The lyrics tell us that The Candy Man can make the world taste good. What’s the last thing you ate? Was it delicious, or just OK? I am currently eating Rita’s frozen custard, and it is indeed delicious.

4) The most popular recording of this song was by Sammy Davis,  Jr. Sammy was in a horrific car accident when he was 29 years old. His cheek and nose were broken and he lost an eye. That he survived at all left him reflective and after his hospitalization, he converted to Judaism. Do you still worship in the faith you were raised in? No. I was raised Catholic and while I do attend the occasional mass for holidays or weddings and christenings, it’s not really for me. I disagree with a lot of the church’s teachings.

5) Sammy was proud of the honorary college degrees because he received because never formally attended school. As a child, he performed on the road with his father and uncle. In addition to depriving him of an education, that lifestyle kept him from kids his own age. He would later describe his childhood as, “in a word, ‘lonely.'” Give us a one-word description of your childhood. Typical.

6) Because he spent so much of his youth on the road, living on buses, trains and hotel rooms, he loved eventually having his own kitchen and being able to cook his own meals. This weekend, will you spend much time in the kitchen? I usually don’t, but with some free time coming up, I hope to!

7) Sammy enjoyed experimenting with clothes and jewelry. What about you? Do you consider yourself conservative in dress or are you fashion forward? I’m not fashion forward, for sure–I don’t pay attention to trends at all and I think the entire industry is built on the whims of the people in charge, making the whole thing bullshit. But I’m not conservative, either. I’m mainly a jeans-and-t-shirts girl and don’t do anything too over-the-top, but I do like to play a little at times.

8) When he died, Sammy was in debt to the IRS. Do you handle your own taxes, or do you use the services of an accountant? So my mom does my taxes, but the catch is my mom is a CPA. So I joke that I use my personal accountant.

9) Random question: If you had to tell nothing but the truth (not even the tiniest white lie) for 24 hours, do you think you’d get yourself in trouble? Nah, not at all.

Friday 5: For Ric and Ben

1. Where did you go the first time you drove by yourself? Almost definitely my cousins’ house.
2. Who was the first non-family non-instructor you drove anywhere, and where did you go? It would’ve had to have been friends, but I don’t remember. I was a late bloomer driving-wise and most of the friends I hung out with didn’t live super close, so it’s really unlikely that I was picking people up to go anywhere.
3. What’s the dumbest thing you’ve done behind the wheel? Driven with alcohol in my system. Not enough that I was a danger–I’m not that dumb and I know my limits–but enough that it was still dumb and that if I would’ve been pulled over, I would’ve at least been nervous.
4. What’s the nicest drive you’ve ever taken? The drive up to the mountains has some nice parts. You’d think the whole thing would be nice because of the mountains, but the drive up isn’t very impressive, at least depending on which way you go–there’s not much of a view, and when you get up there, most of what you see is hotels and stores, or if you go up the way we do, houses, which are really nice but still don’t give you a great view. It’s when you start heading towards the river and waterfalls that you get the nice nature views. There was also a drive I took once I think to State College that took the back way and not the highways that was really nice.
5. Who’s the worst driver you know? I’ve had some friends who we all thought we pretty bad, but I haven’t been a passenger with them in years, so who’s to say now? My dad was always bad–kind of careless and a dick. He used to say that the government trusted him to drive a tank so he couldn’t be that bad, and we’d say that was just proof that the government is stupid. But as much as I hate to say this publicly…my husband is. He used to be fine when he drove his parents’ massive 12-passenger van when we were dating, but when he bought a crossover that’s obviously much smaller, he got terrible. I don’t know if it’s a confidence thing or what, but he’s not always attentive, his speed is really inconsistent, he’s overconfident in the snow…I’m amazed he’s never been in an accident.

As always, from Friday 5.

Saturday 9: The Straw Hat Song

The Straw Hat Song (1955)

Unfamiliar with this week’s song. Hear it here.

1) In this song, Desi Arnaz encourages us to laugh and sing instead of concentrating on our troubles. Is this an approach to life you could adopt? Or are you a worrier? I don’t think I’m much of a worrier anymore. Things are pretty good right now, for one, and although I do sometimes dread things I don’t like or don’t want to do, I have a pretty relaxed attitude and feel like things will work out and don’t dwell on problems.

2) Because Desi’s public persona was carefree, people are often surprised to learn his early life was hard. In 1933, his wealthy family was targeted by Cuban revolutionaries. Their home was destroyed and were forced to flee the country. In Miami, they lived in a warehouse and 16-year-old Desi helped support the family by cleaning cages for the man who sold canaries outside a drugstore. Think about your friends and acquaintances. Whose life story turned out to be very different than you originally thought? Ooh, I don’t know! I think the biggest thing is, like, who has kids and who doesn’t. It’s not what I would have predicted, say, in high school or college.

3) While still in his teens, Desi got his first job as an entertainer. As a boy in Cuba, he expected to be a lawyer, not a musician. He only began playing guitar because he noticed girls like musicians and he liked girls. Tell us about a hobby of yours, and what inspired you to pick it up. I’m gonna go with writing, just because it’s the only thing I’ve kept up with lately. I got into it because I was a voracious reader, and at a really, really young age, I figured out I enjoyed writing, too.

4) He discovered he was not only a talented musician but a natural leader. By the tender age of 19, he had organized The Desi Arnaz Orchestra and they were performing in Miami hotels. Have you ever been a boss? If so, did you enjoy it? I have not, and I think I’d hate it.

5) When he was 23, he went to Hollywood to try his hand at movies and met a 28 year old actress named Lucille Ball. In Hollywood back in 1940, it was considered embarrassing for a woman to date a younger man. Their initial attraction was so powerful she quickly got over it. Do you think age matters when it comes to romance? Only in the sense that maturity is a factor. But for the most part, no, I don’t think age matters.

6) Desi was the first person to call that famous redhead “Lucy.” Throughout her entire life, friends, family and coworkers always referred to her as “Lucille,” as she preferred. But Desi insisted on “Lucy.” He said that name was his and his alone. Ironically it became the way the world referred to her. Do you have a pet name for anyone? Not really.

7) Lucille and Desi named their son and daughter after themselves. Were you named after anyone? My middle name is the same middle name as my dad’s sister, who was stillborn.

8) Desi was the founding force behind Desilu. One of the first great production studios of the television age, Desilu grossed $15 million in 1957 (more than $135 million in today’s dollars). He credited his success to his unconventional and creative approach to problems. Are you a good problem solver? I like to think so.

9) Random question: Who annoys you more, a know-it-all or an ignoramus? Probably a know-it-all. You can at least try to educate an ignoramus, but know-it-alls tend to stay that way and not think it’s a problem.

Friday 5: dd/mm/yyyy

1. What’s a good song with a time of day in its title? “12:51” by The Strokes and “10:15 Saturday Night” by The Cure.
2. What’s a good song with a day of the week in its title? “Monday” by Black English, “I Don’t Like Mondays” by the Boomtown Rats, obviously, “Tuesday’s Dead” by Cat Stevens, “On a Friday” by Blaqk Audio, and another obvious one, “Friday I’m in Love” by The Cure.
3. What’s a good song with a month in its title? “Forget December” by Something Corporate.
4. What’s a good song with a year in its title? “1952 Vincent Black Lightning,” and I’m partial to Amanda Palmer’s version she did with her dad. And, of course, “December, 1963 (Oh, What a Night) y the Four Seasons. And I’m gonna through in the “1812 Overture” by Tchaikovksy, my favorite composer. It’s looking like my second favorite is gonna be Camille Saint-Saens.
5. What’s a good song with the word “time” in its title? “Foreplay/Long Time” by Boston, “Time and Confusion” by Anberlin, “The Times They Are A Changin'” by Bob Dylan, “Too Much Time on My Hands” by Styx, and, of course, “Time” by Pink Floyd.

Imagine if my full collection was on iTunes and therefore searchable…

As always, from Friday 5.

Saturday 9: The Sweet Escape

The Sweet Escape (2006)

Unfamiliar with this week’s song. Hear it here.

1) This song begins with, “First of all, let me say I must apologize …” Who most recently apologized to you? I don’t know but probably my husband and probably over something small.

2) Gwen Stefani sings that she acted like “sour milk on the floor.” Is there milk in your refrigerator right now? What about non-dairy creamer? There’s milk. No non-dairy creamer, but probably some almond milk and old half-and-half.

3) In the video, Gwen wears several different pairs of stiletto heels. What are you wearing on your feet as you answer these questions? Nothing. For as much as I do love shoes, I love being barefoot more.

4) Mrs. Stefani named her daughter “Gwen” after a stewardess in the book/movie Airport. Who was your favorite character in the book you just read, or movie you most recently watched? I don’t know. I don’t have strong feelings about any of the characters in anything I’m reading right now or read recently, and I can’t think of what movie I saw last.

5) Gwen is a distant cousin of Madonna’s. Are there any performers in your family? No, although some of us wanted to be once.

6) In high school, she joined the swim team not because she enjoys swimming but because she wanted to lose weight. Are you doing anything (dieting, participating in an exercise regimen) in order to shed a few pounds? I’m trying to be more careful about what I eat, and I’m back in a decent gym routine. It’s been a chaotic year and it seems like I’d have a great week and something would come up the next, so I’m glad that I’ve been back at it for almost two weeks.

7) Before she became successful, Gwen worked at the makeup counter in a department store. What was the last thing you purchased? Did you buy it online or at a store? Most likely online. I have nail wraps on the way, that’s for sure.

8) Gwen has gotten a great deal of publicity for her romance with country star, Blake Shelton. What’s your favorite Blake Shelton song? I can’t think of one, and although he has a few songs I very strongly dislike, I do know he has some I like, too.

9) Random question: Which of these compliments would make you the happiest — to be called fascinating, or brilliant, or gorgeous? Probably fascinating.