On Saturdays I take a break from the heavy stuff and have some fun…
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 to answer questions, however, and here are today's questions!
Saturday 9: On a Clear Day (1970)
Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.
1) Is today a clear day where you are?
I am writing this on Thursday and it is a cool but sunny day, but Saturday they forecast rain in the morning.
2) Streisand sings that today she's "astounded." What has recently shocked or greatly surprised you?
Yeah, but it is family health business.
3) Streisand's voice astounded people from an early age. She began performing in New York clubs when she was only 18, too young to order a drink in the establishments where she sang. Do you remember the first adult beverage you ordered at a restaurant or bar?
Oh yeah, I even know the bar. The Fore and Aft in Brewster New York, the first bar off of I-84 in New York. Connecticut’s age for drinking was 21 and New York was 18. I had a rum and coke.
4) Barbra has discussed the importance of her Jewish faith in her life and has enlisted the guidance of Reform, Conservative and and Orthodox rabbis as she explored her religion's complexities. Do you enjoy discussing religion?
But I know many ministers, priests, and rabbis. I also did diversity training at a Jewish Family Center and I am friends with them on Facebook.
5) Taylor Swift just passed Barbra Streisand as the woman with the most #1 albums (12). What's the last album you purchased?
Ha, ha! That probably was over 30 years ago! I get most of my music now from YouTube.
6) The lyrics to "On a Clear Day" were written by Alan Jay Lerner. He attended Choate, a private boarding school in CT, at the same time as John F. Kennedy. While JFK was in the White House, Lerner had two major Broadway hits -- Camelot and My Fair Lady -- running concurrently. Obviously those two Choate alumni did very well. Have you been to any of your class reunions? Have you been surprised, pleasantly or less so, by how any of your classmates turned out?
Okay first… I have been to Choate (high school parties and a friend used to live just down the block from there.) and Miss Porter's School (They had an art exhibit there.)
7) The music was written by Burton Lane. In the 1930s, Lane worked for MGM Studios in Hollywood. After he heard Judy Garland perform at the Paramount Theater in Los Angeles, he brought her to the attention of his studio bosses and the rest, as they say, is history. Lane and Garland later worked together when Judy was an established star. He wrote the song, "How About You?" for her to sing in Babes on Broadway and received an Oscar nomination. Judy's best known movie has to be The Wizard of Oz. How many times have you seen it?
Oh, I have no idea but it has been a lot.
But… but… I got to go and see “Wicked” for free, kind of, I was interning for my MSW at a family and youth service organization. One day they announced that they need chaperons for a youth group (They did that a lot.) but this time it was to go see “Wicked” at the Bushnell Theater in Hartford! Whoa my hand shot up. I was assigned about 8 or 10 teenagers. I was a strict taskmaster and kept them un my wing.
We were not in the “nose bleed” section on the balcony but rather the second balcony where we needed oxygen. But I loved the play… shut up kid and sit down and watch the play (Just kidding I wasn’t that strict.)
8) In 1970, Glenn Frey formed the Eagles. What's your favorite Eagles song?
Oh wow, I like them all! Picking one it would be Desperado. (You might have notice that I quote an Eagles song on the top banner of my blog.)
9) Random question: Which would upset you more, being trapped in an elevator or stranded atop a mountain in a ski lift?
Been there and done that. Mt. Snow in the sixties, a high school ski club trip, snowing all the way up to Vermont the sun comes out at the ski area, it was sub-zero with huge wind chill but then… the lift breaks stops! Some skier was hanging off the chairlift just before the top station, they handed out blankets on the way up and it was a good thing. We wrapped ourselves up and sat there for about a half-hour. We decided we didn’t want to do anymore sking that day so we retired in to the outdoor heated pool. It was kind of novel about 0F and we were swimming, our hair was frozen but the water was so nice.
Thanks so much for joining us again at Saturday: 9. As always, feel free to come back, see who has participated and comment on their posts. In fact sometimes, if you want to read & comment on everyone's responses, you might want to check back again tomorrow. But it is not a rule. We haven’t any rules here. Join us on next Saturday for another version of Saturday: 9, "Just A Silly Meme on a Saturday!" Enjoy your weekend!