Saturday 9

The Saturday 9 ("Just A Silly Meme on a Saturday!") is hosted by Sam Winters. Nine questions posted every Saturday — sometimes random, sometimes with a theme. This week, the theme is the Carpenter's I Won't Last a Day Without You.

Before I start my answers, I should say that while I like some Carpenters tunes, I was never a wild fan of their music. I do love Karen's voice, though — it's so unapologetically alto, and she gets way down there where you really don't think she's going to make it, and then she does! I'm an alto too, but my voice simply gives out on those really low notes. But I wasn't familiar with this song, so I had to go listen to it on YouTube. Nice song, not great.

1. This song makes reference to rainbows. Have you seen one lately?
   No, but we do occasionally get some really nice views of rainbows from our house. Now that I think about it, probably the last rainbows I saw were in Hawaii last year. And those were lovely.
   
   
   
   
    
2. When Sam heard this song, it occurred to her that she wouldn't last a day without a game of online Yahtzee. What little commonplace pleasure reliably brightens your day?
   Since I retired and moved back to Texas, my days are pretty bright in general. But one small indulgence that perks me up everyday is an afternoon coffee break. Afraid I'm a coffee junkie, and would find it VERY hard to get through a day without at least a cup or two.
    
3. Richard Carpenter was emphatic that his group's name was "Carpenters," NO "the." Whenever he hears the group referred to as "The Carpenters," it gets on his nerves. What little commonplace annoyance reliably sets you off?
   Oh, gosh — you don't want to get me started on pet peeves. We could be here for WEEKS.
    
4. Karen Carpenter said she drank iced tea all day long. What beverage do you think you'll have with your next meal?
   Well, my next meal is going to be lunch and I generally have cranberry juice with lunch unless we eat out. If we have lunch out somewhere, I'll probably be drinking iced tea (plain, no sweetener) or water. I've pretty much weaned myself off soft drinks.
    
5. "I Won't Last a Day without You" was written by Oscar-winning composer Paul Williams. He also tried his hand at acting, most notably appearing with Burt Reynolds in Smokey and the Bandit. Back in the 1970s, the three movies in the Smokey series were very popular. Have you seen any of them?
   I've seen the first Smokey movie, because I like Sally Field and Burt Reynolds. I do not, however, like them enough to tempt me to watch the other two movies. IMHO, the first "Smokey/Bandit" movie was one of the worst films ever made.
    
6. This song was recorded in 1973 by Diana Ross. Now in her 70s, Miss Ross is still going strong with a busy calendar of appearances in 2017. What's your favorite Diana Ross song?
   It would definitely be something from her DR and the Supremes days — "Where Did Our Love Go," "Baby Love," "Stop! In the Name of Love," or "Come See About Me." All those are great recordings. Haven't really kept up with Diana since she went solo.
    
7. In 1972, the year this song was popular, the United States and the United Kingdom joined forces and launched the Copernicus satellite. Today it's remembered for the discovery of long-period pulsars. Crazy Sam got bored writing this question. Do you enjoy reading about science?
   I do. And I enjoy watching science programs on TV, too. Don't really have any training in the sciences beyond college biology, and I regret that.
    
8. Before Michael Phelps, Mark Spitz was American's premier Olympic swimmer. In 1972 he won seven Gold Medals. After making millions in endorsements and TV appearances, he settled into a career as a realtor in Los Angeles. Are you contemplating a change in residence any time soon? If you move, will you be consulting a realtor?
   Oooh, scary question. I'm definitely NOT considering a change in residence. When M and I were first married, we moved all the time. In our first ten years together, we moved nine times. We've done a little better than that lately, but I'm actually hoping I won't be moving again until they cart me off to the assisted living place.
    
9. RANDOM QUESTION: Which of these is completely, 100% UNTRUE of you — boring, lazy or stupid?
   Can't really say any of them is 100% UNtrue. I really don't think I'm stupid, but I'm capable of doing some extremely stupid things, from time to time. And while I can be quite industrious when something needs to get done, I'm not exactly what you'd call a go-getter, either. (Actually, if there was an Olympics competition for putting things off, I could probably procrastinate for the USA.) And I can be terrifically boring (as you know, if you're still with me here) — sometimes I even bore myself. So, I guess I'm all those things....and more.