Saturday 9

Saturday 9: I Don't Know How to Love Him (1971)

1) This song is from Jesus Christ, Superstar. Though now a beloved classic, the play was controversial when it first premiered. Can you think of something else that originally made people uncomfortable, but went on to be accepted? While I now consider him a national treasure, I was initially very unhappy when Bill Murray replaced Chevy Chase on SNL.

2) Jesus Christ, Superstar was originally developed as a "concept album," a collection of songs written to sequentially tell the story of The Crucifixion and Resurrection. Do you remember the first album you bought? Did you download it, listen to it on a CD player, your cassette deck, or record player? Meet the Beatles. Not only was it on vinyl, it was monaural.

3) When the album's songs were performed live in concert at the Pennsylvania Civic Arena, producers decided to stage it as a play and the rest, as they say, is history. Tell us about a really good idea you've had recently. It had to do with my client's website.

4) Jesus Christ, Superstar is a truly international phenomenon. During a revival tour that began in 2011, it's been a hit with audiences in the United States, Canada, Britain, Ireland, Brazil, Hungary, India, New Zealand, Italy, France, Mexico, Chile, Bulgaria, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Estonia, Iceland, Russia, Poland, Czech Republic, Greece, Australia, The Philippines, South Africa, Panama, Colombia, Croatia, Bolivia, The Netherlands and Portugal. Besides the United States, which of those countries have you visited? Canada and France.


5) Peeps are big sellers every Easter. Would you rather have yellow chicks or pink bunnies? I'd rather have Girl Scout cookies. It's that time of year, too.

6) Jelly beans are also popular this time of year. One theory says they were introduced in Boston during the 19th century. What else comes to mind when you think of Boston? The John F. Kennedy Library and Museum. At a time when the GOP frontrunner somehow feels it's appropriate to make fun of a reporter with special needs and uses Twitter to mock his opponent's wife, it helps to remember when we aspired to more.

7) We've been talking a lot about sweets this morning. The only holiday that generates more candy sales is Halloween. When do you eat more candy: Easter or Halloween? Halloween. Beginning November 1, those "fun size" candy bars are everywhere at the office.

8) Easter lilies will adorn many churches this Sunday. What's your favorite flower? I like carnations and mums because they're both pretty and hearty. There's usually a vase filled with them on my desk.

9) Easter is considered the season of rebirth. What makes you feel refreshed or rejuvenated? Washing my hair.

The Sound of Silence

Friday evening at about 7:00 I headed off to the washateria. I hate doing laundry under the best circumstances, hauling my clothes up the street does not constitute "the best circumstances," and I wanted to get this unpleasantness out of the way.

When I got there, it was full. Yet I got three washers (dark, whites, mixed) side-by-side-by-side. That's because everyone in the Friday night/after work laundry crowd was already drying. Which meant that by the time I got to the dryers, everyone had gone home.

Literally.

I was catching up with William and Kate and George and Charlotte in US magazine when I suddenly noticed the silence. I heard the whirring of my two dryers and the sloshing of the attendant's mop and that was it. When I sneezed -- fabric softeners sheets will do that to me -- the attendant seemed startled that I was still there. After she blessed me, she commented on the quiet. We exchanged smiles, and then I started to get creeped out.

A pair of young men without laundry came in. I couldn't hear what they asked the attendant, nor could I make out her response, but they weren't happy and I was glad when they left. As I began folding I realized two things: 1) I was scared and 2) I didn't want to leave her there alone. Though what I could do to keep the attendant safer is a mystery, isn't it?

As I was packing up to go, I was thrilled when a big guy joined us. He was distracted and on his phone, there to retrieve clothes he'd left in the dryer a while ago. I was glad he was there.

By the time I left, my instincts were really humming with "Danger! Danger!" I'm worried about the attendant, being alone there overnights. That's a crappy job she has.

And I cannot wait for our condo association to finally replace the machines here in the building.