Saturday 9

 Saturday 9: (I Got Spurs That) Jingle Jangle Jingle (1942)

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

1) This song is about a cowboy who is very happy about his single status. Is your closest friend married or single? Do you think he or she would be happier if their marital status changed? My oldest friend doesn't like being alone. She seems to feel vulnerable without a man. On the other hand, her relationships have not been happy. So I don't know how to answer this.

 

2) Our cowboy is riding merrily along on horseback. Do you often ride? I have not ridden in decades. Which is too bad, because I enjoyed it.

 

3) John Ritter/Jack Tripper used to sing the refrain of this song as he got ready for dates on Three's Company. Were you a fan of the show? No. I thought it was a smutty, one-joke show, not worthy of John Ritter's talent.

4) This was a top hit for bandleader Kay Kyser, who was popular during the Big Band Era. In those days, orchestras played behind vocalists, bandleaders were stars, and dances like the jitterbug and lindy hop were popular. Can you do either of those dances? Nope.

5) Kyser's orchestra featured many vocalists over the years. Harry Babbitt and Julie Conway sing this week's song. Another vocalist who toured with Kyser was Mike Douglas, who went on to host a syndicated talk show from 1961 to 1981. Do you recall The Mike Douglas Show? Yes. I often watched it after school. He had the same co-host every day for a week. Dinah Shore had a talk show on another channel at the same time, which was not as good but better than homework. And there was an old movie on channel 2. (I think that's how began appreciating classic film.)

 
6) Kyser suffered from arthritis and wanted to retire from touring in the mid-1940s but he couldn't because he was contractually committed to concert appearances. Is there anything on today's to-do list you don't really feel like doing? Nothing in particular. It's just that Saturday will be a busy day and I'd rather just be lazy.

7) Kay was a popular radio personality who combined music with comedy and quizzes. Today's most popular quiz shows are Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune. On which show would you be a more successful contestant: Jeopardy! or Wheel of Fortune? Well, the puzzles on Wheel of Fortune always look so damn easy, so I'll go with that.

 

8) In 1942, the year this record was popular, Aretha Franklin was born. What's your favorite Aretha Franklin song? Here's my favorite song from my favorite Aretha album. BTW, Jennifer Hudson wears this jacket in the biopic. I love that attention to detail.

 

 

9) Random question: Do you sing in the shower? Every morning.

 

"When I'm 64 ..."

I am a 64 year old woman who has had a really bad week. First I had my second booster (4th shot). I'm glad I got it. I'm grateful that the vaccine is effective, available and free. But I did lose a day because I had a reaction to this shot -- chills and a fever. Looking at the bright side, by getting the shot when I did, I'll be fully protected for my trip to Los Angeles later in the month.

Then I lost the crown from a molar. It just popped out. Another tooth! My dentist is referring me to an oral surgeon to have it removed. That's in addition to the $5,000+ I have to spend on an implant. All this dental work begins in earnest next Friday.

But these two teeth are just the beginning. My dentist just gave me a two page (2 pages!) treatment plan for saving five additional teeth he believes I'm at risk for losing. His estimated cost: more than $12,000. That is after insurance.

In all, we're talking about approximately $20,000. For. My. Teeth. I am desolate about this.

Also this week, at work I met Alex. I believe he is going to be the new head of the creative department, though his presence in all my meetings wasn't explained. He and I did not hit it off. At all. I don't want to relive it, but we were oil and water. It occurs to me that it's likely time for me to hang up my spurs. It's normal for Alex to want to put his own team in place. I would take my departure peacefully, as the natural order of things, the way spring transitions to summer, except ...

My mutual funds aren't worth as much as they were on December 31. I know, no one's are. But not everyone is 64. People in their 50s have time to wait for the stock market to recover. I will likely need those diminished funds sooner rather than later. I would prefer to not be without a salary and group dental insurance just now.

So right now, I'm feeling every minute of my 64 years. And I don't like it.