Saturday 9

 Saturday 9: The Christmas Blues (1953)

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

 
1) In this song, Dean Martin sings that the streets are white with snow. Do you anticipate a White Christmas this year? Probably not. It's been unseasonably warm so far this winter. This makes me a little melancholy.

2) He tells us he's done plenty of window shopping this season. Do you find you're influenced by a retailer's window dressing and store decor? Are you more motivated by price? Or do you do most of your shopping online, making holiday decorations irrelevant? Decor not so much. But I do like hearing carols when I shop. Maybe I buy more because of them.

 

3) Dean was born in Steubenville, OH. Though he rarely returned to his hometown, it was in his thoughts during the holidays. Every Christmas he made like Santa and sent toys to hospitalized children in the Steubenville area. Are there toys on your shopping list this year? Not toys, but I did buy four children's book this season. Arthur, the 8-year-old I "adopted" from the local children's home, loves basketball so he's getting The Sports Illustrated Big Book of WHO: Basketball, a colorful encyclopedia of players for kids. For the Toys for Tots box, I donated Santa Baby, 96 Facts about Taylor Swift, and a Disney Little Mermaid book. I liked getting books as gifts, and hope these wee ones will, too.

 

The illustrations in this book are so cute!

4) He had fast hands when it came to cards and before he was famous he worked as a dealer in Atlantic City. When you play cards, what's your favorite game? Canasta.

5) Dean Martin was an avid reader ... of comic books. Especially in bed when he was on the road and couldn't sleep. Much as he enjoyed comic books, he was embarrassed by them. What do you do when you can't sleep? Check my email, tend my Farmville crops and, of course, pee, which is likely what I woke up to do in the first place.

Now let's have a few holiday-specific questions:

 

6) Every year, the United States Postal Service introduces special holiday stamps. Do you purchase them? Yes.

 

This year, I went with the elves.

 

7) Do you have a funny/ugly holiday sweater? I have been told my Cubs sweater is an "eyesore." Whatever. I represent my guys at Christmas.

 

8) Do you wrap your presents or use gift bags? Mostly wrap, but if I'm giving someone more than one present, I'll go gift bag.

9) We're doing Christmas karaoke! What holiday or winter-themed song will you perform? I'm tone deaf, so I'm sitting this out by popular demand.