Saturday 9

Saturday 9: I Wish It Would Rain (1968)
... because Janelle recommended the Temptations

1) This week's song focuses on rain. Ombrophobia -- the fear of rain -- is fairly common in children. How do you feel about rainy days? I take them as they come. They don't intrigue me but they don't bother me, either. Since I don't drive, rain does have an impact on when I do my grocery shopping.

 

2) Lead singer David Ruffin always wore corrective lenses. Are you wearing glasses or contact lenses as you answer these questions? Yes. Nice, thick Coke bottle glasses. I only wear these around the house because they remind me of Judith Light in Who's the Boss. 

3) Those thick-rimmed glasses were David's trademark. When he custom-ordered a luxury car, he had the image of those glasses painted on the door. Tell us something that makes your vehicle distinctive.  I share it with more than 391,000 other Chicagoans, since my car is on the CTA Green Line train.

4) David also had a penchant for mink. Rumor has it that he wore a mink-lined hat and even had that car upholstered in mink. If you could really splurge on anything right now, what would it be? Car? Travel? Clothes? Jewelry? (NO responsible answers allowed.) I'd take my nephew to Washington DC. He so wants to go and I'd love to share it with him.

5) He sings that he badly wants to go outside. What are your plans for today? Will you be outdoors very much? On Saturday I'm getting my hair cut and colored and then I'm off to meet up with my movie group. I'll be outside during the commutes to and fro.

6) The Temptations originally called themselves The Elgins because in 1960, Elgin watches were the high-end timepiece of choice. Today, in the age of cellphones and FitBits, wristwatches aren't that popular anymore. Do you often wear a watch? Yes. It's more for comfort these days, as I usually check the clock in the right hand corner of my computer screen when I want the time. The other day, I didn't even notice until afternoon that I had my watch on upside down.
 

7) This sad song was inspired by a real-life event. Motown songwriter Rodger Penzabene discovered his wife was cheating on him. Much to his own surprise, he didn't want to divorce or even separate from her; he just wanted her to love him and only him again. Tell us about a time when you didn't react as you thought you would. (Your story doesn't have to be as dramatic as Rodger's.) The Cubs winning the World Series was more important to me than I thought it would be. After all, I've been a loyal and loving fan of losing teams as well as winning ones for more than half a century. I knew that when the 2017 season opened, I'd be rooting for them, no matter how that final series with the Indians turned out. And yet it sure as shit did matter. It was glorious! It made me feel connected to relatives -- my grandparents, my dad, my uncle -- who weren't here to see it. It also helped bond me tighter to both of my nephews, who thought of me instantly when Rizz made that last out. 

In the immortal words of Roy Hobbs:

8) In 1968, when this song was popular, a Pittsburgh McDonald's sold the first Big Mac (two all-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickle and onion on a sesame seed bun). Describe your perfect hamburger. Lettuce, cheese, mayo and barbecue sauce.

9) Random question: When you catch a cold, do you soldier through it? Or are you a big baby? I used to tough it out, but now I stay home if I can. We all share the same space at work now, and if one person gets a cold, soon we all have it. It seems more considerate to isolate myself if I can.