Friday, November 22, 2019

Saturday 9


Saturday 9: No More Tears (Enough Is Enough) 1979

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

1) This lyrics use weather as metaphor for romance. Here at Saturday 9, we're more literal. How do the skies look where you are this morning? Well, I'm doing this on Friday evening. This morning, the skies were pale blue with puffy clouds. It was a pretty day.

2) According to Merriam-Webster, "enough is enough" is what you say when you want something to stop because you "can no longer accept or deal with it." When did you recently say -- out loud or to yourself -- "enough is enough." When my cat Reynaldo, firm in his conviction that he's starving, knocked a basket off the table. That earned him a time-out behind the closed bedroom door!

3) Grammy winner Luther Vandross began his career as a background singer and performed on "No More Tears." Tell us about one of your early jobs. I babysat in high school and loved it. The kids went to bed around 8:00, and that left me hours to eat potato chips and watch old movies on TV. No one pays me to eat potato chips and watch old movies anymore.

Best job ever!

4) Both Donna Summer and Barbra Streisand made slight changes to their first names. Summer was christened "LaDonna," while Streisand's parents spelled her name the more conventional "Barbara." When she was in high school, meme mistress Samantha Winters went from "Sammy" to "Sam." Did you ever make a similar change to your first name? My name doesn't lend itself to that. Besides, I watched my older sister do it every couple years. My parents called her "Patty." Then all of a sudden she became "Patti." Then "Pat." I'm just waiting for "Tricia" and then "Trish." It seems pretentious and artificial.

5) Hair was higher maintenance in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Streisand and Summer are both sporting styles that would require chemical treatment, like a perm or relaxer. Today's looks are less rigidly styled and tend to be smoother or slightly messy. How often do you change your look? I go to the salon every 4-5 weeks. But I haven't changed my look in about three years. I'm happy with my hair, but I think maybe it's time for me to change my makeup. I'm trying to convince myself to try false eyelashes.

6) In 1979, it seems every kid was asking Santa for Star Wars toys. Some things don't change, since the Star Wars franchise remains popular with children and toymakers after more than 40 years. What book or toy did you love as a child that remains popular today? I loved playing Barbies.

My Barbie
 
Holiday 2019 Barbie


7) Thinking of things that endure ... In 1979, the #1 show in the ratings was 60 Minutes. It's still on, every Sunday night, and in the summer of 2019 it came in at #4 in the Nielsen ratings. What's the most recent show you watched? Was it news, sports or entertainment? I have the news on right now.

8) In 1979, the price for a dozen eggs averaged 85¢. Today, it's about twice that. Are you more likely to use eggs to prepare a main course (like an omelette or Eggs Benedict) or as part of a recipe (anything from a cake to a meatloaf)? If it can't be nuked in the microwave or grilled on the George Foreman, I don't cook.

9) Random question: You’re alone in your car, driving through your neighborhood on a bright, sunny day. You get a flat tire. You have a spare and a jack in your trunk. Would you fix it yourself or call for help? I don't drive, so this could never happen to me. Still, I look forward to your answers.

 
 

Happy Birthday to Me -- Part 4

Across the miles. I opened a pair of packages on Thursday. First, from my oldest friend. She sent me a page-a-day 2020 calendar of quotes. It made me happy because she used to give me a calendar for my birthday (or was it Christmas?) every year.

Then from my aunt. She always gives me a box of a variety of hot teas. Living in Florida, she doesn't like thinking of me enduring a Chicago winter without sustenance. This year, she threw in a in a pair of sequined kitty slippers, too.

And I got a card and a letter from a friend of my mom's. I babysat her kids when I was in high school. I am always amazed and touched that she remembers! (Of course, for people a generation before me, 11/22 is like September 11.)

All these things are rather traditional, and I appreciate the sameness, the dependability, and the sentiment that goes with them.

From me to me. I took myself for a facial. I haven't had one in years! It felt good.