Friday, March 20, 2015

Saturday 9

This week's Saturday 9 is linked to Tom Jones' "It's Not Unusual".
1) In this song, Tom sings that "it's not unusual to go out at any time." Will you be "out and about" this weekend? A little bit...I've got a few plans, but after the first week of parent/teacher conferences just being "in" sounds pretty good too.
 2) Before his music career took off, Tom supported himself and his young family by working as a vacuum cleaner salesman. Could the room you're in right now benefit from a thorough cleaning with a vacuum?  With a light-colored dog who sheds her body weight in hair onto my carpet on a daily basis, every room can ALWAYS use a vacuum.  Luckily vacuuming is the one and only chore that doesn't make me grumble.
3) You can purchase a verified Tom Jones autograph on eBay for $299 (or the best offer). When you were growing up, did you collect signatures and sayings from your friends? (Autograph book? Yearbook? Cast?) When I was 9, I broke both bones in my lower left arm.  It was a severe break, so I was cast from just below my shoulder down to my knuckles (and my thumb was cast as well) for about 3 months.  After that time, it was reset into a shorter, less inhibiting cast.  Both were covered in messages from my friends and family.  I don't think they do plaster casts like that anymore, but I remember back then they were such a status symbol...everyone wanted a cast to get signed, minus the broken bones of course.  Having never been into getting autographs from actors, I do have some hockey programs and player cards that we'd get signed after the Kings' games.  They're packed up in the garage somewhere now.   
4) At the height of his popularity, female fans would throw their panties onstage at Tom Jones. Sam can't imagine doing this, and not just because she's not that crazy about Tom Jones. She'd be embarrassed because her underwear drawer could use a serious refresh. If you could choose one new article of clothing to add to your wardrobe today, what would it be?  That whole underwear thing always sounded like such a strange idea.  I've been to a good number of concerts and not once have I felt the urge to fling my knickers at the band nor have I ever seen anyone do it for that matter.  Is it even a thing anymore?  I'm pretty particular about my bra and underwear and their needing to match, so I'd be hard pressed to give up a pair, even to a crooner.
5) "Tom Jones" is also the name of character in a famous 18th century novel. Tell us about a character from a book you wish you were friends with in real life.  Lily Owens from Secret Lives of Bees and Liesel Meminger from The Book Thief are favorite characters of mine.  So I guess them.
6) When this song was popular in March 1965, Sarah Jessica Parker of Sex and the City fame was born. Do you share your birthday with anyone famous?  According to the website "Famous Birthdays" no one has my exact birthdate.  However, I share a birthday with Bruce Springsteen and Ray Charles.
7) Also in 1965, when this song was a hit, Americans were riveted by the Gemini space program and children all over the country wanted to be astronauts. Think back to your childhood: When you were in first or second grade, what did you want to be when you grew up?  veterinarian 
8) Fifty years ago, the most popular headache reliever was aspirin, and you could buy a bottle of 200 tablets for just $1. Do you have any aspirin in your medicine chest right now?  I do!  And it cost about 8 times more than the original bottle which is about a quarter of the original size.  I can no longer justify buying a large bottle when those bottles are date coded to barely last a year.  There is debate whether the aspirin really loses its effectiveness.               
9) Random question: You've just entered a public restroom. Would you rather find a paper towel dispenser or hot air hand dryer? As much as I try to be conscious and engage in earth friendly practices, the answer is a paper towel dispenser.  Most of the dryers take forever (who wants to stand in a public restroom waiting to get their hands dry) and even if you do wait, your hands are still be somewhat wet.  Towels are quick, dry, and to the point.  
Happy Saturday!

19 comments:

  1. Your "autograph" answer made me think back to my own school days. It seems every really cute athlete had a cast on one time or another and I used to *agonize* about to write (if I was lucky enough to be asked to sign). It never occurred to me how much the broken bones must have hurt! The cast was just so socially significant! Today, reading your response, I can only imagine how uncomfortable and restrictive and all-around awful that must have been for you.

    Ray Charles and the Boss share a birthday. And you. Are you musical, too?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It was a significant inconvenience as far as those go, especially with my thumb being covered up. I couldn't even button my own pants. But it wasn't the dominant hand. I don't think they do the plaster anymore and any kid I've ever seen with one of the new brace-like casts it seems like 4-6 weeks is the norm. Between the two mine lasted about 6 months.
      Nope not musical in the least. But enjoy listening to it very much. :)

      Delete
  2. 1; in this weekend, was into town this AM for window locks re. insurance requirements. Will be fixin' the reas of the day.
    2; I dream of one of those robots that vacuum all on their own-e-oh. At the moment there are cleared tracks sans dog hair.
    3; Never understood the autograph thing. Always took it as a sort of disturbed treasure hunting thing. Sorta like you're accumulating in a witchy way.
    4; I think the notion with the pants tossing was to indicate the state of -how to put this delicately- falling off the vine-ness that Jones' singing was causing. And perhaps a little bit of revenge by causing that state to occur in him.
    On your comment on sets. You are odd. I've lived with a few women and unless they were going out someplace really swanky would the drapes match the carpet. They would buy a set, but it would never last that way. I believe it was a case of when in their cycle they bought them. I've seen of a morning a bottoms being put on and it's match being discarded as being for another, and maybe a few after that.
    5; That School Days novel is horrible.
    6; 7;8;
    9; Paper towel. It's quicker. Plus, yo can use it to open the loo doors. For those doors must be the dirtiest part of the toilet/washroom. And there's usually a bin outside near the doors.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yah, if I'm ever somewhere and spot a "star", I might gawk from afar, but the whole chasing down and asking for a signature doesn't seem like very good manners. The crying and fainting and underwear throwing take it to a whole other (weird) level.
      I don't really buy matching sets, but when dressing in the morning if the top portion is say red, then the bottom portion needs to coordinate with it, and vice versa. If there isn't a good match in the drawer, then it's on to a different color. It's silly really, but sometimes more time is spent coordinating the unmentionables than the actual wardrobe.
      I try so hard not to think of the cleanliness, or lack there of, when I'm in a public restroom. And sometimes find I'm holding my breath just to keep from breathing in the germs. Some are worse than others. Once in awhile there aren't any hooks inside the women's stalls, and I refuse to put my bag on the floor, which has to be tied with the door for the dirtiest part. I've been known to hang the thing around my neck to keep it from touching anything. Ick!

      Delete
    2. Ohhhh, things have to be really bad for most men to sit in a public loo. In fact, on the very rare occasions we might think on it, we feel a bit sorry for the women on that matter.

      I found a ceramic beaker with a rubber lid for the coffee in the car thing this morning. Fits 300ml. I'd been keeping an eye out since you wrote about it last year.

      Delete
    3. Damn biology! ;) I do know women who hover, which is something I've never been able to do at the same time. The hovering though leads to the cleanliness issue as hovering limits their aim.
      You did!?!? See, they are not as easy to find as you'd think! Being a coffee connoisseur as you are, I will be curious how it works out for you. I have found the silicone lids have a bit of smell/taste to them. I've had to soak mine in vinegar, which helps some. But still, sometimes it doesn't bother me at all, and other times I can't get past it. The flavor of the coffee is overwhelmed by the rubber smell.

      Delete
    4. The beaker I got has a black soft rubberized lid. Probably food grade silicone. I used it this morning and it seemed OK. And after your heads-up I was looking out for an issue with smells. I did allow it to cool somewhat before I covered it though. I don't think coffee is all that nice when it's really hot. Course you are sticking your snoz onto the lid everytime you sip so you're not getting the waft of coffee you'd get from a glass or cup.

      Delete
  3. Love your answers--especially the paper towels.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I saw Tom Jones in concert not quite 30 years ago (wasn't my pick, but it was a good show) and I honestly can't remember if any underwear (I hate the word 'panties' for some reason) was thrown on stage. And for the record, actual sets aren't necessary, but I do like colors to match or at least not clash. ;)

    I vacuumed the carpets yesterday and yes, they need it again. I see dog hair. We have a Roomba, too, but it vacuums too randomly to suit me.

    Aspirin is always in my cabinet. I remember as a kid, before it was routinely "coated", we would let them melt on our tongue when we had a sore throat. I actually liked the taste.

    I agree with Vince completely about #9.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Did the aspirin work on the sore throat?!?! Always looking for a fast remedy!
      Yah, I've never found actual sets work all that well. The fits don't usually match up - one piece is always too large or too small. It's much easier to generally match colors. But they gotta coordinate!

      Delete
    2. Back then the aspirin trick worked, but I've never been able to recreate the effects by chewing up today's offerings.

      Nice to know I'm not the only one who obsesses over the coordinating undergarments (best coordinated with the colors of the outwear, too)

      Delete
  5. This is a really popular week for parent teacher conferences it seems

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yep. I think spring lines up with most schools' trimesters/semesters. One more week of conferences and then spring break!!! woot! woot!

      Delete
  6. My niece wants to be a vet. I have a feeling she won't be, though.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I am allergic to aspirin but my husband has to take it daily...and it is free with a prescription :)

    Tom Jones...my mom saw him in concert way back in ...maybe 1970?
    Happy Saturday!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Casts are starting to be made on 3D printers. Imagine!

    I'm just going to carry little hand sanitizer packets from now on re: the loo. Enjoyed your answers.

    ReplyDelete
  9. i agree about the paper towels.. so much quicker.

    ReplyDelete
  10. I'm a happy hooverer, too! Trick is to wear headphones.....

    ReplyDelete