The Saturday 9...

 Thanks to Crazy Sam for today's questions!  You can join in HERE!

She'd Rather Be with Me

Welcome to Saturday: 9. What we've committed to our readers is that we will post 9 questions every Saturday. Sometimes the post will have a theme, and at other times the questions will be totally unrelated. Those weeks we do "random questions," so-to-speak. We encourage you to visit other participants posts and leave a comment. Because we don't have any rules, it is your choice. We hate rules. We love to answer the questions, however, and here are today's questions!

Saturday 9: She'd Rather Be with Me (1967)

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

1) In this week's song we learn that this particular girl would rather be spending time with her lover. Instead of answering these 9 questions, what would you rather be doing?  I am happily answering the questions on Friday evening.  What I am doing as this is posted and being read this morning is driving south for a couple of hours to have lunch with my granddaughter, Lauren, and her boyfriend, Jeremy!! 

2) Lead singer Howard Kaylan was a very good student. First he won a Bank of America Fine Arts Award, then he was the valedictorian of his graduating class, and was awarded a scholarship to UCLA. Tell us about something that distinguished your high school career.  One of my paintings, from art class, was chosen to hang in the Principal's office when it was refurbished (during my senior year).  When he retired, he called my mom to ask if he could keep the painting.  She called me and of course I said yes. 

3) Howard Kaylan formed this week's group, The Turtles, with Mark Volman. They met while performing in their high school choir and continued working together for 55 years. Are you still in touch with old friends from high school?  I am, indeed!  Blessed to have friends from my little hometown where we knew each other from 5th grade through senior year.  My frequent readers know about my BFF Elaine.  Still in touch with 10 or 12 and see some of them down here or when I go back to Millersport, Ohio every couple of years.

4) First Daughter Tricia Nixon was a big Turtles fan and brought them to the White House to perform for a private party. They almost didn't go. When the engraved invitation came, tied with ribbon, the boys thought it was an elaborate practical joke. Have you ever successfully pulled off a practical joke?  No, not practical jokes.  I pulled off a surprise birthday party for Joe's 50th birthday, though. 

5) The Turtles' bass player was Chip Douglas. He left the band in 1967 to produce The Monkees. It's Chip that Davy Jones refers to at the beginning of "Daydream Believer" ("What number is this Chip?" "7A!"). What's your favorite Monkees song?  I can't say they were a favorite but I do like Daydream Believer.

6) The Turtles broke up in 1970. Pressure from their record label to do more and do it cheaper was just too much of a hassle. But Howard and Mark continued to work together, renaming themselves Flo and Eddie. They sang backup on records by Frank Zappa, Alice Cooper and Bruce Springsteen and on children's TV shows like The Care Bears. Backup work provided less money but more fun. Given the choice, would you rather do a job that paid well that you didn't enjoy, or a job you liked that earned you a smaller paycheck?  A smaller paycheck for work that I love, for sure.

7) In 1967, when this song was popular, the RMS Queen Mary was retired after 31 years of service. Now docked in Long Beach, the ship has been refurbished with state-of-the-art wifi, satellite hookups, and projection screens and is a popular choice for conventions and annual business meetings. When were you most recently on a boat or ship?  Last year, I went out on a shocker boat with Paolo, who was one of the Fisheries Biologists.  It was fun to see how they count the fish and check the health of the fish and do water samples from our lakes.

8) Also in 1967, Elvis married Priscilla. You don't need last names to know who we're talking about, do you? Can you think of another couple with whom the world is on a first-name basis?  Harry and Megan

9) Random question: If your phone were to ring right now, who do you think would be calling?  One of my sisters or Elaine.  

Peace and Hugs!

Jesus paid it all, all to Him I owe 

Sin had left a crimson stain, He washed it white as snow