Saturday 9 & A Happy Moment

August Happiness Challenge

Today's happy moment came when my supervisor assigned me the task of watering the flower baskets on the light poles in the town's shopping district. Nomally it's a painful task that leaves me hurting the whole weekend. Today I had to walk along, but I was able to take an 18-year-old staffer with me to pull the water tank. My feet and ankles are hurting, but nothing like normal.

Saturday 9: Sh-Boom 

The older man I do companion work with LOVES doo-wop music. He can tell you more about the genre than you'd ever care to know. Trust me. Anyway, I'm very familiar with the song.

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

1) 70 years ago this month, the Crew Cuts were singing that life could be a dream. When you awaken, can you recall your dreams?  It's a rare thing for me to remember my dreams and when I do, they tend to be really, really weird.

2) The lead singer refers to his girl as "darling," "sweetheart" and "baby." Have you used an affectionate endearment lately? If yes, who were you speaking to?  I think I called a client at work "honey."

3) Two members of this Canadian quartet are brothers, born 15 months apart. Do you have siblings? If yes, how close in age are you?  I have 3 half-siblings. They are all younger than me. The oldest is 2 years younger and the youngest is 8 years younger.

4) A hit in Toronto, the Crew Cuts traveled by car to appear on TV in New York. How are your wheels? Would you give your vehicle a tune up before embarking on a 1,000 mile (500 miles each way) road trip?  If I was doing it now, no. I just had it inspected this week. In general, though, I'd normally have it checked out before a big trip.

5) In 54 and 55, they had five Top 10 hits. Then the Crew Cuts fell off the charts. Founding member Rudi Maugeri suspects it's because they were a "teen act" and teenage music tastes can change fast. Who did you listen to when you were in high school?  My musical tastes were eclectic even then. I listened to everything from Shaun Cassidy to Fleetwood Mac to Alabama to AC/DC.

6) A well-maintained crew cut should be trimmed every 2-4 weeks. Is there an appointment with a hairstylist on your calendar?  No. I just cancelled one on the 7th because I'm thinking about letting my hair grow a bit longer again.

Let's look at the summer of 1954.

7) 70 years ago, Chicago Bears great Walter Payton was born. Today more than 1200 students are enrolled in Chicago's Walter Payton College Preparatory High School. Was your high school named after anyone?  No.

8) J.R.R. Tolkien's Fellowship of the Rings was published. It's the first of three volumes in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Have you read the books and/or seen the movies?  I've seen all the movies, but have only read The Hobbit.

9) Sports Illustrated was first published. As a special promotion, the premier issue included baseball cards. With the introduction of online communities and trading apps, collecting baseball cards continues to grow in popularity. Are there any card collectors in your life?  No.

Thanks to Sam for the music and questions!

Play along at the Saturday 9.