Saturday 9

 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: Got My Mind Set On You (1987)

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

1) In this song, George Harrison tells us he's willing to devote his money, patience and time to his girlfriend. Of those three things, which can you most easily spare?
Interesting question.  Probably patience. 

2) This song had long been a favorite of George's. He first heard it in 1963 when visiting his sister in United States. He couldn't get the tune out of his mind and bought the record by James Ray. Do you have an earworm -- a song that, once you hear it, keeps repeating in your head?
Lots.  Pretty much any song that I hear that I know becomes an earworm. 

3) Months later, in February 1964, the Beatles made their first appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show. 73 million viewers saw them, and an astonishing 45.3% of the TV sets in America were tuned in to the show. In addition to the Beatles, Ed Sullivan used his show to introduce Elvis, The Rolling Stones and The Jackson 5. The Ed Sullivan Show ran for 23 years and reruns are now shown in syndication. Have you ever seen it?
We watched it every week when I was growing up.

4) While most of the best loved and most recognized Beatles songs were written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, it was George who penned "Something." Frank Sinatra called that song "the greatest love song of the last 50 years." What's your favorite love song?
John Denver's "For You."

5) This praise represented a big change for Frank, who predicted in 1964 that the Beatles would be "of no lasting importance." Tell us about something you have changed your mind about.
Growing up I hated mushrooms.  Now I love them.

6) Tom Petty, who went on to have more than 25 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, credits George Harrison as a major influence on his music. Tell us about someone who influenced your professional life.
It was a woman who ran a typing service.  She also did medical transcription.  One day she threw a tape at me and a medical dictionary and told me to transcribe the tape.  I had NO knowledge of medical terminology and had to practically look up every word.  But ultimately I became a medical transcriptionist and that definitely changed my life.  I remember she told me that when I could spell cholecystectomy without looking it up, I could call myself a transcriptionist.  I ended up being the fill-in transcriptionist for every medical office in town and ultimately was hired as the full time transcriptionist for an ob/gyn office, for which I worked for 12 years, ultimately becoming the medical office manager.  

7) In 1987, when George's recording of "I Got My Mind Set on You" was popular, a squirrel unexpectedly made headlines. The furry fellow closed down the Nasdaq Stock Exchange when he chewed through a phone line. Do you often see squirrels where you live?
I frequently talk about the squirrels in our back yard.  We feed them every day and it drives the dog nuts.

 

8) Also in 1987, third generation race car driver Marco Andretti was born. Naturally the skills required by a race car driver are unique. For example, while we know he can control a car at upwards of 230 mph at Indy, we have no idea if Marco Andretti is good at parallel parking in front of the local post office. How about you? Do you struggle with parallel parking?
Well, I don't drive any more, but I was always very good at parallel parking.  My father would not let me get a drivers' license until I could parallel park on the steep hill in front of our flat, in a standard transmission car.

9) Random question: When you woke up this morning, were you ready to face the day? Or do you wish you could have rolled over and snoozed a little longer?
Lately, I've been sleeping pretty well.  It was nearly 8 when I woke up this morning, which was wonderful.  I was definitely ready to face the day.