Saturday 9

(Link in meme-roll)
Theme from Peyton Place ("Wonderful Season of Love")
Unfamiliar with this week's song? Hear it here.

1) Spring, summer, fall or winter: which season do you consider most wonderful?

I like autumn the best, generally, but this year I'm seriously jonesing for spring!

2) Crazy Sam learned this song when she played flute in the high school orchestra. Did you participate in many after-school activities?

I was in band, and orchestra some of the time, and wind ensemble. I did sports a couple of times in junior high. I was in a few clubs in school too, and honor society.

3) The flautist next to her in the orchestra was Jeanne Pepitone. After a little Facebook spying, Sam learned that Jeanne is now Jeanne Moran, a nurse with a husband and a daughter. Sam shot her a "friend request." Do you keep up with your high school classmates?

I do. I semi-regularly semi-stalk people on Facebook, but I'm also friends with several of my former band-mates.

4) When she performed with the school orchestra, Sam was required to wear gray slacks and a black sweater. What are you wearing right now, as you answer these questions?

I'm still in my pajamas having slept in FAR longer than I expected to this morning.

5) Sam was especially dedicated to the school orchestra because she had a crush on Mr. Hanley, the school's musical director. He was the dark/thin/sensitive type. Tell us about a teacher you remember, and why he or she stands out.

Interesting that the last two questions have led directly to my high school band director whom I'll just call Doc G. He wasn't crushable (to me), but he was definitely a force with which to reckon: a little terrifying, a lot demanding, and charismatic enough to get the band kids to give up a Saturday on a cold day in November to practice march 6 miles in wind on an unused airport runway before we left to march in the Rose Parade.

6) Because Sam was so crazy about Mr. Hanley, she was desperate to attend his band camp. Her parents wouldn't allow it unless she could pay her own way, and so she didn't get to go. Were your parents strict or permissive? If you have children yourself, what's your parenting style?

My parents were strict, but there were lots of places I could 'sneak' out from under the strictness. I thought I was getting away with (minor) stuff, but now that I'm a parent I realize they just carefully chose which battle to fight. It's a good strategy, one I employ too, though not necessarily as well as they did. We're relatively strict, but not uptight. Trust but verify. Anyway, he's 21 now, so I believe we've done what we can to 'mold' him and he's his own person now, for good or ill.

7) Sam liked Fridays because her favorite food, fried rice, was served in the school cafeteria. When you eat Chinese food, do you use chopsticks or a fork?

You had fried rice at school?? Holy shit, we never had anything of the sort! I use a fork these days, but I used to be able to manage chopsticks fairly well.

8) When Sam was a little girl, a new box of Crayolas could get her pulse racing. Now she loves her Sharpies. Do you enjoy shopping for school/office supplies?

I'm a freakin' office supply addict! Love Staples, Office Depot, and the ilk.

9) Do you have any plush toys? Or did you give them all up when you left childhood?

I got a new little kitty for Valentine's Day, and I have a small collection of other little folk, maybe 6 of them, in my room. And there are 3 or 4 in the spare room. Who on this planet doesn't need something to hug once in awhile?!

Bonus: I cataloged a book yesterday about "loved to death" teddies (and other animals)