I Expect to Die Here

Saturday 9: Blues in the Night (1952)

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

1) Was last night a good night for you? Or were you singing the blues?

A. I only sing the blues when things are really, really bad. When someone's done put the hurtin' on me so hard and deep that my thoughts are shriekin' like the winds of Oklahoma. So last night was a good night. No shriekin'.

2) In this song, Rosemary Clooney sings about hearing "big talk" she didn't quite believe. What's the last fib, tall tale or out and out lie you heard?

A. I attended a Board of Supervisors meeting recently for my work. They are the leaders of our county. Lots of hot air blowing through that room, let me tell you. ::wink::

3) Rosemary Clooney has a well-known nephew -- George, the Oscar winner and frequent People magazine cover story. Do you have any nieces or nephews?

A. I have four nephews and a niece.

My other two nephews

2 nephews
&
the niece



Me and my guy

4) Ms. Clooney married the same man twice. They married, had five children and divorced. Then three years later, they tried again ... and divorced again. Have you ever been tempted to give it another try with one of your former loves?

A. My "former loves" would have all been school crushes, so no. I am in it for the long hall with the fellow I am with now. He's a good guy and I couldn't ask for any better.

5) Singers as diverse as Linda Ronstadt, Bette Midler and Amy Winehouse have said they admired and were influenced by Rosemary Clooney. If you could meet any artist (singer, writer, actor, director, painter, musician ...), who would it be?

A. Les Paul. He invented the solid-body electric guitar, basically, and was a great guitar player. His name is legion amongst guitar pickers.

6) 1952, the year this record was a hit, is also the year the "Big Bang Theory" was introduced by physicists Ralph Alpher and George Gamow. That is too lofty a topic for this humble meme, so instead we'll just ask: Do you watch the TV show of the same name? 

A. I do indeed watch The Big Bang Theory. I identify just a little too much with Sheldon, I fear.

7) Sam Winters just broke her right thumbnail. While she won't go so far as saying it has her singing the blues, she must admit it bugs her. What little annoyances are you dealing with today?

A. I had to clean out my refrigerator so my husband could haul the trash to the landfill. I am in a lot of pain (not related to cleaning out the refrigerator), which is not a little annoyance but a major life issue. However, it is still something I am having to deal with. I also received bills in the mail. What's up with that?

8) The house next door to Sam's has a FOR SALE on the lawn. Are you contemplating a move?

A. I have lived in the house that we built with our own two little hands for 27 years. I expect to die here. So unless they're coming for me with a coffin much more quickly than I expect, I have no plans to move.

9) What's your search engine of choice: Google, Bing, Yahoo or Ask?

A. Bing. I gave up on Google some years ago when I realized all I was getting back was advertisements. Sometimes I use the others but only if I am looking for something odd. I think search engines brought back more relevant information in their early days than they do now. Back before things became evil.