Saturday 9: Time

Saturday 9: Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is? (1970)

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

I can't believe that song is from 1970. Dang, I am old.


1) This song asks, "Does anybody really care about time?" How about you? Do you pride yourself on being punctual? Or don't you really care?

A. I am a punctual person. I am on time 99 percent of the time, and if I'm not, it's because something horrible has happened. One of the reasons my editors like to work with me is because I meet my deadlines. 
 
2) The lyrics refer to a stranger asking the time. When is the last time you conversed with someone you didn't really know? What did you two talk about?

A. A lady I did not know recently spoke with me in the grocery store about the price of Lipton tea.  I frequently have to ask strangers to help me reach things on the high shelves in the stores; they are usually obliging and I thank them profusely for the assistance.

3) According to the Top 40 tracker Tunecaster, this song knocked Tony Orlando and Dawn's "Knock Three Times" out of the #1 spot on the charts in January 1971. Are you familiar with "Knock Three Times?"

A. "Oh my darlin', knock three times on the ceiling if you want me. Twice on the pipes (clink clink) means the answer is no." Yes, I am familiar with the tune. I have played it on my guitar before though it has been a long time.

4) Chicago is not only the name of the group but also of the midwest's largest city. Chicago is the proud hometown of such luminaries as Bill Murray, Michelle Obama and Derrick Rose. Does your town have any favorite sons or daughters?

A. Wayne Newton is from my nearest city. Mary Johnston, a famous novelist from 1899 to the 1930s, is from my county. She wrote To Have and To Hold and about 30 other novels. She was also active in the suffragist movement. She was the first woman to ever address the Virginia General Assembly.

5) The group Chicago was originally known as The Chicago Transit Authority, after the city's public transportation system. When is the last time you were on a bus or a train?

A. We took a bus tour when we went to Asheville in 2008. That was the last time I was on a bus. The last time I was on a train was in 1980 when I was on a trip to Europe and I took a train from Madrid, Spain to Paris, France.  Just to be complete, the last time I was on a plane was in 1993, when we flew to Orlando, Florida.

6) Four of the original seven bandmembers are still with the group … after 48 years! What's the longest you stayed at the same job?

A. I have been a self-employed writer since 1995, so that would be the longest I have worked at a single occupation. Otherwise, I worked as a legal secretary for about 12 years, but not at the same law office. I generally only lasted about two years at a law office before I had to leave before I strangled someone.

7) Lead singer Rob Lamm confessed that, at times, being in a band has been hard for him because he is by nature a loner. How about you? Are you more introverted or extroverted?

A. I am introverted. When I take the Myers-Briggs test, I am always introverted. I usually test as either an INTP (Introverted, intuitive, Thinking, Perceiving) or an INTJ (Introverted, intuitive, Thinking, Judging). I tend to be right on the line on the last part of the test, pretty even between the "P" and the "J." If you're interested in your Jungian personality, you can take a free test here. I used this in the journaling course I taught at the community college and found it to be accurate.

8) This summer, Chicago will be touring with Earth, Wind and Fire. Have you seen/will you attend any concerts in 2015?

A. I have not seen any concerts so far this year and have no plans to see any so far, though Bill Maher is coming to our area and I would like to see him.

9) Random question: What's the last mess you cleaned up?

A. A mouse got into the pantry last week. I threw away everything in the pantry, the mouse is no more, and the hole the little vermin came in through has been stuffed with steel wool and patched over. First time we've ever had a mouse in this house, and hopefully the last.



Saturday 9 is a nice little meme with no rules. Join in at the link above!