Saturday 9: Hungry

Saturday 9: Hungry (1966)
... because it's 4th of July

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

1) Are you eating anything as you respond to these questions?

A. I have a glass of water but that's it for the moment.

2) Paul Revere and the Raiders performed in Revolutionary garb. Have you ever worked at a job that required you to wear a uniform?

A. I have not. I wouldn't mind it. I hate having to find something to wear every day. Seems like a waste of brain cells.

3) The "Paul Revere" of Raiders fame was born Paul Revere Dick in Boise, Idaho. What else is Idaho known for?

A. 'Taters. What's 'taters, Precious? What's 'taters? You know, po-ta-toes. Boil 'em, mash 'em, stick 'em in a stew. (Sorry, couldn't help myself, Lord of the Rings movie fans will get it.)

4) The original Paul Revere was a silversmith by trade,  known for making church bells. Can you hear church bells from your home?

A. No. I hear cows mooing, turkeys gobbling, and birds chirping, with one mocking bird in particular singing his little heart out and a cardinal going "we-choo." But no church bells. Mother Nature gives me sounds every day that are just as pretty as any bell.

5) In April, 1775, Paul Revere literally rode into history when he galloped into the night, spreading the word that "the British are coming." Name another Revolutionary War-era hero.

A. Colonel William Preston, once of Botetourt County, Virginia (home to several Revolutionary War Heroes), lived in the area at a farm he named Greenfield Plantation in 1761. William Preston moved his living quarters from Greenfield to Drapers Meadows in 1774, but retained control of the Botetourt property.

He represented Botetourt County in Virginia’s House of Burgess in the 1760s, before there was a United States. He was a pioneer and a soldier who defended the Virginia frontier before and during the Revolutionary War. He served as a Colonel in the militia.

He was also one of the 13 signers of the Fincastle Resolutions, a document which predates the Declaration of Independence. It was written in January 1775 and promised resistance until death against Britain in order to preserve certain liberties.

He was also a founding trustee of Liberty Hall in 1776. The college later became Washington & Lee University.

His son John, also a Revolutionary War soldier and a Botetourt County statesman, became owner of the Greenfield farm after Preston and his wife died. The Preston family owned Greenfield through seven generations and sold the land in the late 20th century. Botetourt County now owns 922 acres of the property and has attempted to turn it into an industrial park.

As an aside, Greenfield bordered property owned by my husband's 6th-great grandfather.

6) Historians tell us that Revere's famous "midnight ride" actually took place between 9:00 and 10:00 PM. When is your usual bedtime?

A. Anywhere from 9:30 PM to 10:00 PM. It's a big night if I'm still up at 10:15 PM any more.

7) Earlier this year, officials from Boston's Museum of Fine Arts uncovered a time capsule buried in 1795 by Paul Revere and Gov. Sam Adams. It included coins and newspapers. If you were to bury a time capsule that reflects American life in 2015, what would it include?

A. Saturday 9 and Sunday Stealing memes, a cell phone, a copy of The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and the Washington Post, pictures of major cities with a Google view of men in ties and women in skirts hurrying and not speaking to one another, pictures of homeless people and prisons, a Coca Cola can, a bottle of water, pictures of The Rolling Stones from the 1960s and now, one each of the different quarters of the various states, and a copy of the U.S. Constitution. 

8) Will you attend a fireworks display during the 4th of July weekend?

A. Depends on the weather. At the moment we have rain.

9) What's your preferred way to celebrate Independence Day -- a parade, a picnic, or both?

A. Actually, I prefer to stay home, read a book, and have some one else cook dinner. I have covered enough parades as a news reporter to have had my fill of them, regardless of holiday, and picnics are for ants.