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Post by Midge on Jan 13, 2014 19:17:00 GMT -6
I remember begging my father for a nickle after he came home from work so I could buy a soft ice cream cone from the Foster Freeze (a Dairy Queen-type chain), which was located right around the corner from our house. I still remember seeing empty aluminum milk canisters lined up alongside the Foster Freeze and smelling the aroma of rich cream and sweet vanilla that wafted from the inside. If I felt extravagant and had an extra penny, I would get a dipped cone. Just about everything else has changed about San Fernando, the little town where we lived, but amazingly the Foster Freeze is still there.
Is there a song that always reminds you of your first big romance?
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Post by dvdjunkie on Jan 14, 2014 8:20:19 GMT -6
Midge, my first job as a teenager was at a Foster's Freeze on Crenshaw Blvd. in Los Angeles. And though other things have changed, it is still standing there and the lines are still long for those creamy treats.
My first wife and I dated for almost five and a half years, more time than the marriage lasted, so I don't remember whether we had a 'song' or not. Beverly and I have several songs that bring back the memories of our first years together. Since we didn't have a courtship like most people - we met on Thursday, May 21st, and were married on Saturday, May 23rd, less than two days later, we just pick songs 'for the moment'. The one we keep coming back to was Linda Ronstadt & Aaron Neville's "Don't Know Much (But I know I love you)".
What was your favorite genre for music when you were a teenager?
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Post by Midge on Jan 14, 2014 18:54:02 GMT -6
That's a tough question because as a teenager I listened to Top 40 radio but I also liked opera, jazz and classical. I'd have to say rock, though, because that's what I listened to most. By the way, Bill, that's really a coincidence that your first job was at a Foster's Freeze and that yours is still there, too. (I know that Foster's Freeze is the official name, but we always called it "Foster Freeze.")
Has your taste in music changed over the years?
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Post by dvdjunkie on Jan 15, 2014 9:48:24 GMT -6
Not much. I used to tell everyone I liked all forms of music except for Classical and Opera. As I have matured, I still like my Rock and Country music, and I have learned to tolerate a little bit of opera. "La Tosca" is one I am familiar with, as when I saw the movie "Les Miserable" I went out and bought the soundtrack and then when the movie was released to Blu-ray/DVD I added it to my collection and I find that I watch this film on a pretty regular basis. Don't know which genre it fits in, but when I was a lot younger I would not have gotten within 50 miles of this type of music. My Adult Contemporary listening station here in Wichita is what I listen to most when in the car. Since Kansas is such a flat state, this station's signal reaches almost every part of Kansas and even into part of Nebraska.
Is there a musical movie or soundtrack that you could listen to more often than any other in your collection?
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Post by Midge on Jan 15, 2014 18:58:54 GMT -6
Yes. I love the very excellent and highly entertaining soundtrack to the 1992 Broadway revival of Guys and Dolls with Faith Prince, Peter Gallagher, Nathan Lane, Josie de Guzman and Walter Bobbie.
What is your favorite Broadway musical?
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Post by dvdjunkie on Jan 16, 2014 8:43:47 GMT -6
At this moment it is "Cats". The soundtrack from that show is just stunning. But sometimes I have to change up my like list and I will add "South Pacific" with Mary Martin and Ezio Pinza. Sometimes I just have to listen to "Some Enchanted Evening" over and over. For now, though, I will stick with "Cats".
Do you have any other favorite Broadway musical?
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Post by Midge on Jan 16, 2014 17:39:20 GMT -6
I love South Pacific, too. The original cast recording is one of the best soundtracks ever. Ezio Pinza was a Metropolitan Opera star before he did South Pacific. He had a warm, full, resonant bass voice and was easy on the eyes, too. I also love Oklahoma, A Chorus Line, The King and I and My Fair Lady (the original Broadway cast). I'd also mention Carousel except that I really hate that stupid clambake song. If you could eat a can of Spinach and be as strong as Popeye for one day, what would you do with your newfound strength?
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Post by dvdjunkie on Jan 17, 2014 9:23:17 GMT -6
I'll preface this by saying that my son-in-law is President of the Christian Off-Road Association (CORA) here in Wichita. As a club they needed a place to meet where they could help each other with their rigs and they bought some property with this old barn on it, and they plan on leveling it and building their own garage. If I had Popeye's strength for one-day I would level the barn and clean up the mess, and help them put up their new garage.
A history question: Why do they call "Nob Hill" Nob Hill in San Francisco?
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Post by Midge on Jan 17, 2014 19:50:59 GMT -6
Nob Hill got its name because it was (and still is) an enclave of the very rich, particularly those newly-minted millionaires who made huge fortunes after the California Gold Rush of 1849. British slang referred to newly-rich people in those days as "nobs."
Do you know the history of the name "Wichita?" I'm assuming it's an American Indian tribe.
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Post by dvdjunkie on Jan 18, 2014 10:00:08 GMT -6
Yes. In a brief synopsis, Wichita is the county seat for Sedgwick County, was founded in 1983 and incorporated in 1870, and was a major stop on the Chisolm Trail. Millions of heads of cattle were shipped from the stockyards of Wichita, which is where the nickname "Cowtown" originated. It wasn't until the first Aviation company opened its doors in the early 1920's that Wichita adopted the nickname "The Air Capitol of the World". We now manufacture, in part, every aircraft that flies today. Boeing, Beechcraft, Bell, Spirit Aerospace are among the biggest employers in Sedgwick county. Population of Wichita is just over 500,00 people. Want to read more about our fair city, then go to www.kansas.com and you can peruse the daily newspaper, The Wichita Eagle. If you had it to do over, which area of the US would you prefer to live? (Remember, here in the midwest we can see a tornado coming, but on the left coast you have unseen earthquakes.)
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Post by Midge on Jan 18, 2014 19:31:22 GMT -6
If I had it to do over, I would be right where I am. Earthquakes can happen anywhere, not just in California. We have lots more of them, of course, but most are so small they can't even be felt. Anyway, our building codes are pretty strict, so I would not be frightened even if another big quake hit here. Our house has been seismically upgraded since we moved in, work that was required in order to get a building permit when we replaced our deck. I'd be more nervous in states where building codes don't exist.
Thanks for the Kansas link, Bill! My dad was born in Delia (Jackson County, population 169) and three generations of my ancestors are buried in Kansas. So although I've never visited, I feel I have roots there.
Have you ever been robbed?
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Post by dvdjunkie on Jan 19, 2014 9:08:07 GMT -6
Yes, unfortunately. Twice!! Once when I was a manager of a movie theater in Sacramento. I went to the bank about 11 pm with the night deposit. I always took someone along with me, and for some stupid reason this particular night, I didn't. When I was putting my key in the 'night drop' a voice from the bushes said "I have a gun pointed at your head, don't turn around. Just put the bag down and lay down beside it." I did as I was told, and then I felt something against my head and heard what sounded like a click of a trigger. It was at that moment that I decided that I would never do this again without a watch out person with me.
The second time was right after we moved to Kansas, I was in the hospital with pneumonia and when Beverly went home after spending time with me, she walked in on a burglary that was going on in our home. She was smart, and ran out to the car, wrote down the license plate number of the suspect's vehicle, and drove off. She went to our daughter's house, which was about four blocks away and called the police. When they arrived at the house, the stupid crooks were down stairs in our basement going through our boxes we still hadn't unpacked yet. They were caught red-handed, and of course we had to do without some of the stuff they had loaded in their vehicle because the police said it had to be used as evidence in their trial.
Have you been to a Comedy Club in the past five years?
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Post by Midge on Jan 20, 2014 19:09:11 GMT -6
No, the last time I went to a comedy club was in 1980. I saw an unknown comic named Bob Sarlatte that night and remember thinking "He's pretty good." He went on to have a successful career and is still considered a local comedy legend.
Who is your favorite comedian (past or present)?
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Post by dvdjunkie on Jan 21, 2014 8:26:30 GMT -6
My all-time favorite was Bob Newhart. I have seen him in person at a Comedy Club over 20 times. Second on the list would be Robin Williams, and third would be Shelly Berman.
Who was your favorite movie comedians when you were growing up?
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Post by Midge on Jan 21, 2014 18:59:12 GMT -6
I was a big fan of Laurel and Hardy because TV stations played a lot of their old movies. I also liked Red Skelton, Sid Caesar and Imogene Coca, George Gobel, Martin and Lewis and Donald O'Connor in the Francis the Talking Mule movies.
What is the fastest speed you have ever driven?
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Post by dvdjunkie on Jan 22, 2014 8:21:38 GMT -6
Wow! That is sort of a scary question. On a motorcycle I have been just over 100 mph. I did that once and never again. As a passenger in a sleek Porsche 911, I saw the speedometer pegged at 140 mph, and that didn't seem to bother me at the time. Now that I think about these 'stupid' things I did, I am a very cautious driver and don't push the speed limit more than two or three miles over the posted signs.
How many parking tickets have you gotten over the past years?
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Post by Midge on Jan 23, 2014 18:14:22 GMT -6
I've gotten a few tickets for overtime meter parking in the past, but only one or two in the last 10 years. The last time it happened, my friend and I were shopping. We lost track of time and forgot to put more money in the meter. She felt she was partly responsible, so she paid half the fine. I'm super-conscientious about feeding the meter now.
Have you ever owned a dog?
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Post by dvdjunkie on Jan 24, 2014 8:02:25 GMT -6
When we moved to Kansas we brought along our two loveable dogs, O.J. and Rugrat. Rugrat was a Heinz-57 breed, mid-size, and beautiful black fur with three white paws. O.J. was a Bijon/Poodle mix and was totally Beverly's dog. I couldn't get near him unless I had a treat in my hand. We paid what we thought was an outrageous 'pet deposit' on our first home, and about six weeks after we got settled in, Rugrat disappeared and we have never seen him again. O.J. lived for about three years more and then we took him to the bet because his nose got real dry and hard and found out that he had 'cancerous growths' under his skin on his nose at at the back of his throat. We mercifully had O.J. put down, and we have been dog-less ever since. Plus we are saving that money that it cost for deposit on pets (Kansas has a set rate for pet deposit of $245 for two pets, and $120 for each pet after that. It is 50% refundable.)
Have you ever been to Magic Mountain Amusement Park in Valencia, CA?
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Post by Midge on Jan 25, 2014 5:05:06 GMT -6
No, I've never been there. It didn't exist when I lived in Southern California.
Have you ever had the power go out for an extended period of time?
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Post by dvdjunkie on Jan 25, 2014 9:55:23 GMT -6
Yes. During the 'ice storm' of 2008, we were without power for almost two days. Lost a lot of frozen foods, but also had some friends who lived across town that we were able to use their stand-alone freezer for some of our stuff. You don't realize how much you depend on the power until you don't have it for anything. Since then we have been very lucky, during the recent 'ice storm' the lights blinked a couple of times, but we have not been without electricity this year.
How about you?
Have you ever had the power go out for an extended period of time?
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Post by Midge on Jan 31, 2014 5:08:30 GMT -6
Yes, we have had the power go out for several hours, which seems like forever (especially when it happens at night). Luckily it wasn't out long enough for food to spoil, but we were trying not to open the refrigerator door to keep everything as cold as possible. We listened to a battery-powered radio by candlelight for entertainment.
Have you ever taped a coin on the end of the tone arm of a record player?
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Post by dvdjunkie on Jan 31, 2014 8:49:42 GMT -6
No! I am very anal about how my records are treated. I have a marvelous turntable with all the 'dial weights' to keep my tone arm just perfect. I even have a scale to make sure that the tone arm is not weighing down the needle. I change needle cartridges twice a year, no matter how much they get used. I can only think of one record in my collection that is unplayable because of my misuse of a tone arm.
Do you ever rent movies from Redbox or Netflix?
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Post by Midge on Feb 1, 2014 4:04:59 GMT -6
No, but a friend of mine has a Netflix account, and when she's out of town for extended periods she lets me use her account. When I bring in her mail, I pick up my discs and then send them back to Netflix, making sure to put her next movie at the top of the queue before she gets home.
When did you last call someone long-distance?
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Post by dvdjunkie on Feb 1, 2014 9:33:16 GMT -6
About a week ago. I called our friends in Carson City, Nevada to make sure that we are still welcome to come visit during Hot August Nights this summer. They have this beautiful home that sits on a hill and is surrounded by all sorts of flower beds, some they have planted and others grow wildly. They can see someone coming up their road for about a mile.
Do you make very many long distance calls every month?
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Post by Midge on Feb 1, 2014 18:34:46 GMT -6
No, I seldom call anyone who is out of the area. I don't like to talk on the phone that much anyway.
Have you ever known anyone who is so talkative that it's hard to get away from them?
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Post by dvdjunkie on Feb 2, 2014 10:41:58 GMT -6
Me!! I have been told by other people that when I am in a group of people I generally dominate the conversation, and have been known to follow people who are trying to get away from me. I don't know a stranger and love being around people. So, I guess I am guilty as charged.
Have you ever been complimented about how you look, and you think that you just threw something together to wear?
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Post by Midge on Feb 3, 2014 4:45:40 GMT -6
Once in a while that has happened when I'm wearing something old that I don't care much about but Al thinks it looks good. But I'm not really much of a fashion plate.
Do you remember the gas shortages of the 1970s?
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Post by dvdjunkie on Feb 3, 2014 11:41:38 GMT -6
Oh yes!!! And I remember when gas was less than a quarter a gallon. I worked at a Mohawk gas station and had my fill of pumping gas and checking the water and oil (something that you could never have done in any service station) and listening to people complain when gas went up from .17 cents a gallon to .19 cents a gallon. They thought they were being robbed..............(sigh! those were the days!
Do you ever shop around for the best price on gasoline today, or do you just go to your favorite gas station?
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Post by Midge on Feb 3, 2014 18:37:48 GMT -6
We just go to our favorite gas station, the one that Al has been a customer of since the early 1970s. They're not the cheapest, but they're the most convenient. We don't use that much gas anyway so it isn't a big deal. We probably drive less than 4,000 miles a year.
Have you ever been loyal to a particular brand of gasoline?
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Post by Midge on Feb 3, 2014 18:38:17 GMT -6
We just go to our favorite gas station, the one that Al has been a customer of since the early 1970s. They're not the cheapest, but they're the most convenient. We don't use that much gas anyway so it isn't a big deal. We only drive about 2,000 miles per year.
Are you loyal to a particular brand of gasoline?
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