Saturday Nine: Mama Can't Buy You Love (1979)

This week's Saturday Nine:

1. This week's artist, Elton John, was made an Office of Arts and Letters — one of France's highest honours for people who have contributed significantly to the arts. What's the most recent compliment you received? My resident trainer came in today and before he left for the day, he told me, "You're a highly intelligent person and a lot smarter than the average person that works for this company. You'll have to be patient when coaching your team because not everyone grasps concepts as fast as you." I don't think he meant it as a compliment, necessarily; he was just voicing his observations and giving me feedback because I'm now the manager of a brand new team and he knows we're having some growing pains right now. It was kind of backhanded, in a way, but I think that makes a compliment more real.
   
   
2. In 2013, Elton had to cancel an international concert tour because he had an appendectomy. Do you still have your appendix? Yep.
   
   
3. In 1979, Elton John was the first Western rock star to tour the Soviet Union. Would you like to visit Russia? It's never been a top destination for me, but if someone paid for me to go, I'd love to see Moscow one day.
   
   
4. Elton and his mother hadn't spoken in years but he reached out to her and healed their beach in honour of her 90th birthday in 2015. Who is the oldest person you know? My maternal grandma. I think she's 85 or 86 now. My maternal grandpa was the oldest person I knew; he was 94 when he passed a few years ago.
   
   
5. Flowers and plants are popular on Mother's Day. How is your yard or garden? Is it green and/or blooming? Haha, don't be ridiculous, I don't garden. I don't like nature or bugs and I don't have the time, anyway. However, living in a condo townhouse means that yard maintenance is taken care of, so my lawn is actually green and evenly mowed. And they've planted some Stargazer lily bulbs in the soil so they'll be in full bloom in a couple months or so.
   
   
6. Mother's Day is a big holiday for card shops. So are birthdays, weddings, and St. Patrick's Day. Hallmark sells greetings for everything from "Congratulations on Your New Job" to "Happy Retirement." Who received the most recent card you bought? I haven't personally bought a card for anyone in a long time, because the most recent cards I've signed are from a group of us, and someone else bought the card. So I think the last card I bought someone was for my friend Chelsea's birthday last June.
   
   
7. Sam's mother is very careful when she unwraps presents because she likes to save money by to reusing wrapping paper and gift bags. Tell us one way that you economize. I buy essentials (e.g. things I use all the time) in bulk when they're on sale, like tampons and pads, cotton swabs, paper towel, toilet paper, toothpaste, etc.
   
   
8. Mother Winters used to scold Crazy Sam for leaving her dirty dishes in the sink. Sam admits it: as a grown up, she still leaves dirty dishes in the sink. How about you? Is your sink or dishwasher empty? I do leave dishes in the sink during the day, but I make sure to rinse and load everything in the dishwasher right after dinner.
   
   
9. RANDOM QUESTION: What size mattress do you sleep on — twin, full, queen or king? Queen.