Saturday Nine: Heartbreak Hotel (1956)

This week's Saturday Nine:

1. Elvis checked in to the hotel at the end of Lonely Street. Where was the last hotel or motel you stayed at? Holly Hedge Estate in New Hope, Pennsylvania, for my brother's wedding last September.
   
   
2. He sings that Heartbreak Hotel is always crowded. The fear of crowds is so prevalent that it has four names (enochlophobia, ochlophobia, demophobia and agoraphobia). Are you comfortable in a crowd? Generally, no. I hate crowds. The only exception is if I'm in the floor section at a concert. I'm still not particularly comfortable there, but I don't mind it because I want to have a better view of the stage.
   
   
3. The desk clerk at Heartbreak Hotel is dressed black. Do you often wear all black? Pretty much everyday. Almost all of my workplaces throughout my adult life have required me to wear all black, so my wardrobe is now about 98% black. (The 2% is what I wear at home. Which is usually in shades of grey.)
   
   
4. The song was written by Mae Boren Axton, who said it was inspired by the story of an anonymous young man's suicide in a hotel. She said she read in The Miami Herald that the John Doe left behind a note that said, "I walk a lonely street." What's the last note you handwrote? (Hopefully it was more upbeat.) I wrote some tasks and reminders for my team at work. Nothing exciting.
   
   
5. When Elvis was 11, his parents bought him a guitar. He had asked for a rifle, but his mama convinced him a guitar was a better idea. Tell us about a time one of your parents was right about something. They're kinda right about everything, so I can't even really pinpoint a time they were right about something specific.
   
   
6. Not long before "Heartbreak Hotel" was recorded, Elvis' father recommended he give up the guitar and become a truck driver. Tell us about a time one of your parents was wrong about something. Honestly, I can't really think about a time my parents were wrong about something. I mean, I might have felt wronged at times when I was younger, but in retrospect, they were right.
   
   
7. There are many stories about Elvis' manager, Col. Tom Parker. One anecdote, about his career before Elvis, has the Colonel painting sparrows yellow so he could sell them as canaries. Have you ever been ripped off? As far as I can remember, no... but knock on wood.
   
   
8. Speaking of birds, Elvis once owned a peacock. It damaged his cars, so he gave it to the Memphis Zoo. In earlier days, it might have been dinner, for peacock was considered a medieval delicacy. What's the last poultry you prepared? I had chicken drumsticks for dinner last night.
   
   
9. Random question: You and a friend have dinner at a restaurant. Your friend left her wallet at home, so you pick up the entire tab of $62, including tip. A few weeks later, you two meet for lunch and when the bill comes, she puts down half. Do you remind her that she still owes you $31 from the last time you dined together? I think it depends on the friend. See, my closest friends would already know to cover my bill if I covered theirs last time. But I guess if they forgot or didn't realize to, I would just be like, "Covered you last time. Your turn." We're close enough that we don't have to dance around the topic.