Saturday 9- I Left My Heart in San Francisco

 

I Left My Heart in San Francisco

Saturday 9: I Left My Heart in San Francisco (1962)

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

1) This song is a valentine to the city of San Francisco. Songwriters George Cory and Douglas Cross moved to New York to find fame and fortune and found themselves homesick for the city by the bay. Have you ever been homesick? Or, in the parlance of the song, where have you left your heart?  One time when we were on vacation we were staying in a bigger city and there was a lot of violence happening when we were there.  We live in the country, so it is quiet.  I was ready to come home during that trip.  I like to feel safe.

2) Cory and Cross were buddies with Ralph Sharon, a piano player who often worked with Tony Bennett. Ralph brought the song to Tony and the results were very happy for all involved. Have you more recently done, or been on the receiving end of, a favor?  I am going to say I have been on the receiving end.  I did make some copies of some of my lesson plans for next week for the other pre-k teacher Friday, but we help each other all of the time.  

 
3) The lyrics compare San Francisco to Paris, Rome and Manhattan. Have you visited those cities?  nope, none of them.  I would love to visit all of them.

4) This week's artist, Tony Bennett, sang professionally for the last time in August. He retired after performing at Radio City Music Hall with Lady Gaga. Their musical collaboration dates back to when they both performed at President Obama's inauguration. Though 60 years apart in age, they became fast friends based on their shared love of jazz. Do you find that most of your friends are older than you, younger than you, or within 5 years of you?  I think my closest friends are within 5 years...we just have more in common.  

5) While Lady Gaga grew up listening to Tony Bennett, as a young man Tony recalled listening to Bing Crosby, Judy Garland and Joe Venuti. Which singers did you enjoy during your teen years?  When I was a teen, I did not really have favorite singers and I just listened to a lot of different music.

6) While he's famous for singing about San Francisco, Tony is a proud son of New York. Born in Queens, he chose to end his career at Radio City Music Hall and was excited to perform "New York State of Mind" with Billy Joel at Shea Stadium in 2008. Do you have a favorite Billy Joel song?  Billy Joel is so talented and I like a lot of his songs, but I always really enjoy Piano Man.

 
7) Tony Bennett and Frank Sinatra may have been competitors but they shared mutual admiration. Sinatra called Bennett "the best singer in the business," and Bennett did a Sinatra homage album called Perfectly Frank. Think of people you have worked with over the years. Tell us about someone who has impressed you, and why.  My friend Lori always impresses me. She is a great teacher, but she is such a great person.  She never has a bad thing to say about anyone.  I just enjoy her company.  I have never met anyone quite like her.

8) The 1970s were a difficult period for Tony. During the days of disco and Studio 54, he said singing new songs made him feel like his mother, a talented seamstress, when she was forced to make a cheap dress. OK, so Tony doesn't like disco! Is there a genre of music you just don't care for?  I do not like death metal...if you want to call that music.  It makes me feel anxious.  I hate that feeling.

9) Random question: Imagine you're the passenger in a long car ride. Are you more likely to be calm or fidgety?  totally calm.  I like a good car ride.

Update on Molly:  Last weekend was really hard and I thought more than once we were going to have to put her to sleep or she was just going to pass on her own.  It was bad.  Saturday night the vet hospital called us and she was still not eating and was not showing any signs of getting better.  Josh went to visit her and she perked up some.  The next morning the vet hospital called and Molly had eaten a little overnight, so we brought her home Sunday morning.  Sunday was a hard day.  Karl and I watched her all day and took care of her.  Josh watched her overnight since he typically stays up late.  Monday she ate a little better and each day she has shown improvement.  The first thing I did though when she came home was gave her less of the anti-seizure medicine.  I plan to take her off the day pill this weekend and monitor her.  Then is she does ok I would like to try to get her off of that early next week.  She has one more anti-biotic and some pills left for her liver function.  She really is so much better.  I was worried early in the week, but I feel so much better now.  Thank-you for your prayers and good thoughts.  I was super worried about Josh.  Molly is his dog...Josh is her person.  It was awful thinking she was fine one day and possibly going to die the next.  It was hard.  He is ok though.  I have told him more than once he is the reason she is alive.  Thank-you all for asking about her.  I was just so worried about her.  This was taken a day or so ago by Josh.  She looks so much better.  She was sleeping all day just last weekend and her eyes all glazed over.  You can see in this picture her front legs were shaved for her IV's.