reading time: 2 minutes

---

1) In this song, Laura Branigan is advising her friend to take it a bit slower in her pursuit of a particular man. Did you more recently give or receive advice?

Give. My kid is in college for teaching, and he works with kids part-time. He asked for an opinion/advice on a situation.

2) Gloria seems determined to rush ahead, regardless of the consequences. Do you consider yourself a big risk taker?

I used to be a bigger risk taker, physically. I did all kinds of ill-advised things. Jumping out of planes, bungee-jumping, drag racing, demolition derbies. I was a bit of an adrenaline junkie. Not so much anymore!

3) Laura herself seemed to be impulsive in love. She met a lawyer at a party in 1978 and they married months later. It worked out, though. They were married for almost 20 years, until his death. Thinking of your circle of friends, has someone more recently been married, divorced, or widowed?

A friend of mine got married last month. They livestreamed it so we could watch no matter where we were. It was beautiful!

4) “Gloria” was originally recorded in 1979 by Italian singer Umberto Tozzi. His version was a Top Ten hit in Switzerland, Belgium and Germany. Have you ever visited any of those countries?

I’ve been to Switerland and Germany, but not Belgium.

5) In 2018, decades after its initial release, this recording of “Gloria” enjoyed a surge in popularity. The St. Louis Blues used it as their victory song whenever they won a hockey game at home. What’s the most recent sporting event you attended? 

Does watching the New York Rangers play the Boston Bruins on TV count? If not, years!

6) After Laura Branigan died of a cerebral aneurysm at the age of 52, her high school established a scholarship in her honor. When did you most recently return to your old high school, and what was the reason?

I have not stepped inside its hallowed halls since graduation night… 25 June 1988.

7) In 1982, when this song was popular, the Sears catalog sold an at-home blood pressure monitor that ran on four C-batteries and sold for $190 (that’s $600 in today’s dollars). Amazon’s current best-selling monitor is cheaper ($40) and smaller, running on AAA batteries. Is high blood pressure a concern of yours?

Nope. I seem to have abnormally low blood pressure and always have.

8) Also in 1982, The Compleat Beatles, a two-hour documentary about The Fab Four was released to good reviews. Do you enjoy documentaries?

Depends on the topic. I do watch a lot of true-crime docs.

9) Random question: Which of these chores to you enjoy the least: doing the dishes or the laundry?

The dishes, definitely. Laundry is no big deal, and I’m fine with folding.

rate this post