From Oakland to Margaritaville

I sat through a group job interview once, a very long time ago, to be a flight attendant for Sun C*untry Airlines. During the interview the question was asked, "If you could spend one day with anyone, dead or alive, who would it be and why?" Now most people, especially those planning to be interviewed for a job, have likely thought about this question and had an answer in mind. Probably not a unique answer - but a politically correct, canned, appropriate answer for a job interview: Mother Theresa. A past president. The Pope. Someone who changed the world in some way. So, what was my answer? MC Hammer. MC HAMMER!!! You think I'm kidding? God, I wish I were. I said it, I really did. And even worse, at the time I was really quite impressed with myself. It was a unique answer! He had just started a program to save kids in the projects from a life in drugs and gangs! He was a cool guy! And he could dance! I wish now that I could have seen the looks on my co-interviewees' faces ("Woo hoo, she just upped MY chances BIG TIME!!") I don't think it was the answer they were looking for, because I didn't get the job. Obviously. In my own defense, I was a couple of years away from even being able to legally drink.

So today I was driving through the frozen tundra that is our home these days. To make it feel a little warmer, I was listening to J*mmy Buffett's new album T@ke the We@ther With You (thank you Auntie Sunshine!) It reminded me of the ol' embarrassing MC Hammer story because if I had been asked that same question today, I would have had to answer "Jimmy Buffett." I was driving through town, longing be sitting on a beach, in Key West, drinking a margarita, eating a cheeseburger, and humming along as Jimmy strummed "Margaritaville" on his guitar.

Thank God I'm not in the job market and won't be interviewing any time soon.