GK: And we want to say hello to the winner of our See The Show contest who comes to us all the way from Santa Barbara, California, Anna Santana. Anna, it's great to know that young people enjoy public radio too.
LN: Actually I am 86 years old. Eighty-seven in June.
GK: Really? I would have said you were 23 or 24.
LN: He was a fabulous surgeon. Dr. Jasperson. Did a beautiful job.
GK: Really.
LN: He just took some skin off my lower back and pulled it taut and put in about a half-liter of collagen and there you have it.
GK: But your voice sounds so young too.
LN: It's a larynx makeover.
GK: I'm astonished. So how does your family feel about it?
LN: Well, my grandchildren have been very accepting. My kids are upset but they'll get over it.
GK: So ---- are you in the movie business?
LN: Oh, no no no no. No, nothing like that. I'm in real estate sales, but I retired years ago.
GK: So this cosmetic surgery wasn't for professional reasons.
LN: No no. I just always enjoyed being around younger people, so I ---- became a younger person. So I could go out to clubs and listen to cool music and not be listening to men talk about their prostates, so that's what I do.
GK: So how is that?
LN: Well, it's interesting. Getting hit on is kind of a jolt for an 86-year-old lady. Some 19-year-old walks up and says, Hey, need a ride or anything? Hard to know how to answer that question. Tried an online dating app but they didn't have my birth year in the drop down options. And I can't get into yoga. I don't hold a position, I lock up. Last Bikram class they had to call someone to help get me out of the praying mantis.
GK: So are you glad you did it?
LN: I don't know. I get really really tired. I sleep a lot. And my legs look old. They did the arms, did the boobs, but the legs are definitely 86-year-old legs.
GK: So are you glad you did it?
LN: And I have an old mind. It's hard to pretend you don't know what you know. You know? They show me their tattoos and it's all I can do not to say, Are you nuts? Do you know what that's going to look like thirty years from now??? I think like an old lady. Which is what I am. I mentioned LBJ the other day and they said, What band is that? I hate it when I say thank you to a clerk and she says, "No problem". Whatever happened to "My pleasure" or "You're welcome"?And just once I'd like to sit down and have lunch with people who know who Ethel Merman was and who were around for the Bicentennial. Remember what a glorious day that was? Nineteen seventy-six. The tall ships came sailing around the harbor.
GK: I was eight years old.
LN: Oh you were not.
GK: I was.
LN: You are 73 if you're a day. Look at you.
GK: I'm 48.
LN: Get out of here. Who are you trying to kid?
GK: It's the truth.
LN: Fess up. Come on. You remember. The Beatles? We all stood around and we sang -----(SHE SINGS) There are places I remember, all my life though some have changed---- (SS SINGS, OLD LADY VOICE) Some forever, not for better, some are gone and some remain. (SLOWING) All these places had their moments.
GK: Are you okay?
SS (OLD): Something happened to my voice. I felt a twinge in my throat.
GK: You look fine.
SS (OLD): He said if it happened to just take a deep breath and let the vocal cords relax.
GK: I'm sure you'll be fine.
SS (OLD): What am I going to do if I don't get my voice back?
GK: You'll either be an 86-year-old with a great face job or a 25-year-old who did the wrong kind of drugs.
SS (OLD) I'm going to go back here and lie down.
GK: You do that. Anna Santana, winner of our See the Show Contest.