Happy Birthday George Harrison

Today would've been your 69th birthday.  I hope you're celebrating up there with John Lennon, Brian Epstein, Linda McCartney, Maureen Cox, Stu Sutcliffe, Roy Orbison, Conor Clapton, to name a few.

                                      

George was introduced to John Lennon by Paul McCartney in 1958 when he was 15.  George and Paul both attended the Liverpool Institute.  John's band, The Quarrymen needed a bass player but John did not approve of George at first because he thought George was too young. When George played "Raunchy" on top of a double decker bus in Liverpool, John was impressed and asked him to join the band. 

                            

George met Pattie Boyd, a model, during the filming of A Hard Day's Night in 1964.  He asked her to marry him on their first meeting.  They eventually married 2 years later.  Pattie said George admitted writing  "Something" for her but he claims he had no one in mind when he wrote the song.  The original lyrics were "Something in the way he moves." George was into the studies of Krishna consciousness but he ended up changing the lyrics because he did not want to be perceived as a "poof". Their marriage lasted 8 years.  John Lennon and Mick Jagger were also attracted to Pattie.  Eric Clapton, George's close friend was madly in love with her.  He wrote "Layla" and "Wonderful Tonight" for Pattie.  She left George for Eric because George neglected her and was obsessed with meditation at the time.  George asked Eric if he could have Eric's girlfriend, Jenny, who also happens to be Pattie's sister.  George actually approved of Pattie and Eric's relationship, commenting that he would rather have her be with him than some dope.  Pattie and Eric married but divorced after 9 years as a result of Eric's addiction to heroin and alcohol.  Pattie was also unable to conceive.

I was at the Stonehenge 2 years ago!

  

   

George and Pattie in "A Hard Day's Night"

                 

George and Pattie's wedding day

George  had an affair with Maureen Cox, the wife of Ringo Starr.  John Lennon blasted George, calling the affair 'incestuous'. 

                 

  

    Pattie and Eric Clapton's wedding

Eric Clapton's 4 year old son, Conor, with Lory del Santo, died falling out of a 53rd floor apartment window in New York in 1992.  George also had an affair with Lory.  During Conor's funeral, Pattie and George were both at Eric's side consoling him.  Eric wrote "Tears in Heaven" for Conor.  

                                        

       There are rumors that George had an affair with Madonna.

                           He produced her movie, Shanghai Surprise.                        

In 1978, George married Olivia Arias, a secretary at A&M records in Hollywood.  They have a son, Dhani who is now 34.  Pattie Boyd was saddened to hear of their marriage.  She considered George to be the love of her life and regretted divorcing him.  They remained good friends til he died. 

                                  

Paul, Ringo, Yoko and Olivia were watching Dhani perform onstage
and someone remarked "we all got old except for George."

George developed lung cancer in 1997 which he attributed to smoking heavily from the 60s to the 80s.  In late 1999, George was attacked and stabbed in his Friars Park Mansion by Michael Abram, a schizophrenic who believed he was possessed by Harrison, and was on a mission from God to kill him.  The struggle ensued for 15 minutes with Abram attacking both George and Olivia.  Olivia struck Abram with a fireplace poker and lamp.  He was acquitted of attempted murder by reason of insanity.

In November 2001 while receiving radiotheraphy in New York, Dr. Gilbert Lederman, his oncologist, came to visit George.  Lederman had his son play the guitar  and asked George to sign it.  George replied that he didn't think he knew how to write his name anymore but Lederman insisted and offered to guide him.  Olivia and Dhani sued Lederman and the case was settled out of court under the condition that the guitar be disposed of.

Ringo Starr visited George during the final days before his death.  Ringo said that he had to fly to Boston because his daughter, Lee was going to have surgery for a brain tumor.  George asked "Do you want me to come with you?" even while he was in his death bed.  This brought tears to Ringo's eyes as he was relating the story in Martin Scorcese's film Living In The Material World.

George died on November 29, 2001, reportedly at the house of Paul McCartney which he was leasing in Southern California.  He was 58 years old. 

George was an avid gardner.  He most likely planted these tulips.

                             

    Dhani and Olivia at George's                                                Dhani and Olivia at the "Love"
    ceremony of his Hollywood Star                                            performance in Las Vegas

I really want to see you Lord but it won't take long my Lord, Alleluia! My Sweet Lord!

Happy Birthday George!

 

It's True!

 

  1.  If you must choose between two evils, pick the one that you haven't tried before.

  2.  My idea of housework is to sweep the room with a glance.

  3.  It is easier to get forgiveness than permission.

  4.  If you look like your passport picture, you probably need the trip.

  5.  Bills travel through the mail at twice the speed of checks.

  6.  A conscience is what hurts when all your other parts feel so good.

  7.  Eat well, stay fit, die anyway.

  8.  Men are from earth, women are from earth, deal with it.

  9.  No man has ever been shot doing the dishes.

10.  A balanced diet is a cookie in each hand.

11.  Opportunity always look bigger going than coming.

12.  Junk is something you've kept for years and throw away three weeks before you need it.

13.  Experience is a wonderful thing.  It enables you to recognize a mistake when you make it  
       again.

14.  By the time you can make ends meet, they move the ends.

15.  Thou shalt not weigh more than thy refrigerator.

16.  It ain't the jeans that make your butt look fat.

17.  There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness".

18.  People who want to share their religious views with you almost never want you to share
       yours with them.

19.  You should not confuse your career with your life.

20.  No one cares if you can't dance well.  Just get up and dance.

21.  You will never find anybody who will give you a clear and compelling reason why we
       observe daylight savings time.

22.  You should never say anything to a woman that even remotely suggests that you think
       she's pregnant unless you can see an actual baby emerging from her at that moment.

23.  There comes a time when you should stop expecting other people to make a big deal
       about your birthday.  That time is age eleven.

24.  A person who is nice to you but rude to the waiter, is not a nice person.

25.  Your friends love you anyway.

26.  Never be afraid to try something new.  Remember, a lone amateur built the ark.  A large
       group of professionals built the Titanic.



Life's Burning Questions

Why does it take forever to load and unload a dvd?


Why do funeral homes tell you not to bring shoes when dressing the deceased?


Why is it troublesome at times to turn off the tv when you have cable?


Why doesn't anything rhyme with orange?


How do you get rid of junk mail permanently?


Why do I always end up in the checkout line that moves the slowest?


What do you call a male ladybug?


If you strangle a smurf, what color does it turn?


How come cows don't stain permanently?


Why are they called apartments when they are all stuck together?


Why are there flotation devices on the seat of planes instead of parachutes?


How does the guy who drives the snowplow get to work?


You know that indestructible part they use to make the black box?  Why don't they make the whole plane out of that stuff?


If you die and go to hell, how does your soul suffer and burn when you're not in your physical form any longer?


If you die and go to heaven, what will you do for 24 hours a day, 365 days a year?


How come they haven't invented a dryer that will make your clothes come out completely ironed?


If the US has a deficit, why can't the government just print more money and not tell anyone?



Technology is advancing like the speed of light.  Why can't housekeeping advance that quick?

Ali MacGraw

Flipping through the pink section this morning, I came across an article on the ever so gorgeous Ali MacGraw from the famous movie Love Story.  Would you believe, she's 72?  I was 12 when I saw this movie and it was the biggest tear jerker of all time back in the day.  Watching it now, nearly 40 years later, the story line seems a bit amateurish compared to other tear jerker movies such as Terms of Endearment, Steel Magnolias, Beaches, etc.  I could have written that movie myself! 


Ali will appear at the Castro Theatre on Valentine's Day.  The show is called Love: Ali MacGraw, a Valentine's Day Celebration.  She will be interviewed at 8 pm and Love Story will be shown at 9:15.  On the big screen!  What a treat!  The Castro appearance is a rare one for Ali, who now makes her home in New Mexico.  She hates to watch herself onscreen - "it's harrowing for me" - she is eager to see just how Love Story holds up after four decades.  "I'll be interested at this screening, and I'm certainly looking forward to meeting some of the people around it.  I don't know whether 40 years later it touches people the same way," she says.  "I don't know.  I'm curious and nervous."  Well, Miss MacGraw, I will tell you that it will surely touch me 40 years later!


I asked my husband if he was interested in seeing her.  His reply was "it's something that I wouldn't normally watch myself, but if you really want to see it, then I'll accompany you."  Bad answer.  No matter how much I am into a show or performance, if I know my companion is the least bit interested, that would just ruin the whole evening for me.  I might as well go by myself.  Not a good night to ask any of my girlfriends if they'd like to accompany me since it's also Valentine's Day, they're likely to have something special planned with their partner.


Would I rather go see Ali MacGraw on my own or have a nice dinner with my husband?  Folks, I've been married 25 years and I pretty much know what to expect during dinner on Valentine's Day.  Besides, Ali's performance this Tuesday is supposed to be rare.  The paper said so!  For heaven's sake, she's 72 years old and I highly doubt if this will ever happen again in the Bay Area or ever!


That means, in order to make the 8 pm interview on Castro Street, I would have to leave the house around 6:30 pm to beat the traffic and find parking.  Not only that, I still need to eat dinner and prepare dinner for my two dependents at home.  Geesh!  Yeah, I know, how terribly unromantic of me, but screw it.  We're talking about Miss Ali MacGraw here!  She's an icon!  Don't you think Kendall Jenner is a spitting image of Ali MacGraw during her heyday?  I knew it wasn't just me, but Khloe Kardashian said so herself!  Absolutely gorgeous, the both of them!


I have 2 more days to think this over.  Should I or shouldn't I see her?  My head tells me I should see her but leave the hubby home.  Spend the $45 which includes VIP seating and pre-show signing with Miss MacGraw.  That would be absolutely priceless!  Why should I purchase 2 tickets for $90 when I know my husband will probably be bored out of his mind?  Or we both could do the $22.50 tickets and watch her from afar without getting her autograph.  So wrong!


You'll find out after Tuesday if I blog about her amazing appearance.

                  

                          

                          I love you.  I love you more!

              

                        

        

Does anyone know what it really means?  It doesn't make sense at all.

February 18, 2012

Fast forward, 4 days later.  Yes,  I did see Ali and what an amazing evening it was!  

The Castro Theatre. 

Ali emerging from her limo.

Signing a huge poster of the event.

 

Some people came prepared!

She charged $10 per item to autograph.  Gotta make a living!

Here's mine.  I opted for the young Ali and Ryan.  Priceless!

Me:  You're gorgeous!
Ali:  So are you!
Me:  I've watched your movies since I was 12. 
Ali:  Great!  I hope you stick around for the rest of the evening, we'll have all
        sorts of fun and exciting surprises!  It's been a pleasure to meet you!
        (as she shakes my hand.)
Me:  What an honor to meet you too!

 

Ryan-Ali look alike contest

Runners up had to try on the famous cap first.

Vietnamese Ali

Even a Pakistani Ali.  Only in San Francisco!

And here's the winner!

One of the opening acts

The interview.  This is what I remembered.  She posed for Salvador Dali before she

became famous.  She worked for Coco Chanel and yes, it was just like The Devil Wears

Prada. Ryan O'Neal was nice but moody.  She's a grandma.  She moved to Santa Fe, New

Mexico after her Malibu house burned down.  She's a humanitarian, animal rights and

Aids activist.  She loves to do volunteer work.  What's the best way to meet people?  Don't

go to clubs.  Engage in activities that you love to do, like community service.  You will

most likely meet someone who enjoys the same things you do. 

They showed Love Story on the big screen at 10 pm.  The whole theatre was packed.  After 40 years, people were crying in the end and so was I!  Thanks for a wonderful evening, Ali!