С днем рождения

That's how you say Happy Birthday in Russian - at least according to Google's translator. It's my friend David's birthday today and I don't know if he even checks in, but I want him to wish him a happy one. He's in the Ukraine right now for work so I hope he has a great birthday over there!

I always remember April 17 for a few reasons. First, it's David's birthday. It's also the day Linda McCartney died - isn't that sad. She was one of the coolest rock and roll photographers - before she even met Paul. I have this book, Linda McCartney's Sixties: Portrait of an Era , which I just love. Here's just a few that I think totally rock...
The Beatles - an outtake form the Abby Road album cover shoot. You can tell that they weren't too thrilled with each other!

This is from the Sgt. Pepper's release party. I have that same button that Ringo is wearing! I have this one in poster size! One of my faves. Linda caught this shot while they were goofing off in between the official shots.

Linda and Jimi were good friends before she met Paul and before he was huge.
Pete Townshend doing his thing! I just love this stuff and all the music that goes with it!
Linda and Paul only spent one night apart their entire marriage. That was when he got busted for drugs in Japan. Pretty romantic. Makes me so sad considering all the crap he's been through with Heather Mills. I always said that was a bad match!

Well, April 17 also has another crazy memory for me. That was the day six years ago when I checked myself out of the hospital to see Paul McCartney in concert. I was having major gall bladder attacks, but I didn't care! I had sat around in the ER all day - in a supply room no less! My parents were screaming at each other in the middle of the room. And they weren't going to do surgery until Friday anyway. And it was a Thursday. It is sick how good my memory is.
I remember having Chinese food with mom on Monday night and feeling really sick to my stomack. The pain was horrible. When I finally felt better, I packed up my laundry (this was when I lived in Cliffside) and stopped by the Rover. I had a beer with my friend Eddie, but I felt horrible. The next day, I still felt crummy. I was working in the Life&Style department, and I was eating carrot sticks and sweating from all the pain I was in. Didn't know that any food would have triggered an attack. I was supposed to have my first date with Matt that night. I had left work early because I was so sick, and he thought I was just making up an excuse to go out with him. But I drove to mom's house and we went to a clinic where they told me I had gall stones. So, on their advice, I went to the doctor the next morning, then went to the ER where I wasted the whole day. I had taken the day off anyway because I was supposed to see Paul! But there was no way in hell that I was missing that! I signed myself out. And Randi and I went to the show. I didn't eat or drink a thing, like the doctors said. The show was still awesome. I need to dig up the set list - which I saved somewhere. He did a great mix of solo & Beatles songs. And he sang Blackbird a capella in memory of Linda.

The next day, I woke up, packed a little bag and drove myself to the hospital. Sat around the whole day long waiting to be admitted. That was a Thursday. The next day, they did a procedure in which they cleared some tubes of gall stones. Then Saturday, which was also the day my dad was getting remarried, they took out my gall bladder. Fancy laser surgery. LOL!

I remember when I came out of the first procedure I was in a lot of pain. And when I came out of the 2nd one, I remember the recovery nurses saying watch out for her, she's pretty whiney!
I was on demoral that 2nd day, so I don't think I was so cranky. When they brought me back upstairs to my room, I remember my room was packed. Uncle Gus was up from Florida for the wedding and he said "I remember that look from the 60s."

Over the next few days, I developed pancreatitis, which is not fun. I don't recommend it! LOL!
I was in the hopsital for about a week. So many people came to visit me or called, and I barely remember it because I was pretty stoned on the meds.

After a few days they finally gave me a liquid diet, and to this day, I don't want to eat jello - unless it's jello shots! But I did get an extra week off from work! Yay! And when I went back, I wore sweat pants for a week! So that's my crazy story about April 17. That's why I tell everyone I'm the biggest Beatles fan I know. I have the scars to prove it! LOL!!!!