Fancy, Free and Easy
What is stronger than childhood memory? Nothing, at least for me. --William Goldman, THE PRINCESS BRIDE Former coworker, Laverne Butler-Brewer, sent me a cool card. I hadn’t heard from her in a while. She transferred to Yellow Page Sales (like I had wanted to do); however, now she is living in Atlanta, Georgia. Laverne wrote some fond memories and I’m so glad she replied to me. How and why, she sees my life as fancy, free and easy is not absolutely correct. I’d love it if it were even MORE fancy, free and easy. Ha-ha.
Hi! Well, where should I begin? First off, Congrats o your new place near the beach. Marina Del Rey is really a beautiful place and I hear the new job is fantastic.
God, I miss you and all the ‘Good Old Days. Hearing about Mitch Schwartz really tore me up. It’s funny sometimes. I’ve heard his words “UNBELIEVABLE” or “FANTASTIC” just the way he used to say it. Or I even see someone on the street that reminds me of him.
Thanks for the card you sent me. I needed to hear from a friend. I’m still jealous of your free and easy lifestyle. The Rich and Famous, condo in L.A., professional job, jet-setting to Paris, etc.
Enjoy and please take care!
Laverne
Speaking of The Rich and Famous, Laverne got me thinking of those with an elaborate lifestyle. I began to think of celebrities that I have recognized while I’ve lived here in Los Angeles since November 1989 (a bit over seven years now). It thought I’d make a list of the celebrities that I can recall seeing and where I’d seen them. Here it is (so far). I've spoken to some and then others were simply sightings but they're just regular people and I'm sure some of them wish they had that privacy that we all do (until they're no longer recognizable I guess they eventually get that wish). Then they can feel what it feels like to be fancy, free and easy.
Lauren Hutton @ Swedish Consulate with white dog, protesting
Shirley MacLaine @ Malibu beach, walking with a large hat (she said, “Hello!”)
Brendan Fraser @ an APLA Fundraiser
Ellen Degeneres and girlfriend, Anne Heche @ IVY AT THE SHORE Restaurant, Santa Monica
Lily Tomlin in front of STARBUCKS in Brentwood, CA
Ted Danson and Mary Steenburgen @ ROSTI Restaurant on Montana Ave, Santa Monica
Michelle Pfeiffer @ 3rd Street Promenade in front of the movie theater
Whoopi Goldberg @ during a morning walk in Pacific Palisades with her husband at the time, Lyle Trachtenberg
Steven Spielberg in his green Mercedes-Benz near his home
Sidney Pollack, film director @ walking and another time for a light jog near his home in Pacific Palisades, CA
Robert Wagner @ TOSCANA restaurant in Brentwood, CA dining with family/friends
Dennis Hopper, having breakfast at ROCKENWAGNER Restaurant
Nicole Kidman, a couple of rows in front of us at the WILTERN THEATER to see the ALVIN ALEY Dance Show
Arnold Schwarzenegger, in a jeep and at Patrick’s Roadhouse Restaurant on PCH and at his restaurant called SCHATZI
Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman, entering SPAGO in West Hollywood after the Academy Awards
Don Johnson, also at SPAGO after the Academy Awards Jodie Foster, on a Century City Shopping Center escalator
Tori Spelling, at the Century City Shopping Center
Magic Johnson, at the TOSCANA Restaurant, Brentwood, CA
Jeffrey Katzenberg, at the TOSCANA Restaurant, Brentwood, CA
Ray Liotta, at the TOSCANA Restaurant and at THE PALM RESTAURANT with fellow actor, Josh Taylor (soap star from Days of Our Lives)
Rod Stewart at APLA Fundraiser Annabeth Gish, at APLA Fundraiser
Nicholas Cage @ 3rd Street Promenade for WILD AT HEART Movie Premiere
Goldie Hawn in a Black Jaguar automobile on Amalfi Drive
Kurt Russell in a Cream/Beige Jaguar automobile on Wilshire Blvd at 26th & San Vicente Blvd.
Goldie Hawn AND Kurt Russell @ IVY AT THE SHORE Restaurant
Martin Sheen, protesting about Chirac and Nuclear Testing at the French Consulate (I work in the building).
Jackie Collins, APLA Fundraiser, Century City Shopping Center, and another APLA Party
Joan Collins, Book Signing @ Century City Shopping Center
Professor and MaryAnn from Gilligan’s Island (Russell Johnson and Dawn Wells) at BOOK SOUP for Book signing in West Hollywood, CA
Sylvester Stallone @ SPAGO, Beverly Hills
Jamie Lee Curtis and her dad, Tony Curtis (& Tony’s blond bombshell wife, Jill Vandenberg) @ SPAGO
Also, Jamie Lee Curtis at AIDS WALK L.A. and MY GIRL Movie Premiere
Steve Tisch @ APLA Cocktail Party on Hotel Rooftop
George Hamilton @ Beverly Center Shopping Center
David Hasselhoff @ Todd Oldham Fashion Show APLA Event
Jacqueline Bissett @ Calvin Klein APLA event and at Malibu Beach
Art Linkletter @ CANON STAGE THEATER (in audience)
Chuck Woolery @ Thrifty Drugstore in Beverly Hills
Edward James Olmos @ UCLA Medical Center Warren Beatty and Annette Bening @ APLA Calvin Klein Event
Walter Matthau @ TOSCANA Restaurant, Brentwood, CA
Barry Diller @ Starbucks on San Vicente Blvd, Brentwood, seated outside ‘thinking’
Emilio Estevez @ 3rd Street Promenade
Bridget Hall, model @ PLAYBOY Mansion APLA Fundraising Event
Tom Arnold & Roseanne Barr at Synagogue Services before Lauren Freiman’s Bat Mitzvah
Christine Applegate @ PLAYBOY Mansion APLA Fundraising Event
Robert Culp @ PLAYBOY Mansion APLA Fundraising Event
James Caan @ PLAYBOY Mansion APLA Fundraising Event
Hugh Hefter @ PLAYBOY Mansion APLA Fundraising Event
Shelly Long at University Synagogue and at the Hollywood Bowl
Penny Marshall @ Hollywood Bowl
Valerie Harper @ Il Fornaio Restaurant; Calvin Klein APLA Fundraising Event
Meg Ryan & Dennis Quaid, walking in Westwood, near UCLA
Pierce Brosnan @ AMC Movie Theatre
Danny DeVito and wife, Rhea Perlman @ Movie Theater
Leslie Ann Warren at Century City Movie Theater
Sean Penn @ Century City Shopping Center
Peter Berg @ APLA Fundraising Event
June Lockhart @ one of my Charles Schwab customers
Larry Hagman @ Malibu Beach
Julie Newmar @ A Votre Sante Restaurant & at APLA Fundraising Event
Cheech Marin @ PLAYBOY Mansion Fundraising Event
Diane Keaton @ PANE VINO Restaurant, West Hollywood
Sidney Poitier @ LAX Airport
Brenda Vacarro @ APLA Event
Jackie Mason, comedian on the streets of Manhattan
Eric Braeden @ Riviera Country Club
Sandra Bullock @ AIDS WALK Los Angeles
James Woods @ Patrick's Roadhouse Restaurant on PCH
Ali McGraw in Black Mercedes-Benz and at APLA Fundraiser
Milton Berle @ Four Seasons Beverly Hills, CA
Rosey Grier @ Book Store signing on 3rd Street Promenade
Larry King @ NATE N AL’s Restaurant
Bruce Jenner @ NATE N AL’s Restaurant
Christopher Lloyd @ Café Luna on Melrose Avenue
John Ritter @ Kings Road Café on Melrose Avenue
George Stephanopoulos @ IL Fornaio Restaurant, Beverly Hills
Pamela Anderson @ PLAYBOY Mansion Fundraiser
Ted Shackelford @ ORSO Restaurant in NYC
James Garner @ TOSCANA Restaurant in Brentwood, CA and on-location on Wilshire Blvd.
Jane Seymour @ Granita Restaurant in Malibu, CA
To round off my week, my cousin, Dottie, in Denver, Colorado sent a sweet postcard of a photo of a Young Girl on a Swing:
3/9/1997
Dear Michael,
Sorry it’s taking me so long to respond. Just don’t get around to so many things anymore. I turned ‘57’ this year and felt all those years when I had a flu virus, bronchial infection and then my back went out at the same time!
Allen, my husband, could be related to your friend, Lou Gerstner—not too many Gerstner's that aren’t related. No...no children—just lots of nieces and nephews! Isabell said they had a nice visit with you. My niece, Laura, is looking forward to visiting.
Love, Dottie
It’s time to read a few chapters.
‘Books on every conceivable subject lined one wall.’ --Eric Lustbader, FLOATING CITY
