Running the Streets..Queens Blvd.,Jamaica Ave..at midnite...

Lets see 1973-74. I was 13-14 years old. and my I had a friend whose Dad lived in Forest Hills, NY. We  would go every weekend . She had been born and raised there so she had a bunch of close friends. Once her parents divorced,  she moved to the town I was in. That's how we met.. She was a Big girl, and Tall too.. and we met in class, and became good friends. So, we would go into the city, and hang-out under the train tracks. Smoking, and drinking Colt 45's.. and Strawberry Knots Farm  wine..(yuk).. Hanging with our buddy's, Frankie, and Tony and Steve.. My friend liked Steve. SO he was off limits.. not only to me but any girl that looked his way.. Many  of times.. fights would break out. !! We weren't afraid.. We should have been.. Those streets were just as mean as they are now.. There were guns, but mostly in my circles were Knives..(Stiletto) and billy-clubs, and of course 'good ole fists..' . Well, I remember  what we used to call, and still do, 'running territories'.   Our hang-out at night was 2,3 certain territories away form  the apt. complex we  stayed in.. So, we through a tantrum sorta speak to want to sleep on the fire escape.. do you believe this. It was a couple of floors up, and we would  say we were going to sleep out there, and put our pillows and blankets out there, and when her Dad would go to sleep,  We, would lower the metal ladder down, and run !! We would run through these blocks ,without much of a problem till we hit Frankie's, and Steve's neighborhood, and then go to the Forest hills dome.. and hang!! We would Smoke, and make out .. and just clown around.. and then run back to the stairs, and raise them up, and go to sleep..Out on the fire escape.. Did not matter what the temperature was.. It was about risk, and taking it.. We survived,..lol. On certain rainy mornings, we would go down to the Delicatessen under the train tracks and meet our buddies, and hang there all day.. The train going by over head, and the smell of the city bring memories back when I think about those careless days I spent there.. Running Territories....

My brother ...

I have a brother..who NEVER liked me very much.. In fact, he hated me so much ,I could not even set his plate, fork, or silverware at the dinner table. I was not allowed to touch his 'stuff' . He called me names that would just wound me.. I would cry, and my parents if they heard this railing going on ..would intercept.. and tell me not mind him.. or don't give in , that what he wants!! Oh my god.. It hurt so bad.. I remember 2 times in my life, he had to make a decision to save my life.. I went to Gibbs pond to go Ice skating.. and it was cold, and everyone was there.. skating and laughing.. I remember him waving me over to him.. and being curious and (stupid) I  skated over there. and in a flash I FELL through the Ice... All I remember seeing is the murky ,yellow, and greenish water around me As I was going down.. it was so cold on my hands and face.. and I was in shock.. and kicking to get back up.. I stopped kicking, and I see that murky water, and roots with fuzzy goo on them,, I am raising my hands reaching for the area I fell through at, and that when my brother grabbed my hand and began to pull me up!! I believe several people grabbed me.. and as soon as I was up and out i headed for the nearest secure ground, and took those skates off and ran home crying.. I was so cold, and and upset.. I never skated on ice, ever again.. needless to say!!..It was  another time ,out on the Long Island Sound.. My parents would leave us , after meeting my Uncle and his wife where the Connecticut Sound meets the Long Island Sound, and for hours we would be out there swimming, and  jumping of the bow of the boat.. In the middle of the Ocean!! Well, I had hurt my middle toe some weeks before, and It was starting to come off.. Well, wouldn't you know I was swimming , and the tide was rushing out.. and I was being pulled out with it.. I was a good swimmer for like a third grader.. and so I was kicking and paddling anyway I could to get back to our boat, when I had to holler.. Help me.. my toe nail is falling off, and   it hurt so bad ,I could not move my foot.. And I needed that leg to help get me back in.. to the boat.. There was no land.. We were out in the Sound.. (awesome on any other given day).. Well, I can honestly remember my brother acting like he's thinking about saving me.. Do you believe this , I was scared by this time, and pretty far away form the boat, no life vest, no rope.. I am floating seriously out to sea.!!! I remember crying ..his name, saying you gotta help me.. , and I think he thought , I better have my little sister her when my parents return, .. so he jumped in and swam out to where I was, and grabbed me by my neck, and head locks me, and swims us back to the boat, and as so as we got up the ladders, he riped that nail off my toe... and was so mad at me.. It was not good.. But I had to calm down.. It was a very 'shaky' thing, to think I could have been ..Floating out to sea!!!

Always wanting more!!!

So, let me start with the fact that my bedroom was my favorite place to hang out.. It is where I would go and , be surrounded by my cool  "things'.  I had acquired a ton of items from the Mall..  !!..I had a huge box of Jeans, I had just walked out of a store with time after time.. Vests, and denim shirts, and Levi jeans.. , So, when I began to lose weight, I began giving them all to my Uncle.  We were getting ready to move to Virgina, and I did not want to fit into a waist 34...ever again. Well, when we arrived here in Va. I found it hard to adjust.. at 1st. My older sister and I found each other roaming the halls at the High School, after the bell rang.. for Homeroom, on the 1st day, and said lets get the H**l outta here.. So, we looked for the tall bldg, near our Town homes, and started to hike towards it.. just complaining..how  dumb this place was.. for it country bumpkin ways.. lol.. I do believe we were looking for a good excuse to cut classes.. It was'nt long after that , I met my friend, in the Study hall.. She introduced me to her friends, and we all got "high" so we all had something in common. Then she introduced me to this one girl, we were talking, and she let us know her father was 'doing things' to her.. Well,  basically she wanted to get him back, by having someone 'Steal all his worldly possessions..' Well, me and my girlfriend agreed.. !! We would break into there beautiful home, on the out- skirts of town, and steal his cameras, and 'teli -photo' lenses and whatever else we could grab!! Well, we set this whole ordeal up, and wrote out 2 copies of an agreement, with a map and directions:: on where to get the spare key.. and we had her sign..these 'contracts'. We even had this other friend..set up an appointment with some people downtown , Arlington, Va.  and have these item sold, on  the night we actually had the stuff. Okay that was near the beginning of 10th grade.. Well, we hung out that September, Oct. November, Dec. Jan Feb.March. April,  Let see , May was the Led Zeppelin Concert.. And then in June on the last day of school.. We , met and that morning at school, and said lets go for it.. today!! We made a call and had this stuff sold.. I heard, in the amount of  some  $14,000.00 dollars.. yahoo!!.. So, we 'siked' ourselves out .. and called our ride.. and we  went home and dressed in dark clothes, I put a pair of moccasins on.. to run really fast. If I had to.. Well , we had our ride drop us off at the back end of the property, we had to go through a good patch of trees, and  bushes.. and then there was some 'barb wire' fence.. and as I got my one  foot over the fence, We both saw a Bull.. a very eager, and angry looking bull.. I just got my one foot back over , when I said Run.!!. Just Run... and so, we ran ' like the wind' too!!!, those moccasins were great for running, and through the briar's, and thorns I did n't  feel a thing.. Well, we made our way up to the front door..  there was no key So we went around to the back door.. there was a coat hanger holding the door closed.. so we busted it off.. and proceeded to go inside..We put all the projectors, and cameras, and tri-pods by the door, and went up these spiral steps to the bed room, . We found Jewelry boxes, and we just dumped them on the  huge 'round bed' , and used the' bed spread' as a carrier.. Then, My friend, said lets  get the '6 ft.tall 'Pevi'  Amps, and we carried 2!!!! of them down those spiral stairs.. and out the back door to a creek. We put the bed spread of items there too.. I saw a 55 millimeter lens and a 35 millimeter camera, and threw that over my shoulder..and covered it on my shoulder with my faithful Indian fringe jacket I had worn.. Well, when we finally finished the list of items, we were waiting on our ride, and ,finally he came and we piled Acoustic guitars, and most of the big equipment in the station wagon, and for some reason we , ended up walking out to the front of yard,on the main road!!  While , he, drove on.. to a secluded place we had, to stash the stuff till that evening.. Well, we were seen, by a neighbor , a brunette and a blond..,..we were seen,  Because, that night while eating dinner the phone rang.. It was my Friend .. saying the Police were there and wanted to talk to my parents!! I hung up.. Well, she called and again , and said Pat, just tell them what and how this came about, and show them the signed letter..they are on there way over !! I was like Holy Cr**p!!!  .My Father was so pissed!!.. He all of a sudden knew.. where my stash was, and grabbed those carved boxes, and told me to empty them down the toilet, and then told me to get rid of my 6 ft Pot plants.!!. He did' 'say  to burn them'.. but I couldn't do that..and I said so..  So I dug a whole about 2ft long and wide in the woods by our Town house, and I bent them all up to fit in there, and even remember saying ' I would be back for you  later'.. So, about 45 minutes later, the FFX County, Police showed up....Well, I explained the deal, and showed the letter..to them, and my Dad.. And with that, they said our 'stories did match , and that was saving us.. Apparently the girl told her older sister what she had planned, and so since we had not done the robbery.. all year long ,she figured we weren't going to do it.. So, they knew all about it..and told us ,she was a sick girl..and the father , I was told had her committed.. I only think, he won again.. because she ended up going away for some 20 years.. to a 'loney House'.. Well, as for all the stuff.. I don't remember having to recover it all. There were items on the creek bed in there back yard, there were items on a hill at the Lake.. where we all hung out at.. Never the less.. We got away with it.. I was not allowed to see my friend again for the rest of the summer..and that is where I just stayed home and Exercised, and ate right, and, I lost another 25 lbs, so by the end of summer, My friend called me and said come on out , lets just meet and go an Party, and so we did meet on the golf course, and she said, she did not even recognize me!! I had gotten so thin.. I was like, I finally did it.. got rid of that weight.. and I went out and "Partied"..1977-78!!

In conclusion to my 'Dental Post' !!!

I just want to THank Dr. Swanson.. He finally got me my two front teeth . I ahve been waiting , and waiting for.. !! Thank you !! Okay.. I just had to post that.. Dr. Swanson, Southpoint Dental Group.. in Massoponax, Va. Well Done...

Talk about Drunk-Driving.....

• I was working for a Roofing company, about 2years. That was after I realized..the winters got to cold to landscape.. and  cut firewood and sell it. I just walked into the office of this roofing company and  I was hired !!! To Roof'. I never did this before, but I needed to work.. and a 9-5 job indoors just did 'nt get it for me.. ever.. not then and still.. So, I was welcomed aboard.. and I met the crew. I began working with Hot Tar..'built up roofs'  We had been all over D.C ,Maryland, and Northern Va. I was pretty strong..or so I thought..I went to put the huge mop in the bucket of 250 degree hot tar, and pull it out..I could not even it lift it let alone swab it on the plat form of insulation!!!! Well... I could not let that happen again..I have some proving to do.. I work with a bunch of men, and most of them  are 3rd generation roofers.. I will get to that point in  a minute.. So.. I gave it all I could.. and by the 3rd week into this job.. I was lifting that mop up and out of the bucket like a pro.. !! Which leads me to the pro'  This one guy had been roofing some 28 years.. his father, his fathers father.. his brothers.. Well, here he goes on this Hot summer day.. it was like 95' degrees on the ground, so it was like 110 up on the roof.. I remember buying a chocolate milk to drink with my lunch.. and Greg looked at me like .. Your not going to drink that now are you..I was like sure ..I love chocolate milk !! Well,  he says ' in 30 min utes your going to go home sick.. that is going to curdle in your gut..in no time up there.. Needless to say I did not drink it.. That made so much sense.. So, that day.. we are in Reston, Va. and Greg goes to get his mop out of the bucket.. all of us are working as usual, and We here a yelp.. and turn to it.. and it is him..with a crap load of Hot Tar all over his front . From his chin down he was burning.. and we  climb down, and go into the business and call 911... The EMS, did not even take his shirt off.. they said it had melted into his flesh... Yikes... Well, around the next 100 degree day.. I got back to the office and told Dave, my boss.. I just don't think roofing is for me.. "I need my feet back in the grass' lol.. I asked is there anything in the supply yard I could do.. ? Well, he said I think we can find something for you.. I began the next few weeks working around the yard ..I am a great organizer.. I fixed hie yard up of all the tools , and roofing materials.. I began ordering, and soon the 2 people in the office who were not really doing much of anything, were fired, and I became his sole 'Office Manager' I did Payroll, for his crews..22-30 guys.. I went to seminars to retrieve information on new tools,and so on..Well, this one time , I was asked to go to Fredricksburg, Va. - Holiday Inn, right off 95 south..Ironically, now that is the area I live in now... Well, I was told to bring a friend,go grab this'roofing information', and have lunch and drinks on his business credit card...Wow.. this was going to be good. In that year,1981-82, Fredricksburg was like a 2 hour drive..and pretty desilent..hi-way road.. Well, me and my friend sandy.. headed off.. We finally got to the exit, went into the seminar, grabbed everything on these Tremco.. products and left for the Bar , right through the lounge.. Well we hit it right at Happy Hour !!  3 for 1's a $1.95 !! Jack Daniels and diet cokes with 2 cherries!!!! # at once, and they were some pretty big drinks.. let me tell you.. So, there we were for hours shooting pool, and drinking and so forth..( please read my book, when published to get the full story..) lol This is family oriented blog.. So, we were so blitzed. Then Sandy said she was going home to get her check book.. I was like okay.. I am staying and going to finish my table of drinks!! I had a few round bought for me too.. I was intending on drinking them too.. so about midnight, I did not see Sandy, and I was ready to head back home.. and go to her house, way in the country to see is she made it.. Well, All I remember about 95 north was I laid my head on my arm..I had a Ford PU with a couch seat.. SO I put my arm up and laid my head on it, with my eyes blurred, and half a sleep.. I remember waking up once to see this hugh mac truck in the right lane.. and the next thing I remember I pulled up in Sandy's driveway ,you did not go up all the way, fro her boyfriend shoots then asks questions.. I knew him well.. So i stood up on my door way of my truck and hollered Is she here.. awhile he pointing a gun.. He said Yep.. I  just got in my truck and drove another 30 minutes.. to Reston to my mom;s apt.. and fell asleep.. I was so lucky!! to say the least.. Many a  time.. I stayed up for days one time.. and showed up for work, and I remember having to type contracts.. I was so snow blinded.. As soon as my boss left, I went home.. too.. It was like a year later, I would be packing to move to California..

Beauty School Days.....

I remember,once Larry and I got back into town,  looking for a beauty School to transfer to from Los Angeles.  I ended up in an  Arlington, Va.  Beauty Academy.  My hair was a scary ,Orantang orange.. in fact when Larry was looking for a brunette at the airport,in L.A, he said he 'freaked' when he saw it was me with this funky orange hair..screaming his name out .. but he was so shakin' from his first 'Airplane ride' that he did 'nt care what I looked like at that moment... he was so scared.. the Flight Attendants gave him free beer, and a little set of wings, and even let him sit in the cockpit with the Pilots... that would not happen today!! So, then we drove home in my souped up Pick-up truck..and it was here that I finally found a blond color to tone that horrible color down.. I was drinking pretty heavy at the time, Diet cokes and Rum-( A Qebra-le bra? They called it in the 80's.. I met my new drinking buddy  Mary. We would meet early in the morning and start drinking..the bottle we had,at like 10 am.. on my days off.. and then end up at the local Bar. Continue till the am hours.. go home and get up and do it again.. I fit my School in , and a morning -afternoon shift at the Holiday Inn as a waitress . I remember being in Theory, and reading my Cosmetology book, downing little bottles of Jack Daniels. (hee-hee) I passed all my tests.. Then I would meet Mary and we would drink, and dance and party!! Until,  I started another job waitressing at night , Too.. At the Golf and Country club of Fairfax, Va. I was in 5th gear!!! and in my early 20's. I can even remember sending lots of those people off with a To-go cup!! with whatever they were drinking.. , I would 'nt  be able to get away with that today either... So, I was getting to my am job at 5;30 am start the coffee pots, and get ready for a breakfast crew.. which by the way this is the restaurant I served the Redskins, and Steelers at.. I would then clean up, and get ready for the lunch rush.. and run home, right around the corner, and change into my white uniform, and go to Beauty school, some 45 minutes towards D.C and get out of there and go to my other waitressing job, till around midnight most of the week.. . Somewhere in there Larry and I were having problems.. and I ended up  with a DUI.. 2.6 bal.(blood, alcohol level) I don't remember even getting punished,  harshly for it... So, then I got another one ..that was a mess.. I had a wad of green apple gum in my mouth, and the cop was taking the glass case off of the breathing machine on his desk( that's how old the machine was..) he removed the glass, and moved the needle ..I was like wut the hell are you doing..? Needless to say, when court day came.. he could not even find my paper work.. and the Judge dismissed it.. The cop was so frazzled.. I left.. I still see him looking through his papers. just bewildered... ..lol.. I was then stalked by  the Herndon Police.. I mean I would be on my way to K-mart, and be pulled over.. and for ridiculous stuff.. like having a object dangling on my rear view mirror, like speeding 3miles per hr. over the speed limit. I had a list so long,,and one day I was on my way to K-mart, and this one cop.. comes up be hind me, and he has done this like 3 times.. and I wrote those times down,, and  this time I am not even a 1/4 of a mile form home, and he uses his speaker and says 'PULL OVER MISS DIDONATO-- NOW!!  I believe he said it 2-3 times.. I had to find a place to pull over  off the road, and he comes up screaming at me.. and asks for my name..duh.. and my license.. and he grabs it from my hand, and says if your license is suspended You know I know where you F'n live... and he walks away to go check it again for the forth time that 3-4 month period.. of my life.. Then he hands it back to me calling me names.. and makes me sign my tickets which were so bogus!!  See my house was right on a border of 2 towns... Loudon, and Fairfax.. and they knew the house was a party house.. but I would leave the property to go to the shopping center.. , innocently.. and get pulled over, that year I was in and out of court 26 times!!! That cop gave me a ticket ,for something.. but I went in and defended my self..I was so pissed reading everything I documented, and that Judge knew I was truthful, and said 'Waht is going on here? to the cop.. and told me I was free to go, and I found out later that cop was reprimanded,.. and on  review.. Man he just exhausted me.. that year. Well, then  I in my beauty school, struggling to make ends meet, looking around I seen all the Vietnamese, and Spanish girls with these new Uniforms, and gold dripping from them.. and at lunch time they would bring lil' ovens and crock-pots filled with food, for a feast.. and here I was in  thrift store used uniform... Well, I made friends with these 2 girls.. and one day, the one girls asked me to 'get' her a perm.. and in my white uniform I put one in my pocket, and the girl told on me !!!! I was caught!!!  I tried to say I was going to pay for it, but the girl already told them  she saw mw steal it... I was literally Expelled.. there was No-way I could go back.. that lil' B... I ended up.. working full-time.. and having to pay that School, for the months I had remaing.. in order to get my hours. I was stuck. see if I did n't give them the 3500.00 hundred, I would not recieve my credit hours.. What a mess..  I remeber saying a 10 month course , turned into a 2 year nightmare!! So, I worked my azz off.. I also sold my Pretty Black FOrd, PU Truck... and paid that school off, and enrolled in another School, closer to D.C then the other one..I borrowed, some money from my Dad..again, and found a little ford pu truck.. and paid $2,000.00 bucks for it.. now remeber I have had driven, all kinds of cars and ran heavy Equipment.. I knew about engines.. and so forth.. and this one time I put that much on a vehicle.. and it stops working after a few weeks, that just pissed me off to the max!! Some  'older'  guy seemed  like he could be anyones Dad.... ripped me off !!! So, I bought a new engine from Blue-chip , and I had a friend put it in, and I drove that for a round 30 days, because when it stopped running.. I called the Engine people up, and and they said my 30 day warranty was up....   a day ago!!! So, I sold that to  the mechanic.. and he got it running. and drove it for a long time afterwards.. I would see it in the church parking lot.. many years.. We have since left that church.. I see his wife on Facebook.. and they left around the same time I did.(thats a whole nother chapter.. So, I began that new Beauty Acedemy, and I was flying through the chapters, and the Practical work.. my Instructors were real fun, and not so uptight... I have  a well kept secret.. I may reveal later.. about  the ending of my School Dramas.., and the beginning of  a new Job in the Hair Industry.. I will put it this way the President of the Acedemy. was arrested  a month later for stealing &4,000.00 and trying to make it look like a robbery, when she got out of her car at the 7-11.. leaving the bank bag in her car.. but it all came around, and pointed to her... So, I read about it in the Washington Post... Let's just say I am glad to have gotten my Diploma, and so I began working..for Salon in Sterling,Va. It was there that I would really learn how to cut and design Hair!!!..REally..okay later!!