January 5, 2011 - Part IV - 1983 and 1984
Now that I am done introducing the family I can get back to the job at hand. That way you won't be confused when I say something about a particular family member. I still need to introduce my cousins on my fathers side but I will do that.
The summer of 1982 was great. I spent almost all of it at the beach, sun bathing with my sister. Walking the beach. Of course, my parents by that time wished we were working but thought it would be good for us to have our fun. This is when I met Mike, the guy who liked me while we went camping 4th of july weekend. I was still on the shy side but he liked me. Tried to kiss me but I waved him away (I was too nervous - I was 16 - it should have been magical). He was camping at the same campground with his family and we were all there. He had no interest in my sister or cousin (which surprised me because they were far more attractive than I was - so I thought). When I was reflecting about my grandmother (she was in the hospital with terminal cancer, which was the reason why we didn't go camping), I went to visit him at his campsite when he was camping in my neighborhood (I lived about a 10 minute bikeride to a campground he and his family frequented labor day weekends). He turned out to be a great friend, and nothing more. Mike lived in Kenmore and I was in Angola - which is a great distance to date. It was better that it happened that way. I highly doubt he would ever come to see me or I would see him. Neither of us drove, he was 15 and I was 16.
My sophomore year, 1983. That was a pretty scarry time. All of the sudden I was in high school and back as underclassmen (the middle school was from grades 7-9). The band director, Mr Cierilo usually placed his students by grade - so I was 1st chair 2nd clarinet. I didn't sign up for orchestra and had study hall instead. The orchestra director was a tyrant. Scared me half to death and very intimidating, I was too afraid to hold any conversation with him. I was in studyhall for about 15 minutes the 1st day when he had someone come down and drag me out to play in the orchestra. I thought they had enough upperclassmen to be in there. One of the other clarinet players, Dawn came back after skipping band/orchestra for her freshmen year (she sat 2nd chair in the middle school band). Pretty much threw herself up by me and demanded that she was a far better player. Sure she was loud but she really wasn't that great. I had to be her standpartner, her intonation was terrible - always flat or sharp. I knew I was stuck with her. I was also in the chorus, mixed and select - I had to audition for the select chorus. My sister came and got me out of my 7th period class in the middle school to come down. The choral director, Mr Ieda - he was a weezle, short and had a long island accent. He was a good choral director and we worked hard. I figured out why Mrs Mowry (my 6th grade teacher) decided not to grant me in the chorus. For many concerts - fall, spring - I was in everything. I even played in the stage band and played Alto Sax. I was picked to be in the pit orchestra for anything goes because steve didn't have time due to his swimming. I had fun with it - played duel instruments. Lot of hard work came in that. Had some little 3 bar solos in between a few songs. Played a longer solo while the singer was singing. Very interesting. The stage band was interesting too. I played alto sax 2. Tom Weislo, the lead alto sax - he was really good. He was constantly hitting on me during rehersals and wanted in the worst way. I turned him down flat. I heard later that he did have a few dates with my sister and cousin Donna (on my fathers side). I heard that he is a lawyer now. I really believe it.
In my sophomore year, 1983 I came back to school much more confident. I did have a few friends that I hung out with but that was it "they were school friends" . One friend came to me and said "hey Jen, lets go visit my older brother and his friends at the senior side". My friend Lorraine was already dating Guy, a senior (he was also in the band but wasn't approached to play in the orchestra). I didn't particularly care for the guy, he was very aloof around me and really wasn't the nicest person to be around. I immediately became attracted to this actor, writer - Brian. He became my 1st real boyfriend. I think we dated for about 6 months. I liked him but didn't have that true "love connection". I then started to like his friend John but he was my 1st true love. John and I had a true relationship. I really think the group thought less of me for alittle while because I broke it off with Brian to go with John. I broke Brians heart. John always didn't treat me good, he did have such a temper. there were times where he would belittle me (my family hated him). In June 1983, just before I took my english exam - he thought it was the right time to yell at me for about 15 minutes telling me how Im not worth his time, etc....I took the english exam alright - failed it and failed english in my sophomore year. He gave me a note after the exam appologizing profusely. Turns out that he didn't want to be with me anymore and that he wanted to date a classmate of his. He wound up getting her pregnant and getting married. Today, he did make something of himself with the coastguard and on to his 4th wife (apparently he treated Wendy and the other 2 wives the same way he treated me - I know this because I am friends with his 3rd wife and her brother). I believe that they do have a good relationship (they are both on facebook) but that could be a front. Now she's stuck because he is in Hawaii. I was doing good all 4 quarters - only needed a 60 to pass the test and got a 53. I already knew I failed algebra so I went to summer school. so for June 25-August 15 I was in summerschool. English was 1st, then I had studyhall, then I had algebra. The 1st day of English they seated us in alphabetical order, I was in front, then a guy by the name of Jim was behind me. I didn't think anything of it. Then in studyhall, they seated us in alphabetical order and he wound up seating in the seat next to me (they had everyone in order by rows and he was in the 2nd row and turned out he was next to me). He and I became friends. English was very easy for me (with the instructor wondering why I was in class I told her it was because of the final exam and failed it). I did get a 95. I wound up helping him with english. Math! The teacher was so intimidating and scarry that he scared the living shit out of me and thats how I learned it and passed it with an 85 (I mean I failed all 4 quarters during the school year - I didn't get it! I definitely deserved to go to summer school for Algebra). In NYS, algebra is a freshmen course so I was one of the only sophomores in the class. Summer school was interesting because the students came from all over Western NY. Jim and I hung out for alittle while after school let out. He brought a few of his buddies and they windsurfed. It was a fun time. I even hung out with him at the Erie County Fair when he was a farm hand with the cows. I made my sister and cousin Patty (fathers side of the family) come with me in the evenings. They didn't seem to mind. Unfortunately, Jim didn't feel the same way and broke it off with me (by then, I had already met Ted and he sure was happy when I broke it off with Jim). I recently heard that he got married a few years back and his wife had a stroke 6 months ago and now she can bearly move. I guess it was that bad. Its a shame.
During the summer of 1983 and year of 1984, toward the end (August 1983) my best friend Paula wanted me to triple date with her friend and her. I was being set up on a blind date. I went over to her house and the guys came over. 1 looked so so but that was Paulas friends boyfriend and he had his 2 friends. the one that Paula had was drop dead gorgeous (but I heard later he wasn't looking for anything, Paula and him maybe went out 2 more times and that was it). The 3rd guy was pretty cute, volleyball player for Kenmore HS and the same age as I was. He spoke with a studder, but I overlooked it. He was completely smitten with me and we dated during my whole sophomore year. I mean he was totally "in love" with me. I really liked him too for awhile. The only issue was that he was totally suffercating. He had to be glued to me the whole time. It was like he was attached to my hip or something. It was ok for awhile, but it got old really fast. I tried dating a few guys here and there at school but I knew my heart still belonged to Ted. His father was a pharmacist at the local drug store in my town so Ted was always coming along for the ride. He gave me his heart, I gave him an ID bracelet that he wore all the time. I think April 1983 is when I had enough. I confided to my friend Paula and promised she wouldn't say anything. we double dated for the junior prom (that was in the school gym). Sometime during the prom, Paula confided to Ted about me. He was devistated and the rest of the time was horrible. I have no idea why Paula would do such a thing. She is one not to keep secrets. She knew how he was. From then on, I stopped hanging out with Paula because she did this. Why would a friend, let alone my best friend do something so cruel? To this day, that was one of the worst breakups in history. I truely believe if we stayed together - I wouldn't be surprised if he asked me to marry him (that wouldn't have gone over too well with his parents and my parents, because he would have done this at 18). He came from a jewish family. His father was great because he was the town pharmacist. The mother - she was a different story. She was just that, everything just so. Ted and I couldn't be alone for very long. One time I was out there, she said something that was hurtful and I took offense to it. I thought less of ted after that (that broke the camels back for me - getting along with family is ultra important, if I don't get along with someone or they think of me as something else, then it doesn't work for me!). His brother, was black, adopted. He and I had lots in common and got along great. He played clarinet about the same as me. I think he is in the music management field somewhere in California right now as we speak. Ted had a sister but I never met her. He sometimes borrowed her car to come out to visit. Ted also taught me how to drive.
I heard later on, in 1986 he tried to get back to me (I was dating someone else at the time - more about him later). Sent me all these letters explaining that he tried to "commit suicide" (thats how "in love" with me he was!). that sure made me feel even worse. when I turned him down flat, he refused to talk to me. He worked at his fathers pharmacy, waited on me a few times but said about 3 words to me (my friend Teresa worked there thats how I started to talk to him). After that, I stopped seeing him there. Apparently a few years later, he met some woman in the "personal ads" and wound up marrying her (this was before internet and finding a person in the "ads" was taboo). when I worked as a homehealth aide back in 1992, I had his grandmother as a client for a weekend and almost "shit a brick" when I saw his picture and told her who I was. I Heard the wife is pushing Ted all over the place. He was always a pushover. the next day I came back to her (sunday) and she brought up the time where his mother said something hurtful and I took offense to it. I just "shrugged my shoulders" I was extremely nice to her the rest of the time (kinda overly nice). I think she passed on about 5 years ago.
Other than Ted during my junior year in hs, the whole year went well academically. My guidance counselor put me in non regents classes. Mostly because of the fact I failed english and math. My neighborhood friend Wanda called me or my sister (I think I answered). She was so upset that she failed out of the 9th grade. Her parents wouldn't allow her to go to summer school. so she went to school with the class of 1986. I enrolled in Geometry non regents in the 11th grade (a 10th grade class) and would you believe it! I had the same teacher that failed me in Algebra. Damn...just my luck. I did ok but sqeeked by at least I showed that I was applying myself. She really didn't move an inch with me acedemically. The guidence counselor accidently put me in regents social studies - I was doing pretty good in there averaging an 85. He pulled me right out when it was discovered so I went to a non regents social studies. Thats where I met my new best friend Peggy. A lot of people didn't like her because she told a lot of stories that were untrue. she claimed she knew these important people. totally turned alot of people off. Whatever, I was her friend.
Muscally it went ok. I shot up to 2nd chair and was standpartners with Steve (thats because Brian, Teresa (my friend) and Guy all graduated in 1983. He was an excellent player and eventually he was nicer to me - he had to find out if I could play. I sat behind him my whole sophomore year, but probably didn't believe that I can play well because I had Dawn as a standpartner and she was loud and out of toon all the time. At the beginning of the school year he would make these little eyeglass pictures so he would remind me to look up at Mr C. I didn't join the stage band in my junior year because a sophomore sax player came from behind. I didn't mind, Mike was a good kid - kinda on the quiet side (he later joined the army when he graduated). I really didn't play alot of alto sax the entire junior year (only for pit orchestra). I was ok with it. It gave me a break because I quit chorus my junior year (it was too much). I signed up for orchestra because I knew Steve was the only senior clarinet player. Maria came up from behind as a sophomore, so she was my standpartner in orchestra (dawn played 1st with Steve) and Maria played 2nd with me. To this day, I wish it was Steve, me and Maria on 1st clarinet and Dawn on 2nd. I think the 3 of us would have been a better fit. The 3 of us always talked during band that is what it should be but dawn always got mad at us. She was kinda the rotten egg in the middle. I did get another crack at pit orchestra, this time it was Bye bye birdie. It was fun, this time I didn't have to deal with Tom breathing down my neck (not because of my playing, he wanted to play with me...jeez), he had graduated in 1983. Thank god!!
Thats it for 1983 and 1984. This journal got too long to talk about 1985 (my senior year) and 1986. I guess you'll have to stay tooned.
The summer of 1982 was great. I spent almost all of it at the beach, sun bathing with my sister. Walking the beach. Of course, my parents by that time wished we were working but thought it would be good for us to have our fun. This is when I met Mike, the guy who liked me while we went camping 4th of july weekend. I was still on the shy side but he liked me. Tried to kiss me but I waved him away (I was too nervous - I was 16 - it should have been magical). He was camping at the same campground with his family and we were all there. He had no interest in my sister or cousin (which surprised me because they were far more attractive than I was - so I thought). When I was reflecting about my grandmother (she was in the hospital with terminal cancer, which was the reason why we didn't go camping), I went to visit him at his campsite when he was camping in my neighborhood (I lived about a 10 minute bikeride to a campground he and his family frequented labor day weekends). He turned out to be a great friend, and nothing more. Mike lived in Kenmore and I was in Angola - which is a great distance to date. It was better that it happened that way. I highly doubt he would ever come to see me or I would see him. Neither of us drove, he was 15 and I was 16.
My sophomore year, 1983. That was a pretty scarry time. All of the sudden I was in high school and back as underclassmen (the middle school was from grades 7-9). The band director, Mr Cierilo usually placed his students by grade - so I was 1st chair 2nd clarinet. I didn't sign up for orchestra and had study hall instead. The orchestra director was a tyrant. Scared me half to death and very intimidating, I was too afraid to hold any conversation with him. I was in studyhall for about 15 minutes the 1st day when he had someone come down and drag me out to play in the orchestra. I thought they had enough upperclassmen to be in there. One of the other clarinet players, Dawn came back after skipping band/orchestra for her freshmen year (she sat 2nd chair in the middle school band). Pretty much threw herself up by me and demanded that she was a far better player. Sure she was loud but she really wasn't that great. I had to be her standpartner, her intonation was terrible - always flat or sharp. I knew I was stuck with her. I was also in the chorus, mixed and select - I had to audition for the select chorus. My sister came and got me out of my 7th period class in the middle school to come down. The choral director, Mr Ieda - he was a weezle, short and had a long island accent. He was a good choral director and we worked hard. I figured out why Mrs Mowry (my 6th grade teacher) decided not to grant me in the chorus. For many concerts - fall, spring - I was in everything. I even played in the stage band and played Alto Sax. I was picked to be in the pit orchestra for anything goes because steve didn't have time due to his swimming. I had fun with it - played duel instruments. Lot of hard work came in that. Had some little 3 bar solos in between a few songs. Played a longer solo while the singer was singing. Very interesting. The stage band was interesting too. I played alto sax 2. Tom Weislo, the lead alto sax - he was really good. He was constantly hitting on me during rehersals and wanted in the worst way. I turned him down flat. I heard later that he did have a few dates with my sister and cousin Donna (on my fathers side). I heard that he is a lawyer now. I really believe it.
In my sophomore year, 1983 I came back to school much more confident. I did have a few friends that I hung out with but that was it "they were school friends" . One friend came to me and said "hey Jen, lets go visit my older brother and his friends at the senior side". My friend Lorraine was already dating Guy, a senior (he was also in the band but wasn't approached to play in the orchestra). I didn't particularly care for the guy, he was very aloof around me and really wasn't the nicest person to be around. I immediately became attracted to this actor, writer - Brian. He became my 1st real boyfriend. I think we dated for about 6 months. I liked him but didn't have that true "love connection". I then started to like his friend John but he was my 1st true love. John and I had a true relationship. I really think the group thought less of me for alittle while because I broke it off with Brian to go with John. I broke Brians heart. John always didn't treat me good, he did have such a temper. there were times where he would belittle me (my family hated him). In June 1983, just before I took my english exam - he thought it was the right time to yell at me for about 15 minutes telling me how Im not worth his time, etc....I took the english exam alright - failed it and failed english in my sophomore year. He gave me a note after the exam appologizing profusely. Turns out that he didn't want to be with me anymore and that he wanted to date a classmate of his. He wound up getting her pregnant and getting married. Today, he did make something of himself with the coastguard and on to his 4th wife (apparently he treated Wendy and the other 2 wives the same way he treated me - I know this because I am friends with his 3rd wife and her brother). I believe that they do have a good relationship (they are both on facebook) but that could be a front. Now she's stuck because he is in Hawaii. I was doing good all 4 quarters - only needed a 60 to pass the test and got a 53. I already knew I failed algebra so I went to summer school. so for June 25-August 15 I was in summerschool. English was 1st, then I had studyhall, then I had algebra. The 1st day of English they seated us in alphabetical order, I was in front, then a guy by the name of Jim was behind me. I didn't think anything of it. Then in studyhall, they seated us in alphabetical order and he wound up seating in the seat next to me (they had everyone in order by rows and he was in the 2nd row and turned out he was next to me). He and I became friends. English was very easy for me (with the instructor wondering why I was in class I told her it was because of the final exam and failed it). I did get a 95. I wound up helping him with english. Math! The teacher was so intimidating and scarry that he scared the living shit out of me and thats how I learned it and passed it with an 85 (I mean I failed all 4 quarters during the school year - I didn't get it! I definitely deserved to go to summer school for Algebra). In NYS, algebra is a freshmen course so I was one of the only sophomores in the class. Summer school was interesting because the students came from all over Western NY. Jim and I hung out for alittle while after school let out. He brought a few of his buddies and they windsurfed. It was a fun time. I even hung out with him at the Erie County Fair when he was a farm hand with the cows. I made my sister and cousin Patty (fathers side of the family) come with me in the evenings. They didn't seem to mind. Unfortunately, Jim didn't feel the same way and broke it off with me (by then, I had already met Ted and he sure was happy when I broke it off with Jim). I recently heard that he got married a few years back and his wife had a stroke 6 months ago and now she can bearly move. I guess it was that bad. Its a shame.
During the summer of 1983 and year of 1984, toward the end (August 1983) my best friend Paula wanted me to triple date with her friend and her. I was being set up on a blind date. I went over to her house and the guys came over. 1 looked so so but that was Paulas friends boyfriend and he had his 2 friends. the one that Paula had was drop dead gorgeous (but I heard later he wasn't looking for anything, Paula and him maybe went out 2 more times and that was it). The 3rd guy was pretty cute, volleyball player for Kenmore HS and the same age as I was. He spoke with a studder, but I overlooked it. He was completely smitten with me and we dated during my whole sophomore year. I mean he was totally "in love" with me. I really liked him too for awhile. The only issue was that he was totally suffercating. He had to be glued to me the whole time. It was like he was attached to my hip or something. It was ok for awhile, but it got old really fast. I tried dating a few guys here and there at school but I knew my heart still belonged to Ted. His father was a pharmacist at the local drug store in my town so Ted was always coming along for the ride. He gave me his heart, I gave him an ID bracelet that he wore all the time. I think April 1983 is when I had enough. I confided to my friend Paula and promised she wouldn't say anything. we double dated for the junior prom (that was in the school gym). Sometime during the prom, Paula confided to Ted about me. He was devistated and the rest of the time was horrible. I have no idea why Paula would do such a thing. She is one not to keep secrets. She knew how he was. From then on, I stopped hanging out with Paula because she did this. Why would a friend, let alone my best friend do something so cruel? To this day, that was one of the worst breakups in history. I truely believe if we stayed together - I wouldn't be surprised if he asked me to marry him (that wouldn't have gone over too well with his parents and my parents, because he would have done this at 18). He came from a jewish family. His father was great because he was the town pharmacist. The mother - she was a different story. She was just that, everything just so. Ted and I couldn't be alone for very long. One time I was out there, she said something that was hurtful and I took offense to it. I thought less of ted after that (that broke the camels back for me - getting along with family is ultra important, if I don't get along with someone or they think of me as something else, then it doesn't work for me!). His brother, was black, adopted. He and I had lots in common and got along great. He played clarinet about the same as me. I think he is in the music management field somewhere in California right now as we speak. Ted had a sister but I never met her. He sometimes borrowed her car to come out to visit. Ted also taught me how to drive.
I heard later on, in 1986 he tried to get back to me (I was dating someone else at the time - more about him later). Sent me all these letters explaining that he tried to "commit suicide" (thats how "in love" with me he was!). that sure made me feel even worse. when I turned him down flat, he refused to talk to me. He worked at his fathers pharmacy, waited on me a few times but said about 3 words to me (my friend Teresa worked there thats how I started to talk to him). After that, I stopped seeing him there. Apparently a few years later, he met some woman in the "personal ads" and wound up marrying her (this was before internet and finding a person in the "ads" was taboo). when I worked as a homehealth aide back in 1992, I had his grandmother as a client for a weekend and almost "shit a brick" when I saw his picture and told her who I was. I Heard the wife is pushing Ted all over the place. He was always a pushover. the next day I came back to her (sunday) and she brought up the time where his mother said something hurtful and I took offense to it. I just "shrugged my shoulders" I was extremely nice to her the rest of the time (kinda overly nice). I think she passed on about 5 years ago.
Other than Ted during my junior year in hs, the whole year went well academically. My guidance counselor put me in non regents classes. Mostly because of the fact I failed english and math. My neighborhood friend Wanda called me or my sister (I think I answered). She was so upset that she failed out of the 9th grade. Her parents wouldn't allow her to go to summer school. so she went to school with the class of 1986. I enrolled in Geometry non regents in the 11th grade (a 10th grade class) and would you believe it! I had the same teacher that failed me in Algebra. Damn...just my luck. I did ok but sqeeked by at least I showed that I was applying myself. She really didn't move an inch with me acedemically. The guidence counselor accidently put me in regents social studies - I was doing pretty good in there averaging an 85. He pulled me right out when it was discovered so I went to a non regents social studies. Thats where I met my new best friend Peggy. A lot of people didn't like her because she told a lot of stories that were untrue. she claimed she knew these important people. totally turned alot of people off. Whatever, I was her friend.
Muscally it went ok. I shot up to 2nd chair and was standpartners with Steve (thats because Brian, Teresa (my friend) and Guy all graduated in 1983. He was an excellent player and eventually he was nicer to me - he had to find out if I could play. I sat behind him my whole sophomore year, but probably didn't believe that I can play well because I had Dawn as a standpartner and she was loud and out of toon all the time. At the beginning of the school year he would make these little eyeglass pictures so he would remind me to look up at Mr C. I didn't join the stage band in my junior year because a sophomore sax player came from behind. I didn't mind, Mike was a good kid - kinda on the quiet side (he later joined the army when he graduated). I really didn't play alot of alto sax the entire junior year (only for pit orchestra). I was ok with it. It gave me a break because I quit chorus my junior year (it was too much). I signed up for orchestra because I knew Steve was the only senior clarinet player. Maria came up from behind as a sophomore, so she was my standpartner in orchestra (dawn played 1st with Steve) and Maria played 2nd with me. To this day, I wish it was Steve, me and Maria on 1st clarinet and Dawn on 2nd. I think the 3 of us would have been a better fit. The 3 of us always talked during band that is what it should be but dawn always got mad at us. She was kinda the rotten egg in the middle. I did get another crack at pit orchestra, this time it was Bye bye birdie. It was fun, this time I didn't have to deal with Tom breathing down my neck (not because of my playing, he wanted to play with me...jeez), he had graduated in 1983. Thank god!!
Thats it for 1983 and 1984. This journal got too long to talk about 1985 (my senior year) and 1986. I guess you'll have to stay tooned.
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