Pictures From the Past

Brian Twiss, Bobby Yamaguchi, Lisa Marsh, Me, Stacy Greer, and Kameron Sutton leaving for a night of Chirstmas Carols. This was the first time I EVER went Christmas carrolling as I was a Jehovah's Witness and hadn't celebrated Christmas. My mother who had stopped being a Witness was encouraging me to be 'normal'. One week before this picture was taken I had all of my impacted wisdom teeth removed. Two days after this picture I hooked up with my first truly older love interest, Kevin Hendon, who was *gasp* 19 at the time. We got together at Lisa Marsh's Christmas party and didn't officially call each other boyfriend and girlfriend - we just made out a hell of a lot for a few weeks straight. Ah, I can still remember the begging and pleading. Kevin was very good at that.

In late January, the days after the LAUSD band finals, Brian Twiss asked me out and we started to date. Grady Silberman who had asked me to prom in November decided he was going to go with another girl named Lori, and Brian Twiss and I broke up the day after Grady's birthday party at a Santa Monica pier restaurant (like February 12, 1988), because this guy, Brian Seymour, who was at Grady's party was hitting on me constantly - not really leaving me alone the whole time. Brian Twiss who was helping plan a surprise for the Grady wasn't in the room the majority of the time thought I was encouraging it, since Kevin Hendon told him I was. Kevin was a bit pissed I chose Brian Twiss over him, so he tried to break us up, and well, with the help of Brian Seymour (unknowingly) he did.

Later, (man this is a soap opera) Brian Seymour pursued me all around school, hanging out of windows in the West building yelling my name and such, and inviting me to parties at Andy Del Monte's house (for Andy's birthday). That became a show down between Brian and Jack. I ended up choosing Jack, which hurt my friend Liz, since she liked him. Finally, Jack and I thought we'd be better friends, which was true for a time, and I went out with Brian Seymour for a few months (late February through late May).

It turns out the my ex-Brian Twiss ended up going out with Brian Seymour's ex-Julie(?), I think that was her name. She moved into our social group and Brian Twiss and her talked badly about me and Brian Seymour to my group of 'friends' Cindy, Robert, Neil, Erik, Koichi, Bobby, Colleen, and Lisa, and well...they started to snub me.

Neil didn't help. A brief 'dating' encounter with him between my break-up with Brian Twiss and my starting to date Jack ruined any kind of friendship we had. He was strictly into a physical relationship which at the time, I was a stupid teenager interested in 'romance'. What a joke.

Ah, all this story from a simple Christmas picture. It documents the turning point of my life and two of the major players in that, Lisa Marsh (who I ended up going to college with and knowing through 1995), and Brian Twiss, who ruined my friendships that I had started that first year of college and continued to smear my name whenever he could to whomever he could because he 'thought' I had encouraged Brian Seymour to flirt with me. Ah, male pride!

Just a snapshot of me heading off to a game. I am in the kitchen of my grandmother's house at 1365 Preston Way, in Venice, CA, where I lived with my mom, step-father, and brother.

I played right field for Venice High's Varsity softball my sophmore year. This picture comes from April 1988 before I injured my left knee.

This is my solo portrait from Venice High School Prom May 1988. I went to Prom with my then boyfriend, Brian Seymour, who is obviously missing from this picture.

We attended prom with my high school bestest buddy Kim Kennedy who was dating my ex-psudeo boyfriend Jack. I've got the pre-prom pictures somewhere. I need to say that Kim and I looked damn good that night! So, HA!

Brian drove his mother's car. We made the required stops at everyone's parents houses of places at work - Jack's mom at her beauty shop, Kim's sister at Venice Pool, Brian's parents at home before they took off to the Uni High prom where Mario their AFS student was attending with his date, Kim's parents house. We FINALLY showed up to prom late, but in time to be seated and make dinner. We had a table near the dance floor, but I only remember dancing twice with Brian - a single slow dance (let's call that the dance of the wandering hands) and a fast dance (straight out of the movie - Sixteen Candles - quote "Hot, very hot" M.A. Hall)

It was an interesting and at times uncomfortable evening. My friend Liz Kahn settled for going to prom with Andy Del Monte when she really wanted to go with Jack. Yet, Jack was dating Kim. He actually wanted to take both of them. Liz to formal prom and Kim to after prom. We talked him out of it and made him actually make a choice to settle things. Liz was miserable the whole evening.

We didn't go to after prom, but back to Brian's house instead. I finally had permission to stay out, but I was taken home instead. Mario had returned home in his rented limo and everyone plopped in and took me home...then they went off to the beach. Yeah, I heard about that, and I ignored what I heard.

My friendship with Liz was never exactly the same. Kim broke up with Jack about two months later, and Brian and I broke up about two weeks later. Ahhh...teenagers...brain dead hormonal wretches!