Chapter 14… Washington DC!!

September 1971
Steve called me and asked to come see me. I screamed and asked where he was and he said in Oak Harbor!! I was so surprised!! He came over and of course we visited mom & dad and went out on the town. He asked me to go to Washington DC with him. I wasn’t quite sure if I really wanted to commit myself to a relationship like that but I saw nothing but a dead end road here, so I thought what the heck!! Mom and dad gave me their blessings so I packed my bags, grabbed my cat and we left the next day. He said he had to drive down to Portland Oregon to pick up a friend that was going with us. Steve had a pickup truck with a camper on the back. We got to Portland and picked up his friend and his girlfriend. So here are 4 of us (and a cat) and a seat that fits three!! Well we figured they can ride in the back and then we all can take turns sleeping back there and drive straight through. It took us 2 ½ days to get there.
When we got to DC we drove to Alexandria Virginia where Steve had an apartment. He told me when we got there that he had a roommate and he hasn’t told him about me yet. So he asked me if I could sleep on the couch in the living room until the roommate moves out. Well I thought that was odd, but being the naïve girl I was, I agreed. Well it took a few weeks before the roommate moved then I moved into the bedroom. There was a double bed in there, and I was wondering where the roommate slept. DUH!!! Then I was wondering why Steve never came into the living room to sleep with me. Again, DUH!!! I just thought he respected me too much and wanted to wait until the time was right.
I got a job as a waitress and hostess at the Marriott Hotte Shoppe in Alexandria. They paid me 80 cents and hour and I had to declare 80 cents an hour tips which brought me up to $1.60 an hour minimum wage. I made much better tips so I wasn’t complaining! The job was fun. I had to wear my hair up above my shoulders, so I bought a shag wig and put my long straight blonde hair up under that. So here I am wearing a wig & false eyelashes. I thought I was really hip, and living in the big fancy city too!! Whoo Hooo! The situation with Steve was really strange. He was distant, and I was frustrated. He finally got drunk one night and tried to do the sex thing but he got sick and couldn’t do it!! Well that sure made me feel sexy!! Thanksgiving came and Steve’s parents came to visit then invited us to their place. I think they lived in New Jersey. We went to visit, and they put us in their guest room but Steve didn’t sleep in the bed with me. He didn’t want to make his parents think we were “doing it”!! For Heavens sake, we were living together!!! What else would they think??!! The situation never got better, so I decided to bail out of that relationship. He agreed it wasn’t going to work out, so he helped me find an apartment and helped me move in and that was the last I saw of him!! That was back in the days that gays never came out, and I am convinced now that he was gay. He was in the navy and he would’ve been kicked out if they knew, so I see now why he wanted me there. Oh well it got me across country and in a big city!!
I lived about 4 blocks from the restaurant that I worked at, so I walked to and from work. A block away was a little Greek café that I stopped at for coffee. A guy named Denny was the brother of the owner and he had a crush on me. Denny’s brother asked me if I would go on a date with Denny, and I said sure, but why doesn’t he ask me? Well Denny didn’t speak English! That was a fun date!! A cab picked me up and Denny was in the back. The driver took us to a Greek restaurant in downtown DC and there was a Belly Dancer there!! Denny ordered Ouzo and they brought it to us and poured it on ice and it turned white!! It tasted like licorice. I was impressed!! When he brought me back he came up to the apartment with me and we had more drinks. He kissed me and said Amore, come to Greece with me! Marry me! YIKES!! Heck no!!! They want their women barefoot and pregnant there!! So I didn’t date him any more. He was nice, but I wasn’t ready for any of that stuff!!
I was walking home from work one night and heard music coming from the theater next to the Greek restaurant. I walked in and there was nobody at the door so I walked into the seating area. There was a band playing great music and nobody in the audience!! I sat down and enjoyed my private little concert. They had a baldheaded black man that could sing great and dance all over the stage!! Some guy came up to me and asked what I was doing there and I told him so he said I could stay and listen to their practice jam session. I asked who the band was, and he said “Hot Tuna” . I never heard of them, but they were a spinoff of “Jefferson Airplane”!! Papa John Creach was HOT!!! They took a break and we all sat there and drank and smoked pot. Ya think the people in Coupeville would believe this??? NAW!!
I was invited to a Christmas party in the projects at Gail’s house. She was a waitress with me. I had a ball there!! The phone rang every 5 minutes, and I was asked if I wanted to buy a new color TV for $10.00. HUH??? I was the only white person there. Gail took me aside and told me her brothers belonged to a gang and they were selling HOT items. YIKES!!! Ya think the people in Coupeville would believe this??? NAW!! I was told I was drinking booze that was stolen during the DC riots of 1968!! YIKES!! Ya think the people in Coupeville would believe this??? NAW!! Gail’s brother took me home and told me I’d be escorted walking home from now on. He said they would protect me from harm. I got scared, but Gail assured me I was safe.
I had a party at my house and invited everyone from work. I remember we made a big wall of empty beer cans in my living room, and it fell quite a few times. I’m sure my neighbors really appreciated that!! I got really drunk and passed out on the couch. My friend kicked everyone out and locked the door. I woke up the next day naked!! YIKES!! Ya think the people in Coupeville would believe this??? YEP!! I called my friend and asked her what happened and she said I passed out and she kicked everyone out. I asked her if I was dressed and she said yes. Well I guess I must’ve pulled my own clothes off but I never did things like that before.
My parents drove out on a vacation to visit with me and tour DC. My sister drove up and toured with us, then they all drove down to Virginia Beach to visit with my sister. It was fun. I was so busy working that I never really got to see DC so I got the tour!!
I was working one night as cashier and the hostess came out to give me a 10 minute break. I was walking downstairs and she said as I was walking away she turned her head and stared down the barrel of a gun!! She was robbed at gunpoint!! I missed it by maybe 30 seconds!! She stepped back and let the guy take the money!! I would’ve gotten mad and got shot!! The police ended up shooting the guy and killing him after he robbed and shot a guy down the street!! My guardian angels at work again!!
I went on a date with a guy I met at work. He took me to a big lake in DC and it was night. It was really pretty at night with the lights and all. He stole a canoe and took me out in the lake in it. (I really had classy dates, huh?).
In March I was worried. I missed my period. I had cramps but no period. I went to a doctor and told him I haven’t had sex, so he did an exam and told me when the tests came in that I probably had a tumor. I totally freaked out, and called my sister. She drove up and got me and took me to Virginia Beach with her to see a doctor there.

Tomorrow…1972 Virginia Beach!!