Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Bits & Pieces: Patt Mihailoff

Patt Mihailoff is a natural storyteller, and not just for print. Anyone who is a member of RWA-NYC knows some of her anecdotes by heart. I remember my first meeting when I saw her and even before she spoke I was riveted by her energy. By the time she spoke it was clear and evident that she was a sparkling communicator with a lot of heart. Now with my second installment of Bits and Pieces, I am kind of spoiled. Patt and I were scheduled to do this on a rainy awful day after our last RWA meeting. She was late, but as soon as she came in she was full of energy and was "ready when I was". Right after the meeting we walked to a nearby Starbuck's and I could not type fast enough on my iPod Touch trying to capture all the stories she told! We talked about old movies, Catholic School and fetishes. It is my pleasure to share with you the things I captured! The thing that was so warming to me was that throughout the entire thing, Patt kept asking me what she should be talking about? She is always thinking about someone else, the warmth of her personality and the immensity of her heart is overwhelming. She has no pretense, she is who she is and unabashedly so. "I am a size 6 in size 22 body only because Halle Berry has my body and the heifer will not give it back. I was always scared to death of writing, but I always wrote. When I was younger I had an anger issue, well I was told that. I thought I was an actress, I thought I was Bette Davis. I am supposed to be talking about writing. You have to tell me what to talk about. I think that everyday is a learning experience. (I work) in the Somerset County sheriff's dept in the detective bureau, I do all my warrants in the morning and write in the afternoon and they know it and let me have it. The jail is attached to my office. I was working there for 8 months and I did not know. I asked 'Where is the jail?' They said, 'You have been working for 8 months and you do not know where the jail is?' 'Where are the bars?' There are no cells, there are Plexi-glass pods now. I feel like whenever you (the RWA group) has a success I feel like it is my success. These are the people in my groups, this is my family. That is how I feel about the group. I love to crochet afghans. A girl taught me how to do it when I was nineteen. I can't just sit and watch tv. I've got to have something to do. If I am not doing that I am doing needlepoint. I can't sit and do nothing. Saturday night is movie night at my house so that's when I do it. I donate them (the afghans, not the movies) to old people's home and I want to do it for people who go in for dialysis because it is cold there. They say that I am funny. I got in trouble for kissing the saints. All the male saints in the cathedral. But back in the day there were big, real, life-sized saints (in the church) and I practiced my kissing on them. The priest called my mom and said that I couldn't climb on the saints and kiss them anymore. I got in trouble for defacing the church with my lips. I told the priest that I was having impure thoughts. He had dark hair and blue eyes and a long (confession) line. One day he asked me what was the nature of the impure thoughts, he came out of the confessional box and said, 'Do I have to talk to your mother again?' I will not watch SG-SG1 if Richard Dean Anderson is not in it. That is when he had the hair thing going on. So now I watch Stargate Atlantis because of Jason Mamoa, Hmmm! I like men; okay, I love them. Don't ask me about the hair fetish. I am blessed and I am thankful. I do not think Icould be anybody but myself. If I ever got famous (no chance of that), I could not be anyone else. There are too many people who love me as I am. But I would love a chance to prove it, but like the lottery, the Fates just won't let me!"

6 comments:

  1. What fun facts! Patt, you are one funny and inspiring lady! :) Wonderful interview, Fidencia!

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  2. This is a great post! I can hear Patt's voice throughout. Good job, ladies! I love the story about the saints -- hysterical! You have to work that into a book sometime.

    Lis

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  3. The secrets!!! oh the humanity....
    I'm so glad I didn't tell Fidencia my deepest darkest...oh wait maybe I did...
    YES I did practice Betty Davis Kissing on the Saints in Church. How many rings of hell are there?

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  4. I love this. So very Patt. Thanks and what beautiful crochet.

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  5. Great blog, ladies! Such lovely insight into our very own Patt. I just have to ask if you crochetted the lovely afghan pictured here. You truely are a woman of many talents.

    Santa

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  6. Patt you are always telling a great story to get me inspired. Thanks so much for making me smile today with your wonderful stories.

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