See my pictures and read about me below! And for more,
Just work through the links to the right under "SweetMe"!!
Thinking of you: From William
"I'm selfish, impatient and a little insecure.
I make mistakes. I'm out of control and at times hard to handle, but if you can't handle me at my worst, then you sure as hell don't deserve me at my best."
— Marilyn Monroe
Indeed! SL
I was born in Winchester, Virginia
This is my family name and as you an see there was a split in the spelling. "A fork in the road."
Although I cannot carry a tune to save my life, I have been told I have some very talented relatives.
Patsy Cline was born and raised in the small town of Winchester, Virginia. (then known as Virginia Hensley) Following a tragic plane accident the promising career of the famed vocalist came to a sudden end. The legend, however, lives on.
Patsy Cline
1932-1963
I grew up in Jacksonville, Florida (which was a very low key down home town dispite the fact that it is the largest city landwise in the entire country). More trivia...The St. Johns River runs North and it is one of only two waterways in N.A. to run north. Let's see if you can figure out the other one! It is just in the last decade Jacksonville has really made a name for itself as a city to live, work in, visit.
When I was growing up it was more of a place people drove through on the way somewhere else! Most northerners that made Jacksonville their home did so because they wanted to live in Florida but once they made it to south Florida they found things less affordable than originally anticipated so they would head back up north until it was economically feasible and there was Jacksonville. Now if you want to speak historically (and I'm not that old yet!), but historically Jacksonville was a major moonshine producer which brought a colorful cast of characters to our coast. One family, the Marans. They own Toyota. The ("JM") family has done some wonderful things for our city and we unfortunately lost the Godfather recently. I say Godfather with respect -I am not saying that he was a criminal so please do not misinterpret...
There is also Epping Forest which is a wonderful yacht and residential area for members and was originally part of The Dupont estate. Many a wedding have been held there. I love it for the clam chowder! King of The Beast was my sunset hang out on many a evening. That is the name of the boat. One funny thing about that very private elite community ... my friend who had the "King of the Beast" boat would drive in front of me through the entry with the live guard in his RollsRoyce and they would card him and make him show proof of membership and he had the biggest boat there was in this little marina Hello ?? and then I would drive up next in my little convertible affordable Miata Mariner and they would just wave me through without a second thought nor question of proof. Used to drive him bonkers HE HE!!!!
We also were slated as Hollywood prior to California. That was made difficult by the Baptist / Bible belt influence and combined with the humidity we lost that cash cow long long ago. You will notice even the "Floridian" beach scenes in the Marilyn movie are not in Florida (mountains in the background)...yep we don't have them! I'd also say Florida is New Yorks sister/brother. We are becoming like those streets in some cities that have the same name but aren't actually connected! This is increasing daily and I think it is great. Personality, great food, diversity and sophistication combined with the southern charm makes for a wonderful mix of people. And of course I'm sure you know about the oldest city (St. Augustine). It is only a "stones throw" from good ol' Jacksonville. Sometimes we take it for granted. I grew up crossing The Bridge Of Lions on the way to the beach!
At 17 I moved to Houston, Texas with huge dreams. It took time but they were to be realized and the knowledge and experience and friendships I gained from Houston will live with me always. It is like a second home. I will go further into my career from Houston - in time
Other places I've actually lived hmmm besides Jacksonville and Houston? I will be adding stories about each city I've lived in over in "SweetScoop". Plus I'll tell you all about the cities I've visited while on Tour and just because!
Here goes!
Long Island, NY
People always say Long Island when you ask them where are you from? Well, Long Island is a big fucking Island! Not only that if someone says to people who live elsewhere they live in NY they immediately think of Manhattan. Well it is a very big and diverse state. Visiting Clifton, New York was one of my first eye openers to that fact. Upstate is a dream. Perceptions are funny and I just like to share my observations with you when I find them interesting -informative or just plain funny! so to name of few places within' the long island residency I will elaborate...
Port Jeff
Garden City
Amityville (yea horror one) but actually the witches house is far more haunting than the actual Ammityville one-
it was rather a bore
Long Beach
where I had to pay the damn bridge fee every time I crossed to go to the library because easy pass didn't apply there and I think our street actually fell into Atlantic Beach. I had to get an ID made for the little community.
It was just a block or so from beach.
We have Atlantic Bch. in Jax, FL too and then let 's not confuse the Long Beach, California with the Long Island one where I also lived .
Pompano, FL
Hollywood, FL
Ponte Vedra Beach, FL
Green Cove Springs, FL
Orange Park, FL
Ft.Lauderdale, FL
Tucson, AZ
1st Place I lived in
pre shit hit the fan era and rips offs and continual lying.
Well, I should say pre as in before i realized!
The man out there I was to be in business with "for my benefit" harhar ~what a fucking joke! Lied about everything. He would lie about things that were trivial and did not matter either which made me realize wow he doesn't save bullshit for just the big stuff he is just full of shit all the way around! I mean I was standing at Ceasar's in Vegas with his right hand man and little protege and had my friend pay for my room service on the bill. I'm standing there with my friend on the phone~ at the check out with proof and he was on the phone with his protege claiming he paid my room service bill? WTF kinda shit ya know! I sat backwards on that fucking flight out of Vegas! I was so pissed he would act like I left him with a bill? I was like dude I have done enough shit to make myself look bad lately and i don't need the extra help in the department ya know! Geese! I'm so gullible sometimes and I really wanted to believe him as I was really in need of some one to support and care for me emotionally being heart broken and abandoned and without family out west I guess I had hoped he would be like the father I never had. Part of it would be my fault indeed. He knew I was on the edge and knew what he had signed up for and did not follow through with promises and commitments but also I had hopes and needs and expectations combined with his promises that maybe were too optimistic and personal. I kinda view people I work with regularly as family until they prove me other wise. The shitty part about that is when ya realize they don't treat you as family or have the personal investment you have and then reality strikes. That is all good and fine if it is up front but to facade it and present it as one thing and it be another is inexcusable. That and the addition of another company combining at the time and various new employees made the passing the buck on issues that would arise much easier. The head of the other company was still contacting me long long after I left Arizona but it is hard to be sure who is connected in this very small world no matter how much they say they are not! I nipped that in the bud by requiring a signed contract by the head of the company stating that all content if we moved forward on the venture would remain my property and should our business dissolve it would leave with me. It was an iron clad contract and I was actually taking pictures of my voluminous pregnant belly at the time. I knew this hard core paperwork
would bring about a business relationship or send em packing. Either way I wasn't getting fucked this time. Obviously it did not materialize. I rather enjoyed putting content on SaRenna Mania for free than make those bastards out west any richer. I gave it to my fans and smiled the whole time! Free! hehe minus the belly pics!
I now realize I was really just some tool DaddyO used to get at someone in Florida and in the process he through me in the fire of his little grudge fest? Why did I need to be used as the fire poker. I did not sign up for that. I adored both companies prior to this and would do nothing to harm either. It was unfair to throw me into some feud I had nothing to do with. I lost a fortune over this childish acting out on his part. Plus the companies were one before. Unity was realy what i was used to. This sucked!
I haven't hate or anger or really any feelings towards them. I am just stating what happened and really thats that. No more to it. Obviously this is all filed and I won't forget all the details of what went down but I also do not hold anger. I mean if I saw him tomorrow and he was amenable I'd certainly acknowledge him and with kindness. Guarded kindness of course. We both had huge flaws and we both handled things incredibly bad ya know shit happens but we both as with all people have endearing qualities that should be fondly remembered as well even from our very different perspectives. I will admit I miss the jovial fun and cool man I adored and loved working with before the Arizona disaster. I think if he had not been a staple in hurting my relationship with my surrogate father in Florida I would be more apt to sweep it all under the rug. Being thrown into that battle though was really uncool. And the crew in Florida isn't completely innocent either! I love JF but that beast he married drives me nuts. She thinks the studio should be ran like a sweat shop and poor P is stuck in the middle!
PS One of the most offensive things was the lies he would tell my other half in California or his associates so he would hear about it. I remember one evening I landed in LA at the airport and I was so excited to see my other half and he was just yelling at me! Oh My! He was under the false impression I just vanished and took off without telling anyone in Arizona and they were worried? I mean of course he believed it as my behav over the past 6 months or so had been erratic at best but it was not true! DaddyO's planned my flight and his family took me to the airport. These were the thorns he would premeditate and manipulate in his favor as discourse among certain people would benefit his goals. And this is just one of the ones I knew about. Gosh only knows how many I didn't know about!
I lived in 5 or 6 different places maybe 7 while in Tucson
Below I will tell you a little bit about some of my experiences.
When I lived in Arizona I found a really fantastic old warehouse on the top floor of a downtown building. It was built in the 20's and I met a ghost or two while living there. The original owners won the lottery and revamped the interior and had a sound proof room put in with a recording studio and separate rooms for various instruments with glass walls so the configuration and the historical parts of this wonderful place plus the multiple levels kept me mesmerized. I had big visions for it but like they say location... location... location... And I did not want to be that far from the ocean or remain in the devils den. On this day in the warehouse Poukee and I decided to take a bath together and my roommate captured us frolicking. Poukee loved to sit on my lap with the suds floating about.
Speaking of roommates this is the place I had two roommates. One female and one male and the male I would learn later was not diagnosed with cancer has he had claimed but he was a diagnosed schizophrenic. Once you know one you'll forever recognize them within' an instant. I unfortunately had never known one so it took me a long time to get it. I kept thinking am I losing my mind here or what? Nothing made any since what so ever. When I finally became aware of his condition I took pause and long looks back over various conversations and happenings and all of a sudden it made perfect since. There were some very frightening events as well that I will never forget. I was relieved to know I was on solid ground after all. (Sorta) A good schitzo will make you question yourself for sure! If you ever feel off kilter around someone - real off kilter! --just check their medicine cabinet! Then google the name on the bottle plus what the hell is this usually prescribed for! The really sad part about this condition is patients almost never stay on the medicine that would potentially keep them somewhat sane. Now I'm not bashing mental issues cuz God knows I have a few He He but this was definitely one very odd year for me and his condition definitely contributed. He actually wanted me to go on a televised court show Like Judge something or another -the show contacted me and he wanted me to be a witness for him after I made it out of town and away from all the crazy people. Uh I don't think so! The female roommate came home one day with a fake ID and 10 pounds of weed so I ended up throwing her out to. Like ASAP ...Crazy is an understatement.
Tucson could in itself be a good portion of a book and it only lasted a year,thankgoodness.
The residents consist of mostly college students or people in the witness protection program. Although I must state for the record there are probably some normal well rounded people that reside there. I was unfortunately thrown into some not so well rounded circles. I have heard of a nice professor and an ex wife that got the little white picket fence but I only heard of them after I had moved. So if you are one of those well rounded people in Tucson Kudos to you and don't take offense. Now back to the witness protection program comment ... (prime example) The biggest rat in mob history from the Gambino crew -Mr. Sammy "The Bull" Gravano was caught selling ecstasy while in the witness protection program in Arizona while I was there. He obviously isn't seen as such a bull now. He had announced in print a leopard can't change his spots. He was residing in Tempe I think.
Oh yea I just remembered one of my favorite singers was living there (Linda Ronstat) people were so cruel though when they spoke of her. (about her weight) I felt bad people were so harsh in their comments.
And I won't even go into the guy from Attica that had a book dedicated to him and movie success based off the book. Ya know the famous prison in NY that had the biggest riots in prison history like in 1971 (the year I was really born) shhhh don't tell anyone I'm that old He He!-yea that Attica. He was to look after me and we got along brilliantly until he took me downtown to borrow a vacuum cleaner. He didn't escort me anywhere again after that. Shysters orders I suppose. He was a real personality and I tell ya I'd put my money on him in his wheelchair over anyone standing on two feet if a brawl broke out!
My being there was for recovery and the help I really needed wasn't extended to me as promised. I was instead surrounded by some unsavory people. They managed to take my monthly income and shoot it down by 75% and then they had the nerve to make it appear as if it was decreasing each month rather than increasing.
2 + 2 is 4 ya know. Even this big titted blonde knows that! What a bunch of fucking shysters! I won't specify who the shysters were just that they were.
One of the things I most enjoyed doing while I was in Tucson was stopping at the Hotel Congress which was built in 1919.
They say it is haunted but I didn't witness this on my visits. It was built only a year or so before the warehouse I lived in. I would site outside when the weather permitted and have key lime pie which was to die for and I tried to treat myself every couple of weeks with a slice.
Some history on The Hotel Congress - It was originally built to serve the growing cattle industry & railroad passengers of the Southern Pacific Line. The Congress in the 20s was the perfect shelter for genteel travelers and high-rollers fresh from the East. Hotel Congress could have continued its charming existence as just another place of lodging for road weary guests, except that the on January 22, 1934 it was stamped into history and made its mark. A fire started in the basement of the hotel and spread up the elevator to the third floor. This fire led to the capture of the one and only John Dillinger! One of the country’s most notorious criminals. The Dillinger gang came to Tucson to "lay low". They were staying on the third floor under fake names. They were caught shortly after the fire on North Second Avenue. It was a peaceful capture and one that had been a long time coming. Dillinger muttered “Well, I’ll be damned!”
So on that note let me just say or "mutter" I survived and got the fuck out! I don't know how but I did.
My photographer while I was living there and when I would fly in was such a sweetheart and he was pretty famous for many things but that which seemed to stand out to fans the most was the beautiful lime poster he helped designed for The Sex Pistols. He is the one to thank for the really great moody pictures of me "BrokenLee" looking very serious for a change! They are in SweetShots. My walk from his studio to the house I lived in briefly took me through some pretty cool streets and under an overpass which wasn't abandoned but it might as well have been as I can't recall a single car in my daily walks ever passing me. Recently I caught a movie on TV with I think Corey Haim driving in a car chase with a red sports car and I recognized the desolate scenery and did a rewind on the Tivo and guess what it was my take a walk often good old stomping grounds! Kinda brought back a bunch of memories.
Maybe one day I'll tell you some more titillating, crazy, historical, stories or maybe I'll throw in some current events. Ya never know with me but it seems there isn't a boring one in the bunch when it comes to this "sleepy" little town called Tucson. Maybe I'll just call it Dante's Inferno?
In closing ...My good friend Mark in Cincinnati, Ohio met me in Tucson with a Ryder truck and we loaded it and he drove me east until I could smell the saltwater. It was like oxygen in a burning house.
Thank you Mark for saving me!
Rogersville, Tennessee (which involved going to Knoxville, Tn to get or do anything!)
Since Johnny hit the scene I'm a little more on the proud side that I actually resided there in my youth! Love him!
I had many a experience in this part of the country. In the Q&A section you will find the school initiation I encountered!
The kinda cool part now looking back on it is I lived on a hill well it had cliffs so not a tiny hill! The family owned it and the street leading up actually had a family name. The actual cemetery I lived on was very old and abandoned long long long long ago! It was named with two of my family members names combined and although it was spooky I find the whole erie experience in hindsight pretty unique. At the time it just was what it was but in reality I guess not too many people have actually lived over an abandoned cemetery. I was careful in my walks as the ground was not stable in spots and what markers were there were in seriously historical and damaged condition. I have more to share with you about this year in my life but I'll save it for another day.
Playa Del Ray, Ca
Las Vegas, NV twice
Here I am in Vegas at the home I lived in. Round 2.
Cincinnati, Ohio
Redondo Bch, Ca
Well that is all I can remember for now. There could be more. Plus I never stayed in one place long even if it was in the city limits! I had a knack for trying new places wihin' the city limits and from the list I just made it looks like outside of the city limits.
Having you with me on this journey of memories is wonderful!
I may have made mistakes at times. All people have but I will share with you the good, the bad, the ugly and all the beauty and art and wonderful things that have come together to make a diverse and very interesting journey of my career and my personal life. From blunders to success you will hopefully enjoy each and every morsel that I offer from my heart. This venture certainly makes me vulnerable to controversy and judgment but it is a package deal. I'm not new to that anyway. You will still find through all my faults an endearing, loving, free spirited, honest woman of many layers, much depth and more importantly honesty that is so rarely made available by the famous, the infamous, and people in general.
Thank you,
SaRenna Lee
SweetSamples
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