All right! I got a $5,000 artist grant from the Futures Fund through the Chinese Culture Center.

I was unaware that I got nominated by the Clarion Center. I got notified and had to submit a few examples of my artwork. A few weeks later I got a letter telling me I got the grant. There were a total of 28 of us grantees. No strings attached. Just a check for $5,000 for being a struggling artist in the community.

I don't know where this money came from. To me $5,000 is not a lot of money. It would be great if it was $5,000 a month for the rest of my life. The money is already spoken for. I'm planning to purchase an electric mobility scooter so I can get around. I need an adjustable bed to keep my leg elevated when I'm asleep. I need another rollator walker. Hey...I'm not bitching. I'm glad I got the grant. Every little bit helps.

They had a reception on May 4th at a new public housing community center by Sunnydale housing projects. They had me do a live dragon painting. It was a bbq with a program in the garden. I must say it was pretty cold *brrrrr* so was the food.

I took a Lyft to and back home. They are going to reimburse me for it.

I had a News Call Bulletin route in 1964 while I was twelve years old in sixth grade while a elementary school student at Commodore Stockton. The News Call Bulletin was an afternoon newspaper right after school at 3:10 pm.

The route number was X-18 and began on the corner of Stockton and Jackson Street in San Francisco Chinatown. It went down Jackson Street with about three places toward Grant Avenue. On Grant was the hotel on top of the Bank of America and the Jeung association on top of the five and dime store. Stopping at two places n Grant then continuing on to Jackson Street towards Kearny. Then going up Columbus Avenue towards Broadway St. Then back to Pacific Avenue ending at the 655 Ping Yuen.

The manager was Henry C. Everett. He was a crook and skimmed money from my monthly pay. He took an advantage of us kids who didn't know how to get a money order from a bank to send to the News Call Bulletin office after we collected the monthly $2 subscription from the subscribers.

Pork balls Rice soup Noodles version 2.0
From the Chinatown Ghetto Kitchen

Boil rice noodles to al dente. Rinse with cold water to stop the cooking. Drain in colander. Set aside.

Seasoned ground pork shoulder with a raw egg, a little corn starch, salt, garlic powder, chicken powder, and white pepper. Roll into balls.

In a wok, brown onion, garlic, add rolled pork balls. Cook to brown.

Add soy sauce, oyster sauce, water.

Boil for five minutes. Add package of ramen soup or chicken powder seasoning, Sugar, cornstarch slurry to thicken. Your choice of blanched greens.

Add boiling soup to cooked rice noodles. Top with chopped green onions. Chili oil. A couple of drops of sesame oil. A dab of fish sauce... (optional). Enjoy.

I tried employment a handful of times in my life.

Getting to work by 8am on time was such a struggle and I was often late. Especially before being diagnosed with sleep apnea.

Then putting up with supervisors and coworkers. I found that every workplace had its politics and culture which you had to fit in or be treated with scorn by supervisors and coworkers. I guess I have that personality where people like to fk with you... I'm too easy going. Or people feeling threatened by my knowledge and skills. They want to put me in my place.

There was the side of me that kept on taking on work besides holding a job which kept me up after putting in a 8-5 job. There was no relaxing after work. I was burning the candle at both ends and often got very little sleep. I often nodded off at work and the coworkers would snitch on me.

After getting let go or resigning it felt so good to be back in the driver's seat and in command of my own ship. But of course business and income was never consistent.

Now that I'm a senior citizen, retired, broke and only dependent on a measly monthly social security check, I look back on my life and thinking how I fkdup like this. Most of my friends have a pension check from putting in twenty five to thirty years into a job. On top of that they get a sizeable social security check because they paid into the system all those years while working. They are retired very comfortably. Me being mostly self employed there's no pension. I didn't pay into social security. I often wonder if I should have just gotten a job and forget trying to be self employed. Would it have worked? Would I be happy?

I understand why people go postal at the workplace. Having bad coworkers and supervisors that mess with your mind can really give you a feeling of entrapment. Putting up with it everyday makes you want to lash out. Adding stress to your life and causing sleepless nights. The job is what sustains you. Paying rent, paying bills, paying mortgage, paying for food on the table, paying for family, kid's education, the commute, etc. It can drive one nuts. I remember this supervisor that had a way of reprimanding me in front of all the co-workers to make me feel like an idiot. It made the coworkers look at me like I was crazy and ignore me.

Anyway the OL bugs the hell out of me to this day and in my age and condition about getting a job. How I never worked a day in my life. I am a lazy bastard. How I should have driven a bus....blah blah blah. It's no use talking about it. I can only regret the decisions I made in my life. I often find myself fantasizing about traveling back in time to correct some mistakes.

GET A JOB by the Silhouettes 1958

Yip-yip-yip-yip-yip-yip, bmm
Sha-na-na-na, sha-na-na-na-na, ahh-do
Sha-na-na-na, sha-na-na-na-na, ahh-do
Sha-na-na-na, sha-na-na-na-na, ahh-do
Sha-na-na-na, sha-na-na-na-na

Ahh, yip-yip-yip-yip-yip-yip-yip-yip
Mum-mum-mum-mum-mum-mum, get a job
Sha-na-na-na, sha-na-na-na-na

Well every morning about this time (Sha-na-na-na, sha-na-na-na-na)
She gets me out of bed, a-crying get a job (Sha-na-na-na, sha-na-na-na-na)
After breakfast everyday she throws the want ads right my way
And never fails to say - get a job

Sha-na-na-na, sha-na-na-na-na, ahh-do
Sha-na-na-na, sha-na-na-na-na, ahh-do
Sha-na-na-na, sha-na-na-na-na, ahh-do
Sha-na-na-na, sha-na-na-na-na

Ahh, yip-yip-yip-yip-yip-yip-yip-yip
Mum-mum-mum-mum-mum-mum, get a job
Sha-na-na-na, sha-na-na-na-na

Lord, and when I get the paper I read it through and through
I, my girl never fail to see if there is any work for me...
I got to go back to the house, hear that woman's mouth
Preachin' and a cryin', tell me that I'm lyin' about a job
That I never could find

Sha-na-na-na, sha-na-na-na-na, ahh-do
Sha-na-na-na, sha-na-na-na-na, ahh-do
Sha-na-na-na, sha-na-na-na-na, ahh-do
Sha-na-na-na, sha-na-na-na-na

Ahh, yip-yip-yip-yip-yip-yip-yip-yip
Mum-mum-mum-mum-mum-mum, get a job
Sha-na-na-na, sha-na-na-na-na

Lord, and when I get the paper I read it through and throu-ough
I, my girl never fail to see if there is any work for me...
I better go back to the house, hear that woman's mouth
Preachin' and a cryin', tell me that I'm lyin' about a job
That I never could find

Sha-na-na-na, sha-na-na-na-na, ahh-do
Sha-na-na-na, sha-na-na-na-na, ahh-do
Sha-na-na-na, sha-na-na-na-na, ahh-do
Sha-na-na-na, sha-na-na-na-na, ahh-do
Sha-na-na-na...