WHEWWWWW! FLASH BACK @@@@ The poorest I ever was.......New York City area (Hoboken, Brooklyn, & Jersey City) / Summer of 1984......It was so hot...the sweat on granny's back dried before hittin' the "lace doily" on the back of her favorite setee. The MTA & BMT lines had to refrain from using water on and inside the SUBWAYS due to a "drought". No better time to move to the East Coast. I had $75.00, my first Bass (1972 Fender Jazz), a suit case / trunk full of art supplies, and fine vintage clothing from "Lacy's": > Local members will remember that store. OH YES...and a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree!!! Dr. of Thinkology & Make Stuff equivalent for those of you who have visited OZ.

I arrived in New York via Laguardia airport....PLANE > CAB > BUS > SUBWAY > PATH TRAIN......and a walk-a-thon. HERE'S A GOOD ONE...the trunk I was dragging apparently had been treated like ALL luggage on the flight (KICKED / HIT WITH A SLEDGE HAMMER / DROPPED 4 STORIES / ECT.)
I left a trail of paint and "GESSO" on every conrete and asphalt surface from QUEENS, NEW YORK to HOBOKEN, NEW JERSEY. I was in PENN station in Manhattan when I discovered this...My first Cuss words as a NEW YORKER #*@#** @#. (THIS IS TRUE>>>IT HAPPENED TO ME)

So.....I spent most of my $75.00 on transportation and the Laundramat Day 1.
Day 2, I learned where all the free food was.....You know, buy one beer an hour, get all the oysters, clams, peanuts etc., you can stomach. Day 3, I learned to take zip-lock bags to the FREE FOOD gigs. Needles to say I ran out of cash quickly @ three days. Healthwise, I learned to mix yogurt with garbonzo beans for a little protein...I ate block cheese like a fudge-cicle, and kept plenty of cheerios on hand. I used them when I entertained.

In two weeks I obtained a great job....artist's assistant for one of the most famous second generation abstract expressionists, AL HELD. This man got $100,000. per square foot for his ART. Now you know why we made so many mural size works. FACT: When they opened the new Nelson Rockefeller wing at the Metropolitan Museum, they requested one of Al's paintings to show how BIG of a patinting the wing would allow.

Well...not a sad story...but a true, down to earth "kid from the midwest" / "starving artist" tale to pass down to the next generation of Neighbors. It's true....it happened to me!

Take care fellow neighbors...PEACE be with you and yours.