Sketching Moe Joe's Love House

This is where the adventure continues!  I was drawing thumbnail sketches for my next possible painting in Angel Camp.  I happened to sketch right next to a local bar, Claussen's Corner.  Apparently Claussen's Corner use to be the place where the Hells Angels use to hang out.   As I continue to sketch, a guy named Moe Joe came out of the bar and started talking to me.   He saw me drawing and was intrigued. He asked where I was coming from. I told him at that point that I was a nomad.  He asked me if I did this for fun and if it was a hobby of mine.  I answered,  "Well, yes this is fun, but I wouldn't define it as a "hobby,"  There isn't anything wrong with hobbies, but drawing isn't one of them.  I'm an artist and this is my passion."  He was intrigued by my explanation. He goes back to the bar as I continued to draw.  Five minutes later, he comes out of the bar.  He says, "in three days it will be my 60th birthday.  I would love to have a drawing of my house.  How much would it costs for a drawing?" I showed him the size of my sketchbook pages, and I come up with a somewhat random number.  I say $90.  He says $75.  I say $80.  We have a deal and we shake on it!
Moe Joe's house was only a block and a half away from the bar.  It was up on a hill that had a Historic Chicken Ladder! Up until then I never knew what a chicken ladder was.  According to Moe Joe, the ladder was made back in the day by home owners who lived down the narrow street.  The ladder helped in walking up and down the steep road.
As I was drawing, Moe Joe stood in front of his house talking in the phone.  Moe Joe was a little hard of hearing, so he didn't realize that I could hear his conversation.  He was about 200 feet away and was speaking to a friend over the phone.  He was telling his friend that he met a young "oriental girl" who was an artist. And that he commissioned her to draw his house for a birthday gift to himself.  He was so excited.  I couldn't help but crack up when he said "oriental."  It was funny because he didn't realized I could hear him.  The old M.J from 5 years ago would of been pissed off by the term, "oriental."  What am I, a carpet?  But these days I'm a bit more open minded.  After all, I was in a small town, and Moe Joe had no ill feelings. He was a kind man, who didn't know that word could be offensive to Asians.  So I let it go and smiled and continued to draw.
I came back to Angels Camp around 12:00ish the next day.  I saw the bartender of Claussen's in front of the bar.  I asked her if she had seen Moe Joe.  She mentioned that Moe Joe was inside, so I decided to go in the bar for a little bit.  Moe Joe jokingly says, "Aren't you supposed to be working."  He giggles. I respond by saying, " I have to wait till 1:00 so that I could have the consistent light from yesterday.  He was happy that I was taking this commission seriously.  He asked me if I wanted a drink, and I told him that I have my coconut water.  I told him that I must focus and that if I had a drink the drawing might get fucked up.  He was cracking up.
So I finished my coconut water and was ready to draw!  I walk up the chicken ladder and continued my drawing for a few more hours. Moe Joe eventually goes back to his house after his drink.  I finally finish up the drawing around 3:30ish.  I show him the final drawing and he says, "I absolutely love it."  Instead of $80 he gave me $100! He tells me that he appreciated my hustle and that I should follow my dreams.  I didn't realize I was hustling. Haha.  I was just being me and having fun!  He also told me that I wasn't a real vagabonder, and that I was too clean for that.  I cracked up!