July 21, 2003
Here’s a scary thought: I’ve been driving for 40 years. This got me to thinking about two things. One is that old guy in California who killed ten people with his car (I’m closer to him than I am the kids I see on the streets who have been driving for about 40 minutes—and drive like it!) and I almost got creamed in New Mexico. I was coming around a big sweeper curve east of Magdalena on Saturday and I was looking out at a sweet little ranchito tucked into the crease of a hillock and I wanted to get a picture of it but I didn’t want to stop. So I held out my camera and shot off one frame, and then was going to grab a second, but as I looked back at the road, I saw the front grill of a canary-yellow F-150 Ford pickup coming right at me in my lane. I swerved off on the shoulder and the Yellow Boy just skimmed the dust off my driver door mirror. Stuff was thrown everywhere as I looked in the mirror and watched the pickup cruise around the bend and out of sight. I assume he was as drunk as the person who painted his truck.

Working hard on the James W. Bell page. Got the photos back at noon ($57 biz debit). Had it finished but then got some great copy from one of the principals and tried to figure out a way to shoe-horn it in. Daniel came out at around 11 to troubleshoot layout and he took it home to redesign. Anxious to see what he comes up with.

Need to finish several more pieces of art. Kind of rusty. It’s feast or famine in the art department.

Proof that advertising works: I was cruising in to Globe on Sunday and it was too hot and I was getting tired, so I pulled off the main road and went downtown looking for a “real” cafe. I had made up my mind I was tired of Mexican food and wanted something a bit cooler, maybe a veggie sando. Found a couple contenders but they were closed on Sunday. Came around the bend and saw a billboard that said, “Libby’s El Rey Cafe • Consistently Real Mexican Food for Over 50 Years • 1/4 Mile Ahead • A True Globe-Miami Landmark.” That did it. The sign totally overrulled my earlier objection and I pulled right in and had a bowl of red chile, homemade flower tortilla and a big ol’ jug of real iced tea ($6, plus tip, $8 cash). Amazing what a good ad can do.

“It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.”
—Charles Darwin