September 6, 2003
“We’re pioneers!” Kathy said on our walk this morning. She was half-joking but without running water in the house, it really gives one a clearer view of "roughing it," or the Little House on the Prairieville lifestyle.

Carole and I waited until 7:15 last night for the Best of the West issues to arrive from Kansas City. Carole was steamed. I was just tired. She E-mailed the following to Banta: “It is almost 7 PM here and we are waiting for the delivery of the 300 issues being shipped. We were first told these would arrive last Friday, then last Tuesday, then Thursday, then this morning, and then this afternoon.”

And to boot, the cover sucks. This is not Banta’s fault, it’s mainly mine. Weak color choice (that’s me), tepid, goofy illustration (ditto, en toto) and the typography is sophomoric (Daniel). Just a very disappointing mess. I got carried away with the New York TV stuff last month and didn’t get around to the cover until the last week of the cycle and it flat out shows. The end quote today is for me, and I probably should have it tattooed on my forehead backwards, so I can read it every time I wash my face from a jug in front of the mirror.

On the positive side of the ledger, the five-page-spread on Stacy as “True Cowgirl” is a winner. Daniel did a great job of laying this out and John Beckett’s photographs really tell the story. We were aiming for a 1950s Life magazine type feature and it totally succeeds.

Also, Robert Ray came out yesterday during a power outage at the office and fixed my home computer. I’m not sure what all he did but I can finally access my E-mail and address book. Thankyou Robert!

We also have a new quiz here on the website. Check it out.

After the mags finally arrived, I took my old roommates, Kathy and Carole, to dinner at El Encanto. I had two margaritas (to drown my sorrows for being such a lousy artist) and a No. 1 combo ($52 Sue debit, includes tip). Laughed, cried, counted our blessings (our children aren’t in jail). Kathy and I decided to go home (Mike booked us at the Carefree Conference Resort for the weekend so we could shower, etc.). Have too much to do (like get the next cover in on time!).

Got up this morning and went up to drop off recycling. From there Kathy and I went to the laundromat next to the Circle K to wash our clothes. I haven’t been in a laundromat for probably three decades. It costs $4 to activate the washers! Wow! It took sixteen quarters! The last time I was in it was three quarters. Actually, now that I think of it that is the same spread for the coverprice of True West. Ouch!

”They have a very clean management team and they have stuck to their core competencies.”
—An energy industry analyst referring to the rapid recovery of Kinder Morgan, a pipeline company