May 10, 2004
Kathy assures me she had a very nice Mother’s Day. I caught myself several times starting to get cheap—”Hey, if we stop at Petsmart and I stay in the car, you’re not going to shop for three hours are you?”. Instead, I stopped, took a deep breath, and said, “Sure, I’ll sit in the heat with the kitten and you can go inside. Take your time.”

When she wanted to know if I would go out and look at the chicken house and see if it could be moved, I said, “Of course! It’s Mother’s Day!” Funny how a little fake attitude can make someone’s day. What if I did that every day? Naw. Too easy.

Made pancakes at Grandma Betty’s for E.J., ‘Cedes, Brad, Kathy and the guest of honor. Fun. Got home at about two. Took a nap.

Here comes the Betty Page news. First the good news, she’s alive. Got this e-mail from Bob Westinicky in Mesa, Arizona: “Thought you might find the attached pic interesting. It’s from Betty Page's 80th birthday party thrown by old Hef himself. Note the bangs. Rumor has it that a Betty Page bio-pic is coming with Liv Tyler playing the part.”

A correction from Dan Buck and an endorsement of HBO’s Deadwood:
“Department of bad math (a department I chair): 112,000 is four percent of 2.93 million, not ten percent. All you need to get 2.93 million Google hits, by the way, is to have your underwear arrested. I agree with you about Deadwood. Annie and I are hooked.”

For all of you who think that running a magazine and being on tv is a glorious and groovy thing (which it is), here’s a warning shot. Today I received the following letter from a former little league teammate:

Bob,
I once thought you were my friend, Bob. But I guess I was wrong about that. Both my parents held you in high regard. But then again, they never new (sic) the real you. The "actor", with many faces. Where did the Robert Bell that I knew, where did he go? Guess you got all the friends you need. Don't fall off your mountain. . .

“It's not good to make sentimental journeys. You see the differences instead of the sameness.”
—Mary Astor