Bonus Blog: September 14, 2004
Had to go without coffee or food until 11 this morning. Had a blood test in town, but had a staff meeting at 8:30. Did okay until about 10, got rather cranky, killed a couple of our best production people (at least in my head). Funny how much body chemistry has to do with our well-being. By the time I got out of the blood test the world seemed pretty black and bleak. Stopped at Village Inn for breakfast ($10 cash, huevos rancheros—I know, what was I thinking?—two cups of coffee). Got back to office at 11:30. Dug out of the pile on my desk, or at least tried to.

The reenactments they do in Northfield of the Jesse James robbery are quite dangerous. Several horsemen were hurt on Saturday when we were there. One horse went down on the slick pavement (Ouch!) and another rider caught a thumb and sprained it, but none of the riders could top oldtimer Wayne Eddy, who came by our author tent and regaled us with his many legendary injuries. He has performed in the bank robbery reenactments for 30 years and is a town character. The most amazing story he told was the time he was portraying Bill Chadwell, and was supposed to fall off his horse onto the pavement. He did so successfully, but as he hit the pavement his gun went off, in his holster and ignited all the other chambers and then proceeded to ignite all the bullets in his gunbelt, with them firing all the way around his waist. He got up and started running with fire and smoke coming from his midsection, and of course, the audience thought it was all part of the act (“Oh, look honey a Younger clown.”) and started laughing and applauding as he ran around screaming for help. They got him to the hospital and he had second degree burns all up and down the “inner gluteous fold,” otherwise known as the crack area. Now here’s the amazing part: he was back in the saddle for the next performance, only when he pulled back his duster he had a fire extinguisher on each hip. Ah, those oldtimers. Either they were hardier, or they’re better liars, I can’t quite figure out which.

The streets of Northfield filled up five times on Saturday, packed to the gills. They get 250,000 people over the entire weekend, rain or shine. I took photos from the basement stairwell and I’ll post a few up here so you can get an idea of the spectacle.

Got a new question up right here on the website. Do you think Wyatt Earp is overrated? Yes/No (click here)
Worked until around 5:30, went to bank. Tomcat is coming back from Rocky Point and is bringing homemade tortillas with him.

“Life itself is the proper binge.”
—Julia Child