October 7, 2004
Mad Coyote Joe, Sr. came in the office today to tell me about Joe, Jr's medical status. With tears in his eyes he told me the grueling hospital drama and that the family was told several times that Joe was going and to get ready for the end. Then after the weekend and some major surgery, Joe, Jr. came out of a drug induced cloud and this morning he called Fender to send up a guitar because he was bored. His father said, "He's Joe this morning." I called the young one after lunch and we had a great talk. I'm going down to the hospital tomorrow to visit. Joe wants to write a book on the ordeal, telling me, "I'm supposed to have 18 feet of small intestine. I have three. The hospital staff told me they have all these kids coming in here for gastric bypass and I need to get this story out." I’m sure he will.

Took Sue Lambert and Abby Pearson to lunch today at the new Flapjack joint ($35, includes tip, chicken caesar salad, cup of homemade soup and iced tea). Food was just okay. Good talking to them about the biz and their lives. Both are hard workers and solid citizens.

Talked to Jeff Hidlebrandt at the Westerns Channel this afternoon. Told him about a funny incident last Monday. I had checked into the Crown Westin in Kansas City and as I got into the elevator to go up to my room I was joined by a middle-aged black woman and her statuesque daughter (who looked like a beauty queen and I assumed they must be having some pageant at the hotel). As the elevator started to rise, I could feel the woman staring at me and I looked over at her and said, "Hi." She suddenly blurts out, "You’re Bob Boze Bell!" and I say, "Excuse me, do I know you?" And she says, "I’m from Arkansas and we see you every day on the Westerns Channel." So we laughed and laughed and I gave her a True West as two construction type guys get on. The woman is still jumping up and down, "It’s really you! You’re him!" and then they get off at their floor and now it’s just me and the two burly guys and one of them says out of the side of his mouth, "So you must be famous." And I say, as we all look at the floor indicator changing numbers, "Not really. I don’t know what got into her."

"Tact is the ability to describe others as they see themselves."
—Abraham Lincoln