November 24, 2004
At approximately 3:30 yesterday afternoon, Samantha sold the 1,000th True West Maniac Club membership. Everyone came out of their workspace and applauded. Some of us did a victory lap. What a thrill! We have decided to extend the lifetime subscription offer up to 1,100 because there were so many spouse memberships (spouses of the Maniac member get a number for a small additional fee). So if you want the lifetime deal don't dilly dally, because it'll be gone before the end of the year. It is the ultimate gift for someone who loves the West.

Yesterday I made the commitment of finishing the writing of my book by December 3rd (a week from this Friday) by putting up a crisp $100 bill as collateral. As promised, the results have been immediate. For example, this morning I woke up at five, brimming with ideas and tasks I wanted to accomplish on the book. I went out to the studio at six and started a fire in the stove, and did five sketches of potential scenes I want to include in the book, took the dogs for a walk down to the creek. It was quite foggy and Southern California looking out as the big storm that hit us three days ago lingers over the high Sonoran Desert.

Got into the office at eight, had several meetings with the staff regarding goals and morale. I should give Bob Davies another plug, since it's his concept that Carole stumbled across on the internet. Here's his basic philosophy:

1) I do what I say I will do
2) I am better as a part of a team than alone
3) Accountability-I am the source of all that I experience

And here's his website address: www.bobdavies.com

At 10:40 I bailed into the book and did an inventory of holes to fill. I came up with 28 copy holes that need to be fleshed out, and I have eight days to do it, so that's about four a day I need to accomplish. Not going to be easy, but I have a goal and I intend to meet it. I'll keep an honest appraisal of my progress as we go along. One of my liabilities is that we're going into Thanksgiving and I have all of the usual family obligations, etc., but I need to perform around those distractions. Or, make up for it on the weekend.

Tomcat is coming down from Flag at one today. I’m going to shoot video and stills of him and Jake the Flake utilizing that picket fence I borrowed the other day.

"Procrastination and worry are the twin thieves that will try to rob you of your brilliance, but even the smallest action will drive them from your camp."
—Gil Atkinson