January 5, 2005
We really got hit with a wall of rain in the last 24 hours. One drowning, road closures, washes ripping, even a couple funnel clouds spotted south of here. I woke up this morning to Buddy Boze Hatkiller sitting outside our bedroom door barking. And barking. I had a rough night and a hard time getting out of bed. Maybe I need some Rodney Dangerfield to put everything in perspective (got these from Dan Harshberger):

• With my dog I don't get no respect. He keeps barking at the front door. He don't want to go out. He wants me to leave.

• Last week I saw my psychiatrist. I told him, "Doc, I keep thinking I'm a dog." He told me to get off his couch.

• I worked in a pet store and people kept asking how big I'd get.

There. I feel better already.

Brought in a ton of art reference for the Drew's Station gunfight. Didn’t get to it until after five. Had a nice talk with Brittany, who works hard on the phones, is a real trouble shooter up front. Found out her passion is music (she just wrote her first music review for us on Darryl Dodd, a Texas Country artist). When I asked Brittany if she likes the music we feature in True West she said, "Not really. My grandmother does though. She’s sixty." Let's see, I thought to myself, that's someone who is two years older than me. Hmmmmm. Technically, I could have dated her grandmother (and if given half the chance I probably still would). Brit's favorite musicians are, in no particular order: George Strait, Nora Jones, Sarah McLaughlin, Def Leopard and Josh Groban (an opera singer). Quite eclectic for a Young Buckessa from Amarillo.

Sun finally came out. Warmed up a bit. Office quite busy. Went over cash flow with RG and then with Bob Brink and Dave Daiss and Carole Glenn. Growing pains. According to Hawken, almost the worst thing that can happen to a young business is explosive growth because it blinds you to problems until it's sometimes too late (everything speeds up and at the same time you are lulled into thinking it's going to continue to come in). Slow and sustained growth is the healthiest, and we are not far from there. Still it creates sleepless nights (I woke up at 12:30, RG at 2:30 and Dave Daiss at 3:30. Bob Brink, for some reason, slept like a baby.)

"I fear there will be no future for those who do not change."
—Louis L'Amour