March 31, 2005
I was supposed to do an intestinal permeability test this morning, after an 8-hour-fast, but I read the instructions and it is just too complicated to do on an empty stomach. Need to urinate in a tube, then drink some potent concoction, pee some more, wait two hours, put it in a freezer bag, call airborne freight, etc. Just didn’t have the patience or the stomach for it this morning.

"Remember, if you’re not going somewhere, you’re just goin'."
—Old Vaquero Saying

Funny, how everything is so relative. I was talking to a guy yesterday who owns a TV network and he told me that in the beginning he was losing $300,000 a month. This pales my own oft-told-story of fiscal hell (if you don't believe me, go click on the business timeline, above) of losing $30,000 a month when we first bought True West. As shocking as our losses were, and still are, it's comforting to know there are people losing even more, in this case ten times more. Incredible.

Last night, right at sunset, I pencilled in twin saguaros for the Papago Station painting (in fact, pencilled it in right on the painting). The giant flowers (saguaros are technically flowers, go figure) are just off my property line to the south of us and they are quite stately and unique. One arm juts out at an odd angle, repeating the same angle as Wyatt Earp's arm as he flags down the freight train at midnite. I know, I know, I’m spending way too much time on this transition scene, but I can't help it.

Had a website meeting at ten this morning with Trish and Bob Brink, Robert Ray, Meghan Saar and Samantha Somers. Good session as we critiqued the site and talked about improvements. Trish and Jason are working very hard on making the site first class and I’m appreciative of all their efforts. However, I wasn't thrilled with the starburst graphic on the home page, at top. I claimed, like the graphic snob I am, that we would never run this in the magazine. Robert Ray and I got into it (it turns out he designed it), and he bet me that we've used several in the magazine and I said, "Not in editorial," and he said, "Do house ads count," and I said, "Yes, and if you find one, I'll buy you lunch."

I owe him lunch. In fact, it was designed by Dan Harshberger.

Finished two scratchboards, one of “The Slopers,” the alleged name for gamblers who were from the West Coast, as in The Western Slope. And the other, called “One-Man-Posse” of Wyatt Earp. Speaking of posses, have you heard they're making a hip-hop Western? I'm just thrilled that they even care, or think it's important enough. Makes me proud.

"Ashton Kutcher is denying reports that his girlfriend, Demi Moore, is pregnant. The confusion was caused when someone said Moore was with child. Turns out, she was just with him."
—Jimmy Kimmel