November 4, 2005
Actually nippy out this morning. Took a quick bike ride up Old Stage Road with the dogs at about seven. Had on a sweatshirt and it was still downright chilly. Pretty morning though. Pink highlights tipped the forehead of Skull Mountain, making it mighty pretty.

After breakfast I bailed into three images for Classic Gunfights. Two scratchboards and a gouache. So-so results. I’m still way too rusty, but I’m on deadline and I can’t dilly dally. Ran everything up to Robert Ray at 11 and he scanned it and is working on the layout even as I type this (1:55 pm).

Waiting for him I ran up to Cowboy Legacy Gallery to drop off a painting that needed to be signed. Big art crowd up in Carefree for a weekend festival that starts today.

I’ve got a speech conflict on December first. George Laibe is setting up a big event in Las Vegas at the SASS (Single Action Shooters) convention on that day. I’ll be the keynote speaker, big book signing and other high roller stuff. As I went to put the date in my daytimer last night I realized I have a speech for all 50 of the Attorneys Generals of the United States down at the Biltmore at 10:30 on the same day. George insisted I cancel the speech, but I had to tell him, "Hey, they’re paying me $500 and I already cashed the check." Now George wants me to see if I can move the speech earlier, and fly to Vegas on a private plane (there goes my $500 fee!). It’s just too important, he says (George is used to working with Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings, so police escorts and private lear jets are everyday logistics to him). Stay tuned.

Eric from 24-Hour Car Care came out this morning and started the ‘49 Ford. He had to get new spark plug cables because those dang pack rats ate clean through every one! Really irritating. Eric is bugged with me for letting the classic old car get this bad, but I told him he’s not half as bugged as my dad, who’s not even alive, but I can feel his frustration and can hear his booming voice, "You better start taking care of that car, Kid," which is funny because he hated to be called "kid," but he called me kid all the time. Likewise, I call Thomas "cowboy" but that’s equally ridiculous. The cowboy just got a job as a nurse’s aid in a mental hospital in New York City (he started Monday). Kathy and I are having dinner with ex-New Yorkers, the Tumelos tonight. Mrs. Tumelo was instrumental in getting our cowboy the gig.

Speaking of the Big Apple, I just heard from Crown Books in New York about the rumor that our Amazing Tales book has sold out. Maria at Crown Emailed me, "I just got word that a reorder has been placed for New York stores. In the meantime, they got some additional inventory to hold them over until the order comes in, so any stores that didn't have the book in stock should be all set now."

More gay feedback, but I'll spare you that donnybrook until later.

“Progress is not created by contented people.”
—Frank Tyger