September 10, 2006
Encountered another big rattler, this time a Coon-tailed Mohave, which slithered into our Arizona Rose Bush as Lou Cady, Jr. and I were breaking up the link cactus and replanting the limbs late this afternoon. We got nine in the ground at various places in the front yard, when I looked over and saw something moving along the ground. That curtailed the replanting urge and we came inside.

My mother has asked me ten times, "Aren't you going to kill it?" And each time I say, "Nah, they only attack mothers who ask the same question over and over."

Not really. But she keeps asking.

Last night I took Mom and Lou up to Cartwright's, the most expensive steakhouse in Cave Creek, for dinner (a certain someone who I sleep with said, "You must really feel guilty."). It was actually my pleasure. Lou said he wanted a steak and I thought to myself, "Thanks to you I don't have to clean out a certain person's diaper, and if I bought a $35 steak every night you are here, I'm still getting the better deal." They loved it. Bill was $113 plus $25 tip (the owner came over and told my mother what a wonderful son she has, so that spiked the tip, and rightfully so).

This morning we drove down to The Good Egg at Scottsdale Road and Thunderbird to meet Deena for brunch ($38, plus $7 tip, I bought). She's flying out this afternoon to give a financial presentation to The Los Angeles Times group. They are going to tape her, and then broadcast it to all their affiliates.

On the way back out from Scottsdale I stopped at Aaron Brothers and bought some more art supplies. Bought the most expensive watercolor paper (Arch 300 lb.) at $15 a sheet, got eight sheets, plus several more watercolor tablets (I like them because they are cheap and it frees me to be more bold), plus a new Crimson Dual Winsdor Newton brush ($10) a number of sharpies, a new 14-well mixing palette. Came to $189.14 (and that's with a $15.49 discount). I guess I am feeling flush because we sold one of my very best Davy Crockett paintings online last week. Why one of my Alamo buddies didn't buy it, I'll never know. It was a steal at $450. All I can say is, someone has excellent taste and they got a smokin' deal. Here it is:









"If it was just me, simple old David from Tennessee, I might drop over that wall some night, take my chances. But that Davy Crockett feller, they're all watchin' him."
—David Crockett (Billy Bob Thorton, in The Alamo)