January 2, 2007
Woke up to clouds and a warm wind. Went up Old Stage Road in the twilight with the dogs. I've taken to wearing a Cossack hat that Kathy bought in Bolivia. It keeps my ears warm. Over the holidays I also borrowed Kathy's pink gloves and as I pedaled up the road I kept wondering why everyone I met was grinning from ear to ear ("Gee, my neighbors sure are sweet."). Then when I got back to the house, I happened to see myself in the window of the Ranger and did a double-take: "Well, hello Shishka-Bob."

Saw a bunch of movies and tried some new restaurants. Last Saturday, Kathy and I drove into the Beast and met Deena for lunch at The Sierra Bonita Grille at Seventh Street and Glendale. Joel Klasky told me about the place, and we've been threatening to go there for over a year. Man, was it a great place! Manu Chao and Dwight Yoakam was on the box (Thomas Charles turned us on to Manu Chao when we went to visit him in Costa Rica in 2000). I had a very nice glass of Chono Cabernet, 2004 Chile ($8), and a cup of Green Chile Posole, and then Carne Asada Tacos and great cowboy style pinto beans. Kathy had the Green Chile Macaroni & Cheese and a Seafood Tamale in Lobster Cream Sauce. I almost tried the Cowboy Stew, which looked very good. And we ended up splitting an Apple Cobbler ($75 cash, includes tip). We caught them between rush times (3 P.M.) so we kind of had the place to ourselves. Really enjoyed it.

Finished the Charles Schulz biography last night. Very impactful. I think Kathy is glad I'm finished with the book because I kept reading passages out loud to her, and commenting on how much the two of us, Charlie Brown, I mean Charles Schulz and I, have in common: He suffered from panic attacks, he had acne scars (and was sensitive about them), he flirted shamelessly and constantly, he hated to leave home, he was very competitive with other cartoonists, he had a huge ego, he liked Jaguars and he didn't like old age. The only thing we don't have in common is he made as much as $64 million a year, which is just a tad more than I make. Ha.

He told one of his affair honeys, Tracey, "Don't worry about money, I make $4,000 a day." Ego? Cocky? I think so.

Speaking of cash and write-offs, Kathy asked me to cull out of my Franklin Daytimer all of the 2007 cash expenditures for Sue. Here they are:

• January 3, 2007, El Encanto with George Laibe re: TV projects, $85 cash

• Dues to Los Artistas Vaqueros, $100, Sue account

• January 13, lunch at El Encanto with Kathy to discuss new book ideas, $37.50 cash

• January 20, lunch to discuss Mickey Free, Taco Tio, $17 cash

• February, 10, snacks in Wickenburg for rodeo parade, $15 cash

• February 19, Denver airport, $12.50 for snack, cash

• February 20, $5 snack box on United flight, cash

• February 20-24, cab rides in New York, $250 cash (itemized in daytimer)

• February 7, Bev haircut, $20 cash

• March 12, Mark Boardman meeting at El Encanto, $41.49 cash

• March 15, funeral in Kingman, $15.50 Cracker Barrel, cash

• March 16, took Carole to lunch, Sue acount, $40 cash

• March 20, El Encanto take-out for meeting w/ Kath on book CGIII, $20 cash

• March 26, bought stamps for postcard mailings, $24 cash

• April 1, lunch at Taco Villa to discuss CGIII, $60 cash

• April 7, lunch at El Encanto with kathy to discus Mickey Free, $25 cash

• April 10, lunch at Carefree Station to discuss book deal with Northland
Press, $18 cash

• April 19, True West staff idea meeting at Flapjack Deli, $3 cash

• April 21, lunch at Guadalajara on Central, to discuss art show, $65 cash

• April 28, lunch with Kathy at El Encanto to discuss progress of Mickey
Free, $30 cash

• May 4, fixed watch for Mickey Free reference, $60 cash

• May 4, dinner at El Enanto with Joel and Lauri and Kathy, marketing for
CGIII, $81.66

• May 17, beers at WETA meeting at El Encanto, $8 cash

• May 21, bought subscription to Illustration Magazine in England, $65 Sue
check

• May 28, lunch w/ Kathy at El Encanto to talk about Mickey Free, $24.32 Sue
check

• May 31, took Carole to lunch at Bad Donkey to discuss office management,
$35 cash

• June 1, lunch at El Conquistador to dicuss Mickey Free, $75 house account

• June 3, breakfast at Martan's in Flag with Tommy and Kath, $35 cash, on way
to speech in Prescott

• June 5, framing artwork for SASS show, $243.31 Sue check

• June 7, Big Dry Wash reference trip for CG, $9.65 coffee mug and nuts, cash

• June 8, lunch at El Rancharito in Spanish Fork, Utah on way to Helper, $15
cash

• June 10, lunch at El Conquistador with Kathy and Deena to discuss TW
business, $80. 56 Sue check

• June 14, lunch with Carole to discuss upcoming SASS art show, El Encanto, $25.19
Sue check

• June 15, more art frames for art show at SASS, $92.19 Sue Check

• June 19, trip to SASS, Chilo's in Safford, lunch, $9.50 cash

• June 19, gas at Three-Way, $40 cash (trip to SASS)

• June 20, bought Lew Jones breakfast at Alma Cafe, $15 cash. Bought dinner
for Paul Hutton at Owl Cafe, $32 cash

• June 21, bought art reference at Albuquerque Museum, $54 Sue account

• June 23, Owl Cafe, breakfast, $11.52

• June 24, trip home from SASS, bought breakfast at Earl's in Gallup, $11.05
cash

• July 5, paid Michael Feldman for more art framing, $292.33

• July 5, lunch at McGrath's at 101 studying Border's books and display for
CGIII, $30.43 Sue debit

• July 28, art supplies at Aaron Bros, $76.50 Sue debit

• July 31, rain and wash trapped me in town, ate at Tonto Bar & Grill, $33
Sue, worked on Mickey Free

• August 5, dinner at Havana Cafe with Deena and Frank, lots of talk about
Source Book placement, $37 Sue account

• August 7, bought art reference in Managua, Nicaragua, $22.95

• August 9, Art Museum and art reference in Leon, Nicaragua, $25 cash

• August 15, Super Shuttle home (lost keys), $50 cash

• August 21, lunch at Matador, with Kathy to discuss new book idea, $35.16
cash

• August 25, Bamboo Club, pre-book signing meeting, Kathy and Deena, $41 cash

• September 7, trip to Ridgeway for True Grit Days, $20 cash for breakfast at
Martan's in Flag, $5 cash for Squirt and nuts in Kayenta

• September 8, late dinner in hotel with Jason Strykowski, $45 cash

• September 9, bought reference books in Telluride bookstore, $104, plus $6
for lunch at Baked In Telluride (Bakery).

• September 17, haircut, Bev, $20 cash

• October 19, trip to Kingman for Beale Days Parade, $25 lunch in Wickenbrug,
cash, dinner in Kingman, $55 Sue account

• October 20, gas in Wikenburg, $31.95, Sue account, dinner at El Encanto
Dos, $79 Sue account

• October 24, dinner with Hawkins re: trade for apartment and artwork, $185
Sue account

• October 27, dinner at Outback Steakhouse with Deen and Frank, $55 Sue
account

• November 11, dinner at Manuel's on Bell with kathy to discuss new book
idea, $56.90 Sue account

• November 15, breakfast at Dinner Bell in Prescott with Paul Hutton to work
on Mickey Free project, $20 cash

• November 16, Sharlott Hall Museum, books for Mickey Free reference, $23 Sue
account

• November 18, dinner at El Encanto Dos with kathy to discuss progress on
Mickey Free, $50 Sue Account

• December 4, haircut from Bev, $20 cash

• December 6, trip to Vegas and SASS show. Riviera Hotel doorman, $25 cash
tip. Dinner at Capital Grille on Strip with Hutton, $150 Sue account

• December 8, dinner at Luxor Hamburger place with the Waters and Huttons, $103 Sue account

"All glory comes from daring to begin."
—Eugene F. Ware