April 20, 2008
I finished another sketchbook last night (6,130 sketches). Of course, this one has the big gap between March 23 and March 28. Man, you can see the skills take a nosedive , but I started a new sketchbook today and thanks to Kathy I whipped out some very strong little cowboys on horseback (she brought in half the newspaper and said, "Do your drawings first and I'll give you the rest of the paper.") Ha. It worked. I whipped out some nice little studies.

To be fair to her, I told her yesterday about my procrastination issues, so she was merely reacting to my whining. Ha.

Greetings Air-Tank Boy!
BBB Reading your blog, you seem to be getting stronger. Good. Finally saw There Will Be Blood. What a story, what a movie. You were right, Daniel Day-Lewis sounded like John Huston in Chinatown. Spoiler Alert: Did you think his son was really an orphan? I don't. I think after he went deaf and then wanted to leave him and start his own oil company, DDLewis character was so mean he just told him that. One of the quickest 2 1/2 hour movies I ever watched. The first 15 minutes of that movie there was not one word of dialogue. Boy, you want to get a good feeling about Hollywood movies, watch this along with No Country for Old Men and The Assaination of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford. Hey WATCH those Suns in the playoffs, first game against the reigning champs Spurs starts at high noon on Saturday. These games are better than March Madness! Stay strong, Lutheran Boy-out!
—Minnesota Mike

I hadn't talked to the Top Secret Writer in a good while, so I sent him a nice note and at the end asked him how Act III is coming on The Top Secret Project. Here's his reply:

BBB: I am delighted to receive your "How is Act 3" query! Thats my boy! Well, of course I am so distraught over your condition that I can barely function--since you are in therapy to offset the inevitable depression resulting from your episode it is up to me to face the burden unsupported. I am weighed down with depression over your situation without any damn help. Do you ever stop to think of the pain you have caused all your friends by this unfortunate dramatic episode? I think not. But do not worry about me--I have already been chided and instructed by the ladies at TW not to cause you any stress--I will soldier on! Now that you are back on me about pages I will get back to work and redouble my efforts. But I am so depressed...and the more detailed blog entries of your "episode" I read simply depresses me all the more (you actually have been taking care of yourself while my record speaks for itself--I am doomed. But then we all are--it really is the Alamo for everybody eventually). I'm so shaken I need another twinkie--washed down with my fifth beer of the evening. Glad you are feeling better--I'll get back to work. PH

He's a witty boy. A little snotty, but that's part of the charm.

Meanwhile I'm finally working up the final on the Illinois cover. I spent so much time turning it over in my mind. Gee, I wonder if my Norsky farmer relatives have any saying that goes with this thought process?

"No farmer ever plowed a field by turning it over in his mind."
—Old Norsky Saying