April 10 – April 16 (2017) – Wally On The Web

RANDOM PIC OF THE WEEK

As a certified Moon Fan, here’s something you just never see…the FAR side of the moon!

Well… my obsession with 1260AM Oldies continues. And my tastes even wander into the semi-absurd. “Lipstick On Your Collar” by Connie Francis has been this week’s earworm. Check out the video! The good old days!

Monday the 10th – FUNDAY MONDAY! – It’s always great meeting my old pal Ken Dennis for lunch. Ken was the Supervising Producer of “Family Guy” for the first three seasons. He and I produced two pilots together and we love to get together and talk trash about the world and more specifically, the state in which we live. After lunch I hit the post office to mail a package, stopped by my mailbox to get my packages and mail, got the Mustang washed and waxed, stopped by Enterprise to get my SUV reserved for my upcoming Palm Springs trip (YAY!), picked up a check at Studiopolis, and then put the Mustang in my auxiliary garage and took the Torino out for a spin. I got home to feed the pets, grab a short nap, and then got up to do my nightly auditions. I made soup and a sandwich and watched another episode of “Love American Style” before bed. Fun!

Tuesday the 11th – AND THAT’S THE ‘TOOTH’! – At 11:30 I was at my dentist’s office to have a conversation about the issues I’ve been having with my teeth, and the infection which resulted in awful sinus issues over the past month and a half. We went over the whole history together and forged a plan for what we should do for the future. I’m religious about getting my semi-annual dental checks and cleanings, which is probably a good thing considering he said the two teeth that were affected (#14 and #15) were structurally sound and probably could go without needing crowns for a long time. #14 already has a crown, so he would most likely just fill it once the Endodontist is finished with his work. #15 is a real tooth, and he most likely would just fill that as well. He said they’re both solid teeth, and the only reason he recommends crowns is when the tooth needs additional fortification. So be sure to take care of your teeth! I drove over to Lancers to have lunch with my old pal Chris. I’ve known Chris since 1986 in South Dakota and consider him a brother, so it’s always fun to get together and catch up on the news. I stopped by the auto parts store and picked up the proper bulb for my Torino’s dome light. It’ll be good to have a dome light again, since from the time I got the car back both the bulb and the lens were missing. But I’ve replaced them both. When I walked back to the Torino there was a guy taking a ton of pictures of it (which isn’t uncommon). Whenever I drive that car I know that I’ll most likely have no less than four full conversations about it during the course of the day. But Carl was telling me that he had a stroke back in 2009 and went completely blind. Over the years he improved and got his sight back. MIRACULOUS! I enjoyed talking to him immensely. I went to the alarm store to see about matching my alarm clicker, since the other one of the original pair went missing the theft of the car back in 2016. Now that I’m assembling a duplicate set of keys to keep hidden, it’s necessary to get a copy of the alarm clicker too. But I’ve thus far been unable to find the exact model, so I may have to get a whole new alarm system. But the alarm that’s on it now (while totally efficient) is about 8 years old and probably should be replaced anyway. On the way home I stopped by the Burbank Auto Doctor and asked them about fixing the loose fit of my passenger door and about the intermittent starter problems I’ve been having. The guys there loved the Torino and they said they had K.I.T.T. in there for repair just a few days earlier. I told them my pal Nate Truman had a K.I.T.T. car and they said it was him! If Nate goes there, I know I’m in good hands with the Torino. They said I needed a new striker and bushing on the passenger side, and the starter may need a rebuild as it sounded like the brushes were old. I told them I’d bring it in the next day and leave it for repair. I stopped at Baskin-Robbins on the way home for some ice cream, and a guy came out of a gym next door and started conversing about the Torino. Conversation 1) Carl. Conversation 2) The alarm guys. Conversation 3) The auto repair shop Conversation 4) The gym guy. Yup, four conversations every time I drive it. Like clockwork. I headed home and did some work before I grabbed a short nap. I got up at 10 and Sara came over so we could go to Coral and grab a bite to eat. I was kind of out of it for a while, but after I got some food in my stomach I started to come around. And bacon and eggs always perks me up! The rest of the night went very well as I did my nightly auditions. By the time the dawn was breaking and it was time for me to slip in to my vampiric coffin, I made some of my famous Buffalo Mac and watched another “Love American Style” episode before bed.

Wednesday the 12th – I’M A SEBRING-ETTE! – My pal and webmaster Scott Sebring came over just after 1 to record me singing some back-up vocals for his new album. It was a lot of fun, and it’s only the second singing session I’ve ever done in my home studio. The first one was a faux commercial jingle for a “Tonight Show” bit many years ago. When we finished he followed me to the Burbank Auto Doctor so I could drop off the Torino. Then he took me back home so I could get my Mustang out to drive for the next couple of days. I hit Jack in the Box for some food to go and then got home to make a travel list for my upcoming vacation! After a short nap, I did my nightly auditions, prepared a bank deposit, and then made some dinner and watched the final episode of “Love American Style” from the first season DVD set. I’m really going to miss this show, as the other seasons aren’t available (legally) on DVD. As much as I don’t support the bootleg industry, I may have to locate a set of bootlegs to see the other seasons. But I’d be HAPPY to buy the real ones if they existed. DO YOU HEAR ME PARAMOUNT??!!

Thursday the 13th – BY THE HAIR OF MY CHINNY…CHIN CHIN! – Sleeping in felt really good. I got up later in the afternoon and had lunch at Chin Chin with my assistant Sara. I went to the bank to drop off a deposit, and then went back home to do some work and grab a nap. My left sinus is feeling much better and I think it’s honestly really over! Whew! It was a long, awful ordeal. When I got up later in the evening I did my auditions, drove to Denny’s to get some food to go, and came home to start the second season of “The Monkees” on Blu Ray. I hate to say it, but the first two episodes were rather disappointing. It’s almost like they forgot how to make Monkees episodes during their hiatus.

Friday the 14th – A GOOD, GOOD FRIDAY! – When I woke up at 2 I called the Burbank Auto Doctor to inquire about the Torino and it was all fixed and ready to go! I got a ride over from my neighbor Caroline, and the mechanic said my car had the ORIGINAL starter in it. It just needed a small rebuild and it was good to go. And it’s great not having my passenger-side door rattle and wobble when I drove down the street. I took Caroline and Sara to Tallyrand for lunch. It’s a total old-school diner in Burbank and the food is delicious! We had a lot of fun with the environment, and enjoying the great eats. My pal Dan Roebuck’s daughter Grace works there so it was nice to see her. And my old friend Art from “The Tonight Show” was there, so it was good catching up with him as well. When the guy at the table next to us stood up to leave he put on a cap. The cap read VETERAN: WW2, KOREA, VIET NAM. I just had to meet him! He said he enlisted for World War 2 when he was 17! He said he also served in Laos and Cambodia, but there wasn’t room enough on the cap! It was great meeting him and his son Joe. I drove to get my mail at my box, and then I stopped by my church for some meditation. On Good Friday the church elders host a prayer vigil in the chapel from 7a to 7p. I got home to feed the pets, and then went to get some groceries. I put the Mustang back in the auxiliary garage so I could drive the Torino for a few more days. I got home to do some random work around the house, and then Sara came over to do some work. I fed Roxy and took her on our late-night stroll through the neighborhood. I made some spaghetti and watched two more Monkees episodes. They too were pretty bad. Uh oh…

Saturday the 15th – 70’S HEAVEN! – Mid-afternoon I took Roxy out for a potty break and ended up talking to two of my neighbors; Caroline and Susan. They had their dogs out too so we all let the dogs play for a while as we chatted. Caroline was telling Susan about the place where we had eaten the previous day. Her raves got Susan thinking about one of her favorite places; Paty’s. I told her I go to Paty’s at least once a week. As we chatted I was getting hungry. So we all agreed to meet at 5 and I would drive us in the Torino to Paty’s. Sara joined us there as well. For them it was an early dinner, but for me it was more like a late breakfast. They loved riding in the Torino and cuddling up next to my Hutch mannequin for selfies. While I blared 70’s music on the stereo as we drive, I stopped at the McDonald’s drive-thru for ice cream cones. The girls were enjoying the retro experience, and Susan said she felt like she was in high school again. I love hearing that. They were completely and utterly joyous! Pure joy! When I took them home we ended up sitting outside Caroline’s garage for a bit just listening to the rest of the 70’s music I had on my CD. Then I went inside to get a nap, and when I got up later I got my Jesus costume ready for the Easter Walk the following morning. I made my traditional Saturday Night Super Salad and watched an episode of “Hee Haw.”

Sunday the 16th – EASTER OUSTER! – Because of a recent plumbing issue in the lower level of our church, the schedule for this year’s Easter Walk was a lot different than usual. Normally my call time to play Jesus was 8:45. But this year they did it an hour later to accommodate all the kids who were displaced by the unfortunate event. So my call time was 9:45 so the Easter Walk could begin at 10:15. I got dressed and ready to do the job. My “adopted grandma” Shirley was there and when the Easter Walk was over we went upstairs to have breakfast at the Youth Pancake Breakfast. Then I walked home on a gorgeous, sunny spring morning. I did a little work and slept for a few hours. I got up in time for evening church, so I grabbed Roxy and we walked over to the service. I saw some old friends I hadn’t seen in a while and it was great catching up. Shirley and I walked to my house to make dinner plans. Sara’s sister Heather was in town before catching her Monday morning flight to Italy, so I took all three gals to Tallyrand for their Easter dinner in the Torino. What fun. Between Sara spending time with her sister and me seeing old friends at church, it was like a beautiful reunion Easter. But while we were at dinner, my head started feeling stuffy. I stopped taking all medications over a week ago (Mucinex, Advil, etc.) in an effort to detox. But my left sinus still is a bit “tingly,” and my head was feeling stuffy. I was convinced the whole sinus thing was over, but maybe it still needs more time to fully recover. Rats, and just when I thought I was in the clear! I came home to take a couple of Advil and grab a nap. I got up later to do a few auditions, and then I made some “Sloppy Sliders.” While I was walking to church my pal Officer Mark and his girlfriend Connie drove up to say hi. They were on their way to drop off some delicious dinner rolls from Polly’s Pies. They had just returned from their vacation in D.C. and couldn’t stay long. So I took the opportunity to use the dinner rolls later for my Sloppy Sliders; Sloppy Joe’s made with Lloyd’s barbecued shredded beef…but small versions. They were delicious! Luckily the next few episodes of “The Monkees” were great.

And how was YOUR week??!!

PIX FROM THE WEEK