RANDOM PIC OF THE WEEK
RELAXING ROX! The heatwave we’ve been having in Los Angeles clearly doesn’t bother Roxy! She LOVES it! She’ll find the warmest, sunniest place on the lawn and lay down to sunbathe! I can barely get her to come back inside where it’s cool!
Haunting. That’s the word I use to describe this masterpiece by Coldplay called “Trouble.” It’s been on my mind all week.
Tuesday the 3rd – HOT AS BILLY HECK! – The hotline rang at 11 with instructions to record two bits for “The Tonight Show.” I hopped out of bed, recorded them and sent them in. Then I took Roxy outside and it was ANOTHER hot day! Though it was late, our summer is definitely here to stay for awhile. Just a little later than usual. I came back inside and did some auditions and sent them to my agents. Then I drove over to McDonald’s to get some lunch-to-go and headed over to Voicecasters in Burbank to drop off a card. Then I went to NBC, recorded a few more bits and then we taped the show. After we wrapped I stopped by my mailbox to check my mail and pick up a few packages. I called my folks and talked to them on the way home, and then went inside to see the pets. I fed Spook and walked Roxy down the street. It had cooled down considerably. I did some more work inside and then napped on the couch from 8 to midnight. This hot weather really zaps my energy! When I got up I did some more auditions. Sara came over for awhile to cool off, as the AC in her apartment was on the fritz. After all of her health issues lately she really needed to relax in a cool environment. I made one of my Wally Super Salads and got ready for some TV Time before bed. I only have 3 more “Man From Atlantis” episodes left, and this episode was one of the worst. It’s called “Imp.” Out of the 13 episodes they shot, so far I’ve really only enjoyed about 4 or 5 (and two because my buddy Ted Neeley was in them!). I ordered the soon-to-be-released “Magnum P.I.” DVD set…all 8 seasons in one set! I’m going to work that in with my vintage TV show line-up that I watch before bed. As soon a “Man From Atlantis” is finished up, I’ll delve into “Kojak” season 4, and then I’ll start on “The Twilight Zone” Blu Ray set!
Wednesday the 4th – HUMP DAY! – Like Tuesday, I got a hotline call to be into NBC at 2pm, but then I got a call soon after that canceling it. Things change so rapidly in the world of television. But they said they would have a comedy bit for me to record at home later. I cuddled with Roxy on the bed for a bit, then got up to take her outside. it was another HOT day! But despite the heat, Roxy LOVES to roll over on her side and sunbathe. It’s the weirdest thing I’ve ever seen. You’d think a dog with the incredible amount of hair she has would get hot in the sun. But she’s clearly an outside dog. When she’s had enough she’ll roll over on her back, writhe and wriggle on the grass, moan in ecstasy, and get up to shake the grass and leaves off her coat. I went back inside and did some auditions, and recorded the “TS” bits that had arrived in my inbox. I figured I’d pop on my swim trunks and go for a dip. A great way to cool off! The swim was very pleasant but the sun was really bright. I went inside and got ready for work. I got to NBC, tape the show, and came back home. Sara came over to do some work. She was doing much better and recuperating wonderfully. She cheated death! After taking Roxy for a walk down the street as the cool of the evening began to spread, I came back inside and napped on the couch for a bit. I got up to do some work around the house. I notice that the filter in my A/C vent was filthy. I took the filter out and washed it out in the shower, but I started to think that it just needed to be replaced instead of cleaned. I got out several of the captain’s hats I had laying around, and attached the Captain Action logos to them. I like to make them to give out as gifts, and they’ve become very popular. I fed Roxy and walked her on our late-night stroll through the neighborhood. I made a Tombstone pizza and watched the 2nd to the last “Man From Atlantis” episode. Another bad one. I’m ready to move on to “Kojak.”
Thursday the 5th – ANTS! I GOT ANTS! – When I woke up at 11 I noticed a line of ants walking along the edge of my bathtub in my newly remodeled bathroom! It looks like they were coming in through un-caulked cracks where the new molding met the bathtub. So I called my contractor Electric Bob to have him come over and caulk up the cracks. But Bob said that he had ants too and they’re just part of life this time of year. I figured there had to be a way to get rid of them. He caulked one side and took off. And even though I killed all of the ants that remained, they were still coming in from somewhere. (And after playing two different ant characters in voice-over, as well as a super-hero who can command ants, killing ants give me a bit of a guilty conscience.) At the opposite end of the tub was yet another crack that allowed them access. I decided to get some caulk of my own later and plug up the other side of the bathtub. I went outside to walk Roxy and then came back inside to check e-mails. I headed over to the hardware store to get some caulking, some more black plastic to daylight-proof my crypt…I mean, my bedroom! I also bought a replacement A/C filter. I went over to Little Caesar’s to get some lunch, then headed over to NBC. We taped the show and I headed home to feed Spooky and walk Roxy. I did an audition for the current “Transformers” cartoon, then went upstairs to caulk the cracks and put a stop to the ant influx. I listened to a town hall meeting on KABC radio about the situation in Syria, then I bought some Wizard of Oz figures on eBay that I’ve been wanting for awhile. I swam and took a dip in the Jacuzzi, then came back in and napped. When I got up I did some work around the house, cleaned the A/C vent and replaced the filter, and VOILA! No more ants! The caulking worked! I fed and walked Roxy on our late night stroll, then came back inside to finish up some work. I made reservations at the Hyatt in Palm Springs for my upcoming stay during the next “TS” hiatus. Then I made some soup and a sandwich and headed to bed to watch the final “Man From Atlantis” episode. You know, it was actually pretty good! Isn’t that odd that they finally got it right and the show was canceled.
Friday the 6th – CRACKLING CEASED! – It was up at 11 and outside with Roxy to do her bathroom business. Another hot day in L.A., and there wasn’t any relief in sight until next week! I went inside to do a quick session for a Unisom radio commercial in my home studio. My home phone line had been crackling horribly for the past couple of weeks, but luckily I had a second line that I use for my fax machine. I took my phone and hooked it up to the secondary line and plugged in my headset. I was able to talk to the producers on the headset while I recorded the lines. The AT&T repair guy was supposed to fix the line that afternoon, but unfortunately not in time for my session. But it all worked out, and the session was really quick! I called the Hyatt in Palm Springs and talked to the acting manager Kathe, who assured me that I was booked into my favorite room at the hotel for my upcoming stay. YAY! While I was talking to her, the AT&T guy arrived and started working on the line. I got ready for work and just as I was about to leave the AT&T guy said the line was all fixed. Their line had gone bad and it was completely their fault, so it didn’t cost me a dime! I stopped by Weinerschnitzel to get some lunch, then headed over to NBC to start the show. After we wrapped I sped over to Voicecasters to audition for a Domino’s Pizza TV commercial voice-over. Then I hit It’s a Wrap to look around. I bought a bracelet and a cool purple shirt. I headed home and walked Roxy and fed Spook. I picked up my pal Brittney Powell for dinner at Jerry’s Famous Deli. When I got back I snoozed on the couch for a little bit, then got up to feed Roxy. We took our usual late night stroll around the neighborhood and came back inside to have a snack. I ate some cereal and hit the hay. I had an early session on Saturday so I needed to make sure I was rested.
Saturday the 7th – FIFTEEN YEARS?! – At noon I hopped out of bed and got ready to head over to Voice Trax West for a two hour session for Multi-Media Assemblies. It’s an organization created by Jim Hulihan that goes to schools all over America with a high-tech arena show that shows clips from popular movies and music videos, and has positive messages about staying away from drugs and alcohol, gangs, etc. Every year’s show has a theme, and this year’s was “Live Out Loud.” Jim wanted to get me in the studio on Friday but I was fully booked up, so Saturday was our only option. As we chatted we realized that I’ve been narrating these shows for about 15 years! REALLY? Where does the time go? We recorded from 1pm to 3pm, and then I dashed home to get Roxy to take her over to the groomer’s for a much-needed bath! While they bathed Roxy I talked with Terry the owner of Rusty’s Discount Pets about his new collie puppy Rusty 3. Unfortunately little Rusty grew too fast and needed to have surgery to relieve some of the pain and deformations that were happening in his joints. But little Rusty 3 was walking around getting into stuff, giving people kisses and attention. His spirit hasn’t been hurt, but his body will take about a year of therapy to be completely normal. Apparently that sometimes happens with dogs. They just grow too darn fast for their own good. I went back home to do some work around the house to prepare for movie night, and then walked back to Rusty’s at 5:30 to pick up Roxy. Little Rusty sure enjoyed seeing her, and I do believe being around her put an extra little “spring” in his step! Sara came over around 6:45 to help clean the place up for movie night, and I went out for an evening swim. The sun was going down and it was very quiet and peaceful in the pool. I was communing with nature, in a sense. A very friendly bird I’ve named “Dizzy” (for his nutty, dizzy flying pattern) came to sit with me for awhile by the pool. I also saw a bunch of hummingbirds darting around from flower to flower. They’re amazing little things. I also saw a few bees that fell in the pool and were flailing around for their lives. While I don’t pick them up with my fingers, I do cup them in my hands and throw them out of the pool. Eventually they dry off and fly away. So it was a Saturday evening with the “birds and the bees” essentially. The movie we screened was a brand new, never-before-seen documentary which many of had provided assistance with. It’s called “Starring Adam West” and it covers the two year process to get Adam West a much-deserved star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. When the 90 minute documentary was over it got a round of applause in my house. It’s really good, and Adam is hysterical in it. It combines information about Adam’s career and rise to fame, with the efforts of his fans and friends to get his name immortalized on Hollywood Boulevard’s famed sidewalk. When everyone left for the evening I grabbed a quick snooze on the couch, and then got up to do some more work around the house, putting away chairs, cleaning up, etc. Roxy had her dinner and our nightly late-night stroll through the neighborhood. It was very quiet and the stars were bright in the sky. When I got back inside I made another Wally Super Salad and enjoyed an episode of “The Saint” from the season 1 DVD boxed set!
Sunday the 8th – NEW CAMERA! NEW CAR! – That naughty Roxy was downstairs barking like crazy at 1pm and woke me out of a sound sleep. I was NOT happy. So I took her out and came back inside to fall back into bed for a few more hours. My pal and webmaster Scott Sebring had just finished up a job in Burbank and agreed to meet me at Fry’s Electronics in Burbank to help me pick out a new camcorder. Apparently the new ones don’t use tapes any longer, but rather they record video on internal memory. If you want, you can also record on removable memory with an SD card. When the card is full you download it on to your computer and burn a DVD if you want. While we found the perfect camera for my needs, we struck out trying to find a new printer. Their printer selection was awful, but the Hewlett-Packard rep that was there told us to go to Staples or Office Depot and get their model 8100. It sounded like the perfect option for me, and since he was very helpful I made it a point to support the company. So on Monday after work, I’ll do just that. We went over to Denny’s to grab an early dinner and chat about upgrades to my website, as well as the Adam West documentary we had seen the night before. I got home just in time to meet up with my pal Amanda who was in town. She wanted to show me her new car…a Ford Focus. Though it wasn’t NEW NEW, it was certainly new to her, and in great condition. The Jeep she would drive to town was barely road worthy and always had me worried when she took off down the road to head home. But this car seems perfect for her. I went inside and grabbed a quick nap, then got up to do an audition. I also uploaded a bunch of my animated characters so Scott could access them for a new graphic on my website. I fed and walked Roxy but wasn’t in the mood for TV Time. So I grabbed a bowl of cereal and hit the hay. I wanted to be rested and ready for the new week!
And how was YOUR week??!!
