February 10 – February 17 (2014)

RANDOM PIC OF THE WEEK

I love this pic! It’s SO true!

I just discovered “Little Star” by Madonna recently while dubbing some old home movies for my parents. What a great song! And I haven’t been able to stop humming it.

Monday the 10th – WRITING, ARCHIVING, AND MORE WRITING! – I got up around 2 and walked Roxy. Then I went back to bed for a little while longer because I had been up so late the night before. Curse my vampirism! When I finally got up to start the day I set about writing my “Ride of a Lifetime” piece for my website. Then I finished up Wally’s Week and sent it over to my webmaster Scott Sebring. I took a dip in the Jacuzzi but my two duck friends weren’t in the pool to accompany me. I came back inside and grabbed a nap on the couch. The previous whirlwind had really taken it out of me. Now it’s time to relax and catch up. When I got up I did a ton of auditions, went through my bank statements, filed some receipts for taxes, and started the arduous task of clearing out some old 3 ring binders so I can archive all my “Tonight Show” scripts. First I have to organize them in order of dates (four and a half years’ worth!) then I put them one after the other in page protectors in 3 ring binders that will go into my storage. I made a pizza and watched another “Mannix” episode, then hit the hay around 8am.

Tuesday the 11th – TUESDAY ON THE MOVE! – Shortly after noon I heard Roxy scratching at my bedroom door. I let her in and we cuddled on the bed for a while. I walked her and gave her a treat, then came back inside and answered texts, e-mails and phone messages. I went over to JoAnn’s Fabrics to pick up some items including a black cord to restrain my blackout curtain in my bedroom. I installed a hook on the side of one of my cabinets, so when I draw back the curtain to let light in I can easily secure it. I went over to Prints Charm’n to approve some photos that I am going to need for an upcoming promotional mailer. I’m giving out really nifty aluminum drink tumblers with a plastic outer sleeve. Between the plastic sleeve and the aluminum receptacle inside, you can slip in custom artwork. My pal Scott Sebring put together a terrific graphic of seven of my animated characters. I’m going to mail them out to producers, directors, casting directors and writers to let them know my schedule is now clear of all “Tonight Show”-related time conflicts, and I’m ready to work. The old saying goes…”You’ve got to spend money to make money.” The tumblers will have extra little surprises inside as well, including all my new demos on a neat little flash drive. I went to the cleaners to pick up my freshly cleaned tux shirt, then I stopped by my mailbox to get my mail. I stopped by Fast Frame to lay out my commemorative “Tonight Show” framed piece. It’ll be awesome and feature the pic of Jay and I, the group photo of the entire crew, a commemorative ticket to the final show, my door card, and a screen-used logo card. Then I headed home to get ready for dinner with my pals Brittney and Edi. When we were finished I did my auditions and headed to bed to watch another “Mannix” episode. I have to be up early Wednesday for a “Sonic Boom” session…the new Sonic the Hedgehog cartoon.

Wednesday the 12th – A REAL PAIN IN THE GLASS! – Shortly after noon I walked over to Studiopolis to do 8 episodes for the new “Sonic Boom” cartoon, which will air on Cartoon Network in the fall. I had just walked Roxy and the leaf blower guys were out blowing all that junk everywhere. My allergies were killing me! But the session with Director Jack Fletcher was AWESOME! What fun! It was the first time I could actually enjoy a session without having to constantly look at the time on my phone to see if I was running late for “The Tonight Show,” or if a comedy bit had come in that I needed to record. In one episode I did several versions of the same character…almost like clones in a way. It was great! When we finished up I walked home and it was a warm, beautiful day. I took Roxy out for a bathroom break and came back inside to do some work on the computer. A pair of very expensive headphones that I ordered on eBay was supposedly delivered to my house last week, but I never found them. The website tracking number said it had been delivered last Wednesday. Have they been stolen off my porch? Are there thefts in the complex? I get all of the other packages my mail lady leaves for me, but not this one. So I have to file claims and all sorts of sundry things. I’ll have to put on my detective had and do a little investigating I guess. I took a dip in the Jacuzzi and then grabbed a nap. I got up to do some work in the garage. I want to start filing all of my “Tonight Show” and “Jay Leno Show” scripts in binders and store them away for posterity. I thought maybe having Roxy out in the garage to hang with me would be fun, but I decided not to. The first order of business was to move a large 7 foot by 3 foot pane of glass from one end of the garage to the other, so I could gain access to my underground storage area. It was the glass that was in my main Andy Kaufman display. I took the glass down over Christmas because I no longer liked the way it looked. The glass would get foggy and would need a good cleaning every so often. A real pain. Plus none of my other displays have glass in front of them, so the Kaufman display didn’t match any of the other stuff in Planet Wallywood. As I tipped the glass on its side to stash it behind my trash cans, it shattered in my hands into a million pieces! I couldn’t believe what just happened! I just stood there staring at it in disbelief. WHAT HAPPENED?! I noticed my hands were sticky and I looked down to see that they were bleeding. First order of business, go upstairs and bandage the cuts, then find the rubber gloves to protect them. (I normally wear rubber gloves when working in the garage anyway, but for some reason I didn’t tonight.) I put band-aids on all the cuts, then found the box of rubber gloves. Now came the arduous task of cleaning up the million pieces of glass all over my garage. Thank God I moved my car out of the garage to give me some room to work and THANK GOD I hadn’t had Roxy come out to hang with me! I found a box and a thick plastic bag. I put the bag in the box and started sweeping and scooping the glass into the bag. It took over an hour, but I finished it up. I also vacuumed twice to make sure the floor was clear. Now it was time to start organizing the scripts. I heard Roxy pawing at the garage door, so I figured it was safe now to let her come in and run around. But she started whining and crying. Had she gotten some glass in her paw? Luckily no. But unfortunately her tummy was upset and she started puking all over my garage. Well, my garage floor got a good cleaning that night! But it was all stomach bile, so I knew that even though I had just given her some food a few hours earlier, she was hungry. This night was turning into a total bust. So I called it a night and came back inside. I made a salad and watched an episode of “Mannix” on the Season 7 DVD set.

Thursday the 13th – MANNIX E MANO! – I stopped by Prints Charm’n to pick up my new postcards, and look at the proof for my tumblers. The paper that I had them printed on is a new metallic paper that really makes the colors pop. But unfortunately for my purposes, it made everything a shade darker than the artwork. So I have to have them lighten the print a little bit and re-do it. But when they’re finished they’ll be awesome! Then I drove over to the house of actor Mike Connors, he played Mannix in the TV series of the same name. He was going to show me the remaining sport jackets he kept from the show. These are custom-tailored, screen-used sport jackets he wore in the TV show, and I bought the remaining four. Not only are they great vintage jackets, they’re HIS! We had a great time sitting around his amazing house, chatting and telling stories. I told him I’d take him and his wife Mary Lou out for lunch in a week or two. I popped the top of my Mustang and headed back home to do some work. I sorted more scripts, and welcomed my friends James and Cynthia Braddock over for a bit. They came to pick up my video camera for the upcoming Dr. Who convention. When they left I grabbed a dip in the Jacuzzi and a nap. When I got up I did my auditions, and then kept filing more “TS” scripts. I still have my new voice-over demos to edit, but before I can tackle the future, I need to put away the past. When I get all of the stuff I acquired during my four plus years at “TTS” safely tucked away in a waterproof container in my underground storage, I can start on my next project. While I worked away I started craving a Chef Boy Ar Dee pizza in a box. So I made one and watched another “Mannix” episode!

Friday the 14th – HAPPY V.D.! – Today was the day I was due at NBC to turn in my final paperwork so I can get my “separation” check. Thanks to Jay’s influence, NBC is paying the entire staff their full salary through September 2014. So the staff could help with the loadout, many of them worked this entire week. When I walked into the studio it was odd. The set was three-fourths demolished. Even the bleachers were torn down to their original plywood. It was sad, but in some way fascinating at the same time. Some of the guys gave me a few pieces off the set…a wood frame piece and one of the ornaments that adorned the columns underneath the main arch, between which Jay walked out to greet the audience for four years. All the editing bays are bare, the video booth is bare, the audio booth is bare, but everyone seemed to be in a jovial mood. They also gave me the little cover that fits over the red light bulb that flashes when a voice-over session was in progress. I walked around the building giving final hugs and handshakes, and then I hit the road. I have to go back in a week to pick up my final check, then that’s all, folks. I went over to my accountant’s office to get ready to file this year’s taxes. Because I became incorporated last year under Planet Wallywood Inc. it should be a lot easier than usual. Afterwards I hit Taco Bell for lunch, and then went to Studiopolis in Burbank to record another few “Naruto” episodes. When we finished up I stopped by It’s a Wrap to see what was on sale. Since it was Valentine’s Day all of their tuxedos and evening gowns were 75% off. I bought a complete tuxedo…jacket, shirt and pants for $55! Then I headed to Guns Direct to pick up my new Sig Sauer model P238 compact .380. The talk around the store was the new ruling by the US Circuit Court of Appeals out of San Francisco that stated that California has been far too restrictive on its issuance of conceal and carry permits. Which is great news! I’ve been toying with applying for one for a few years now, but never got around to it. Before, California would make you prove why you needed a conceal and carry permit. But the court says that’s unconstitutional. So now’s my chance. I guess I would need to go to the local Sheriff’s office to apply. I’m going to take all my documentation, along with a print-out of the story on-line about the court’s ruling. You don’t ask, you don’t get, right? I stopped by Albertson’s to get some groceries and then headed home. I fed Roxy and Spook, and walked Roxy. Then I made some phone calls, took a dip in the Jacuzzi, worked on the computer for a spell, and took a nap on the most comfortable couch in the universe. When I got up I finished some of my computer work, fed and walked Roxy, and continued to file away my “TS” scripts. I got all the way through 2011 and have 2 binders full. I still need to get through 2012 and 2013. It’s tedious work, but it’s going well. I made some soup and a sandwich and hit the hay to watch another “Mannix” episode. When I walked Roxy just before we went to bed at 9am I saw my little duck friends. They sure are beautiful. I love seeing them this time every year.

Saturday the 15th – SATURDAY NIGHT LIFE! – It felt good to sleep until 2, but after taking Roxy out for a bit, I went back to sleep until 5:30. Since most of my usual Saturday night movie crew was at the Dr. Who convention, I had the evening to myself. I fed Roxy and Spook, worked around the house, then drove over to see my friend Brittney Powell’s new house she rented. I drove around and enjoyed the evening and got really hungry. Luckily KFC was still open, so I grabbed some food and headed home. While dialing around the AM radio I heard some radio drama on KFWB 980AM. I recognized it right away as the radio version of a recent “Twilight Zone” episode I had seen on the first season Blu Ray. I sat in my garage in my car, with the lights off, eating my KFC and listening to the radio drama. FUN! I went inside to give Roxy and Spook some treats, then took a brief nap on the couch. When I got up I filed more “TS” scripts and did more work around the house. Since “TTS” ended I’m getting a TON of things done that I’ve needed to do for quite some time. I fed Roxy and we went on our late night stroll through the neighborhood. I came back inside and made a huge salad and watched an episode of “The Saint,” since it was Saturday Night Saint and Salad Night!”

Sunday the 16th – iPad! iPod! iPoo! – My contractor Terry’s son Brian came over to look into some of my computer issues. He’s one of those computer geniuses. Just within the past few months my iPod has been having trouble updating. When I plug it in an error message comes up that says “iTunes cannot read the contents of Wally’s iPod.” I would have to reboot the computer, and do all sorts of crazy stuff. Often times wiping the iPod clean down to the factory specs, just so I could load a couple of songs! But to make matters worse, the same problem was now happening with my iPad! ENOUGH! So I Googled the problem, and apparently a lot of people have this issue. So Brian came in and deleted the things from the iTunes registry that hangs it up. It works perfectly now. He also worked with some printer issues, and a problem I was having with Roxio copying over my home movies on DVD. These are the DVDs that I dub from my old home videos, and they should be able to be copied easily in the computer. But just before the project finished it would kick the DVD out and say there was a problem. But he fixed it right up, and now I can send my folks a DVD copy of some of the old home videos I shot. Brian was an hour late getting to me, because of major construction on the 405 freeway. It was completely shut down, so all of the weekend overflow traffic went to alternate freeways. He found out that the printer issue is a hardware issue, so I need to return it to Office Depot for an exchange. I missed going to evening church because Brian was still working away, but that’s fine. It’s good to know my computer’s fixed. After he finished up I took a dip in the Jacuzzi and relaxed with a nap on the couch. When I got up I had a full evening of bookwork ahead of me, paperwork, paying of bills, filing of “TS” Scripts, and dubbing some more home movies to DVD to send to my folks. I made some of my summer sausage spaghetti and watched “Mannix” before bed. I only have a few more episodes before I start on “Twilight Zone” season 2 on Blu Ray!

Monday the 17th – President’s Day – I slept until 2 and got up to walk Roxy. A simply gorgeous day! Warm, sunny and beautiful. My assistant Sara and I took my Mustang in for a car wash, and grabbed lunch at a nearby Italian place. I came home to relax and do a few things around the house. Then I drove to Jerry’s Famous Deli to have lunch with my pal Kelli Maroney. We chatted for a couple of hours, then I headed home to do a ton of auditions. I tuned in the first Jimmy Fallon “Tonight Show” and it was very surreal. Almost like an out of body experience. But I’m sure he’ll do fine helming the show for decades to come. I continued to file “TS” scripts well into the night. I finished up 2012 and have 2013 and what there was of 2014 left to go. While I filed scripts, I dubbed more DVDs. Killing two birds with one stone…multi-tasking! The home videos I dubbed were very special. Two were of San Francisco trips I took in 1994 and 2001. My friend Trish Mack was there, but I hardly had her on camera. She was very camera shy and if I didn’t want a good beatin’ I knew enough not to get her on camera. Unfortunately she passed away a few short years later. I also came across several videos of Sassie playing with kids and doing tricks. I haven’t been able to look at my Sassie videos until now. Before it would have made me too sad… but I’m OK with it now. Now, I love watching her on video. She was quite the dog. I also happened across a video I shot of me performing with my Cookie Monster puppet. When my niece Adrianna was 2, she was scared of Cookie Monster because she thought she woke up and saw him watching her during the night. So at my sister Bonnie’s request I made a short video of Cookie telling her how much he loved her, and that he would never hurt her. He even invited her to have a cookie with him, which he devoured on camera. I finished up the DVD with a 10 minute video I had that was put together by my sister Bonnie for Adrianna’s birthday. It was a compilation of home video snippets set to music. One of the songs struck me immediately. It’s called “Little Star” by Madonna. I immediately went on iTunes and bought it. Then I made some pizza rolls and watched another episode of “Mannix.”

And how was YOUR week??!!

PIX FROM THE WEEK

Jim Ojala has my Scarecrow of Oz bust nearly completed. Just a few color adjustments and fabric change-outs, and we’re done! Then it’s off to the seamstress for a tunic, and the hatmaker for the hat!