RANDOM PIC OF THE WEEK
I saw this meme recently and don’t disagree with anything on it. Good advice all around!
What the heck ever happened to the group Smash Mouth? I loved their music, and I really loved their debut hit “Walkin’ on the Sun!”
Monday the 16th – A GOOD WAY TO “HEAD” INTO THE NEW YEAR! – Since it was a holiday there wasn’t much going on. A few days ago I took my bicycle into the local shop to get tuned up, and it was ready to go. So I did my 2 mile walk, and then stopped at the bike shop on the way home to grab it. It felt good to be on the bike again! It had been much too long. It was a very nice “looking” day out…but it was pretty chilly. I got home and walked Roxy and we both enjoyed the warmth of the day once the sun came out. I went inside to do some other work, grabbed a shower and then a nap. I got up later to do Wally’s Week and make the new puppet head for my Mahna Mahna Muppet replica. The first head I did wasn’t exactly what I needed, but it had turned into a nice little puppet head that I’m going to use for a different, original character. There are no accidents in life, and I’m really loving this new little puppet.
Tuesday the 17th – KIBBLE TROUBLE?! – Since I started him on a fresh bag of kibble, my cat Spooky had puked twice. I didn’t know if he was sick, or if there was something in the kibble that didn’t agree with him. It was the same brand and flavor of kibble he has been on since he was a kitten, so I wasn’t sure what was going on. I called the vet and they said to bring it back in. When I got there they brought out a bag of kibble with which to exchange it. But when they put the two bags side by side, I noticed that they had different artwork. Then I noticed on the bag I had just returned, a mention of a “great new taste!” Uh oh. They changed their formula…most likely as a cost-cutting measure. These companies never change their formula to benefit the customer, only their bottom line. So I was worried that perhaps the “great new taste” might have had more junk and fillers in it, which is why my cat probably threw it up. Something in the new kibble was irritating him. The other bag they brought out was still the older formula, so I told them I would take that instead. The gal at the vet’s office said to transition him gently to the new formula and let his body get used to it. I decided to take back the bag of the new formula, and buy the bag of the old formula so I could start mixing it. I’ll start out with 2 parts old to 1 part new. Then gradually get to 1 part old and 1 part new. Then eventually he’ll go to a 100% new formula. I hate when companies do this…to both human food AND pet food. Like I said, it’s never done to benefit the consumer. I walked to a local shop to buy another garage door opener so that I could hide it in a secret location in case I ever needed access to my garage for emergencies. This past summer I had a door knob on my front door malfunction. Something broke inside the mechanism and I was unable to open the door. Luckily I was inside at the time and I could disassemble the door knob, remove it and replace it with a new one. But had it malfunctioned when I was outside, it would have been a very different story! This way I’ll have a second way of entering my house in case it happens while I’m out some time. When I got home I cleaned up Planet Wallywood in anticipation of some VIP guests I’d have over later. Then I went to Paty’s to meet up with Drew Massey and Nicolette Santino. They’re both actors and puppet performers whom I had wanted to meet with for quite some time to talk to them about a project. Since he’s also a Voice Actor, I had seen Drew around at several events over the years, but I had never gotten a chance to sit down and chat with him. I had seen his girlfriend Nicolette perform at the “Puppet Up!” show at Henson Studios before, but had never formally met her. She had been on tour for several months in 2022 with the rock group Coldplay. She performed a live puppet character called Angel Moon. It was fun chatting with them and getting to know them and exchanging life stories. Then I gave them the tour of Planet Wallywood and had them both sign my Puppet Room wall. When they left I grabbed a nap, and then got up to record my nightly auditions. I went through all my bank statements and reconciled my receipts, and then did more work on my Mahna Mahna head. It’s looking good, now that I’ve altered the pattern. I did some video editing on my computer and then hit the hay.
Wednesday the 18th – BACK IT UP, BUTTERCUP! – During the recent rainstorms, I had lost power briefly in my house. I have my computer system on a battery back-up so I don’t lose data in a power outage. The other day my battery back-up started beeping at me and I wasn’t sure what was going on. So I just shut the whole thing down immediately. Apparently this type of back-up runs through a periodic self-test, in order to ensure that they have ample power in case of an outage. From what I could ascertain from the internet, the beep meant that it failed the test. Since my battery back-up was pretty old (they don’t even sell this model any longer) I looked into replacing the internal battery in the housing. But there were a lot of complaints in the Amazon reviews about the terminals being different now, and in order to connect the new batteries to the older housings you’d need an adapter for this and blah blah blah blah. I made the decision to just buy a new system and be done with it. I called Staples to see if they sold them, so I wouldn’t have to wait for one to come from Amazon, and got a real surprise. The answering system in place at my local Staples store featured a voice that sounded very familiar. It was mine! I had done some work for a phone system a long time ago that I had forgotten about. But it was kind of fun hearing me on the phone! I found out that they did have the battery back-up I needed, so I headed over to get my packages at my box, and then hit Staples to pick up a new back-up system. I got some groceries at the store, and tried to find low sodium options on the things I like. With this recent “high blood pressure” issue, I’m doing my best to try and exercise regularly and eat better. But I’ll be darned if it’s a lot harder than I thought. The doc said to stay away from processed foods, but what ISN’T processed in this day and age. Even the restaurants I go to get their supplies from companies that process food. I’m totally screwed. I got home and did some work, recorded my auditions, took a quick nap, and then did some work at my computer station in preparation to install my new battery back-up. From everything I’ve read, it’s just a plug-and-play type of thing. But I’ll need to shut everything down and move stuff around to install the new gear.
Thursday the 19th – WINTER! BAH! – When I took Roxy out I was greeted by a cloudy and cold day. It wasn’t a good day for my walk, so I gave myself the day off. The rest of the weekend was going to be sunny and nice, so I decided to wait for nicer weather. I’ve had some nice blood pressure readings of late, so whatever I’m doing (exercise, medication, diet) seem to be working. I worked around the house most of the day, and then grabbed a nap later with Spook curled up next to me. Since I mixed his kibble (the old with the new) he’s been keeping everything down a lot better. I hadn’t had another problem with him. Later I got up to do my auditions, sent some emails, prepped for my maids, and then made some spaghetti and watched a few episodes of “The Lone Ranger.”
Friday the 20th – MORE GUESTS! – Both the maids and Roxy’s groomer arrived at the same time. So it was the perfect storm. Roxy was out back getting a bath so she was out of the way when the maids came in to clean. Later my friend Sunni, her son Brandon and her girlfriend Erica came over. They were in town from Washington state on vacation, and while they were mostly centered around the San Diego area, they made the drive up to see me! After a tour of Planet Wallywood we all hopped in the Gray Ghost (my new Rav4) and headed to Bob’s Big Boy to eat. It was hot rod night at Bob’s, so it was fun to see all the great cars while we were there. They headed back to San Diego to rest up for a big weekend at Sesame Place and Sea World!
Saturday the 21st – DINING LIKE DISNEY! – When I looked outside it looked sunny and gorgeous! I decided instead of doing my walk, I’d get my bicycle out and take a half hour ride. But once I got outside I realized how chilly it was! When I’m walking the wind doesn’t hit me quite so hard. But when I’m on a bicycle going fast, that chilly wind hits hard! Later in the afternoon my pal Amanda came over, and we were soon joined by my buddies Officer Mark and James from Warner. Mark helped me download a new program on my computer that I needed, and then we all hopped in the Gray Ghost and went to a 100+ year old restaurant called the Tam O’Shanter. Walt Disney and his artists used to dine there frequently during the early days of the Disney studios. Officer Mark was able to get us seated at their regular table! Fabulous! We had a fun meal, and then came back to Planet Wallywood to watch the first two episodes from the second season of “Tiger and Bunny.” When the first season came out many years ago, we made it a point to watch an episode a week at my weekly movie nights. But since the second season episodes are available exclusively on a streaming platform that I don’t have, Mark was kind enough to bring his equipment over so we could watch a few. Roxy wasn’t doing very well, as she hadn’t really eaten anything all day. I think her tummy was upset. She just spent most of the day and evening sleeping. When I got her outside she was moving slowly and seemed very confused. Once my guests left, I napped on the couch so I could be close to her in case she had some sort of issue.
Sunday the 22nd – PUPPET PLAY! – Since I’d be meeting with my pal Drew Massey to start work on a new puppet, I wanted to pack a kit of all the tools and utilities that we might need during the fabrication process. I noticed a call coming in from Susan, the daughter of my 95 year old “adopted grandma” Shirley. When we spoke she said that Shirley was taken to the hospital on Saturday after suffering a heart attack. She said that Shirley was doing as well as could be expected, and she’d keep me posted on the progress. I drove to Drew’s studio and we started work on my Mahna Mahna replica Muppet. I have most of the puppet finished, but I just needed his expertise and advice to complete a few things. We spent about 3 hours working on patterning the head and it’s turning out great! I love the new head I built, and I love the purple fleece fabric we’ll end up using for the final product. It was fun chatting with Drew while we worked and realizing how similar our life paths were. We got a great head covering cut out, and Drew will spend some time stitching it up over the next few days. We’ll meet again soon to tackle the next step. When I got home I had just enough time to do a brisk, 2 mile walk before the sun went down for the evening. Later that night I made some foam rubber ears for my original puppet, and fixed the arms for Mahna Mahna to get them ready for their fabric covering and installation. I grabbed a shower, meditated, and napped. I got up later for some auditions that were due on Monday. I made my Saturday Night Super Saint Salad (a night later than usual) and enjoyed a salad while I watched Roger Moore as Simon Templar. Because I had to get up early on Sunday I decided to move my traditional Saturday Night Saint viewing to Sunday night.
And how was YOUR week??!!
PIX FROM THE WEEK
It only took about 2 and a half months (better late than never) but I finally got copies of some shots my friend Valerie Perez and I took at the “Halloween Hotness” event at Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum last October.
HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA – OCTOBER 29: Wally Wingert and Valerie Perez attend The 8th Annual Halloween Hotness 8: Defying Gravity, Benefiting St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital held at Madame Tussauds on October 29, 2022 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Albert L. Ortega/Getty Images)
HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA – OCTOBER 29: Wally Wingert attends The 8th Annual Halloween Hotness 8: Defying Gravity, Benefiting St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital held at Madame Tussauds on October 29, 2022 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Albert L. Ortega/Getty Images)
HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA – OCTOBER 29: Wally Wingert attends The 8th Annual Halloween Hotness 8: Defying Gravity, Benefiting St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital held at Madame Tussauds on October 29, 2022 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Albert L. Ortega/Getty Images)
Speaking of Val, here’s a great shot of her and Cookie Monster sharing a tortilla chip at lunch!
Starting on the second pass of the head for Mahna Mahna!
Spook is comfy and sound asleep on the bed!
I’m very excited about these two new action figures based on animated characters I’ve performed voice work for! It’s gonna be a great year!
Here are the new ears I made for my original puppet. He’s coming right along!
But my favorite puppet of all is my doggie Roxy!
My new Renji figured showed up this week! Now I’m just waiting for the new Arkham Riddler figure to arrive!
Roxy’s cozy in her Avengers blankey!
This plaque adorns the “Disney Table” at Tam O’Shanter.
My pal Amanda and I enjoy a nice atmosphere, and great food!
Officer Mark and James from Warner agree!
Fish ‘n’ Chips time for Amanda…
…even though it looks like she’s more interested in my turkey dinner!
A fantastic night, with fabulous food and fun friends!
Oddly enough, the 100+ year old restaurant looks like something you’d see in Disneyland!
A quick eye test for my new Mahna Mahna replica Muppet. Though these eye cones are only test versions, and the strings that control the eye blinking will eventually go inside the puppet’s head, I’m seeing the makings of a really cool little puppet!
