July 01 – 07 (2024) – Wally On The Web

RANDOM PIC OF THE WEEK

My cat Spooky’s 19th birthday was this past Thursday, and this is how he chose to celebrate it. Can’t say I blame him!

Though their big hit was “True,” Spandau Ballet also had another song that was quite good. “Only When You Leave” popped up on my device this past week and I took note of what a great-sounding song it is.

Monday the 1st – HALFWAY GONE! – It’s so hard to believe that 2024 is half over! Today marks the beginning of the third quarter of the year, and the first half of 2024 has FLOWN by! I stopped at Chick Fil-A for lunch before I resumed work on the foreign dubbing project at Igloo in Burbank. As I was waiting for my food a young lady named Alexa introduced herself as the sister-in-law of my buddy (and fabulous illustrator) Andy Fish, whom I’ve known for quite a while. We chatted for a while, and then our food arrived. As I was leaving with my lunch my pal Dan Roebuck walked in with his daughter Grace! Small world! It got even smaller as I was driving to the studio I saw the Voice Director for our dubbing project Vernon Scott! He had ALSO decided to dine at Chick Fil-A! Wild! Our four-hour dubbing project went by very quickly, and then I went home to feed Spook. I called up my buddy Chris Malmin to see if he wanted to meet me at Little Toni’s for a pizza. After dinner I came back home and did my nightly auditions. Later I wrote out Wally’s Week, took my nightly WOG (walk/jog) and spent some time relaxing and decompressing outside in the anti-gravity chair – just looking at the sky and thinking. What a great summer night!

Tuesday the 2nd – LOST MAHNA! – Well, it appears that the Mahna Mahna puppet I bought from a builder in Chile is lost. The builder warned me that it would take a while to arrive in America, but as I tracked the package it went from Santiago to Miami, and then to Santa Clarita, California. That was nice, because it was now in my neighborhood. But for some odd reason it went from there to Jersey City, New Jersey. Then it went to Albany, New York – then to Newburgh, New York, and then back to Albany. And then it went to Springfield, Massachusetts. What the heck was going on? Mahna was taking a tour of the eastern seaboard! I called the USPS helpline and finally chatted with a lady named Ying who said that the package had the wrong address on it. But the sender had my correct eBay address on it, so what was the problem? It occurred to me that the USPS doesn’t actually look at the address on the package, but instead rely on their barcode system. It was pointed out to me by my friend Vickie Sebring later in the week that the Data Entry person who typed out the address in Chile and assigned the barcode probably made a mistake. So while the physical address on the package was correct, the barcode was erroneous. It could be that the person on Santiago had a problem with the English in the American address, or they’re just inept. In any event, I hope eventually they’ll get curious as to why a package is bouncing all around the eastern seaboard, and actually compare the erroneous barcode to the actual address on the package. It doesn’t really do much to imbue confidence in our postal system; a system with which I’ve already had my share of problems. However, the package that DID arrive at my box was the custom Laurel & Hardy fabric that was designed by my pal Scott Sebring. I wanted to get a significant quantity of yardage to make up some cool L&H pajamas. The fabric turned out GREAT! I had time before the dubbing session to grab lunch at Paty’s. As I sat on the patio enjoying a salad, my friends from Alex In Wonderland pulled up! I invited Mike, Alex and their daughter to sit with me so we could chat. What fun! But soon it was time for me to head to Igloo for a fast, fun four hour session dubbing the foreign show for Netflix. We got the first part of episode 4 completed. We’re moving pretty well, and soon we’ll be at the halfway point in the 8 episode series. I headed home to do some work, record some auditions, and then grab a short nap. I’m not used to working five days a week anymore, and it’s quite tiring. When I got up later I took my nightly WOG and spent some quality time outside in the anti-grav chair enjoying my post-workout high. I worked a bit around the house to prep for my buddy Dave’s arrival on Wednesday night. He’s flying in from South Dakota for a week to see me, go to a “Dark Shadows” convention, and see his son (and my godson) Sean, who lives in Pasadena. I also made the eye support plate for my “Traveling Cookie” puppet – a second Cookie Monster puppet that I can travel with. Alex at Alex In Wonderland should be done sewing up the body by Wednesday, and I can pick him up and install his mouth. Her husband Mike will help me install the eyes next week. Very exciting.

Wednesday the 3rd – FOUR DAY WEEKEND! – I got a call from Harry’s Camera that my latest order of scanned negatives and companion prints had come in. Just in time, too. I had hoped they would arrive in time for my buddy Dave’s stay at Planet Wallywood. We love looking at pictures from the old days. I guess that means we’re a couple of old men. I stopped over at Harry’s to get my photos, picked up a few filters for my home AC at the hardware store next door, and then headed to my box to pick up some packages. I bought a vintage 60’s Popeye figure on eBay and it arrived. I have vivid memories of being a kid in the toy store looking at all those cool vinyl Dakin figures of my favorite cartoon characters. They all came in a clear plastic bag with a handle at the top. Magical. I also got a third Sons of the Desert deluxe fez from Fez-O-Rama. They only release the Sons of the Desert fezzes twice a year; once during Oliver Hardy’s birthday week (in January), and once during Stan Laurel’s birthday week (in June). But this year they released a limited edition fez made of maroon moleskin-type fabric. They looked really similar to the original fezzes used in the film! I initially ordered two, but they were just a bit too small. Luckily, after pleading with the company via email, they agreed to make me a slightly larger one – even though the fez promotion had ended. WHEW! This third one arrived and, as the saying goes, third time’s the charm. I’ll stash the first one I bought in storage for posterity, the second one I bought I’ll use as a receptacle for the titles of the “40 Shorties” (the 40 “shorts” they made) for when I do my monthly “Laurel & Hardy Theatre.” I printed out all 40 titles of their shorts, cut them into individual slips of paper, and I put them all in the fez. Then I randomly draw out the titles each month and watch them. It’s fun! And the new, larger third fez is the one I’ll wear to all future Laurel & Hardy fan club meetings. I hit Wienerschnitzel on the way to my dubbing job, and once again, I ran into our Voice Director Vernon! Great minds think alike! I drove over to Igloo to eat before the session began. It was a wild, wacky 4 hour session that ended with a huge party scene. It was a LOT of difficult work, and I was glad to have a four day weekend ahead of me! I was notified via text by my buddy Dave that his flight had been delayed in Phoenix. So he would be arriving about an hour and a half later than expected. I didn’t want to go home and then drive all the way back to Burbank to pick him up, so I just invented things to do in the Burbank area until then. First stop – the cigar store to pick up some cigars! Then I drove by the post office to mail off some checks, and after that I drove over to Alex In Wonderland’s studio to pick up my finished Cookie Monster body for my “Travel Cookie.” Unfortunately the direction of the fur on the body was wrong, so it had to be redone. I’m glad I bought plenty of fur for this new puppet! So I’ll grab it from her on Friday morning when I drive Dave back to the Burbank area so he can attend his “Dark Shadows” convention. But the fabric for his mouth was perfect, so I’ll be putting the mouth plate in that this weekend. I chatted with Alex’s husband Mike for a while, and then headed out to kill more time. I gassed up the Gray Ghost, spun through the Krispy Kreme drive-thru to get a dozen donuts, and headed to the Burbank airport to pick up Dave. But as I approached the airport, it was clear that the holiday weekend rush was on in full force! The traffic was backed up on Hollywood Way and getting into the airport itself was not easy. I texted Dave and told him to walk a little ways toward the main street and meet me at a restaurant there. That way I could avoid driving through the madness. Around 8 he walked over to Panda Express and we had dinner. We drove to Planet Wallywood and I fed Spook. We hung out and chatted. Later, as I was heading out for my nightly WOG, Dave happened to be up. I asked him if he wanted to go along, and he agreed. It was fun taking my WOG with a workout companion. Afterwards he went up to the Puppet Room and turned in, and I sat in the anti-grav chair and meditated and pondered life. Dave said the Puppet Room was hot, which was odd since my AC was on. After more careful inspection we realized that the vent in the Puppet Room was closed. Once we opened it, the problem was solved. I spent all night working on my photo albums to get them ready to be viewed by Dave and our buddy Chris Malmin, who would be joining us for a 4th of July celebration. After working all night I got to bed around noon on Thursday. Dave was just getting up and he came downstairs and said, “I didn’t think you’d be up this early.” I said, “I’m not. I’m just going to bed. I’ve been up all night.” But it was worth it, as I got a lot of great work done on the photo albums!

Thursday the 4th – THE 4TH OF JULY! – After having just gotten to bed at noon, I took great delight in sleeping until 5pm. Our buddy Chris came over and we chatted. We were soon joined by my friend Emily and we made hot dogs on the grill. It was a nice dinner with good friends, as we listened to all the fireworks going off in the area. Then it was time for our “Smokes & Cokes” celebration. Since I’ve known Chris & Dave (going all the way back to 1986) we’ve had a penchant for Coca Cola in the glass bottles. They’re ice cold and delicious. So for special occasions, we ice up some Cokes and enjoy them together. We also have developed a recent tradition for enjoying some nice cigars together. This is something I’ve dubbed “Smokes & Cokes.” Chris, Dave, Emily & I all walked to the center of my complex and sat in an open area and enjoyed our cigars and Cokes while listening to all the fireworks in the area. Unfortunately we didn’t actually SEE many fireworks, but we definitely heard them. The weather was perfect, and it was an amazing time with good friends. When we were finished we came back inside and looked through photo albums and re-lived some good times from back in the late 80’s and early 90’s. Since Chris, Dave and I were up so late enjoying our time, I didn’t get a nightly WOG in. But hey…it’s a holiday, right?

Friday the 5th – PUPPET PIX! – Dave had to be at the Burbank Marriott to check in for a bus tour around 11:30am, which was part of the “Dark Shadows” convention that he’d be attending that weekend. So I drove him over and dropped him off, and then headed over to Alex In Wonderland to get the “corrected Cookie” puppet. This time the direction of the fur was spot-on. Since I was in the area I took the opportunity to visit Paty’s to have another salad on the patio. It was WONDERFUL! The vibe was amazing. The Yacht Rock music they play on the system is terrific, and the weather was perfect. As I sat there I realized I was enjoying quite an amazing high. I had been notified earlier in the day via email that my Mahna Mahna puppet from Chile had been located and had been redirected to my correct address. They also said that it would likely be delivered on Friday July 5th. Since Paty’s is right by my box, I waited until the very last minute to leave the restaurant in case I was notified via text that the box was in and ready for pick-up. But my maids were due at 1pm, so at 10 minutes to 1 I had to leave. Sure enough, the minute I pulled into my garage my phone went DING! It was a notification that my Mahna Mahna puppet had arrived. Rats. If only it had come 20 minutes earlier it would have saved me a trip back to my box! Oh well. The maids arrived and cleaned up Planet Wallywood, and when they finished I sped off to get groceries. Then I hit my box to get the package, which had been taking its sweet time getting to me during its tour of the US. The box was much smaller than I had imagined it would be. Also, I started to see why the postal service may have been confused by the address. Even though my mailing address WAS correct, the sender had all sorts of other superfluous information on the box, so it looked quite cluttered. In the future, I hope he keeps it “lean and mean,” with just the pertinent “TO” and “FROM” info on the box. It might help speed things up a bit during the shipping process. When I pulled out the puppet I saw why the box was so small. The puppet was just a little larger than the size of a child’s toy, and not an actual professional-sized, working puppet. While the craftsmanship on the puppet was gorgeous and impeccable, it was a bit small for my needs. (As Vickie Sebring stated later, “Jim Henson would have NEVER gotten his hand in that!”) I think I may contact the builder and see if he will make another one for me, but increase his patterns by about 10%. But I’m keeping this one as it’s simply beautiful. Later in the afternoon my friends Scott & Vickie Sebring brought their photo equipment over to take some updated shots for the Muppet Replica Resource page on my website. While I had my “Travel Kermit” dressed up in a Frankenstein costume to be Frogenstein at the recent Monsterpalooza convention, I wanted to have Alex remove the costume before I took Kermit to Sioux Falls in a few weeks for the upcoming Voices Against Cancer convention. Before his costume is removed, however, I wanted to get some great shots taken of Frogenstein in full regalia. Since I had also upgraded the nose, eyebrows and monocle on my Count replica, we took some new shots of him as well. Scott had just recently constructed a “puppet wall” out of lightweight, rigid foam insulation. With a little texturing on it, it looked like a concrete wall! While we had the wall set up we also got some great shots of my Kermit 1:1 replica sitting cross-legged on the wall (similar to how he had been seen on “Sesame Street” and “The Muppet Show”), as well as the “OG” Kermit that I recently purchased. That replica was designed and fabricated to look like the very first Kermit Jim Henson created back in the 50’s. After the shoot we hit Bob’s Big Boy for dinner. When I got home I was exhausted. Since it was late and I was tired, I took another night off from my nightly WOG. I don’t like to take very many nights off, but I just didn’t have the energy, based on the manic nature of the day’s activities. Later I did spend a little time trimming Mahna’s beard and I stitched the arm rods into his wrists. I also worked on “Travel Cookie” a little bit, and did some random work around the house. I got to bed around noon on Saturday. I was in the middle of a four day weekend, so I wanted to enjoy as much downtime as possible.

Saturday the 6th – “LAUREL & HARDY THEATRE!” – Late in the afternoon I woke up craving Mexican food, so I phoned Chris & Dave to see if they would meet me at Ernie’s Taco House for dinner. We had a splendid evening enjoying fun conversation, great food, and wonderful live music from a guitarist who offered a fantastic selection of songs! I got back home and relaxed for a bit, and later I hit the trail again for a WOG. After some wonderful time outside in the anti-grav chair, I came back inside to do some work on some puppets. I glued the mouth plates to the fabric for “Travel Cookie’s” mouth. And since it was the first Saturday of the month, that meant it was time again for my traditional “Laurel & Hardy Theatre” event. It’s silly and weird, but I like to make a “thing” out of watching L&H movies once a month. It harkens back to when I was 13 years old and watching their films on a local TV station in Aberdeen, South Dakota. In order to tap into the nostalgia element, I like to make a Chef Boyardee pizza (we lived on those things when I was a kid!), have a banana Twinkie (which taste very similar to the old Banana Flips we loved as kids), and drink some ice cold Pepsi in one of the original Laurel & Hardy mugs my mom made for me back in 1973 in her ceramics class. Yes, I still have them – and I treasure them greatly. Since I had my new deluxe Sons of the Desert fez, I got to wear that too! I drew out the first “short” that I’d be watching that night…”Another Fine Mess.” This one was loosely based on a concept from one of their earlier silent films, and is absolutely hysterical. A character named Lord Leopold Plumtree (based on the name of a Shakespeare character apparently) had the most jovial high-pitched giggle. As a kid I recall trying to replicate that laugh for all the kids at school. The next film was “Come Clean.” My favorite line from that film is when Stan asks the ice cream vendor, “Do you have any mustachio?” Absolute hilarity, that never gets old. After the shorts, I got caught up on the “Collector’s Call” episode from last week.

Sunday the 7th – THE FINAL OF FOUR! – Since I’ll be back into another five day workweek in the coming week, I really enjoyed my final day off. As is usual with my Sundays, I took full advantage of my weekly “Crash Day” and slept most of the day away. It was my mom’s 84th birthday, so I made sure to get up for a little while and call her with birthday wishes. Later I took my nightly WOG and relaxed in my subsequent time in the anti-grav chair. I’m going to experiment with some leftover fur from the “Travel Cookie” build and see if I can get the fur to look a little coarser. I put a bit of the fur in hot water, and then wrung it out and hung it to try. I hope this will make the grain of the fur less smooth and more textured. Experimenting is fun!
And how was YOUR week?!!

PIX FROM THE WEEK