RANDOM PIC OF THE WEEK
I don’t know if it was being in the presence of glamour idols like Farrah Fawcett and John Travolta or not, but Spook was feeling very sexy and glamorous as he stretches out on my floor.
One of my favorite groups will be playing at the Hollywood Bowl in September. But I was too late to get tickets during the initial sale. Now I’ll have to pay a fortune to get scalper tickets. Electric Light Orchestra with Jeff Lynne is something I definitely want to see, but I’m going to wait until the date gets closer to check ticket prices. This past week I was humming “Mission (A World Record).” What a great song!
Tuesday the 5th – OOPS! – When I got up around 2:30 in the afternoon I had several messages from my agent on my voicemail. She told me that the producers of “How To Build Everything” had intended to book me to narrate two more episodes of the show that afternoon, but due to a “miscommunication” I never got the message. Neither did my agent, apparently. They were wondering if I could head over there at 1 to record, but since I didn’t get up until 2:30 it obviously didn’t work out. They apologized and said we’d do it the next day. It was a gorgeous day and I drove over to my pal Bodie’s shop BS Industries to see my Gran Torino. It was the first time I had seen it since I dropped it off at his shop back in December of 2015. If you remember, I dropped it off there to get some minor work and maintenance done, but it was stolen from his property on Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend. Due to clerical difficulties with his insurance company, my car has just been sitting around there. They’ve done a little bit of work on it, but since it needs a total repaint (due to damage caused when the thieves drove it through his chain link gate) all they’ve done so far is some sanding. While Bodie was on vacation, his painter went ahead and painted the whole car based on research he obtained over the internet. Well, the source material he used wasn’t accurate, so he painted on a stripe that didn’t look even close to the original. So now they have to sand it all down again and start over. I brought over a paper pattern of the “swoosh” part of the stripe that had been taken from an original “Starsky & Hutch” TV car. Now it’s going to be accurate! I hadn’t seen Bodie in several months, so it was nice chatting for a few hours and catching up. Since I was in the neighborhood, I stopped by my effects guy Jim Ojala’s to pick up some work he had done for me. I stopped by my mailbox to get some packages, and then I went home to feed the pets and grab a nap. The rest of the evening I did some work around the house. We’re in the middle of the slow period in the entertainment industry, so not much is going on. I didn’t have any auditions to record so I just relaxed.
Wednesday the 6th – WILD WEDNESDAY! – The day started with some obligatory work around the house, and then I sped off to Carl’s Jr. to get some quick lunch. It was time to head to Wild Woods studios to record the narration for two more episodes of “How To Build Everything” on the Discovery Science channel. They’re always a lot of fun to do, but it’s unfortunate that there are only 12 episodes. Hopefully we’ll do some more soon. When the session was over I went to Staples to pick up some plastic bins for some organizational work I need to do in the garage. Then I went to Bed, Bath and Beyond get a few new things, including a new pillow. The one I’ve been using isn’t supporting my head very well and I’m waking up with neck aches and headaches. I stopped by my mailbox to get some packages. My Star Trek Blue Tooth communicator arrived! This is amazing! I don’t have a smart phone so it’ll be awhile before I actually get to speak with it, but as a prop it’s amazing. It comes with several voice clips and sound effects. The BEST communicator prop yet. When I was 13 watching “Star Trek” every afternoon, the communicator was by far my favorite prop. All my friends loved the phaser, which is cool, but I loved the communicator. Now I have another great one, and soon I’ll be able to have a conversation with it! I got home and walked and fed Roxy and Spook, and then I typed out Wally’s Week. My pal Brittney Powell came by for a visit, and then I grabbed a short nap. When I got up I did my nightly auditions, and worked through the night doing things around the house. I made some stew and watched another episode of “Lost in Space.” The new pillow is working out great!
Thursday the 7th – I JUST WANNA GO BACK TO BED AND HIDE! – After sleeping most of the afternoon away, I got up at 3 and checked e-mails. There was bad news all around the world. It frustrated me and I was feeling anxious and angry. I just wanted to go back to bed and sleep for a week, hoping when I woke up things would be better. Instead I called my assistant Sara and my “adopted grandma” Shirley and we all went to Paty’s to eat dinner with Roxy. It was pleasant and it did a lot to defuse my angst. I came home to relax and grab a nap. I got up later and did my nightly auditions, went to Denny’s to get some food to go, and headed to bed to enjoy some food and another episode of “Lost in Space.”
Friday the 8th – DINING WITH ROYALTY! – At noon I met up with my old pal Michael Reagan at the Warner Brothers studios in Burbank. I thought it would be a fun location to have lunch, since Michael virtually grew up on the Warner lot when his dad Ronald and his mom Jane Wyman were contract players there. We met with my pal James who works in Post Production Services and his wife Cynthia. What a delightful time we had chatting at the commissary, hearing great stories about growing up hanging out with legends and icons. He also talked a little bit about his new book “Lessons My Father Taught Me.” When I finished lunch I stopped by the cleaners to pick up some dry cleaning, and then I stopped by my mailbox to pick up packages. I got back home and worked on-line, worked around the house, and then napped for a bit. I got up later to feed and walk Roxy on our late-night stroll through the neighborhood. I made some spaghetti and watched more “Lost in Space” before bed.
Saturday the 9th – ORGANIC…NOT ORGASMIC! – Mid-afternoon I went to CVS to pick up a prescription and a few supplies, and then I met a friend at an “organic” restaurant in Hollywood. As I looked at the menu, nothing but NOTHING looked like anything I’d be interested in putting in my mouth. Fake meat and a lot of leafy things. So I just had water and enjoyed the conversation. On the way home I got a few grocery items, and a sandwich to go at Togo’s. I was starving for REAL food! I got home and cleaned up the house and prepped for movie night. My pal Officer Mark came over and we hooked my Star Trek communicator up to his smartphone, and for the first time ever I had a conversation on a Star Trek communicator! It was amazing! I’ve been waiting for this experience since I was 13 years old! Now I’m actually considering giving up my “old reliable” flip phone in favor of a smartphone. I had a smartphone for about a week and hated it so much I went back to my flip phone. I’ve seen smartphones create dumbpeople. I’m afraid after the novelty of the Star Trek communicator Blue Tooth device wore off, I’d be stuck with a smartphone and would be longing to get my old flip phone back. At movie night we watched one of my all-time favorites…”My Favorite Year.” It reminds me of the fun times I’ve spent with my hero and pal Adam West. When movie night was over I napped on the couch, and then got up and worked around the house all night. I fed and walked Roxy, made my traditional Saturday night super salad, and watched another episode of the old BBC show “The Avengers.” I only have 3 more episodes to go before the series ends, and I’m heartbroken. After some really silly episodes, the last several have been outstanding! By the time I got to bed it was 11am Sunday morning!
Sunday the 10th – SERENE SUNDAY! – After sleeping very late in the day, Roxy and I walked to evening church. It was a great service with lots of great music and messages. I came back home and did a little bit of work while I waited for my assistant Sara to come by so we could go eat. We went to Jerry’s Famous Deli where I enjoyed some mac and cheese with broccoli and bacon bits in it, and a strawberry shake. It really hit the spot. I came back home and napped well into the night. I got up to feed and walk Roxy around 4am, but I still felt tired. So I came back inside and crashed on the sofa until 9am. I just didn’t feel like getting up and doing anything. I guess I must’ve needed the rest. What a weird night.
And how was YOUR week??
PIX FROM THE WEEK
I recently purchased an animation cel from my favorite animated film of all time, “Jungle Book.” I’ve always wanted a cel that personifies the relationship Mowgli had with Baloo, and this was it! I was the high bidder at a recent Profiles in History auction.
On another beautiful overcast “blue” morning, my pal Spooky joins me on the window seat to watch the world come alive!
When he wants attention, Spook gets behind the Bat Shield and looks cute. I call it “The Cat Shield!”
The Star Trek communicator Blue Tooth device arrives!
And so does the Monkees Blu Ray set! What a great summer!
Visiting an old friend! While the new paintjob looks great, the dimensions of the famous Starsky stripe is way off. So it’s back to the drawing board. At this rate I’ll have my Torino back in time for Christmas!
