RANDOM PIC OF THE WEEK

Locked down, then not locked down. Locked down again, because the first one didn’t work. It made me think of this.

This past week I heard some bumper music on “Coast to Coast AM” that really brought back some memories. We played a song called “The Fox and the Lady” by Cusco when I worked on 94.7 The Wave as a DJ. I looked it up on YouTube and found this beautiful video that was produced. I love this!

 

Monday the 6th – A REAL PAIN IN THE FOOT! – The pinched nerve issues I’ve been dealing with got noticeably worse today. Normally I have just been dealing with some numbness, but today I woke up with jabbing pain in my left foot. I have to go out and get that X-ray today that my chiropractor ordered, so we can start eliminating things that the issue is NOT. Personally I’m betting on problems with my sciatica. I got some lunch at McDonald’s, and then hit the X-ray imaging place and checked in. Within about 45 minutes I was out about my day. I mailed some stuff, and then went to my box to get my mail. I went home to grab Spooky to take him to the groomer’s to get him a mani/pedi, but after about 5 minutes they brought him back out. They got one paw done and he tried to bite the groomer so they brought him back. Ugh. So I figured I’d take him to the vet’s office and see if they could do it. But they said they had on his record that he needed to be tranquilized for any procedures because of how fiesty he is. They also said he’s due for his annual exam, so I made an appointment and arranged to get a tranquilizer pill so when the time came to bring him in he was compliant. So option 3 was to call my pal Sara. She has a pet nail trimmer and is quite adept at trimming the claws of feisty pets. I dropped the grouchy ol’ cat back at home and then took off for the mattress store. I was going to get a brand new mattress today if it killed me! After trying three different ones, I found exactly the one I wanted – medium firm…just how I like it! I couldn’t remember how old my mattress was, but after talking to the salesman we determined that it was well over 8 years old. Time to go, I guess. They said with the virus slowdown, their schedule would allow them to bring the mattress over the next day! Awesome! I’m hoping a new mattress might help mitigate my pinched nerve issues. I got home and Sara came over, threw a towel over Spook, trimmed his paws and everything was done. Whew! I recorded a few auditions, and then started planning out the autograph store on my website. Since there aren’t any conventions this year, it’s a way for people to get the same signed photos at below convention prices. I typed out Wally’s Week, fed and walked Roxy, worked on my computer a little bit, and got ready for my new mattress the next day!

Tuesday the 7th – FLATRESS MATTRESS! – I woke up tossing and turning (as the old song goes) and I was over it. All this time I thought my mattress might be complicit in my pinched nerve issue, but after lying on the sample mattress at the store yesterday, I realized (in contrast) how bad my mattress really had gotten with age. I sprang awake and started prepping the house to have the mattress delivered; removing certain things off the walls in tight hallways spaces, etc. They were supposed to arrive at 2:30, but showed up 10 minutes early! There wasn’t any damage done, they hauled out the old mattress, brought in the new one, and were in and out in about a half hour! I was pretty hungry, so I went to my box to get a package, and then went to Paty’s to have a salad. I drove over to my seamstress Shelley’s to pick up the near-finished Robin replica Muppet. I headed back home and prepped for a call-back audition for Wednesday. I recorded my other auditions, worked on Robin for a bit, added the bottom of the feet, put in the mouth, and attached the eyes. He’s finished, except for “picking the seams.” In fleece puppets, you have to pick the pile of the fleece out of the sewn seams, and then “fluff” it back into place. That disguises the seams very nicely, and it’s why the Muppets started making their puppets out of fleece from the very beginning. I broke out the clean sheets and made up the new mattress. I made some spaghetti and watched an episode of “The Mod Squad” before turning in. I LOVE this mattress!

Wednesay the 8th – MAGNIFICENT MATTRESS! – After spending the first night on the new mattress, I was convinced that much of my pinched nerve problems would soon subside. I heated up some leftover spaghetti from last night, and burned it! RATS! I got so busy setting up the sound baffling background for my call-back audition that I lost track of time. The call-back audition went very well, and it was for a looping/ADR/dubbing job. They had the scene I was dubbing set up on-line and I could dub it from my home system in real time. It was FABULOUS! I did some work around the house, recorded a bunch of auditions, and ended up passing on a few that didn’t seem to be right for me.

Thursday the 9th – BOND IN A BOX! – Just before my chiropractor appointment, I stopped at my mailbox to get my packages. I got a nifty new Roger Moore James Bond 007 figure. He was in his black “Live and Let Die” costume, and the figure is by Big Chief Studios. About 6 months ago I bought a similar figure from a different company called Iconic Images. I’m not sure why two different companies could get the license for similar figures, but Moore’s my favorite Bond, and “Live and Let Die” is one of my favorite Bond films. So I was happy to have them both. But the figure that came out last year had some problems. The shoulder holster was backwards, (but I fixed it) and the gun they included was his famous Walther PPK, not the chrome plated Smith and Wesson model 25 that he used in the San Monique graveyard scene. I guess it’s because the one last year was marketed as a Roger Moore figure, and the one from Big Chief Studios was only marketed as a James Bond figure. But both are really dynamite figures! But even as a kid I wondered why he took a six shot weapon into a graveyard full of bad guys. Doesn’t make much sense, but oh well…it’s the movies. I went to see my chiropractor Dr. Carletta and we went over my X-ray. He said everything looked fine, so my issue is NOT bone related at all. It’s a “soft tissue” issue he said. That would require an MRI to acquire more in-depth information. I got Chick Fil-A for lunch and ate it in my car. The heatwave had started so it was pretty hot out. Then I went over to see my regular doctor to get a refill on a prescription, and talk about getting a Covid antibody test. I just figured I’d like to know if I had the antibodies, considering I traveled more last year than any other year in my life. Two trips to Las Vegas, three trips to South Dakota (all connecting through Minneapolis), and one trip to Orlando had me thinking that I stood a pretty good chance of having been exposed to it at some point. But I’ll know for sure next week when I get the test. On the way home I stopped at Weinerschnitzel to get a banana split, and then I headed out to Alex in Wonderland to pick up my finished Animal cap and my Green Grover replica Muppet for the next phase of his completion. The cap turned out fantastic, and Green Grover has had his fur stained a little bit, but he needs to be much darker before he’s done. Alex wanted me to have Sergio trim him up before she finished the fur staining process. After he gets his mouth and hands trimmed, I need to stuff his hands. Then I take him back to Alex to have him stained some more, and then she’ll install his arm rods. After that I’ll bring him back home and put on his nose and two eyes. A fun little “inside” fact that I’ll tout, is that the orange fleece we’re using to cover his nose, as well as the oval eye pieces I’ll be using for his eyes, are all vintage pieces from my days of puppet making in the 80’s. They’re all components I have had in storage for 40 years! It’s kind of cool to think that my modern puppet will have elements from my past puppet-making endeavors. I drove back home and started in on picking Robin’s fleece. Alex showed me a good technique for getting the fleece pile pulled out of the seam, and then picking the pile and flattening it back down so it blends in nicely with the rest of the “pilling” on the fabric. I set up the Bond figure and it’s really REALLY nice! I cleaned up a bit in anticipation of the maids coming on Friday, and later did a bunch of auditions. I fed and walked Roxy on a clear, gorgeous night with a bright half-moon. I made a Tombstone pizza and hit the hay.

Friday the 10th – TACO TRANQUILITY! – The maids were due any time between 1 and 3, so I got up and took Roxy out for a bit. I spoke with my pal/business partner Joe Garner about my kid’s book project for a bit, and went back inside to wait for the maids. It got to be 1:30, then 2, then 2:30, and then 3. I was worried they had forgotten so I called their office. They were on their way, and ended up arriving around 3:15. I had to be out of the house by 4:30, so the ladies could only do just a quickie cleaning. I headed to my box to get some packages that couldn’t wait over the weekend. One was a box of 12 frozen meals on dry ice. It’s from a charity that sends out frozen meals to the underprivileged, as they wanted me to sample some of them before I recorded the voice over files for their upcoming ads. I quickly stopped by CVS to pick up a prescription, and then I went home to put the frozen meals away. Some of them contained seafood, to which I have an aversion, so I’ll give those to my pal Sara to sample on my behalf. A light pad also arrived, which I’ll need to view slides and negatives when I start my cataloging and digitization process. It’s about 17” wide and is shaped like a tablet, but has no computer electronics in it. It’s simply just an LED light board used for tracing drawings, or viewing negatives with a “loop.” I also got a great new Michael Myers “Halloween 2” figure done by Neca. When I first heard they were doing a figure for pre-order I figured I’d wait to see what it actually looked like. Many times, when Michael Myers figures are created, the sculptures look off. I didn’t want to pre-order without seeing what the finished figure was going to look like. But once I saw the results I was blown away! This is most likely the best Michael Myers figure I’ve ever seen! They got the sculpt on the mask PERFECT! And the paint job was beautiful! I brought it home and set it up and Tweeted my accolades. Then I went to Taco Bell to get some food and brought it home to enjoy it on the Tranquility Annex outside, as the day began to turn into evening. Later, I decided to make a little stand for Robin the Frog, so he could sit with his uncle Kermit in the display case. I needed something flat and round, with a diameter of about 3 inches. I found a gold metal lid for a jar in my cabinet, and drilled two holes in it. I put armature wire through the holes, stretched it up about 10 inches, bent it around and brought it back down through the other hold in the lid. Then I bent the wires in a circle and tucked them under the rim of the lid. I put a little bit of pink fleece on the top for him to sit on. That way when Robin’s on the stand, I can bend the armature wire inside his body and pose him in the angle I want him. I made some hot dogs on the grill and watched another episode of “The Mod Squad,” and this one featured Vincent Price! MAGICAL!

Saturday the 11th – MORPHIN MADNESS! – My day started with a bit of prep for another webcam interview from Planet Wallywood, this one for Morphin Net. I had met Ryan and Leo at last year’s Robo Toy Fest convention, but this interview would be a little more in depth. I love doing these because I’m at my house being comfortable, I can treat it just like I’m shooting the breeze with a few friends, and I can bring on an occasional puppet to perform. I had planned on bringing on Gonzo for a specific bit, but an audience question about the great Carroll Spinney had me running for my Oscar the Grouch replica Muppet as well! It was great fun! When it was over I worked around the house a bit, worked on the computer, and right around dawn Sunday morning I walked Roxy. It was a gorgeous, warm and quiet morning. I came back inside and made my traditional Saturday Night Super Salad and watched “Space 1999.”

Sunday the 12th – SUNDAY STUFFIN’! – My pal Joe called again about our kid’s book project, and I had to contact my webmaster Scott Sebring to have some content put on my website for an upcoming meeting with a possible publisher. I recorded a bunch of auditions which were due on Monday, and stuffed Green Grover’s hands so they’re ready for my pal Sergio to trim them when he arrives on Monday. Sara came over to pick up a few of the charity meals that included seafood, and then I spent some more time working around the house. I finished up some work for my autograph store which will go live on my website next week. Hard to believe the week has flown by already!

And how was YOUR week??!!

PIX FROM THE WEEK

Planet Wallywood just LOVES family reunions!

Seriously, this Roger Moore James Bond figure is tops!

And so is this Halloween 2 Michael Myers figure. WOW!

I’m waiting for the day cons come back so I can wear my new Animal cap!

Gleep aka Green Grover is home for a bit and ready for a trim. Then he goes back to Alex in Wonderland to get more staining done on his fur

Hi def restorations of some of the best Laurel and Hardy films! I’ve been waiting for this!

Spook meets Michael Myers in a steel cage death match, without the cage!

As a tribute to Robin the Frog’s fantastic “Halfway Down the Stairs” song, here’s my Robin on MY stairs.

I glued the green suede to the bottom of Robin’s flippers…

…then started to glue in his mouth plate, starting with the corners of his mouth first…

…then trimmed the flippers carefully, once the glue had dried on the suede

The mouth gets fully attached, and he’s ready for his eyes!

He looks great in the Tranquility Zone with his uncle!

To test Robin out, I did a verse from his famous song…