RANDOM PIC OF THE WEEK
My parents sent me this in an e-mail recently. I tried to read it aloud, but couldn’t make it through. See if you have any better luck. (I guess I’m just an ol’ softie)
I’ve been delving full force into a short-lived early 70’s show called “Search” on DVD. It’s a fabulous show and I’m actually enjoying it more now than I did when I was a kid. The theme song has all the swagger you’d expect from an early-70’s spy-themed show!
Monday the 10th – GOTTA GET ME SOME GLASSES! – When I got up at noon I sped off to Mr. Stitch, an embroidery place in Sherman Oaks. A long time ago I got a red leather baseball cap at It’s a Wrap. At the time I was doing Ant Man in “Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes,” and I thought the cap would make a cool Ant Man cap. Since nobody sells official Ant Man caps, I took it upon myself to put the Ant Man chest logo on the cap, which I constructed from black leather. I Barge glued it on to the cap and it turned out great! But on the back, just above the gap where you adjust the cap’s size, I wanted to have yellow Ant Man letters embroidered on it. But my seamstress at the time kept pushing my project back and back, until years passed and I finally asked for it back. Now that I have it back in my possession, I took it to Mr. Stitch and it’ll be done in a week! I also left some navy blue and black baseball caps with her to have the Captain Action logo embroidered on the front, but she ended up losing those all together. Sheesh! I took the Captain Action logo to Mr. Stitch so they could digitize it and have it ready for when I bring in my replacement caps. While I was there I ran into Sean Hayes. I told him how much I loved his “Three Stooges” movie, and that I used to work with a guy named Curt at “Tonight Show.” Curt is Larry Fine’s great-grandson. Sean said he knew Curt well. We also spoke about Billy West, the guy who blazed the trail for all future Larry Fine impersonators. Sean said he wouldn’t have gotten the role of Larry in the film had it not been for Billy. He also said there may be a new “Stooge” movie in the future. Cool! I went over to Prints Charm’n to check out the proof for the redone postcards for my big voice-over demo mailout that I’m doing next month. The first ones turned out too dark because of the metallic paper they used, but these came out perfectly. I’ll be able to pick up the finished copies later in the week. When I got home I parked my car outside the garage and got a surge of energy and inspiration to tear through my garage and do some cleaning. After a lot of work, I found my original “Jay Leno Show” scripts, which I had been looking for. I reorganized areas of the garage, threw a ton of stuff out, got rid of a bunch of boxes and put them in the recycle bin, and was amazed that it was already looking a lot better. But there’s a bunch more work to do. I went inside to feed Roxy and Spook, walked Roxy, then took a dip in the Jacuzzi. I grabbed a quick nap in the Puppet Room. But when I woke up I thought the clock said 1:05. CRIPES! I slept for four and a half hours? I knew I worked hard on the garage, but not THAT hard! I sprang out of bed and started doing my auditions. But after I got a few of them done, I looked up at the clock and saw that it was only 11:25. I must’ve misread the clock when I woke up! Thank God! I finished my auditions at midnight, then finished Wally’s Week. I started the arduous task of sorting the “JLS” scripts so I could file them in order and put them in a binder in my storage. Since the show only went for 6 months it was a lot less work than filing my “Tonight Show” scripts. But unlike the “TS” scripts, not all of the “JLS” show scripts were dated. So I had a good share of scripts with no idea how they fit into the timeline. I went on IMDB to cross-reference the guest line-up. It was very time-consuming, but worth it in the long run. After a very productive day, I walked Roxy on our late-night stroll, made some Buffalo Mac and watched another episode of “Search” on DVD. I’m LOVING this show! But I didn’t get to sleep until 8am Tuesday morning, and I have to be up at 1 to let my contractor Electric Bob in to do some work! Yikes!
Tuesday the 11th – PUPPETASTIC! – Electric Bob came over at 1 to do a bunch of work. Firstly, I’m having a new shelf installed in the Puppet Room in anticipation of my finalized “Wizard of Oz” busts. The Scarecrow is at my seamstress’ shop getting ready to get his tunic made. Then I have to take him to the hat maker and he’ll be done. Tin Man is next. My pal Terry is going to make his costume out of thin copper sheeting, which will be painted silver. Bob also put in a new track lighting system to properly illuminate the busts once they get installed. We also looked at new hard wood laminate flooring for my office area. Because of a small wear in a high traffic area of my second level, we need to find some good donor carpet to do the patch. Since I used a rolling chair at my computer work station and drawing table, I have a hard wood platform under my desks. But under that is pristine carpet which has rarely seen the light of day. So we’re cutting out a 4′ X 8′ piece under the desks, using that for the patch, and Bob will install all hard wood where the piece of donor carpet was. It’ll be a much more sensible use of the carpet. That way I’ll no longer need the hard wood platform over the carpet by the desks. The new track lighting system in the Puppet Room wasn’t working though. It kept kicking off the breaker every time Bob tried to turn it on. So Bob took off for home to diagnose the problem. I walked Roxy, continued to file my “JLS” scripts in the binder while I dubbed some more home movies to DVDs, then I went to the Puppet Room to grab a nap, all the while listening to my pal “L.F.” croak away in the L.A. wash. (For the story on L.F. – see the previous Wally’s Week) I got up to do a ton of auditions, then worked some more in my garage. I stashed all of the “TS” scripts into one plastic bin, and in a second plastic bin I stashed the binder full of “JLS” scripts, “TS” and “JLS” souvenirs and mementos. I sealed the bins and stashed them in my underground storage, and probably will never look at them again. (At least until it comes time to write my book!) I did some laundry, then texted Sara to go grab some to-go food at Denny’s. It was another monumentally productive day. I retired with my Denny’s and another “Search” episode.
Wednesday the 12th – READY! AIM!… – When I got up at noon to walk Roxy I got a call from Electric Bob saying that he had gotten held up on another job and couldn’t make it over today. No worries. The work I have here isn’t that pressing. I did some work around the house, and decided it was time to dub the audio from some of my “TS” bits on to CD so I could import them into my computer and started editing my “Best of The Tonight Show” demo. I would have to figure out some way to compress four years of bits and material into a 3 minute demo. Wish me luck! I finished it up and finalized the CD. Then I headed over to Jerry’s Famous Deli to have lunch with my pal David Elkouby, the producer of the Hollywood Show. He would be giving me back the stuff I had signed by Tim Curry and Dick Van Dyke at one of David’s private signings. I had met Dick Van Dyke at “TTS,” but getting an autograph at that time wasn’t appropriate. But I had several things I wanted him to sign, so this was the best way to do it. I went over to Prints Charm’n to pick up the redone mailout postcards, and then I went to my mailbox to get three packages. One contained my new set of Bose QC-15 headphones. This time I’m not going to lose them or let them get stolen. I drove over to Firing Line in Burbank to meet up with my friend Caya who is learning to shoot handguns. She had shot before and she enjoyed it so much she was anxious to do it again. I started her off slow on my compact .380 semi-automatic from Sig Sauer called the P238. She seemed to enjoy that, but then we moved up to the Taurus .357. She found that a little hard to handle, and cocking back the hammer took more hand strength than she had. But that’s why we experiment with these things. We finished off the session with my .45 semi-automatic Smith & Wesson 1911. Oddly enough, the guy shooting in the lane next to us had a gun that looked almost identical, though it was a different manufacturer. Popular model, I guess! We grabbed a quick dinner at Coral Café then we said our goodbyes and took off. I headed home to nap in the Puppet Room again, then got up a few hours later to record some auditions in my home studio. I e-mailed them off to my agent, fed and walked Roxy, then hit the hay. I had to be up early the next morning for an audition, and my semi-annual dental check-up!
Thursday the 13th – WHERE DOES THE TIME GO?! – When I know I have to be up early, I don’t sleep that well. My eyes hot open at 9am sharp, about a half hour earlier than I had hoped. I sprang out of bed to start the day. It was gorgeous outside so I took Roxy for an extended walk. I ran into a nice lady with a dog named Odin. Once we started chatting I found out her name was Jill, and she was married to legendary character actor Joe Campanella! I told her about my new found friendship with Joe’s “Mannix” co-star Mike Connors. I had also worked for many years at Premiere Radio Network for her son Dominic. Small world, eh? I got back inside and checked some e-mail and got ready to head to Voicecasters for the Honda audition. It was fun seeing the folks there again, and it’s nice having the freedom in my schedule now to get out and about in the field and work. I got some KFC and went to my dentist’s office to eat my lunch and talk to my folks on the phone. I went inside, got my check-up, X-rays and cleaning, and headed out the door. I had to stop by my accountant’s office to pay for my corporate tax return. Now that it’s filed, they’re going to do my personal taxes next. I got home to meet up with Electric Bob, who was still having trouble with the track lighting system. Bob was at his wits’ end. A carpet repair came by to diagnose my carpet problem and consulted with Bob and I about what needed to be done for the “transplant.” When he left Bob and I started plotting how we were going to get my computer moved out of the way so he could do the flooring. It would involve completely disassembling my computer area and moving it several feet away. I decided to have my computer guy there to do all of the necessary disassembling and reassembling work so I didn’t screw it up. It’s a big job, but it’s gotta be done. I took Roxy over to the groomer’s for a bath, then came back home to work on my “TS” demo. I also worked on some new clips for my music library. I picked Roxy up around 5:30 then fed her and Spook. My ol’ pal L.F. was croaking away, so I figured I’d grab a quick nap in the Puppet Room and enjoy his performance. I got up around 11:30 to do auditions and work around the house. I can’t believe it’s almost Friday already!! I made some spaghetti and watched another episode of “Search.”
Friday the 14th – AN END TO A PRODUCTIVE WEEK! – When I got up at noon I worked around the house, and did some more work on my “TS” demo. It’s coming together nicely. Electric Bob came to wrestle with the track lighting in the Puppet Room one more time, and found the trouble. The switch he installed was bad. So it kept kicking off the breaker whenever it was turned on. He put in a new switch and VOILA! Perfection! I dubbed some more home movies to DVD and spent the rest of the afternoon doing stuff around the house. A perfect end to a very busy week. I fed Roxy and Spook, then drove over to Floyd’s Barbershop for a touch-up on my color. I met up with David Elkouby who gave me the remainder of my Tim Curry and Dick Van Dyke autographed items, then I got some groceries. When I got home I was famished, so I heated up some Sloppy Joe mix my pal Bruce Kulick and his wife Lisa gave me. One thing I really miss in L.A. is good ol’ Midwestern Sloppy Joes! Whenever I’m back in South Dakota I’ll have at least 4 of them every day. I can’t get them here, so I fill up while I’m there! Bruce did a great job! It was DEEElicous! I also enjoyed some chips and salsa, then settled in for a nap in the Puppet Room. When I got up I saw that Roxy had “marked” the downstairs carpet again. CONFOUND IT! I don’t know why she’s doing that, other than the fact that I had the carpets completely cleaned the week before. Perhaps she doesn’t like the fact that there are no remnants of her scent left in the house. But she had I had a serious discussion and I think she realized that this sort of behavior isn’t going to be tolerated in Planet Wallywood. I did some more work on the “TS” demo, then made some soup and a sandwich and hit the hay to watch “Search.”
Saturday the 15th – YOU CALL THAT A SCHEDULE?! – I didn’t get to bed until 10am, but I got up at 2pm. I walked Roxy then went back to bed to sleep until 6:30pm. How wacky is that?! My assistant Sara came over at 7 to start cleaning up Planet Wallywood for movie night, and I got out my ladder and started dusting some of the higher areas in my living room. We had a fun group, with a few visitors in from Texas. After everyone left I laid down for a quick nap in the Puppet Room. When I got up I did more work on my “TS” demo, walked and fed Roxy, and made a giant salad for my usual “Saturday Night Saint and Salad Night.” On Saturday nights I deviate from whatever it is I’m watching on DVD at the time, and throw in an old “Saint” episode from the 60’s. It’s a real treat! I stayed up watching TV and goofing off around the house until 11am Sunday morning! I’m completely backwards!
Sunday the 16th – I RATE IT ABOUT A 4.4! – Saturday night into Sunday afternoon I didn’t sleep very well at all. I kept having very vivid dreams that kept waking me up every hour or so. It was very frustrating. I walked Roxy at 2pm, and talked to Carol (the lady from whom I got Roxy back in 2012) on the phone about possible solutions to Roxy’s new “marking” habit. She gave me some very specific things to do to prevent her from doing it again. We’ll see how it works. While I was on the phone with her, one of the glass doors in my main display case fell out of its hinge. So as I was talking to her, trying to write down notes about her instructions, I was also trying to realign my glass door into the hinge. I put in some double-sided stick tape, and rescrewed the little fastener into the hinge. Good as new! Roxy and I got ready for evening church and enjoyed walking over on a very warm, pleasant evening. Roxy and I were joined at church by my pal Edi and her daughter Ems, and a few friends of hers. Then we met at Ernie’s Taco House for some dinner. I came back home to do a little work, then grabbed a nap in the Puppet Room. I got up around 11:30 and did a ton of auditions. Then I worked on creating the costume for my Tin Man “Oz” bust. Though my pal Terry is going to make it out of copper sheeting, I need to give him the pattern for it. So, like last week with my Batman figure, I sat down and “draped and taped.” I got out several sheets of posterboard and started sizing things up, comparing it to photos of the real Tin Man all the while. I finished up the main body, and still need to do the shoulders, arms, and collar. But it’s coming along nicely! I also did a little work on my Beetlejuice figure in the Chaney Room, hiding some of the speaker wires underneath the artificial grass covering on his support platform. I walked Roxy and used some of the techniques that Carol told me about earlier. She said to not let Roxy “mark” at all…outside or inside. If Roxy gets it through her head that marking is not going to be tolerated ANYWHERE, she’ll eventually learn to stop doing it. So whenever Roxy looked like she was going to stop along our walking route and “mark” (or “post,” as Carol calls it) I would pull her along and keep her walking. Of course before we started walking, I allowed her to completely empty her bladder. Regular bathroom breaks and “posting” are two different things to a dog, though to a human they may seem similar. The idea is to let her go potty, praise and reward her for, but not let her do any marking. The first night of training went very well. I hope, for my carpet’s sake, it works. After doing some more work, I went into the kitchen and made some soup and a sandwich for TV Time. We all hit the hay around 6 to eat and watch “Search,” but halfway through the episode at about 6:30 things started shaking. I thought it was Roxy wiggling the bed, but it was more than that. It was a full-on earthquake! Things were flying off my shelves, and falling down in my display cases. Poor Roxy was pacing around the bed and Spook took off to God-knows where! It lasted a good 10 seconds and shook pretty good. I was thinking that this quake was the worst one I’ve felt since I’ve had my house. I don’t recall another one being so bad. I was living in Culver City in an apartment during the Northridge quake of ’94. The shaking subsided and I got up, changed back into my clothes, and surveyed the damage. Nothing too bad around my house. Pictures on the wall were askew, things had fallen down in my display cases, but nothing serious. I grabbed my flashlight and headed outside to check the foundation of the house. I also check to see if any of my neighbors needed anything. But it all seemed sedate and quiet. The water in the pool was still splashing around though. Once I was convinced that all was well, I went back inside to finish my dinner and the “Search” episode. And of all the nights to make a soufflé!
And how was YOUR week??!!
PIX FROM THE WEEK
The build of the costume for my Tin Man bust is coming along! With posterboard, I cut out the pattern for the main body suit. Once I had that to my liking, I cut out the collar and attached it. Each phase of the pattern took several tries in order to account for the curvatures and contours of the armor. But once I had it, I taped it on the bust and prepared for the next phase.
The left arm and shoulder gets attached and riveted with a standard brass brad. Then the pattern is repeated for the right arm. The only thing left is the funnel hat!
Once the pattern is locked, I will cut it all apart and give it to my contractor Terry, who is going to fabricate it out of copper sheeting. Once it’s attached, my effects guy Jim Ojala will give the whole thing the dull silver finish characteristic of The Tin Man of Oz!
