RANDOM PIC OF THE WEEK
When I took my folks out to Lassieland to meet all of Roxy’s relatives, they posed with Lassie 10 (my dog Roxy’s brother Junior!). The photo was so great I suggested that they use it for their Christmas card for this season. Immediately Lassie’s trainer Carol Riggins brought out the decorations and magic was made!
After seeing the new James Bond movie “Skyfall,” I couldn’t get the theme song from Adele out of my head. This sounds like one of the classic Bond themes that we all know and love. Well done!
Monday the 12th – BACK ON THE BIKE! – It was a beautiful day! I got up, did some work at home, and then biked into NBC to tape “The Tonight Show.” But I had forgotten that it gets darker earlier now, and I wore a dark blue sweatshirt. Bad idea! Luckily the nice folks in the “TTS” wardrobe department had a giant, light gray sweatshirt they let me borrow for the ride home. After the taping I went to see my chiropractor Dr. C, and got an adjustment. The ride home was excellent, and when I got back I took a nice long dip in the jacuzzi, relaxing all those leg muscles. I grabbed a quick nap by the fire (it’s almost the time of year for “Christmas Nappies!”), and then woke up to do auditions in my home studio. I e-mailed them all off to my agents and then Sara came by with food from Denny’s and we watched an episode of “Kojak” from the second season DVD set.
Tuesday the 13th – WALLY’S NOT SO EXCELLENT DEXILANT ADVENTURE! – I got a hotline call in the morning to do an audition for my agent, and a bit for “TTS.” I walked Roxy and then went to the hardware store to pick up a few items. I also stopped by my printer’s shop to pick up some more supplies for my signage project. They’re coming along great and I love how the new signs stand out. They’re a lot more prominent than the old engraved metal ones. Then I sped off to “TTS” to tape the show. I got home and did some work in my garage, throwing out a lot of boxes and junk I didn’t need (but I still have a LONG way to go!), and then I worked on my signage project all night. I did my auditions and then walked Roxy. In addition to having a problem with my Brachial Plexis (a section in the upper left chest where a bundle of nerves run under the pectoral muscle) and the numbness in my left arm that resulted (which is why I’m seeing my chiropractor), I had also been suffering from some chest pains over the past few days. I thought it was odd. I had been all through the “heart attack” questions with my doctor a few weeks ago, which is how we discovered the problem with my Brachial Plexis. But now this?! As I walked Roxy I pondered…”What has been different in the past month of my life? What changes have I made that could cause this?” Then it hit me. About 6 weeks ago my Ear Nose and Throat doctor put me on an antacid called Dexilant. It’s supposed to minimize stomach acid production. A few months back I was having voice problems because I was eating too close to bedtime. When you lay flat, the digestion process washes stomach acid up into your throat and inflames the vocal cords. Hmmm…Dexilant. I Googled it and sure enough, one of the side effects of Dexilant is chest pains! RATS! That would also explain a strange rash I had a few weeks back, as hives is also a side effect. I stopped the medication immediately and called my doctor’s voicemail. Whew! I slept well that night. I started Season Five of “Charlie’s Angels” from the DVD set, and OH MY GOSH! I had forgotten how gorgeous Tanya Roberts was in that series! I couldn’t take my eyes off her!
Wednesday the 14th – UP AND DOWN, UP AND DOWN, ETC.! – I slept wrong on my Brachial Plexis again, so when I woke up I had numbing in my left arm. I also woke up with a horrible sinus headache. I got a hotline call to record a bit for “TTS,” then I went back to bed. But soon after I got another hotline call to record another bit. Then it was back to bed. Then another hotline call to redo the first bit I did with some changes. Then back to bed. But soon after I got another hotline call to do an audition. So I did one of the two pages they sent as a sample, and then went back to bed. But I got another hotline call asking me to do the second page as well. I figured I wasn’t going to get any more rest, so I cuddled Roxy on the bed for awhile and took some aspirin. It was another stunning day, so I got my Gran Torino out and drove that to NBC for the taping of “TTS.” When I got home I did some work around the house and some auditions. I was already feeling better after stopping the Dexilant a mere 24 hours ago. My doctor said it would take about 48 hours for the medication to completely leave my system. He also put me on an over-the-counter antacid called Zantac. So I started that instead. He said all of the prescription-strength antacids are all from the same basic family, with the same basic side effects. I met some friends for dinner early in the evening. Bill Rogers and his wife Camille Dixon are the voices of Disneyland and Disney’s California Adventure respectively. It was fun exchanging stories and telling tales about our lives and the experiences that led us to our current profession. They’re great folks! When I got home I met up with my pal Edi so she could help me with some of the signage work I was doing around the house. I scanned some checks to get them ready for deposit. When it came time for bed, I retired with the animals and watched another episode of “Charlie’s Angels.” (Have I mentioned how gorgeous Tanya Roberts is?)
Thursday the 15th – MY STANNEQUINN! – I slept very well and woke up feeling great! I got a hotline call to be in to “TTS” at 2 to record some bits. I walked Roxy and headed into NBC. When I finished the bits, I had some time before the show taped. I went to Taco Bell to get some food, and then stopped by the bank to make a deposit. Tim Allen was on the show and he was hilarious! When I got home I started thinking about my next mannequin project. If you remember, a month ago at the Son of Monsterpalooza convention I bought some celebrity heads that were made from the original molds used at the Movieland Wax Museum in Niagara Falls. I initially bought a Sean Connery head, and I’m now the middle of making a cool life-size James Bond figure. (SeeForging a Bond) A few days later I also bought the Laurel and Hardy heads from Evil Wilhelm. Evil bought 60 original molds from the Movieland Wax Museum and he sells copies from those molds. Since both Bond and Laurel and Hardy were huge influences to me when I was young, I thought having life-size effigies of them in my house would be awesome. Bond is easy to dress, since I bought several vintage looking shawl-collar tuxedos at It’s a Wrap about a year ago. So I’m set. But Laurel and Hardy would be difficult. I knew I wanted a gray tweed wool suit for Stan. But he had a certain British influence to most of the suits he wore in the L&H films. Finding a 3 piece suit with that cut would be difficult today. Even on eBay. I found a few options, but none were perfect. Then it struck me. I had a suit in my closet that I used to wear for my Andy Kaufman act in high school, and I also wore it in the play “Charlie’s Aunt” when I was a sophomore. I also wore it as Andy Kaufman on the “E! True Hollywood Story.” I dug it out, and it was PERFECT! Great slim cut, and still in really nice shape! I’m not sure how I came by it, I’m sure I hijacked it from my dad at some point, but it originally belonged to my late Uncle Bun. In fact, he was married in it! Now it will have a permanent place of honor in Planet Wallywood’s Chaney Room! I just needed to find a gray vest to go with it. Not an ordinary vest, but a British-style waistcoat. I found a fantastic one, very vintage looking, on eBay. It’s on the way to complete the picture! I gave the Stannequin the shoes I used to wear for my Lon Chaney “Man in the Beaver Hat” costume. I had a wonderful off-white shirt with a 30’s looking collar laying around. And the cuff-links I used were the ones I used to wear with my “Phantom of the Opera” costume. Easy squeezy! I ordered a derby on eBay that used to belong to a Stan Laurel impersonator. The mannequin is a bit tall for Stan, so I’m going to have Jim Ojala take a few inches out of his fiberglass legs once he gets to Jim’s shop. Other than that he’s ready to be worked on! Once James Bond is delivered, Jim will start working on the Stannequin. Then it’s Ollie’s turn! I have two different mannequins coming for Ollie. One had the leg position I liked, and the other had the torso position I liked. So Jim is going to “Frankenstein” them together, and the seam will be hidden by all the padding we’ll have to add to make him look like Oliver Hardy. I have the bottom half, but the top hasn’t arrived yet. Stay tuned! Soon the boys will be inhabiting Planet Wallywood! LOOK OUT! My pal Chuck McCann is going to loan me the costume he used as Oliver Hardy for tons of commercials and TV appearances! Later that night I met two of my agents for dinner in Sherman Oaks. It was a misty night, but I took the Torino out! It’s very well waxed, so the water just beads up! I signed on with my agency for another three years, we laughed and told jokes and had fun checking out the Torino. When we left the restaurant there were several elderly people outside hugging each other goodbye. I just stood behind one of the ladies with my arms out. “Where’s MY hug?” I said. The ladies laughed and obliged me with a hug. And then one of the elderly gentlemen came over to me with his arms out, so I gave him a hug too. It was hilarious! I came home to do my auditions and do some more work around the house. I made some of my world infamous Buffalo Mac (Kraft Mac and Cheese with bits of Denny’s buffalo chick strips in it). Then I retired to watch another “Charlie’s Angels” episode. This is MUCH more enjoyable than “Kojak!” Mmmmmm…Tanya Roberts.
Friday the 16th – RIP TWO LEGENDS! – I got up for a hotline call, but it was a false alarm. Apparently the names used in the bit weren’t approved yet. My pal Bodie Stroud came over to pick up the Torino for regular maintenance and service. After he picked up the car, I got a new script with approved names. So I recorded the bit several different ways to give the writer a choice. I got cleaned up and headed to NBC for another comedy bit in my Mustang. Then I went to McDonald’s, stopped by my chiropractor’s office to try and get in earlier than my 5:30 appointment (no luck) and then went back to NBC. After the taping I went back to my chiropractor’s office and read in the paper that two legends had passed away. First, Bernard Lansky…one of the famous Lansky Brothers in Memphis, died in his early 80’s. Lansky Brothers clothing was legendary for dressing some of the most amazing artists in music history. Including Elvis Presley. Actually, the Lanskys are credited with much of the development of Elvis’ fashion sense and style. “Mr. B” will be missed. Also, from a more personal standpoint, we lost the great voice actress Lucille Bliss. Though I don’t believe we had ever worked together directly, we did appear in the same shows. Not the least of which was “Invader Zim.” She played Miss Bitters, and did a fabulous job! I stopped by It’s a Wrap but didn’t find anything I was looking for. On the way home I drove by the house I really considered buying a few months ago. Unfortunately it had a ton of power lines running just outside the backyard. The house was totally tented, so I guess the house must have termite issues. Not sure if it was being done by a new owner, or the previous owner. But every time I drive by that house I get a little misty. When I got home I met my pal Brittney Powell for dinner at Studio Cafe. I walked Roxy down with me and she enjoyed some grilled chicken. Then I got home and napped for a bit, then got up to do some work, and enjoy another “Charlie’s Angels” episode.
Saturday the 17th – RAIN! – As Eddie Rabbit once said, I love a rainy night! I also love a rainy day! I slept til 3 in the afternoon so I ended up missing most of it though. I had lunch with some friends at DuPar’s, my favorite rainy day restaurant. I had the usual rainy-day meal…grilled cheese sandwich and chicken noodle soup! Then I headed to Floyd’s Barbershop to get a cut and color. Afterwards it was back home to get ready for movie night. My friend Larry brought his young daughter Kathy over, and she’s a big Laurel and Hardy fan. So instead of running one L&H short, we ran two. Then after they left, we put on the James Bond Blu Ray “Diamonds Are Forever.” I did work around the house and got a ton of stuff done. I was still getting an occasional chest pain though, so I Googled Zantac and found out that chest pains was a side effect of that pill too! So I decided just to stop all medications for awhile and cleanse my system out. I worked on more signage, made some dinner and watched “Charlie’s Angels.”
Sunday the 18th – THANKSGIVING IS COMING! – I slept very late into the day again (since I stay up all night!) and cuddled on the bed with Roxy and Spook for awhile. Then I got ready for evening church with Roxy. After church my friend Amanda came by and we went to the Coral Cafe to get some pot roast and mashed potatoes! YUM! Then it was time to crank out a ton of auditions, e-mail them to my agents, and work around the house to prepare for a new week, and Thanksgiving is coming soon! I was busy preparing the list of folks who are going to the Sportsmen’s Lodge for our traditional buffet feed! I walked Roxy and then headed to bed to watch “Charlie’s Angels” before sleepy time.
And how was YOUR week??!!
