Maya Rudolph was on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” on Friday and she’s lovely! I was reminded that her mom was the amazing Minnie Ripperton who passed from this earth at MUCH too early of an age. I started humming Minnie’s #1 hit from the 70’s “Lovin’ You.” When she sang it on the “Midnight Special” DVD she sang it for baby Maya! In fact, you could hear her singing “Maya, Maya, Maya, Maya” in the song! Great song! Great lady! Great voice which allowed her to sing in several octaves! Only the good die young.
Monday the 19th – WHIRLWIND START TO A NEW WEEK! – I went to Mai Tai Studios at noon for another gig for Old Navy with my old pal Tim, the producer. It’s always fun with those Old Navy guys. Then I called Smith & Wesson to get the address to send my Walther PPK-S for repair. It was jamming and I think there was something internally wrong that needed attention. I went home to do a quick bit for “The Tonight Show,” then I headed over to Studiopolis Burbank to do some lines for another “Bleach” episode. When I finished I stopped by Taco Bell for lunch and then made it to NBC early for the taping. When I was finished I organized a big dinner at Barone’s in Sherman Oaks. It’s one of my favorite restaurants, but I hadn’t had time to go there lately. I couldn’t resist any longer. My assistant Sara and my pal Edi and her kids met me at the restaurant, while I sat in my Gran Torino at my house waiting for my friend Alex and her friends Amy and Kyla. Alex had moved to town from Arizona recently, and her friend Kyla flew in from Arizona to join her for the weekend for a promotional appearance. Alex’s new roommate Amy has lived in Burbank for a few years. I took them over in my Gran Torino and we had a lot of fun talking to people on the street on the car’s P.A. system. I told them they would love Barone’s, and they weren’t disappointed! We stopped at Chill for some frozen yogurt afterwards, and then I dropped the girls off at their car and I headed home. I packed up my Walther PPK-S for shipping, worked some around the house, and watched another episode of “The Saint” before bed.
Tuesday the 20th – EXHAUSTED! – I was up early in the morning and back at Mai Tai Studios to do a commercial for Old Navy radio. Then I drove over to Fed Ex to send off my Walther PPK-S. I just barely had time to grab a quick lunch at McDonald’s, and then I went to Voice Trax West for another US Airways session. I’m the voice of their interactive voice recognition system on their reservation phone line, and there are still more audio files to be recorded for the system. So every week we record for about an hour and pick up the stuff that’s needed. Immediately after I recorded a few bits for “TTS” in the Voice Trax West studio, and Chris the engineer e-mailed them over to NBC. I headed home for a little bit and had my assistant Sara run some photos of Paul Michael Glaser to the duplicators so they could make copies for Paul’s upcoming October appearances in Chicago, Boston, Virginia Beach and Ocean City. Without a second to spare I headed to NBC for the taping of “TTS.” While the taping was going on I was wrestling with Yahoo e-mail. Without my choice or consent, they switched the format of my e-mail layout. They said it was new and improved, but there were several things I hated about it. It took several steps to do some things I used to do in one. This was not an improvement. It may have been for those who want to utilize Yahoo mail with Twitter, Facebook, IM and all that other stuff…but I don’t do any of that and it just looked cluttered to me. I wrote them an e-mail begging them to switch me back to the old classic version. I had gotten satisfaction on one of my other accounts, but the address I was using to write them kept coming back as undeliverable. It said it wasn’t being monitored for replies, but I had gotten replies from them on that very address on one of my other accounts. So I wasn’t exactly sure what was going on. To make matters worse, they had a link on their help page (which took 20 minutes to find amidst all the clutter) that say “How Can I Switch Back to Yahoo Classic?” I clicked the link, but it went to a page that had nothing to do with that topic. Typical Yahoo. In fact, the subject wasn’t even addressed anywhere on the page. I sent another e-mail begging them to change me back. If not, I think I’ll start a Gmail account and be done with Yahoo and their “improvements” for good. On the way home I grabbed some chili cheese dogs and a strawberry shake. I stopped off at my box and picked up some mail, then I went home. Edi and Sara came over, but I was very tired. Exhausted, even! So I excused myself and took a nap. When I woke up I felt much better. I did my auditions in my home studio and e-mailed them to my agents. Then Sara came over to watch an episode of “The Saint” with me. I talked her into making a Denny’s food run. As we sat and watched the episode and ate Denny’s, I was feeling MUCH better!
Wednesday the 21st – DOING THE GOOD DEED! – I was back at Mai Tai Studios again for Old Navy. Then I went back home. I drove my Gran Torino over to my pal Bodie’s garage so he could make some adjustments on it and do some repairs. Sara met me at Bodie’s to give me a ride home. On the way, we saw a red Mustang come off a freeway off-ramp at a rapid rate of speed and plowed head first into a car that was slowly entering the intersection. The problem was that the stoplights were malfunctioning. They were flashing red. I’m not sure the Mustang guy knew that flashing red meant to stop, and then proceed. He was barreling down the off-ramp pretty rapidly. Sara dropped me off at Studio Cafe to meet with Chuck McCann for lunch. Chuck was getting my parents house seats to his performance with Tim Conway in Mason City, Iowa this Saturday. So I gave Chuck my folk’s cell number so they could get in touch in Iowa. Chuck called my dad at the table and surprised him. It looked like it was all getting set up perfectly. They’re in for a good time, and my folks have always enjoyed Tim Conway’s work on “The Carol Burnett Show.” After lunch I had time to walk home, as it was a beautiful day. I showered and changed clothes and then headed off to “TTS” for an early taping. It gave me the opportunity to wrestle with Yahoo mail again and try to get them to switch me back to Classic Mail. When the show was wrapped, I drove back to Mai Tai Studios for yet another Old Navy session. They were really putting me through my paces this week! But it’s always a good time with those folks! On the way home I was driving toward a beautiful, enormous orange sun setting in the west! As I was pulling around the driveway toward my garage, I noticed a black leather bag sitting next to a hedge. I stopped the car and got out to investigate. I was almost afraid to open it, not sure of just exactly what I would find in there. Opening it carefully, I realized it was just an ordinary purse. In it was a Blackberry, a camera, a paycheck stub, a credit card receipt, a driver’s license, but no money. I knew immediately that it must be the case of a stolen purse…taken by somebody who extricated the money and credit cards and threw the rest of the contents away. Some people. But the address on the driver’s license was in New York. Should I put it in the mail? Before I did that I called the restaurant from where the credit card receipt came. I spoke to the manager trying to obtain any information I could about the person who dined there a few nights earlier. He said he would do some research and call me back. I pulled out the pay stub and luckily, the lady’s address on the pay stub was next door to me! I walked over to the apartment complex and was ready to push the button to be buzzed in, but the front door was already ajar. On the door was a photocopied announcement urging the tenants to make sure to keep the door closed at all times, and not to block it open for any reason. But it wouldn’t make any difference. The latch on the door wasn’t working, so it looked like the landlord may have to make some repairs soon. I went in the complex and found the number of the apartment on the pay stub. I knocked, and a gal slowly opened the door. I asked her if she was missing her purse and she said yes. Apparently while she was doing laundry in her complex, a stranger had come into the complex, simply walked into her apartment, grabbed her purse and took off. She said luckily, all of her money and credit cards were in a different area of the house so he got nothing. HA HA HA! That’ll teach that imbecile! She was happy to have her purse back, and I was happy that she got it back. I know that, had it been me (God forbid!) I would have been going nuts until I had it back in my possession! I was in a bad need of a shower, so I grabbed a quick one and headed over to Jerry’s Famous Deli for dinner with my friend Alex and her roommate Amy, and Chuck and Betty McCann. After dinner I went home to relax and boy did it feel good! It was a really busy day! I did some work on my Halloween costume, and then sat down to QC (quality control) Paul Glaser’s audio book. He and I would be meeting up in the studio again next week to spot sound effects and music, and he asked that I listen to the book first in case I had any notes. After that, I went to bed and watched another episode of “The Saint.”
Thursday the 22nd – BUZZING ABOUT WITH BIGWIGS! – I got a hotline call from my agent in the morning telling me that a script for “TTS” was in my inbox and needed to be recorded. When I finished the bit, I e-mailed it over to NBC and then went back to bed for a bit. I got up mid-afternoon and got ready for “TTS.” I had some guests coming to the show today…execs from US Airways! They wanted to meet their voice! I got into the studio a little early, went into the audience and found Madeleine, Jill and Kerry, and then went back to rehearse the opening. During the taping of the show I was notified by Yahoo that the security information I sent them wasn’t adequate to affect a change back to Classic. Oh brother! I’ve had that e-mail address since the mid 90’s…I couldn’t remember what the security questions were. It was so long ago! I pleaded with them again to switch me back to classic. Just to hedge my bets, I set up a new e-mail account at Gmail. After the show I met up with the girls again and gave them the mini-tour. They said they had about an hour before they needed be at the airport for their flight back to Phoenix. So we went over to Michael’s Bar and Grill, got some food and drinks and visited some more. They said they needed to get a cab to the airport but I said I would be happy to give them a ride. I put the top down on my Mustang, as it was a beautiful evening, and we drove to the airport. The wispy clouds in the sky hung lazily as they reflected the orange glow of the setting sun in their undersides. It was a sight that had all four of us in stunned awe. It was beautiful! We got to the airport and I dropped them off with a fond farewell. The rest of the drive home was amazing and peaceful, driving toward those beautiful orange clouds. My pal Terry brought over a gas-powered electrical generator that I had been wanting. The next time the power goes out I’m going to be ready. I’ll just crank it up and I’ll still have power! After hearing that the San Diego area was without power for almost a full day recently, I didn’t want to take any chances! That night I grabbed a nap, and then did my auditions and e-mailed them to my agents. My internet went down for awhile, which was weird. I called the company and they said the technicians were “decongesting” the lines and I should have my internet back up in a few hours. I had never heard that before. Strange. So I popped in the next CD and continued to QC Paul Glaser’s audio book. While I listened I did some desk work. Just before I went to bed my internet came back.
Friday the 23rd – HOTLINE! HOTLINE! HOTLINE! – I was awakened in the morning by my agent on my hotline that “TTS” needed a quick VO line recorded. So I got up, recorded the line and went back to bed. Then I got another hotline call from my agent telling me that there may be another line for me to record later. I went back to sleep and then I got a third hotline call. I decided I wasn’t getting any more sleep the rest of the day so I got up, recorded the script and then got ready for the taping of “TTS.” I did figure out a way to keep using Yahoo Classic! When I use the Safari browser it will only give me the classic version. It said my browser wasn’t recent enough to support the new Yahoo Mail. HOORAY! If Yahoo refuses to switch me back, I’ll just always use Safari! I got in my Mustang, put the top down, and cruised into NBC. What a beautiful day! Hard to believe it was the very last day of summer and fall was just around the corner. I called my old pal Leonard Stone, a great character actor! He is best known as Sam B. in the movie “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.” He has a kid’s book out called “Keepy the Kangaroo.” A big article about Leonard, his acting work and his new book had just been published in his local newspaper in the San Diego area. After the taping the week was over and I was ready for the weekend! I needed the rest! I grabbed a nap on the couch, and then got up later in the evening and started the arduous task of cleaning and organizing my garage. Though my doggie Sassie has been gone since June 27th, almost three months, I’ve found it very hard to take apart her little house and her pen in the garage. But I had to do it because I needed the extra room. So begrudgingly I started breaking down her little doggie house. Sad. I put together some storage boxes and started pulling stuff out of stacks of items. I organized them into their respective boxes. After four hours it was starting to look better. But all the dust and dirt in the garage was starting to affect my allergies. My right eye was red and I was getting a sinus headache. I made some food (I was STARVING!) and went to bed to watch an episode of “The Saint” and relax.
Saturday the 24th – 20 HOUR DAY! Rest? Relaxation? HA! It was a busy Saturday running errands. Sara came to pick up my cat Spook and take him to the vet. Somehow, Spook had scraped himself up near his right eye and he had a little sore there. I had been putting Neosporin on it, but Spook hated it and would immediately wipe it off. I wanted to make sure it wasn’t something bad. The vet gave him an anti-inflammation shot and told me to put some peroxide on it periodically. Then Sara drove me back to Bodie’s so I could get my Gran Torino. It was fun chatting with Bodie for awhile and driving the car again. I met Sara at Paty’s in Toluca Lake for some lunch. I parked the Torino on the street in front of the restaurant and we sat on the patio so I could admire it while I eat. I LOVE that car! When we finished, I drove over to meet her at the grocery store so I could get some supplies for that evening’s movie party. It was great rocking out to my i-Pod on the car’s stereo system. My 70’s playlist seemed appropriate for driving around a 1974 classic! And it was a beautiful day to boot! We got to the grocery store and I parked way far away so nobody would park next to me and possibly ding my new paint. In fact, the passenger side didn’t even have a parking space next to it. So I knew that wouldn’t be a problem. But there was always the driver’s side to worry about it. But it should be alright. On my way in, I saw a beautiful golden retriever getting out of an SUV. I went over and asked if I could see him, and they said yes. I told them about Sassie passing on a few months ago and I was thinking about getting a golden for my own. They said his name was ROWLF, like the Muppet. That was weird for two reasons…1) the dog I had when I was a boy was named Ralph by my parents. They named him after Rowlf on the Jimmy Dean Show. And…2) Today would have been Jim Henson’s 75th birthday! Too COOL! We got our groceries and I took the cart out to the Torino to load up the groceries in the trunk. As I walked up, I noticed that the space next to the Torino’s driver’s side was vacant. GREAT! Unfortunately, a large SUV was just pulling into it. To make matters worse, a young boy was sitting in the passenger seat! Was he going to throw open the door and crack my new paint? I kept a careful eye on him as he exited the car. But to my surprise, he cracked open the door just enough that he could slip out. Then he closed it. He opened the back door for his pal, just enough so he could get out, and then closed it. I said, “Thanks for being careful, gentlemen!” The kid said, “Gran Torinos are nice cars.” I laughed and said, “A man who knows his cars!” I got home, dropped off the groceries, parked the Gran Torino in my auxiliary space, then got back home to put the groceries away. We watched “Midnight Cowboy” and “Who Is Harry Nilsson (And Why is Everybody Talkin’ About Him?)” It was an amazing night. “Midnight Cowboy” won 3 Academy Awards, and was nominated for several others..including best lead actor for both Jon Voight and Dustin Hoffman. Though the characters were flawed, they ended up having good qualities and you really felt for them. One of the songs that recurred throughout the movie was “Everybody’s Talkin'” by Nilsson. I had been obsessing over Nilsson’s music of late, and I was very curious about the new documentary about his life. So, since Nilsson’s music was in “Midnight Cowboy,” it was only natural that we follow it up with insights into the enigmatic Harry Nilsson. Like the characters in “Midnight Cowboy,” Nilsson was a flawed character, but he ended up having some good qualities. In addition to being a true musical genius, he ended up being a solid family man. He unfortunately died too soon in 1994. After my guests left I worked on my computer putting some more 70’s tunes on my i-Pod. Then I got ready for bed with another episode of “The Saint.” By the time I got to sleep around 7:30 Sunday morning, I realized that I had been up almost 20 hours straight! Whew!
Sunday the 25th – SLEEP, SWEET SLEEP! – I slept all day, right up until it was time to get ready for evening church. It was a nice day so I walked over. When church was over my friend Chris and I drove over to The Counter and had dinner. I dropped him off to his car, and then went inside to start work on preparation for the new week. I would be going to Chicago October 1st and 2nd for the Hollywood Collector Show. My friend Ray Courts is retiring from doing the collector shows, and I wanted to be there to wish him well. Plus, a lot of friends would be there so I wanted to see them as well. I’ll have the full report for you next week! I spent time getting the items together I wanted to have autographed. Then I did some auditions, and then sat down to QC some more of Paul’s audio book.
And how was YOUR week??!!
