{"id":9690,"date":"2020-07-13T12:25:32","date_gmt":"2020-07-13T12:25:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wallyontheweb.com\/home\/?p=9690"},"modified":"2020-07-21T12:41:24","modified_gmt":"2020-07-21T12:41:24","slug":"july-13-july19-2020","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wallyontheweb.com\/home\/july-13-july19-2020\/","title":{"rendered":"July 13 – July19 (2020)"},"content":{"rendered":"

RANDOM PIC OF THE WEEK<\/h3>\n

After doing an interview with an artist named Rachel Berman, about animation, comedy and related stuff, I mentioned that if you do a certain kind of comedy that some would find offensive, it could ruin your career. But if you do it through an animated character or a puppet, you can get away with a LOT. She put this concept into a visual piece that I just love!<\/p>\n

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I caught this song on the radio this past week and had forgotten what a good sounding record this was. INXS with “New Sensation”<\/span> – back when music was music<\/p>\nhttps:\/\/www.wallyontheweb.com\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/New-Sensation.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n

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Monday the 13th \u2013 FROM SASSY TO SLEEPY! \u2013<\/span> Roxy needed a bath very badly, so I took her over to the groomer and dropped her off for a good dog wash, and then hit Subway for a sandwich. I got home in time to meet up with my pal Sergio Lopez so he could do some trimming on my latest Muppet replica; Gleep aka Green Grover. Grover was GREEN when he first went on \u201cSesame Street\u201d in 1969. He was repurposed for the show, but was originally called Gleep when he was first created. He was eventually named Grover, and later on he turned blue. But I\u2019ve always been fascinated by the original Muppets created by master puppet maker Don Sahlin; the guy who was virtually responsible for giving the Muppets their trademark look. Like the Muppet known as \u201cBeautiful Day,\u201d (a replica whom I just recently finished), Gleep was one of the original Henson Muppets that Sahlin created. I like the blue Grover, of course. But the original green Grover always intrigued me \u2013 and I don\u2019t know of anybody who has made a replica of him. But before my replica goes back to my fabricator Alex in Wonderland for a darker paint job, he needs to have some fur trimmed away from his mouth and fingers. Sergio\u2019s a master at that. My cat Spooky had a 4:30 appointment for his annual exam, and because he\u2019s been feisty at previous appointments, they suggested I give him a \u201cmother\u2019s little helper\u201d before I bring him in to calm him down. The instructions on the bottle said to give him a pill 2 hours before \u201cdesired effect.\u201d So at 2:30 I wrapped the small pill in some cheese and let him have at it. While Sergio worked I typed out Wally\u2019s Week. I also had Sergio snip Beautiful Day\u2019s hairline to \u201cmess\u201d it up a little bit and look more monster-y. Sergio finished and took off, and I took Spook to the vet. But he growled as soon as I put him in his carrier. Did the tranquilizer not work? I dropped him off and warned them that he might need a small \u201cchaser\u201d to be more docile. I picked Roxy up at the groomer and she looked gorgeous and clean! I took her home and then headed back to get Spook. The Dr. called me and said he was still a little bit rambunctious, but it wasn\u2019t anything they couldn\u2019t handle. He said Spook\u2019s lost \u00bd pound since last year, and because he\u2019s an indoor cat the Dr.\u2019s not worried about parasites. But he said I could be a little more liberal with his food portions. I\u2019ve seen so many overweight cats in their senior years, and I know that it limits their longevity. So I\u2019ve been keeping a keen eye on his food intake. I picked Spook up from the vet and took him home. Sure enough around 6:30 he climbed up on my lap as I was typing out Wally\u2019s Week and fell asleep. Apparently the pill takes four hours to work in his system, and not two. Note to self for future visits. Craving a big burger, I put Roxy in the back of the Mustang, put the top down and drove over to Bob\u2019s Big Boy for some carhop service. It was delicious! Then I went home and did my nightly auditions.<\/p>\n

Tuesday the 14th \u2013 CREEPY CAR CREAKS! \u2013<\/span> Just after noon I had an appointment to do a \u201cdirected audition\u201d for a project. The directors were going to be on Zoom directing me as I put my voice to a piece of video, much like the audition I did last week. I signed on the programs, and waited. But five minutes passed and nothing. Ten minutes passed and still nothing. I contacted my agent and they said the producers were having technical difficulties. But I had a busy day planned, so I had to sign off after about 15 minutes. Once they figured out their technical difficulties I figured they\u2019d get back to me to reschedule. I went over to Quest Diagnostics to give some blood for a Covid 19 antibody test. I just wanted to know if I had ever been exposed to the virus. As I drove around I noticed that my car was creaking every time I turned the steering wheel. I called the Ford dealer to schedule a service appointment. I stopped by KFC to get some lunch at the drive thru, then I went over to Alex In Wonderland to drop off three puppets; Gleep aka Green Grover so he could get an additional paint job on his fur and have his nose attached, Beautiful Day so he could have his hands transplanted, and Robin the Frog so I could get Alex\u2019s opinion on tightening up a seam on his head. Then I stopped at the grocery store to get some supplies, and I headed home. My pal Sara met me at the Ford dealer so I could drop off my Mustang to get a diagnosis on the creaking problem. I got back home and did some work around the house. Later I did my nightly auditions, and walked Roxy on our late night stroll through the neighborhood. It was very cool and quiet out, and eventually the night gave way to another blue morning; a nice translucent, overcast sky. I tried to lie in my hammock and enjoy the dawn, but it was TOO COLD! In July!!!??<\/p>\n

Wednesday the 15th \u2013 THE CREAK WAS A LEAK! \u2013<\/span> My Ford service tech called and said I had a few leaks in my steering assembly, and they would need several days to make all the needed repairs. So I walked over to my auxiliary garage and got the Gran Torino out. It started right up! Excellent! But I had to take it to the Firestone dealer to have the tires inflated. I drove by my \u2018adopted grandma\u2019 Shirley\u2019s residence to drop off another sack full of DVDS for her to enjoy. Being 93 she\u2019s been locked down in her room since March, so I\u2019m trying to keep her as entertained as possible with books and movies. I got some lunch at the Jack in the Box drive thru and then went home. I chatted with a storyboard artist I know about my kid\u2019s book project. I want to do an \u201canimatic\u201d for my first story. An animatic is a series of still drawings edited together in such a way to approximate what the story would look like animated. I already narrated the first story, had it scored by a very talented composer, and added sound effects. So it just needs some visuals. I\u2019m hoping that I can share it with you very soon\u2026FINALLY! Later I did my nightly auditions, worked around the house, and did some accounting work. I walked Roxy under a clear, star-filled sky! I decided to lie out in the hammock and stare up into the sky. I had a pillow and blanket, because it was still rather chilly. But I hadn\u2019t counted on my back getting cold! The cold floor of the patio underneath me radiated the cold up through the hammock. Next time I\u2019m going to put a blanket on the hammock before I lie in it. Little by little I\u2019m learning ways to improve my experiences on the Tranquility Annex. I made some hot dogs and watched another episode of \u201cThe Mod Squad.\u201d<\/p>\n

Thursday the 16th \u2013 TICKLED BY THE TORINO! \u2013<\/span> After visiting my chiropractor Dr. C. for another adjustment (still trying to conquer this pinched nerve problem) I stopped by Paty\u2019s to have a salad on the patio. I got my packages at my mailbox and then went home to grab Roxy and take her to the vet\u2019s to have some blood drawn. The medication that has helped her weak rear leg issue is amazing, but can harm the liver over an extended duration. So periodically I have to have her liver levels checked. I went back to Shirley\u2019s to pick up a sack of movies that she was returning to me after having watched them. It\u2019s great watching people\u2019s faces as I drive around in the Gran Torino. People sure love that car, and it\u2019s fun getting comments and thumbs up. It sure is great seeing people smiling and laughing, especially during these days! Later I did some auditions, worked around the house, and started prepping for my big \u201cnegative\u201d project. I\u2019m going to catalog and organize all my old negatives, and the ones I determine to be important, I\u2019m going to scan them for posterity.<\/p>\n

Friday the 17th \u2013 PET NEWS! \u2013<\/span> After what was probably the shortest session I\u2019ve ever done, (it literally only took about 3 minutes!) I went outside to enjoy the gorgeous day! I was itchin\u2019 to get out in the Torino and drive around, but I decided instead to stay inside and buckle down to get some work done. I got a call from Roxy\u2019s vet that said Roxy\u2019s liver levels were good! It\u2019s probably because I\u2019ve backed her dosage off to one pill every third day or so. It\u2019s enough to keep the symptoms from returning, and I feel it keeps her from being over-medicated. The vet said whatever I was doing was working nicely. Particularly since the medication the Dr. prescribed to counteract the harmful liver effects of the main medicine was making Roxy vomit. So I think this is working nicely! Spook\u2019s Dr. called and said that he\u2019s slightly anemic. Spook is going to have to go back into the vet in a month to give more blood. Boy! It\u2019s been a BLOODY WEEK, between me giving blood, Roxy giving blood, and Spook giving blood! My Dr. e-mailed me to tell me that my antibody test was negative; that I\u2019ve never been exposed to the Covid 19 virus. Rats. I ordered a delicious Domino\u2019s pizza and enjoyed it on the Tranquility Annex!<\/p>\n

Saturday the 18th \u2013 CAR, COLOR, CLEANED AND COOL! \u2013<\/span> Because it took a while to get the parts in, it took several days for me to get my Mustang back. But my pal Sara picked me up and took me to the Ford dealer to settle up on my repairs. I went to get some groceries, and then headed home to meet up with my stylist Andie to get a touch up on my color. Her salon had just been closed again by our Governor, so a home visit was the only option. I cleaned up and put Roxy in the back of the Mustang and headed to Bob\u2019s Big Boy to meet up with some of the old \u201cmovie night\u201d gang for dinner. It was great seeing everyone again, and enjoying some good food under the night sky on a gorgeous evening!<\/p>\n

Sunday the 19th \u2013 WHAT INDIFFERENCE A DAY MAKES! –<\/span> I\u2019m not sure exactly what was going on, but I was just feeling\u2026\u2019indifferent.\u2019 I didn\u2019t really care about doing much of anything. I washed and sanitized my masks and laid about my house doing not much of anything. At one point I wished that an asteroid would slam into the planet and it would all be over; that was how indifferent about everything I was feeling. This lockdown has gone on too long. I want my rockin\u2019 life back. I talked to Shirley for a bit on the phone, and decided to get out of my funk. So I would meditate on \u201cThe Most Comfortable Couch in the Universe\u201d for a while. That seemed to do the trick! I got up and felt a little better. I delved into the folders on my computer and found some video I decided to work on. A while back, my friend Officer Mark and his girlfriend Miss Connie came over to shoot some video for a project, and while he had the camera handy we shot a little improv piece with my Oscar the Grouch replica Muppet and my robot Elvis. But for some reason there wasn\u2019t any audio on the file, but the video was hysterical. I decided to turn it into a short silent film and posted it on social media in hopes that other people would find it funny. Later I got on the webcam and chatted with my friend Tabby in Missouri. I fed and walked Roxy, and enjoyed a nice cigar on a beautiful night. The gorgeous star-filled sky overhead, the sound of the crickets in the trees, and the smell of my cigar put me very much at peace. I drove over to Denny\u2019s to get some food to go, and settled in to watch another episode of \u201cSpace 1999\u201d before bed. Even though the day started off kind of rough, it ended very nicely.<\/p>\n

And how was YOUR week??!!<\/p>\n

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PIX FROM THE WEEK<\/p>\n

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Saturday night at Bob’s Big Boy, Roxy was ready for some grilled chicken!<\/p><\/div>\n

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Two other collies wandered by so I couldn’t resist having an impromptu “Collie Con!”<\/p><\/div>\n

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Cash Jr. seems smitten with Roxy!<\/p><\/div>\n

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Roxy acknowledges his admiration with a quick smooch!<\/p><\/div>\n

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Our pal Edi showed up with her dog Buns!<\/p><\/div>\n

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So near but yet so far! After having not seen each other for months, Sara and Edi give each other a virtual “Covid-safe” hug.<\/p><\/div>\n

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Another fun night at Bob’s Big Boy in Toluca Lake!<\/p><\/div>\n

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The food at Bob’s is SO good, even UFO’s fly in from all over the galaxy to enjoy it! i’ve heard of carhop service, but SPACESHIP-HOP service?<\/p><\/div>\n

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Really good to have most of the gang back together again!<\/p><\/div>\n

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Keep my masks cleaned and disinfected.<\/p><\/div>\n

https:\/\/www.wallyontheweb.com\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/The-King-and-the-Grouch.mp4<\/a><\/video><\/div>\n

Here’s the short silent film I put together on Sunday night called “The King and the Grouch.” Hey, I was bored. What can I say?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

RANDOM PIC OF THE WEEK After doing an interview with an artist named Rachel Berman, about animation, comedy and related stuff, I mentioned that if you do a certain kind of comedy that some would find offensive, it could ruin your career. But if you […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":9714,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9690","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-wallysweek"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wallyontheweb.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9690","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wallyontheweb.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wallyontheweb.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wallyontheweb.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wallyontheweb.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9690"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.wallyontheweb.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9690\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wallyontheweb.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9714"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wallyontheweb.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9690"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wallyontheweb.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9690"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wallyontheweb.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9690"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}