I am now a paid actor!

I left work around noon and jumped in my rented Chevy Cobalt; nice car. It's amazing how much easier it is getting somewhere when you're in a car that actually runs! I stopped for lunch at the Sonic in St. Cloud. I just HAD to. I got up to Orlando about two hours early. I drove around finding the studio and getting the lay of the land' chances are I'll be spending lots of time in this next of the woods in the future.

Hmmm......two hours and time it kill. What ever would I do.....



So I sat in the House of Blues sipping the beer which was doing its job of "greasing the pipes". I had tried going to Universal's City Walk, since it was closer and I had never been there but those cheap bastards wanted $9 for parking. It could wait for another time. I'm sure I got some weird looks as I walked around Downtown Disney practicing my lines. Here was this long haired, bearded guy walking around muttering in a deep, gutteral Britich accent.

I made it to the studio on time just as the director drove up to the building. Five other actors showed up and we all lived the primal law of performing; hurry up and wait. Each actor had to go in to the recording studio and record each of his lines. Each time we did three takes of each line as the director, audio tech and two other students sat in the control room and judged our work. As each of the other actors took their turns I fought fatigue and the comfort of the couch in the lobby doing all I could to stay awake. I guess adrenalin takes you only so far.

Finally I was led into the small closet like studio. I was used to these surroundings from my days in radio but and the door closed behind me I felt a new push from my adrenal gland and a fleeting worry of just how good I was going to be rushed over me. I had never before even come close to suffering from stage fright, but for some reason, this was taking on a whole new dimension.

Was this really going to be a new step towards a new direction in my life?

Was I up to it?

I decided to put that out of my mind and focus on what I was there to do. "Suck it up", as we say in my family.



We ran through all of the lines for my character and I did feel as I was hitting on all cylinders. We even did some "outtakes" which should be hilarious. The director and I agreed that the character should be done with a British accent, but the producer wanted to hear the character with a plain, deep voice. We tried a few lines but the director cut me off saying that I had sold it so well with the accent that anything else just didn't work. He also had me do one other voice part which may or may not get used. Then he allowed me to do some other voices which he was going to forward to me for use in a demo reel for future work. He was also talking about using me for some upcoming projects for the school and the guy who ran the recording studio seemed impressed with my work.

This was so much different that any of my work in radio; even straight commercial work. All that work was either rambling to myself about music and reading off que cards or reading straight from advertising copy. This was acting. I was creating a character. There was a different thought process in place. When I was doing commercials, the emphasis was on getting the wording right and making sure the message of the ad was getting across. This time I was thinking about who I was and what I was doing in the scene. The beauty of this was I had the comic right there beside the script and could easily visualize what the character was doing.

There was one moment when I gave a line a certain read and the director asked me to do it differently. When I explained my motivation behind it, he stopped, looked at the comic and came back in total agreement with my take on the scene.

Damn it, I was creating! That was an unbelievable feeling.

We finished up about 10:30 and I hit the road for home. Fatigue set in again as the road seemed to float a little, so I stopped for a cat nap at one of the rest areas. It was on this ride home that I finally began to realize that I really had become an actor. I had just been paid professionally to do what I had always wanted to do. I've made some calls to AFTRA, the Union for TV and Radio Actors, to check into joining. I will savor the day I can meet up with my pal George Takei and shake hands with him as a colleague as well as a friend.

The target date for the project is the class graduation in December. I will post a link to the film when it is ready. For now it's back to my cubicle and hope for the promotion for which I interviewed a few days ago. At least, I still have that as the tried and true "something to fall back on" my mother always talked about.

Here we are at Scream Fest 2005 with Verne Troyer. We just HAD TO have our picture taken with Mini-me! The whole day was pretty good. It was no Shore Leave, mind you, but a fun way to spend the day.

John wasn't feeling all that well, so I wasn't too sure he'd be joining us even for the day let alone our first weekend in month. He gladly threw himself in the car and the two of us and my friend Jason headed off for the hotel. It was as we were waiting in line that he told us the ROTC story. Forget for a moment that this is probably the best story about my son so far; you should have seen the look in his eyes as he told the story. There was a gleam in his eyes and a shit eating grin on his face as he knew he would now be joining the same league as his father. He told the story perfectly. Inflections and timing were perfect. Somewhere, my father is laughing his ass off.

We walked around the dealers' room wishing I had more money. I had a chance to meet Franklin E. Wales; the author who had approached me about doing an audio book. He is self published so due to financial constraints that is on the back burner for a while. His book, "Booger", is available through Amazon. Give it a read, if you're into horror.

I had to snap a picture of Linda Blair for a friend of mine. She is a little bit of a thing but still a fine looking woman. John is very much into professional wrestling, (Genetics can't sure everything!) so we headed over to get a picture with George "The Animal" Steel. While trying to wade through the masses in walks Verne Troyer. Inspiration hit and I just had to get a photo with him.

I tried just getting away with snapping my own picture but he was the prefect salesman pointing out the photos he had there for autographs. I'm a soft touch, so I shelled out for one of him and Mike Meyers doing their rap song in the last Austin Powers movie. Hence, his sign flashing in out picture.

George Steele is a massive human being. A quiet and gentle person and definitely the performer. As soon as the camera was ready he instantly jumped into character and grabbed my son in a headlock for this photo.

Afterwards, he reached out to shake me hand. His easily wrapped around mine and made it disappear into the giant pad of meat he called a hand.

John and I had the chance to sit a talk some about his commuting for our weekends. He really hates the ride on his own. I tried stressing the fact that there are times when we have to do things we don't like in order to get something worth while. I'm not sure if it worked. I also went through, again, the economics and time factors involved in the commute. I can really understand his point of view. Believe me, I would love to be three minutes down the road from him so he could come and go at a moment's notice. We are going to try to find some possibilities for making things easier before his next visit.

On the way back Jason and I stopped and had dinner at a favorite pizza restaurant of his. His wife is currently mulling over an offer from a hospital in Georgia. I don;t know the official title of her job, but she does sonograms on infants and children. It is very specialized and pays extremely well. If he were to move I would miss him very much. I have known him for almost as long as I've been down here and have been spending lots of time with him recently. I got him his job in my office and he is the one who opened the door of the possibilities with the girl at work. We have a common love of movies and TV. He has a fantastic family espicially his daughter with whom I share a special bond; we have the same birthday. I would miss them all alot.

Change sucks!

My son ROCKS!

Here is a scene from a recent ROTC class in which the instructor is teaching the different military rank and insignia.

He asks the class, "Does any one know what three up and three down means"?

Being MY son he raises his hand and answers, "End of an inning!"

That's my boy!

While he did not come for the entire weekend a friend of mine and I picked him up for the day and went to Screamfest, an annual horror convention. I'll have photos and more details tomorrow.

Tom Green has inspired me. While this may seem like a mutual admiration society between bloggers, I have mentioned his blog once or twice before and I am hooked. Before you go further please read his blog from October 12 entitled "People Who I Think Are Awesome". Follow this link.

Here is my list.

Wil Wheaton is awesome. He has made me laugh and cry. I might not always agree with his politics but he is always a good read.
Marlon Brando is awesome. Jack Lemmon is awesome. I will stop whatever it is I am doing to watch them work.
Freddie Mercury is awesome. Sinatra is awesome. Vivaldi is awesome; mostly because he was a left handed asthmatic just like me.
Weird Al Yankovich is awesome. Tom Arnold is awesome. Sam Kinison is awesome. David Letterman is awesome. Ernie Kovacs is awesome. Robin Williams is awesome. Jonathan Winters is awesome. Tim Conway is awesome. Their minds work on a different plane than the rest of us.
Harry Truman is awesome. Bobby Kennedy is awesome. Those who think they know me probably thought I'd say JFK instead. Jack was cool and all but he had Ted Sorenson. Bobby really felt what he was preaching about and made some of the most moving speeches of all time.
Daws Butler is awesome. Maurice LaMarche is awesome. Ernie Anderson is awesome. Google those names if you don't recognize them.
Wally Schirrah is awesome. Michael Palin is awesome. Jane Goodall is awesome. Anyone who wants to explore gets my vote.
OK. I'll give you one that I have to enter as a personal favorite and it's purely a guilty pleasure category.
My son is awesome.

I GOT IT!!! I GOT IT!!!!

When I got home tonight there was a message from the director of the film for which I auditioned offering me a part in the film!!!!!!!! If I could do back flips, I'd be on my tenth by now!!!!!



I'm going to be Bennes; he's the big rock guy in the background. I originally did him with a very heavy British accent but the director came back and asked me to do it with just my regular voice. I'll see next week which way he has decided to go with it.

I am so psyched!

Recording day is tentatively scheduled for Tuesday. I will, as I did with the audition keep notes and try to convey as much of the process as I can. I also hope I can get across the excitement I'm feeling.

I've had radio jobs before and I've been on stage so performing really isn't something foreign to me. But if I had to pick the one dream job; this would be it. As a kid I watched all the cartoons but early on I keyed in on the voices I was hearing. I was probably the only 10 year old who knew who Daws Butler or Mel Blanc were. My fifth grade teacher was always impressed with the dead on Alfred Hitchcock impression I would do to entertain the class. At the same time there was mini-series on PBS about Leonardo DaVinci. While I was fascinated by DaVinci I was also smitten by the voice of the narrator. He is still working some 30 years later and I still get chills when I hear his voice.

And don't even get me started about Ernie Anderson. (He was the voice of the ABC network when "The Love Boat" and "Dynasty" were hot. If you heard the voice, you;' know!) With any luck, I'm finally following in their footsteps.

Let's see where it goes from here!

A day of up and down on the new girl front. Today was her first day back to work from vacation. First thing this morning she came up to me and started a conversation, telling me all about her trip. I don't think I actually heard much of it over the pounding of blood rushing to my head. Needless to say, I took this as a good sign. I wasn't the one sniffing around trying hard not to look pathetic.

Then later in the afternoon, I attempted nailing down a date. I had caught her going out the door early and rushing to meet what sounded like one of a hundred different appointments listed through the weekend. I kept it light and it seems the door is definitely open for this date...just not sure when it's going to happen.

I have consulted with my "sponsor" and think we have a game plan. There is the fine line I have to walk between keeping the interest going and seeming needy.

Damn, I better make sure she never finds this blog!

I think I aced the audition; although getting there was half the fun! But more on that in a minute.

Here is the project for which I auditioned. Runners There had been a steady stream of people all day long. It looked like a pictured any audition; a small waiting room filled with struggling actors muttering lines to themselves over and over again like crazed schizophrenics. I was called in and read a line for three of the characters; Cember, the three-eyed ET-like character, Bennes, the large rock creature and Roka, the turtle looking guy. I was free to do what ever I wanted for the voice as the director said he had no major preconceptions.

I did Cember as Peter Lorre style voice as a cross between the Ugarte character from "Casablanca" and Morocco Mole from the "Secret Squirrel" cartoons while trying hard not to sound like a bad Stimpy impression. I saw smiles on that one so I started off feeling good. Bennes was done as a rip off of Dim from "A Bug's Life" with a definite British accent. I hadn't planned on Roka at first, but the voice finally came to me this morning. Sheldon Leonard. He was a character actor who played lots of gangsters on Tv in the 60's and 70's with a thick New York accent. He was also a very successful TV producer. He is easily remembered as the man who ran Martini's Bar in "It's a Wonderful Life". After throwing George Bailey and Mr. Gower out the mocks them by hitting the cash register over and over saying "Look at me, I'm gibing out wings!". That smart alecky Brooklyn accent seemed perfect for the character.

The director asked me to read the Hamron character with a simple straight voice and to do Bennes without the accent. Since he came back to me with other ideas, to me, says he liked how I worked. I also was able to show I could take direction and was flexible. I got a very good "vibe" from how it went. My friend, Lee, is supposed to see if he can find out early and give me a heads up. Best part is, this may even be a paying job. At this point, as long as it covers a car rental back and forth, I'll be happy. It will be my foot in the door.

And I have a story to go along with it on how I got to the audition....

I now know exactly how far my van will go before the engine gives me trouble. I was stuck having to take the chance with the van because with it being a holiday weekend the two car rental places which will take my debit card are closed. I figured with some babying I would be able to make the trip. The van had other ideas. I took the tip in steps; stopping at two different service areas along the turnpike. When I made it into Kissimmee, a mere 30 minutes from the studios, the fuel injection system gave out and I lost all power. I called upon a friend of mine in the Orlando area who bailed me out by driving me to the studio and back.

Again, I though having sat for almost three hours would have been enough of a rest. Well, the van still had other plans. In the middle of nowhere it died out. I surrendered and called AAA. I left the house at 10:15AM and 14 hours later the tow truck pulled up in front of my trailer. To add insult to injury, we had to change tow drivers due to a change in shift and the other guy has my keys. Luckily, I had a backup set, but I may be out my South of the Border and Sonic Drive In keychains.

A sacrifice for my art!

As I stood in that recording studio I felt at home. It seemed the most normal and natural place for me to be. I remembered how much I loved doing this kind of work. I don't want to jinx this by getting into it too much at this point, but I am hoping this is the first step on getting back on a path I feel I should have been on years ago. From the moment I stepped on the stage at Gorton Junior High School as the front end of a horse named Gladys to the years on the radio, nothing has felt more right.

Sitting in a cubicle again tomorrow at work is going to feel very strange.

John Lennon would have been 65 today.

Listen to one of his songs and imagine what we have missed out on.

Another quiet weekend here in the Garden of Eaton. I'm spending most of the time studying for my audition Monday. I haven't been this nervous in years. While acting is the way I wish my life had gone I've never really been on a real audition. A cattle call for extras more than once, but never a one on one audition.

The mini-series, "The Kennedys of Massachusetts" was filming in Newport and the call went out for extras. I jumped at the opportunity. I went down with a Polaroid "headshot" to fill out some paperwork with about a thousand other wannabe's. Simple procedure; fill out the paperwork, sign something and leave.

When more than a reasonable amount of time had gone by, and I was sure I wasn't going to be called, I got a call from the casting company. A very nice woman was calling to ask me to do something more than simply be an extra in the background. My heart began to beat faster. I was being asked to be Charles Durning's stand in. I would not be on camera but would get to watch Mr. Durning rehearse a scene and then, while he relaxed in his trailer lights and cameras would be set and I would be in his place...his stand in. It paid more money than being an extra so I opted for cash over my moment of "Oh, oh....that was me walking by."

At the time I was probably close to what I weigh now and nothing near my bypass surgery weight, but still "husky". The casting director put this in the most polite phrasing ever.

"Mr. Eaton, we want you to be Mr. Durning's stand in because you.....carry a certain girth."

I agreed to the job just on that.

It was a heady experience being on a real filming set. All the people. All the equipment. The Craft Services!!! And then I was called to "work". Hammersmith Farms was being used as the setting for Bobby Kennedy's wedding; historically inaccurate but OK. As I walked up to the set I was met by Mr. Durning.

"Call me, Charlie," he said holding out his hand.

I was in heaven. I had been a fan of his work for years and now I could call him "Charlie" because we were colleagues. And remember the casting director mentioning a "certain girth"? Well, Charlie had much more girth than I did. They say the camera adds 10 pounds; somehow it had been able to take it off in Charlie's case. He looked much heavier in person. I know, I know; people in glass houses....but, WOW!

I watched intently as Charlie ran through a scene for blocking. He went off to the comfort of his trailer and I recreated his every move for the lighting and camera crews. Time and again until everything was right, then Charlie and the others were brought back and the scene was filmed.

Then came a moment that still haunts me. They were filming a scene with Charlie as Honey Fitz and Steven Weber as John Kennedy in the garden to the back of Hannersmith. This was just outside the porch which had these huge sliding doors with thick lead glass panels.

Filming is a slow and tedious process, so as they went through a shot for the tenth time I leaned back against what I thought was the solid part of the porch. It turned out to be two of the sliding glass panels. As the heavy lead glass and their frames slammed together they made a thunderous clap of thunder. (Well, to my ears that's what it sounded like!)

The first set of eyes I saw make contact with mine were those of the director who's shot I had just ruined. And was it some hack director who had never done a film before? No, of course not. It was Lamont Johnson. This guy uses Emmys as doorstops. Check him out on the Internet Movie Database to see just how sure I was I'd never work in movies again!

Let's hope this foray into acting goes a little better.

The Bull is gone.

Today an auto salvage wrecker came by and hauled away the car which has been there for me for the past five years. Along with it went memories of trips to Washington DC, North Carolina and all points throughout Florida. That van carried me out of the path of the hurricanes last year and was my haven from work for 10 minutes at a whack. And it was bought with inheritance money from my mother. So, it was a good thing I was not here to see it's lifeless hulk being dragged away.

At least I made $25 bucks on the deal. When I first called this salvage yard a week ago they cried over the cost of gasoline and that they couldn't pay me anything at all to haul it away. Since I needed to get rid of it I agreed. When I called them again today to pick it up the guy on the other end asked if they had offered anything for the car.

My momma didn't raise no fool......

"What do you want to give me for it?" I asked innocently.

Which is how I ended up with a check for $25 dollar waiting for me when I got home.

My new van, still yet un-named, is now in its proper parking spot. This car has yet to show its personality or inspire me for a name. I'll let you know when the muse speaks.

"Serenity" ROCKS!

If you watched the TV series or if you have no idea what it is....GO SEE IT. Action, adventure, great effects, great writing. There is so much to like in this flick. I am planning on seeing it again just to see all the little touches I missed the first time around in design and effects. What a fun time at this movies this is. I won't spoil it with giving away some of the surprises except to say that Joss Weedon took some chances few others would.

I also saw "A History of Violence" the same day. The best part of this film was the performances; in particular William Hurt. Hurt pulls off playing a east coast mobster so well you can forget he's from the mid-west somewhere. Ed Harris and Vigo Mortensen are also good but overall the premise was a little overdone and hard to swallow.

I have my first voice over audition coming up next Monday. My friend at the Dave School let me know of an open audition for a student film. I am studying the source material and trying to come up with just the right approach for this. I am torn between choosing a certain character and developing a voice as I would see him or just fold my voice as the director wants. I'll keep notes during the day to give you a detailed report on how the day goes.

Tom Green has got a killer website. His writing style is right up there with Wil Wheaton as he gives you an insight into the world of a borderline celebrity but sprinkles it with enough of his real life to let you in and see the real person underneath. I've been a Green fan since his MTV days with his guerilla style comedy but this site goes beyond that. Give him a try. http://tomgreen.com/blog/blog.html

I have to admit to a guilty pleasure.

I enjoy feeding the birds.

OK....about a week ago I bought a loaf of bread. It wasn't the kind I usually buy to make this killer chicken sandwich of mine. Actually, it's my version of a sandwich from a local restaurant but mine is pretty darned close and loads cheaper, but I digress.....

I got this loaf of bread home and tried in with my killer chicken sandwich and it really sucked. I went to another grocery store and found the bread I wanted but my budget conscious mind could not simply throw away an entire loaf of bread. The sucky bread ruined my sandwich and left such a bad taste in my mouth that I could not imagine using it for anything else. Until I remembered the parking lot at work.

Because of the Florida heat I always park my car beneath the biggest shade tree in the lot. The parking lot is loaded with birds all day long. I'm no expert and couldn't tell one species from another; just a bunch of feathers. So I decided to bring the bread with me and pass it out to the indigent birds. After a couple of days of doing this I found I was enjoying sitting there watching them eat.

I would sit in the car and lower a window (haven't rolled a window down in years thanks to electronics!) and created a blind of sorts. I toss the food out and wait for the buffet line to form. With all of the activity and stress inside the building it is a nice change, even for 10 minutes, to sit and watch a simple creature gather food.

At times it seems as if they even stop, turn and look at me as if to say "Thanks". The greed of a sea gull is unending as they will chase off any other bird to keep as much for themselves as they can. That is until some big ass pigeon (OK, I know a few species by sight) fights them off by pecking at a tail feather or two.

Then the alarm from my cell phone will go off and remind me I have a plethora of geriatrics waiting to yell at me about not getting their medications on time and trying to pronounce the names of their pills like a drunk with a harelip.

A simple break in the day doing a simple thing I learned as a child makes the whole difference in the day. As I walk out to my car sitting under that shade tree I spot a bird or two hiding on a branch and I think I can sense they know it's feeding time and that they are looking forward to my break as much as I am with each step closer I get.

Hey, wait! What's that? There's BIRDSHIT all over my car!!!!!!!!!!!

This is so humiliating. My 14-year-old son is probably smoother with women than I am. I had three different possibilities to break the ice and ask the dreaded “follow up question” today and blew it. She went home early from work before I could talk privately enough. My only consolation is that the odd look on her face every time I saw her was more the illness which made her leave early than it was to do with seeing me.

……or, at least I hope so!

Last night I attended a preview our company sponsored of a show put on by one of the local theatrical groups. One of the stars is a fellow employee. It was a fun evening of 30’s and 40’s swing and jazz. Just before the show one of the high mucky-mucks of our company got up and spoke. He ended up inviting me and about a half dozen others up to the stage as examples of the best our company has to offer. We are what I call “Company Poster Children”. Actually, it was nice to be singled out that way. He went on to talk about how our company does more than just sell medications a diabetic supplies but makes a difference in the lives of our customers. It’s nice to know someone at that level of management gets it.

Now, if my paycheck we affected by such a “title” it would be even nicer!

I have put my name in for a supervisory opening. It has been almost two years since I was actually in a full blown supervisory position. I still have the title and my pay hasn’t changed, it’s just that I have not been responsible for a team of employees; I’ve just been one of the troops. I feel I’m ready for it again and some of the office politics that put me in my present position have changed greatly. Keep your fingers crossed for me.

One step closer.

I made my follow up conversation with the girl at work today and seemed to have pulled it off without looking like too much of a dork. At least I hope so.

I told her that she had missed a great dinner and the in my best self-deprecating mode I said, "I just wanted to make sure I wasn't hallucinating last week when you said you'd like to go out sometime anyway."

She smiled that beautiful smile, the one with her eyes, and said, "Yes".

My biggest worry is that I come off as a mix of stalker and the most needy person on the planet. Does everyone who dates go through this? How the hell do some people do this on a regular basis? I cannot imagine being on the regular dating scene. To have to take these kinds of chances over and over again. As someone who fancies himself an actor, I could find it easier to go through audition after audition over dating. In auditions your ability and talent is raked over the coals and called into question. This is personal!

Speaking of acting.....I wimped out on "Death of a Salesman"; auditons closed tonight and I went nowhere near the theater. Maybe next time.

Quiet weekend. Johnny has stayed home again this weekend. He is preparing for some mega-Sweet 16 party for someone in his ROTC class. They are all wearing their class A's and have rehearsals every Sunday. The time necessary for him to get back there by mass transit would mean his having to get up at 10 AM.

I am torn between letting him have the social interaction with no hassle from me and making a point about the obligation to our relationship. I want him to understand that at times you have to make sacrifices. Maybe it would mean his having to get up early but at times you have to do difficult things to get the important things in life done. His friendships and social life as a teenager are as important as our relationship.

I am, at the very least going to suck it up for the time being but have a conversation about this the next time he is here; which won;t be for another two or three weeks. SO you can look forward to two more weeks of my deep sighing and moaning. Ain't that what you come here for in the first place?

Speaking of which, I am a little over due in commenting on the counter at the bottom of this page. It recently rolled over the 1,000 hit mark. That impressed me. On average 10 people are looking at this blog an a daily basis. Makes me wish I had enough to write about every day.

When I once mentioned that I have a blog to someone they scoffed and said, "The most self indulgent thing on the internet!" Is he right? Do I feel what I am saying has relevance in other peoples' lives? Can my life really be that interesting to people?

I don't deny having a little bit of an ego. But, honestly, I have been writing this as a way of keeping distant friends up to date on what's happening. I write to vent. I write to work out feelings. I write to share. Keeping in mind that my life in no way can really be that interesting, try to write with a slant towards commenting on my own feelings and experiences in the bigger picture. I hope I am successful. I must be doing right since I keep getting hits. I have been surprised by some who have commented and even more by those who privately tell me they are regular readers. I appreciate each of you who stops by here to see what's going on in my crazy little corner of the universe.

Here's to another thousand hits!

Into the fray once more......

I actually got up the nerve to ask a girl out today. OK, so it took two days and someone yelling at me to finally motivate me, but I did it!

OK, so there is this very pretty young lady at work who caught my eye recently and through some investigating by a mutual friend I learned that she, while "having male friends", had no one serious in her life at the moment. This was a vast improvement over my last attempt.

So for the first day I mulled things over and slowly the anxiety began to creep up as I thought about actually asking her out. Then yesterday my investigative friend offered an opportunity. He and his wife invited me to have dinner at his house next Sunday evening. Perfect, I thought; a setting with a group of people and not as stressful for a first date as going out alone. This girl and I really don't know each other more than to pass each other around the office and maybe one or two simple chit chat like conversations. So, we starting at ground zero here.

That gave me all of today to let nervousness and anxiety ramp even higher. I fell back into my 14 year old frame of mind as I made a number of aborted attempts to walk up to her and start the ball rolling. I am surprised my sales director didn't say anything to me. He can look right down the aisle from his office to where I sit and I'm sure he would have noticed how many times I was out of my seat during the day. Bright side is that I got plenty of exercise doing laps around the sales floor.

My investigative friend claims it was only to get me to simply strike up an conversation and that he didn't expect me to actually come out and ask her but he gave me some paperwork to deliver to her "on my way back to my desk". wink - wink I started doing laps again, this time with the paperwork in my hands.

Finally, as I stood next to my desk doing an impersonation of Cameron from "Ferris Bueller's Day Off"....

"I'll go..I'll go..I'll go. No."

....my supervisor came walking by.

I turned to her and said, "Call me a wimp!"

"You're a lousy little wimp!" she said with a mixture of bewilderment at the request and pure joy at calling me a lousy little wimp.

That was what I needed; someone other than the little voice inside my head telling me I was being ridiculous. Off I went. Right up to her and handed her the paperwork.

Dang! I hadn't been this close to her in a while. I was right, she is pretty.

I rattled off the bogus business reasons for my stopping by and without catching a breath ( as if I had any oxygen in my body at this point) I slid right into the invite. There was a momentary look of surprise on her face; sort of like when you open the prize at the bottom of a Cracker Jack and it some odd toy you've never seen before and you wonder, "What the hell is that?"

Game over, I thought.

Then she simply said, "Yes."

As we began to talk details of when and where, she remembered she did have something at that time. Undaunted, I offered that we could try some other time, maybe. There was no Cracker Jack look this time, and she dais "Sure".

So, while not completely a "yes" it is still not a "no". There is still some hope left. That was eight hours ago and I think the adrenalin has finally left my system.

More as this develops.

Yesterday was National Talk Like a Pirate Day and my throat still hurts. I made my way "Arrrghhhhh"-ing and "Aye-aye"-ing through the whole day. I even talked with customers on the telephone in the same gravely voice. Either they also knew it was National Talk Like a Pirate Day or they thought I was British!

Well, I've had my new van of a week and I think we have become friends. I have found just the right position for the seat. The air conditioner seems to reach just the right temperature a little faster and it handles easier and easier. I know it's more a matter of me getting more used to the vehicle but I have always felt cars have individual personalities.

Take my very first car, Harlan, for example. Yes, I name my cars. Harlan was much like I was at age 16; sporty, fast and messy. Oh, and energetic. This car was so energetic it actually jumped. I have been informed by my more mechanically inclined friends that a bad transmission made the car physically jump in place more than some metaphysical soul it might have had.

I still tend to believe Harlan had a personality.

My last van, The Bull, was moody; much like any ailing senior citizen. He performed better with praise. All he needed after 40 miles of driving was a nap; after which he would attack the highway like a geriatric racing for the dining hall on Salisbury Steak Night.

I have yet to name this car. I am waiting to see what personality emerges. I am also pondering "geeking my ride". This 1993 GMC Safari is all while. To my Trek fan mind it suspiciously resembles a shuttle craft. All that is missing is some lettering, hull numbers and a Starfleet logo on the back door.

My son will never want to ride in the same car with me again!

Last night I received a very dubious honor at a company party. This quarter's morale boosting theme has been Liberty High School. People brought in their graduation photos and they were plaster all around the buildings. Then the other day we received "school supplies; pens, pencils and rulers all emblazoned with the company logo. All of this culminating in last night's Sock Hop.

People showed up in 50's outfits. There were poodle skirts, capris, leather jackets and two Elvi. (That is the plural of Elvis, isn't it?) Class Superlatives were handed out. Best Dressed, Best Smile, Most Dependable. What a surprise it was when I won Class Clown. Actually, I won that category in all three buildings but they had to give one out to someone in each so I only won for my building.

I may not yet have the promotion I want, but I am being recognized for what I do best!

My son didn't come this weekend and the house seems extra quiet because of it. I know we can switch weekends and all that but I always look forward to our time together so much. I'm sure this will happen more and more as he get deeper into really being a teenager. I can only imagine what I'll be like after he's 18 and no longer "has to" visit.

I am currently mulling over auditioning for a local theater group's production of "Death of a Salesman". Daunting, I know, to choose something like Arthur Miller for a first time on the stage in a long time. I did do a reading theater a few years ago but that was with the script right in front of me. I honestly wonder if I could commit an entire two act play to memory when there are times I wonder why I walked from one room to the other or forget names of friends I've had for years. Can my 40-something brain actually do it?

Yes, Mr. Ego wants to try out for Willy Loman. I realize regional theater can be clique-ish and I've never worked with this particular troupe. I realize it's been 8 years since I was on a stage. I realize it's a big frickin' part. It would certainly be a test of any talent I might have.

Or might not have.

Auditions are next week; I'll let you know.

WB where are you!

I have gone into withdrawal since the local channel carrying WB programming moved their slate of shows to a sister station which is not carried by DirecTV. I have already missed out on the season premier of "Gilmore Girls" and am dreading missing out on another great season of "Smallville".

I am not taking this lying down. I have already called the company which owns the WB affiliate, the local television critic along with a station request, official complaint and email to customer service for DirecTV. I am on a mission.

OK, I know...."It's just a TV show". But both of the programs I'm missing out on are, in my humble opinion, some of the best writing being done on television today. On "Gilmore" the jokes, pop references and snappy dialogue fly off the screen like electrons. "Smallville" is a well crafted comic book based drama which holds its original material in high regard and pays homage to it in some of the most inspired and original ways.

Yes, I could wait for next season's DVD's. I could try to watch TV the old fashioned way, with an antenna. Or I could beg friends with cable which carries the station. Hopefully, I won't have to wait too long as the public relations person at the TV station says they are "in negotiation". With any luck this will be long before the repeat season starts.

Such is the life of a couch potato.

I just got back from doing something I haven't done in many months; walking up to the supermarket to do my shopping. I need a nap!

Actually, it wasn't that bad. It was just around 88 degrees and a light breeze which kept the sweat from happening, at least until the way home. My body isn't used to carrying the 5 pounds of groceries for the 2 miles and I was a bit damp when I got home.

I didn't realize how much I missed the walks. Last year, the last time I was without a vehicle, I did it out of necessity on a regular basis because I had to. I probably could have waited another day to get food but I wasn't about to shell out another $20 for a pizza. Now that I'm buying another car, I have to make the budget stretch.

Yes, I am getting another car right away. My friend Jim has offered me his old van on time payments. I should have him paid in full in a month and still be able to attend Vulkon in November. The best part is that I didn't go to family or friends to borrow the money. Yes, I am somewhat doing the same thing by paying Jim over time, but I didn't grovel to someone for the cash and struggle to pay them back. Needless to say, I'll be bugging management at work for that chance in incentive pay even more now!

The Bull is dead!

My van has finally given up the ghost and died. I was on my way home from work Thursday night and it simply gave out. The engine just stopped. I imagine it is now what is called seized. I was surprised there was no horrendous noise as metal ground to a halt. It simply stopped running and no longer turns over.

I was at a light on Green River Parkway; the new road I drooled over a few months ago. To add insult to injury this is a spot with the nearest telephone about a mile in either direction and my cell phone chose that particular moment to also give out. A fellow Liberty employee was kind enough to give me a ride to her house to call AAA.

The van now sits in repose outside my trailer. I have a option of buying my friend's van; if I can come up with the money. I'm making calls to friend and family to help out so I don't have to go too long without a vehicle. Again.

I can't complain too much as the van has held on since last winter and has given me 5 good years and many trips filled with good memories. If only it could have waited two more months.

My fingers are crossed that I might be working my way into my first paid vice over job. My friend Jason has become acquainted with a local horror author, Franklin E Wales. He has written a novel called "Booger". On his website Frank mentioned that would like to do an audio version of the book but had yet to find "a voice he could afford". This would be a perfect opportunity for me, trying to break into the business and for him, trying to get an audio book done inexpensively.

I got some advice from George Takei, as he's the only person I know who does this for a living. He tended to agree that using this as a "resume piece" was more important that the money. The money can come later.

Tell that to my bank book!

I am proud of my friendship with George and always hope that it doesn't sound like name dropping whenever I talk about him. After almost 20 years of knowing him I look on him as a friend and not just "Sulu". OK, so the geek in me loves it. I never would have imagined being in the position of conferring as a professional with someone I watched every day on television.

If I was in this friendship with him simply for monetary gain and vicarious notoriety I would have sold my videotape of the Jogging Practical Joke years ago. From the beginning, I guarded that tape because it was a personal moment between George and me.

On the same voice over train of thought, I am supposed to be going up to Orlando in the next few weeks on another lead for work. A friend of mine is teaching at The Dave School. As I was watching the AFI Tribute to George Lucas a pattern seemed to show itself. Coppola, Speilberg and others talked about working with Lucas on their student films when they were at USC.

.....student films?

.....STUDENT FILMS!

If it worked for these guys the same theory should work for me. I will offer my to work for these students making computer games and animations for film and TV, then when they hit the big time they go looking for the same voice over talent that helped get them started. The best part of this is I get my foot slightly in the door without having to leave the area.

Weekend Recap

Johnny and I did have a good weekend. More simply living together in the same house than going out and doing something special; which is just as important as the "fun times". He watched movies and played video games.

STAY AWAY FROM "TRANSPORTER 2"
This was such a let down from the original. Loaded with stupid Wylie Coyote stunts which went beyond reason and a story that took leaps of believability Evel Kenevel couldn't jump. The worst part was that they messed with some basics of the original story. Frank (Jason Statham) was in Europe for some reason which, like Rick from "Casablanca", was clouded in mystery but you knew he couldn't go back. Now, he's living in Miami as if nothing is wrong. The the French detective, Gianni (Alessandro Gassman) visits him like an old college buddy and ends up covering for him with the US Marshals. There was a wonderful cat and mouse game between the two of them were you always knew Gianni would have out him away if he could prove anything. Now, he's buddy, buddy with him, lying to federal officials and hacking into a police computer system like he's surfing ebay!

In the continuation of his "Romeo and Juliet" education we tried watching "West Side Story". I say "tried" because we were both put off by it and gave up on it. I'm sure when it first came out there was some punch to it, but we just could not get into it. The songs didn't seem as if they flowed naturally from the story. It was too much a stage presentation. Don;t get me wring, I love Fossee, but this one didn't ring true for me. "The King and I", "Sound of Music" and "Fiddler on the Roof all seems as if the music flows from what is happening in the story; that if it were natural for people to express themselves with song and a full symphony orchestra...that is what it would sound like.

Next visit should get back in the groove with the Leo DiCaprio version of "R&J". It felt good to know that his watching the first film with me had sparked enough with him that when they were talking about doing the play in class, he already had an idea what part he wanted to do, Mercutio. His teacher had mentioned it to my ex at the open house last week. This should be fun going through this with him this semester.

And he thought science fiction was the only reason he'd have to roll his eyes at his dad!

I sometimes wonder who that fool is fretting over his child as he travels a mere 60 miles on mass transit. Is it the same person who used to boast so much about making a round trip from Rhode Island to Texas on the bus at age 13? That can't be the same person calling his son on his cell phone every twenty minutes checking on his progress.

That person preened over the fact he had a four hour layover in the New York City Port Authority and made his connections by himself. This person has called his child more times than his ex. That cannot be the same person!

No, can't be!

Yup! That's me, alright! Of course, part of it is making sure I'm the one on schedule but there was something compulsive as I looked at my watch knowing that the Tri-Rail train should be pulling out of the station and that my son had instructions to call when it began to move. Still I could not stop the images of him arriving late at the station and having to wait, by himself, for another hour. I made the first call and found out there was a delay. We did the math and figured I was even a little early to meet him so we hung up with that in mind.

Then, of course, I'm sitting there in the parking lot waiting, having arrived 15 minutes early. I knew the delay time. There had not been a single commuter train accident the entire time I've lived in Florida.

I must have picked up the phone to call him at least 6 times.

No! I'll just sit back and listen to the radio and enjoy "my" music before he jumps in the car and changes the station. I almost start picking up and putting the phone down to the beat of the music.

Rational, damn it, be rational!

Faintly, off in the distance, I hear the train's horn blowing.

"Ah-ha! See, I was right. Exactly when I said it would arrive. No problem-o!"

Yes, believe it or not....same guy!

OK, so I feel a little guilty over my recent hurricane rant. The boobs on local TV news are still idiots but I do feels sorry for the people devastated by Katrina; especially for New Orleans. I love The Big Easy and hope they make it back from this as quickly as possible. Same thing goes for Mobile; my second favorite gulf city. It’s heartbreaking to see streets I was wandering just a few months ago looking like rivers. The barstool I used at Napoleon’s must now be floating through the French Quarter. Canal Street is now a real canal.

My prevailing thought is how damned lucky we were last year. For all the inconvenience of not having power and some of the damage which was done around here, at least I had a home standing. Only a small portion of buildings here were damaged not the wholesale destruction we’re seeing. To see the suffering going on there almost brings me to tears as I watch the news.

To watch society break down as quickly as it has is also frightening. I understand that you have to do anything necessary to eat and shelter yourself but to see the violence erupting as it has and plummeting the French Quarter into a “Lord of the Flies” situation is scary. While the destruction here last year was a drop in the bucket, people in this area drew closer and were more helpful, patient and understanding with everyone around them.

The whole mobilization problem really has me troubled. At first, I was siding with the government. Few civilians realize the logistics that go into mounting such an effort and one that was in such flux as it went from a simple hurricane recovery to the massive flooding seen in New Orleans. Now, after five days, it is bordering on the ridiculous and obscene that more has not been done. We had troops in Kuwait faster 11 years ago. I’m sure there will be Congressional Hearings on this in the future.

Not that it was planned, but I seem to be living through some of the same post-hurricane conditions vicariously as my air conditioning is still on the fritz; something about an $800 compressor. My landlord gave me two window units to help make it bearable inside my trailer. Still not the meat locker temperatures I prefer and one of the units sounds like an old Studabaker. Still, I’m looking forward to a great three-day weekend with The Boy.

My son, the smartass.

He lives in Broward County, which was basically ground zero for this hurricane. Being the concerned parent, I called him early this morning to check on how they had fared through the storm.

"So, do you have any power?" I asked.

"Well, yeah, we got power.....kinda" he says, without missing a beat.

"'Kinda'? What do you have a generator?"

"No, we have power. We just don't have a roof"

"NO ROOF?! What do you mean you don't have a roof?" I start thinking that his mother would have called me if something like that had happened.

"We lost our roof last night. No roof"

Then I started hearing giggles under his breath.

"Nice try, young padawan".

I am NEVER going to play poker with my son.

As for the Hurricane, it did come ashore as a category one which did some damage in the Miami and southern Broward counties. Here on the Treasure Coast we got rain. Big whoop! There were two deaths reported associated with the storm. These seemed more like a thinning of the herd as they were both from falling trees during the height of the storm. I'm sure St. Peter greeted both these people at the pearly gates and slapped them upside the head for dying for such a stupid reason.

This weekend I'll be spending cleaning. The air conditioner seems to be having a problem. Why does that mean I have to clean? I have a neat freak for a landlord. I will admit I'm not the world's tidiest person, but I do keep thing in order. There might be a slight disarray and I do tend to just drop clothes wherever they land in my bedroom. Almost a year ago when he raised a stink I had the park manager come over and look around. "Lived in" was her judgement. Still, the less he has to complain about the better.

"The sky is falling! The sky is falling!"

That is the sound of local television here in Florida any time a storm heads our way. Right now we are under a Hurricane Warning". This is stretching from Vero Beach, 40 miles north of me, to Miami. TROPICAL STORM Katrina is expected to make landfall in Broward County, 90 miles south of me. As it skates across the Bahamas, Katrina has winds of 45 miles per hour and is forecasted to hit the mainland as a category one storm.

To watch the local newscasts you would have thought Lucifer had just announced he was beginning the apocalypse and it was starting in Ft. Lauderdale.

"IT'S THE COUNTDOWN TO KATRINA!"

Give me a friggin' break!

These dolts on local TV are having a field day trying to stir up the masses. I will admit to doing more hurricane season preparedness than last year. I will also cop to a certain amount of nervousness which might be called delayed stress as I watched the skies darken and heard the words "hurricane" and "headed for Florida" in the same sentence again. But, I think of myself as being a reasonably rational person. These Abbot and Costello news anchors are the biggest bunch of loudmouthed clowns.

Hey, newsgoons! Here's a concept for you.....report the news. Your job is a simple as that. They make such a good show of sounding like our best friends who "aren't trying to scare you but just want you to be prepared". Well, you can do that by simply telling us were the storm is, how strong it is and where it's going. Please stop sending your reporters out in weather we wouldn't send our dogs. We know what rough water on the beach looks like; you've been playing last year's storm footage every time it clouds over. We don't need team reporting every time a tree limb falls.

Storm Team. Storm Trakcer. First Warning.

CLICK!

Ahhhhhhhh......There's Bogey on TCM. That's better.

If you're reading this, chances are you're a Star Trek fan. OK, let's qualify that as "a Star Trek fan of one sort or another". I just had proof over the past month that there are fans everywhere.

Friday was the end of a "period of mourning" over the passing of Jimmy Doohan. For the past 30 days I have been wearing a commbadge with a black mourning band. Regardless of where I was or what I was wearing it was pinned to my chest in honor of "Scotty". This is a tradition I started 11 years ago when the father of a friend of mine passed away and he was a fan. He was also a retired police officer. The marrying of the tradition of a mourning badge and Trek seemed a natural way of showing respect for the man. His son thought it was the most moving gesture he had ever seen. The last time I wore one was when De Kelley passed away.

I was surprised by the number of people who not only identified that I was wearing a Star Trek item but identified exactly why I was wearing it as I was. The reactions ranged from "Oh, that such a nice thing to do" and comforting me as if I'd lost a family member to a wide range of Trek references. None of the comments were derogatory. While some comments did make a joke or two, "If I hit this and said, 'Beam me up', would you disappear?", none of them were of the making-fun-of-the-Star-Trek-geek variety.

It was a welcome change from the usual "Fan Bashing" which has followed me most of my life. From the days of being pelting with rocks and food in the schoolyard for wearing the blue sciences uniform/windbreaker sold by Ertl. No longer will I see the geekiest person in a TV sitcom being portrayed wearing Spock ears whereever he goes.

We're here....
We're Fans....
Get used to it!!!!

I came dangerously close to embarrassing myself at work today. Turns out the woman I had my eyes on at work has a lovely little collection of diamonds sitting on her left hand.

And when I say close....I mean close. She was also there working. We had made our usual eye contact. My adrenalin was racing and my palms were cold and clammy. I had an opening line all ready, just about had enough nerve built up and was ready to walk over and open my big mouth when a moment of indecision came into my mind. I asked my "sponsor" friend her opinion of what I was going to say and I'm so glad I did.

"She has a boyfriend, you know."

The rushing sound of blood returning to my brain was almost deafening. My blood pressure returned to normal and the realization of how big a boob I could have made of myself turned a knot of nausea in my stomach. Proving herself still a good friend, my sponsor came back a few minutes later with the personals section of the paper highlighted with promising prospects including one woman describing herself as "an ugly crow" looking for someone "willing to take a chance".

I'll keep taking my chances by playing lotto, thank you.

But at least I learned something over the past few days. That all it takes is one good looking woman to turn an otherwise reasonable adult into a babbling, drooling idiot with clammy hands and a stutter.

And here's to the next one in line!

Today is my 2nd Birthday!

It was two years ago today I had my gastric bypass surgery. Two years and two hundred and thirty-some-odd pounds ago. It's amazing as I look back over the past two years and compare where I was before walking into the hospital wondering if I was doing the right things and where I am physically today. Everything about my life was changed with the slice if the surgeon's scalpel.

And I couldn't be happier!

OK, maybe a little happier when I get closer to my final goal weight.

So, Happy Birthday to me, anyway!

It's been about two years since the last time I tried this but I am getting my nerve up at ask a woman for a date. And I'm right back in some of my old habits and trepidations. If you read some of the first entries in this blog you'll see my last attempt at this and I'm just as nervous this time around. But for different reasons.

This is a co-worker who I have only seen in passing. We have made eye contact a few times and might have possibly exchanged an audible "Hello" at each other. That is the extent of our contact with each other. At least the last time, I had some sort of contact with the girl. This one is completely out of the blue.

I did ask some questions of a friend who works with her and got two very important answers. She's very intelligent and a single mom. The operative word there is SINGLE! And, yes, she's very pretty.

But to simply walk up to a total stranger and say "Hello, you don't know me, but I was wondering if you would like to have lunch with me" sounds as if it smacks of "stalker". I asked a female friend of mine and she says that really isn't the case. I don;t know how much better those words of encouragement really worked.

You have to understand that I really have not been "out there" much in my life. I dated in high school and most of those came from a close knit circle of friends. I met my first wife when I was 19 and had known my second wife since about the same time. I never really dated as an adult. This is very foreign to me.

There was one time when I actually "picked someone up" and that was back in high school. I was working as a score keeper at a basketball game and got introduced to a girl named Roxanne. I asked for her number and actually got it. We dated for almost a year. That was the only time I ever went on a "cold call". And it has me petrified.

When I was talking with my female friend about this earlier this evening I even stuttered. My "friend" is going to have fun simply watching me squirm my way through my anxiety. I don't know how soon I'll be able to let my testicles grow to a normal size and actually approach this woman but I'll keep you posted.

Wish me luck.......I think I'll need it.

Anyone who knows me knows I'm unapologetically a couch potato. SO here's some recent thoughts on TV I've been watching.

My son got me into watching "House" and, at first, I thanked him. Hugh Laurie is the biggest reason to watch this show. House is a well written character loaded with flaws and a sarcasm that will not quit. However, the entire premise is beginning to wear on me. It is soooooooo repetitive week after week after week. Someone gets mysteriously sick, they try a treatment which almost kills the person, the huddle, House insults the other doctors, they find the cure and all is well. YAWN! There has got to be more than one way of telling these stories.

"Stranded with Cash Peters" is an offering on the Travel Channel which I gave three weeks to redeem itself and it never did. Peters is a BBC, NPR radio host and author with cheekiness that makes you want to vomit. He gets "stranded" somewhere different each week and has to weasel his way into free food and lodging while learning something new about a culture or place which he has never visited before. I guess it's his hook, but he seems to have utter disdain and for everywhere he goes. He ridicules everyone and their beliefs. He jokes about his surroundings and cultures which have been around much longer than his fifteen minutes of fame. I tried really, really hard to enjoy this show and to get the joke but Peters wore me down each and every show. I kept watching and waiting for one of the locals to deck him and kick him out of town. Give me a good Michael Palin travel program any day. He will make a joke and be witty while still having respect for the lives upon which he intrudes.

"Over There" is pretty good. While it may be trying to shock for shock value, the fact that Bochco is shocking us about Iraq might be just what this country needs. There are some with their heads in the sand about this war and this show brings home just how difficult things are there. Maybe if more people were exposed to the realities of the situation they might reassess why we are there in the first place and if the lives lost are worth the price.

I'm catching up on "Lost" and "Rescue Me' thanks to TiVo. "Lost" has certainly kept my interest with its interwoven story lines and flashbacks. "Rescue Me" may well be one of the best dramas on television. Dennis Leary is magnificent and the show consistently delivers superior acting and writing.

But NOTHING beats "Battlestar Galactica" for the best drama on television. (Well, at least while "The West Wing" is between seasons!) Forget that it's science fiction and throw out the original. Top notch acting. Writers who are not afraid to take chances. This show ROCKS!

Paramount continues to show they have no idea what Trek fans want. They have just announced a deal to produce a Trek themed phone. This phone will allow you to download Trek games and ring tones and will come with themed face plates.

What we want is a freakin' cell phone that looks like an original series communicator. They would make a mint as every geek and their brother would walk over each other to get one. The technology has been there for a long time. When they finally get a deal set with a provider all they can come up with is face plates and ring tones; those are already out there and for lots cheaper than Paramount is going to rip us off for. These are the same marketing idiots that think we want to buy full sized cardboard cut outs of Kirk, Spock and Seven of Nine.

No, damn it, no!

We want a quality uniform that actually bears resemblance to what is worn on the shows. We want tie-ins we can use. Bring back the Enterprise-A blanket and the bathroom towel set; throw out the unending parade of plate series and polystyrene statues.

My son has no idea just how much trouble he is in for this year. He just completed his first day as a high school freshman. I called him to check on his classes for the year and to see how the day went. He has the usual class load with the added surprise of ROTC. This is probably due to his brother's influence; we'll see how that turns out during the semester.

Then he revealed the goldmine to me; in his English class he is going to be getting into Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet". This is my all time favorite Shapeskperean play. The Zefarelli version is one of my favorite films. I even enjoyed the Leo DiCaprio version. And now, my son is going to be studying it!

I'm already making plans. We'll watch both of those version and "West Side Story" as well. We'll read it together. I'm sure he'll be sick of me in no time!

Long before I had a son I can remember a conversation I had with a friend of mine about what I was going to share with a child and how I was going to connect. I was concerned because I was never really into sports. I was never going to be the Dad who taught a kind how to play baseball or take him to games and teach him all the intricacies of the game. I like to watch football for the spectacle but could never get into the strategy or statistics. Luckily, my son loves TV and movies like I do and we connect on that. Now I will be able to open up another world to him through Shakespeare.

And I was worried.

God, help me, it's official; I'm a GEEK!

I was just looking at my new cell phone; a Nokia 3120 and it somehow felt familiar. I had something in my hand this same size, shape and weight before.

It was from somewhere long before cell phones. What was it? Then it hit me.....

A Star Trek original series hand phaser.

There should really be a wing at Betty Ford for us.

The loss of a good friend always hurts. My friend, Gary, is moving to Tennessee this week. Johnny and I went to visit him one last time today before he left.

Gary was one of my first friends when I moved to Florida 11 years ago. We worked together at a print shop and quickly found our common interests in movies and TV. He can be opinioniated, elitist, arrogant and stubborn. He can also be witty, intelligent, caring and funny. He has been one of my best friends. He called my mother for me one time when I was in trouble; not something you can ask just any friend to do.

Yes, it is the 21st century and we will keep in touch. Somehow, it just won't be the same. We could have some of the best debates when we strongly disagreed about something. That's when, I think we had the most fun together.

I have seen some changes in him in the last year or so due to some personal problems and he has become a better person because of them.

Here's to you, Gary. I'll miss you, pal.

I'm caught in a bout of a moral dilemma. The recent bombings in London and yesterday's announcement of the IRA giving up on armed conflicts caused a bit of conflict in my own mind which I am having a tough time reconciling.

Of course, as an American, I am outraged and upset by the Al Queida bombings in London. They are as cowardly and barbaric as the 9/11 attack, Lisbon and all other terrorist activity tied in with this group. My blood boils and my heart goes out to the families of those affected.

I am pleased to finally see the possibility of a political rather than military end to the centuries old problems in Ireland. If they can finally lay down arms and come to a peaceful settlement and return Ireland to the Irish I would dance in the streets.

However, my issue comes in that I have never had a problem with the military actions of the IRA. Yes, they are unfortunate and it is regrettable that civilians have had to die on both sides but nothing else would ever seem to make a dent in the British resolve. Maybe it is because I see a moral right in the Republican movement while I view the war in Iraq and all fallout from it to be so wrong.

When I look at it closer though there is an odd similarity. The Irish were taking action against an occupying force. Isn't that, basically, what the terrorists are doing? Don't get me wrong, I am totally against the administrations handling of the "War on Terror". It's just when I stopped and thought about it in the past few days I had to wonder how I could separate the two.

I guess it's much like how a person can be for the death penalty but against abortion. They are both, at the root, the same thing; but one can feel so terribly wrong and the other so terribly right.

I am wearing my Sinn Fein t-shirt today in hopes that a peaceful solution in Ireland can finally be found. If there is a heaven, I am sure Michael Collins and Sean Downs are smiling at the thought.

Actor Ford Rainey passed away yesterday at 93. He worked for years as a very good character actor; you've probably seen his face all over the place if you're in my age range. For my TV generation he may best be remembered as Jamie Austin's father in "The Bionic Woman". I had the pleasure of seeing him play Willie Loman in a production of "Death of a Salesman" at Providence's Trinity Rep in the late 70's. And he ROCKED.

OK, so the material helped. In film everything begins and ends with "Citizen Kane". In theater it's "Death of a Salesman". I had seen stage productions before that high school English class trip. I had even been in a few and knew I had a budding talent. But when the life, decaying dreams and frustrations of Willie Loman's life exploded from that 2nd floor stage I felt as if I had never seen something different.

I was captivated by the raw emotion. As I watched all of Willie's delusions about his life be stripped away I was brought down with him. For a while I saw things through the same rose colored glasses he did and when that was taken away I was just as devastated.

And Rainey ruled that stage. He was mezmerizing. I had seen other actors perform before but this guy owned the stage. The anger and desperation of Loman jumped off the stage at you and dared you to keep up. He even looked the part. Dustin Hoffman's TV performance was pristine, yes. While I am sorry I was not born early enough to have seen Lee J Cobb originate the part on Broadway, I always felt his towering stature was too much for the part. Being in Florida kept me from seeing Brian Denehey's revival a few years ago. For me, Ford Rainey will always bee Willie Loman.

Again, it's that gnawing feeling in the pit of my stomach that acting is something I am supposed to be doing instead of shilling geriatric medications. Watching Rainey was one of the first times I felt that gnaw. It's been over 25 years since then and I still feel than gnaw.

Thanks, Mr. Rainey. You still rock!

It is amazing how, after almost two years, my body still is reacting and recovering from gastric bypass surgery. Thursday I was downing some Spanish peanuts at work. This doesn't sound like much, and usually I have no problem eating nuts of any kind. Apparently, Spanish peanuts are not on that list. I had the most horrendous pains as the little bastards passed out of my stomach. I could barely walk and was sweating bullets. I ended up going home for about an hours as my body recovered.

Or, so I thought.

Later that night, as I was eating a hamburger, the pain returned. I'm hoping the hamburger helped clear out what ever was left of the peanuts. Damn, it hurt like hell. Even worse, it seemed to tap all of my strength. I was exhausted the next morning when it came time to go to work. That quickly turned into calling out sick to work. I slept almost all of Friday and most of yesterday. I started eating scrambled eggs and some baked beans. It seemed soft enough food to move through my sensitive stomach.

I have gained about twenty pounds back over the past year, which really pisses me off. Once the cooler weather comes around I plan on getting back into a regime of walking a lot. That seemed to certainly help the weight loss. The biggest difference, other than the oppressive Florida weather, is having the van. I simply don't walk as much.

Still, I take solace in the fact that I an still down over 200 pounds from when I laid down on that operating table. The next 60 or so pounds will be a little tougher to overcome, but I still know I will eventually.

I had the pleasure of spending some time with Jimmy Doohan. He was a sweetheart of a man. He was always fun to listen to as a guest at a convention. He was bashing Shatner before it was the thing to do.

My favorite memory was at I-Con back in the late 80's. This is a con run at SUNY, Stonybrook. At the time, I was President of the Boston Star Trek Association. Dave Ryan, Howard Cronson, Dawn Yasharis and myself were having one of our best weekends at this convention. We had tried a number of times during the weekend to get together privately with Jimmy, but his convention duties kept him pretty busy. He remembered us from his visits to Boston and really seemed to want to get together.

"Why don't you cone and get me at my hotel tomorrow morning at 7AM? We can go to breakfast." He smiled.

"Jim, are you sure? 7AM is kind of early."

"Sure, no problem. I'll be ready and waiting."

The next morning we were all loaded in our car on time and strode into the lobby of his hotel exactly at 7AM. Being the top dog, I was the one to call Jimmy and let him know we were there and ready to start the day.

The phone rang in his room.

Again.

And again.

When the receiver was picked up I had expected to hear the deep melodic Canadian voice on the other end, instead I was greeted with something which sounded like a belching monster from a Japanese monster movie.

"H-h-h-eeeeeeee-l-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o." he groaned, deep and painful.

"Ah, Jimmy, It's Jack. We're here for breakfast."

"What? Breakfast? What time is it?"

"7AM. Just like you told us."

"Oh, shit. I'm sorry I got in really late from the party and......" he sort of trailed off from there.

As I looked for a rock under which I could fit, "That's OK, Jim, we'll see you at the convention a little later."

"Yeah, yeah...."....click.

The convention was held on campus and the main hall had a large gathering area. Two hours later is was filled with conventioneers. Then, in walked a wide awake Jimmy Doohan.

"THOSE PEOPLE", at the top of his lungs for all to hear and point ing directly at us; no questions asked, "are the people who woke me out of a sound sleep this morning!"

Just saw "Charley and the Chocolate Factory" and it's kinda like getting a piece of Hershey when you really wanted Godiva. It was nice but not nearly as good. Visually and in some of the directions he took the story Burton did create a different vision.

However, he seemed to suffer from the same problem George Lucas did with Episode II; just because something can be done with CGI doesn't mean it really should be. The transition of Violet into a big blueberry was neat at first but then turned into a laughable CGI blob on the screen. We also get to see what happened to Mike TeeVee after the Taffy Pulling Room with an effect that would have looked bad in "Space Jam".

The Ommpa Loompas were, at first, entertaining. This was the best use of CGI in the film as the entire populations of the ultra-mini people were all the same person duplicated over and over again. That all fell apart when ever they sang. The songs were over-produced and the lyrics were unintelligible. While the remainder of the movie was not necessarily a musical these attempts at song stuck out like a sore thumb.

I did my best not to compare this film to the original. That was easy to do because, simply on its own, this was a slow and tedious film which never took off. Satire needs a rhythm and this laid flat. Humor works best with surprise; a punchline is basically a twist to the story or reality which shocks and makes you laugh. Most times, the "jokes" in this film came and went leaving you laughing after the fact saying, "Oh, well....that was cute, but....."

One leftover from the trip to Shore Leave was seeing "Fantastic Four". This movie rocked. OK, so it was no "Spiderman", but it captured the flavor of the original material. The relationships between the four main characters were prefect. Well, yes, the "love triangle" was a bit contrived, but the interplay between Ben and Johnny was hilarious, Sue and Johnny bickered like real siblings and Reed was a geek.

Michael Chicklis was wonderful as The Thing. You really believed he was living rock and not just a rubber suit. Johnny Storm's transitions into the Human Torn were seamless. Sure, Reed Richard's stretching looked goofy at time but, admit it, they looked goofy in the original comic book as well.

My only grip with the picture was Dr. Doom. While the costume was cool his being a "Donald Trump on acid" was disappointing. I can see why they went that way with the story they told but to leave any mention of Latveria to the last few minutes of the film was disappointing. And, I'm sorry, but Doom should have an accent almost as deep as Schwarzenegger.

If you go in to this movie expecting to see a comic book brought to life, you won't be disappointed.

Sunday at Shore Leave is always the downer. You sleep late and end up saying goodbye to everyone and realize you eventually have to return to real life. But, it's still fun.

My son made me proud in an unexpected way. Joanie Winston is alongd standing guest at Shore Leave. If you're a Trek fan and don't know who Joan is, you should be ashamed. If you're not a Trek fan, it would take too long to explain. Suffice to say, I had met this woman when I was John's age and she still remembered me almost 30 years later. We ran into her in the hall and I introduced her to John. She is now 73 and after I told him how I met her she went off on a tangent. My son did the perfect "polite listening" thing. He looked directly at her as if he was really interesting in what she was saying while on the inside he was wishing he were a thousand miles away. You don't see that often in a 14 year old.

The play was a Harry Potter theme. This was a let down after last year's play written by Peter David. There were a few laughs but only slightly entertaining.

We hit the road out of Hunt Valley by 11AM and rode until we got to Beaufort, SC for an overnight stay. We have found this trip easier to take with these stops along the way. There is some talk about flying next year. That could make for a whole different set of experiences with this crew.

John and I went for a late night swim which I find always helps after being confined to a car for 9 hours. We were back home by 3PM Tuesday afternoon. Back to work the next day despite lingering exhaustion. Being there again cramped into a cubicle reminded of more of my desire to do voice over work. My friend, Lee Stringer, is going to be teaching at a computer animation school in Orlando for the next three months and I will be visiting. I hope to make an in with some students to do work on their student projects as a way of getting my foot in the door.

I got a few extra days with John which is always good. I gave him a cake for his birthday a week early. I really hated sending him back after having him with me for so long and all of the deep talks we had this time. Only a few weeks and he's here again for a whole week before he starts High School. He continues to amaze me. He is turning into a wonderful young man. Now that he's a little older we were all a little looser with our language and joke and he played right along with us. You could see in his eyes how he enjoyed being treated like one of the crowd and not a little kid.

So now we start making the plans and saving the pennies for next year. There is talk of Shore Leave being the location for the 20th Anniversary for the USS McAuliffe. I love the idea and really hope it happens. Hell, I'll be there anyway! I hope my little travel log gives you an glimpse of how much fun this weekend is and why it is a priority every year. I have been going since the 80's and have only missed a handful; and those were for severe health and financial reasons. I love the fact that Johnny looks forward to it as much as I do and hope we can continue these weekends long after he is on his own.

As promised here's more of my Shore Leave report.

After a full night of sleep in a comfy Marriott bed we headed out Friday morning for the Smithsonian annex at Dulles Airport. Inside they house the original space shuttle Enterprise, an SST, the Enola Gay and piles of other full size pieces of aerospace history.

The morning there was fun; getting back wasn't. One little turn onto the wrong highway had us lost and ending up in Chevy Chase, MD adding an hour onto our excursion. This also threw us off of my planned stop at John Eaton Elementary School in DC. We probably could have done it but once we hit the beltway we were stuck in a bumper to bumper traffic due to a sinkhole on the Baltimore Washington Parkway. Lucky me, knowing the area, gets to be the one to drive in that traffic. At least it was while driving the Hemi, so it wasn't all bad. My friends, of course, are never going to let me forget I was the one driving while we got lost.

When we returned to the hotel the convention had started up. We registered and went looking for Lisa Stuckey and her friends from upstate New York. We checked with con registration and they had picked up their memberships so we headed to the front desk to see if they were in their rooms. The desk clerk said to me, "I have her as a no-show for yesterday. She doesn't have a room here." After that, everything was a red-hot blur. The major problem, other than my friend had been shut out of a room, was that my debit card was going to be charged a full room night for what they considered a "no-show". The shocked look from my travel companions as I peppered the lobby with language which would make a sailor blush. Ah, the joy of having a tight budget! Oh, and did I mention the nice brass trash can near the elevator with the indentation of my foot as I tried to punt it across the hallway? My friend Jim calmed me down and we returned to play good cop/bad cop. Actually, it was mostly Jim doing all the reasoning and talking and me standing there looking like Charlie Manson ready to pounce. We did get them to reverse the charge but Lisa and her friends still ended up 20 minuets away from the hotel and spending more money than planned.

Across the street from the hotel in what used to be the Hunt Valley Mall is now an open air market place of about a dozen high scale stores and restaurants; perfect for dinner. The first one we tried was Noodles and Company. Superb and CHEAP! For $5 you get a heaping pile of pasta; John and I had a spicy oriental dish. Afterwards we went to see "Fantastic 4". I'll review it in another blog other than to say it was great; don't listen to the critics.

Saturday was when the bulk of the events happened. I started off by commissioning the chapter USS Top Gun at the Starfleet meeting. I had been corralled into playing a practical joke on the new CO. The night before I went into the Starfleet database and removed the majority of the crew to another chapter. Unless you’re in SFI, this doesn’t sound very funny, but trust me…it was great. There are regulations as to the number of members a chapter has to have to be commissioned and it can mean all kinds of headaches if a chapter falls beneath a minimum. Add to that a rocky history for this chapter and a CO who seems a perfect target for practical jokes and I’m right there.

There was really only one guest I wanted to meet this year and it turned out to be something of a disappointment. I had watched William Windom in “My World and Welcome To It” before I remember watching Star Trek. I can remember my father and I would watch it together and laughing at the veiled story about James Thurber. Now, he’s a very old 83 year old man with a mind which is slowly leaving. He had recently done a Trek fan film but doesn’t even remember doing it. It was nice to tell him how much the show had meant to me and to shake his hand. Meeting him like that made me value my friendship with George Takei all that much more.

As mentioned in an earlier post; there is the tradition at Shore Leave of calling someone who had to stay home from the hotel. The other is showing up unannounced when everyone expects that you couldn’t make it. This year, my friend Bill managed to do both. Saturday afternoon Jim tells me he had a message from Bismo saying he was “in a bar watching the Red Sox game and suggested I go to the Paddock and we could watch together”. Could he mean that he was actually downstairs waiting for me? I had to find out and sure enough, there he was. The bastard! It made the weekend complete.

I have to admit, I did the same kind of thing back in ’94, so I understand how much fun it can be to pull this on other people.

I have said before that one of the best perks of being a high muckey-muck in Starfleet is that people will buy me lots of alcohol and this was true again this weekend. Between settling a Superbowl bet with my friend Ann and other friends from the local area I didn’t spend a penny on drinks that night and did get myself very “relaxed”.

I surprised John with a beautiful ghost busters hockey jersey for his birthday. You would have thought I’d given him the keys to a Jaguar. He loved it! The past few years the trip itself was his “gift” so it was even better to be able to actually give him something that special to him.

I had the chance to meet up with author Peter David and fill him in on the fundraising we did for a teacher in Florida he had hooked us up with. Peter had posted on his blog about this teacher who was planning a course on comic books. Our chapter raised $100 for him thought a yard sale. Peter seemed grateful for not only being a regular reader of his blog but that what he had out there ended up helping someone.

The Masquerade is always a highlight to the weekend. Even though this years was slightly lame it was still better than we usually see at a Vulkon. The killers of the evening were “Spongborg Cubepants”; a Borg-ified Spongebob and “Sporkman”; a superhero with sporks for hands and a giant spork for a mask sporting a 2 foot tall handle sticking up over his head. It had to be seen to really appreciate. Peter David’s family won Best in Show with a collection of Johnny Depp characters singing “In the Navy”. Again, you really had to be there; but it was cool.

I’ll follow up tomorrow with Sunday’s activities and the ride home. I know there are no really rules for the length of a post, but I feel as if I’m running off at the mouth.

Home again, home again, jiggety, jig.

Another successful trip to Shore Leave. I'll post details after I've had a good night's sleep and a chance to gather my thoughts. Next year we are looking at flying as a way of saving time and our poor aging bodies. There is something, though, to the whole road trip that I would miss.

The best part of the whole thing is the time spent with my son. He and I took the after con "walk about" where we walk through the hotel after everything from the convention is packed away and the place returns to normal. Rooms which were packed with dealers are now stripped bare, hallways are empty of people and a hush falls over the entire building.

I think he got a kick out of my including him in that tradition. We talked about the weekend and sat and talked about personal things for a while. It was one of those moments with him about which I've always day dreamed. Talking with him and sharing thoughts and emotions on a one on one, grown person to grown person level.

That's a lot of what this trip to Hunt Valley is always about for me. Sure, there's a great convention going on but it is also a chance to reconnect with friends. I could almost certainly go to the hotel and not buy a membership for the con and come away with the same feeling. This is now a place where my friendships from New England can mesh with those from Florida. Where I hug friends I only see this one weekend in July with the same gusto I hug those I see all the time. Where my son and I can share time together and grow stronger bonds.

Well, my own bed is calling and I have to get back to work tomorrow, much as I'd rather still be in the Jacuzzi or a barstool in the Paddock Bar.

But there's always next year...........

We've made it to the Hunt Valley. And we've made it in style. We ended up renting a fantastic Dodge Magnum. WOW! With a Hemi engine. This things moves like a bat outta hell. It ride like a dream; even getting stuck in Beltway rush hour traffic was enjoyable. Well, relatively enjoyable.

We got out of St Lucie County by 2 PM and thanks to the Hemi engine were able to keep a brisk 90 MPH average. We got to South of the Border by almost 10 PM. After checking into the room John and I headed to the pool. It sits under a domed ceiling and has a bar, kiddie pool and jacuzzi. It is the perfect way to relax after a long ride.

The walls at SOB are not quite perfectly soundproofed and I had to have the help of a Tylenol PM to drown out the singing people in the room next to us. We were up bright and early again the next morning and off to a local Sonic for breakfast. The ride through the metro DC area was slowed because of a major chemical spill which has a 5 mile stretch of 95 closed down. Add to that we hit the beltway at 3:30, just at the start of rush hour. Somehow, the Magnum made it a nicer ride.

Now we are setteled in the comfort of the Marriott. I immediately called my friend Bill, who was unable to make it this year. It is a continuation of a tradition to call and bust the chops of those who stay behind. My friends and I are all having a wonderful time.

John, as well, seems to be having a good time. He and I slept in the same bed at SOB last night. At one point I just laid there listening to him breathe. I even got to the point of matching my breathing rhythm to his. It is amazing to me that I had a part in creating him. He is becoming a full blown grown person right before my eyes. He joins in on jokes and keeps up with the rest of us. He enjoys being included with the adults and treated as one. And I love watching him doing all of that. This weekend is another I hope to add to the list of memories he'll carry with him forever.

One quick story before I head out of town.

The closing ceremonies for the International Conference went on a little longer than expected so my plans on visiting the Alamo seemed to be disappearing. I couldn't give up though. At the last minuet I jumped in a van with some friends and headed downtown. The plan was to drive there, visit the Alamo, and then take a cab to the airport. It was still 3:15 and I should have enough time to get to the airport within an hour and 20 minutes. My flight was scheduled to leave at 5:35, so I had to allow the hour for security and boarding.

I seemed good at first.

The van was a passenger van which had no air conditioning or seats for the eight of us sprawled on the floor. We all know how it feels to be an illegal alien being smuggeled across the border.

Time was still on my side. Traffic was light and we made it downtown in perfect time. Everything was working perfectly. Until we tried parking our van in a garage. We were too tall. Then when we tried an open lot it seems we were also too wide for what they had to offer. We circled twice when I noticed it was now ten minutes before 4. I decided to have them drop me off a nearby street corner an go on my own to the Alamo while they continued the search for parking.

Of course sitting on a hard steel floor for 35 minutes will do one little wonderful thing; make you leg go to sleep. Picture, if you will, me limping my way down Commerce St, dragging my suitcase and sweating the scorching Texas sun. I love traveling!

I made it to the Alamo at exactly 4PM. Which was also perfect because I had arranged with my son to watch for me on a nearby live web cam which streamed live images 24 hours a day of the Alamo. I rushed up to the curb across from where I figured the camera to be. I was an interesting sight standing on the sidewalk waving to an empty building.

I turned from there and got closer to the Alamo and had a fellow tourist take my picture to prove I had been there. That done I rushed to the curb to find a cab. My other friends had shown up and yelled goodbyes to me from across the square. Not a single cab stopped so I walked two blocks over to a hotel to get a cab and made it to the airport in perfect time.

Not quite a Fodors recommended trip plan, but it worked!

What a weekend I just had. Next year I hope to have a laptop so I will be able to blog from the road.

There were no real problems in flying to and from San Antonio; although I did have a 2 hour delay on the way there. I don't know what the problem people have with Atlanta International Airport. Yes, it is big and there was a delay, but it is comfortable, easy to get around and plenty of places to eat and relax. I swear the voice announcing the tram is that of Robby the Robot. If you travel and go through that airport listen carefully the next time you're getting on the train.

International Conference was a wonderful experience. My first Executive Committee and Admiratly Board meeting went well. I asked around and my report was received well and there was actual discussion and progress made on something from my department. It was a different experience being at one of these now being one of the officers of Starfleet.

One of the most rewarding moments was when a woman approached me and thanked me for responding to a notice about her being in a car accident. It meant so much to her that someone from HQ had not only read the report and took note of something personal like that but that I had taken the time to respond privately and share my concern about her. Just a product of my raising, I guess. It seemed the natural thing to do.

It was good to finally put some faces to the names on the rest of HQ staff and the regional coordinators with whom I have only had an internet relationship. They all seem like a good bunch of nuts, just like me, who enjoy doing the jobs we have.

And DAMN......can they party!

There were two nights of outrageous partying which included my intake of this absolute vile Chinese alcohol. It was the nastiest thing going down but the after affect was most enjoyable. At one of the parties I decided to just lie on the bed in stead of fighting the inebriation. While I will save some of the stories from being shared on the net I will say the highlight was actor Vaughn Armstrong joined me in the bed. While I always say I am a devout heterosexual, the sight of him lying with me was the funniest thing I've seen in a long time!

The one moment I do regret from the weekend was upsetting a friend. Sauna's Dolan and I got into a contest getting each other in and out of the Klingon Jail. This is where the Klingon would arrest you based on a warrant someone would pay for. You could then either pay your bail, raise the money to be bailed out or do your time. Just when she was going to get herself bailed out I made a big deal of keeping her in longer. Her fragile 14 year old ego could only take so much and she proceeded to cry. In the end, it was a good lesson for her in giving and receiving a practical joke and, in the long run, I think she has learned from it. How our mutual "revenge" goes from here will tell.

I've got John here with me as we prepare to head to Shore Leave on Wednesday. We had our chapter cookout today and that was its usual success. John and I went to the top of the Roosevelt Bridge to watch fireworks. We had time to talk as we waited and was another moment I'll add a a great father son moment.

The next week will be sparse for blogging. If I have time and can think of other moments from the weekend worth sharing I will post tomorrow. Other than that, there will probably not be a blog for another week after we return from Maryland.