Walt Disney World 2012: Downtown Disney
Thursday, June 7th, 2012
Tuesday, April 17, 2012, was designed to be somewhat of a day of rest. We had spent the last two days flying to Florida and scouring the parks of Walt Disney World. We had two more days ahead of us, so we took this day as an interlude. I took this to heart and stayed in bed until 10 or 11 or noon or so. I wasn’t sleeping that entire time, but I had gotten up ultra-early to cuddle with Silas, who was still suffering from a cold like I was. Two peas in a pod, we were. So once we were awake, I played with him and played on the internet, trying to get a date with Blue October girl. Read the rest of this entry »
OK, he’s still a nice guy, but the title just proved too darn tempting to not use it. It just so happens that in the past he was a super nice guy, who willingly signed autographs and posed for pictures for free, at least when my friend Bob met him at a golf tournament a decade ago. Now he’s charging an arm and a leg (and might even use them in his next concert, covered in blood) for the same thing. But Alice Cooper, despite the fact that he nearly drained me of 100 bucks, is still a very nice and cordial guy, who was a pleasure to meet at the Chiller Theatre Show in Parsippany, New Jersey, on April 28, 2012. 
Exhausted in Burbank, I awoke at David’s house on the morning of Saturday, April 21, 2012, ready for another day – my eighth in a row to be exact – of excitement and adventure. I moved with acceptable slowness and got ready for the day. David and I departed his house shortly after 9am and headed to the Tallyrand restaurant for some breakfast. After eating, he dropped me off at the Burbank Airport Marriott Hotel & Convention Center, a place that was now feeling like a second home to me. The occasion, of course, was the Spring Hollywood Show – where celebrities and opportunities to spend cash abounded. 
The novelty of meeting Dave Ketchum will likely escape those readers who have never watched Get Smart. It’s true that his faced popped up often in a variety of sitcoms – including but not limited to The Andy Griffith Show, I’m Dickens, He’s Fenster, That Girl, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Green Acres, The Odd Couple, Alice, Mork & Mindy, Happy Days, and Perfect Strangers. But for all of the popping up he did in these shows, these roles pales in comparison to the way that he popped up in Get Smart in (ironically) thirteen episodes of the series. 
I had long looked forward to meeting Stan Freberg at the Hollywood Show on April 2, 2011, whose fascinating career has spanned over six decades and whose work includes (but is not limited to) writing, drawing, puppeteering, voice-overs, acting, advertising, and stand-up comedy. His works might be frequently seen in the early days of MAD Magazine. His comedy recording of Saint George and the Dragonet was an audio satire which became a rare non-musical performance that reached #1 on Billboard record charts. His face graced the film It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World which was ironic since despite being known for his voice-work, the deputy sheriff character he played remained totally silent.