-Well, here we are with another “Year in Review.” I’ll start off by saying that this wasn’t a busy one for me, per se, in regards to acting or music. The main reason for that is I’m care-taking my Mom and she’s the first priority. That’s just the way it is. My parents were the ones who brought me in this world. Without them, I’m literally nothing so if they need me, I’m there.

-As I mentioned already, not too much has been happening on the creative fronts. In regards to music, there’s like possibly three different projects that I could be involved in at various times for 2022. Two involve bass and one guitar – with all having me sing to some degree. Of course, these three don’t include my band CAROLINE BLUE – which looks like there might be surprises in store for 2022 (if everything that’s been talked about so far pans out). Sorry to have to be so mysterious about all this, but I’m not the one who says all that’s happening with a project when it doesn’t even have its “legs” yet. All I can say is, if all the things work out musically, I’ll be quite busy just in this area alone in 2022.

-With acting, I did a few things, but I really can’t do major acting at this time cause I’m care-taking my Mom – and that’s perfectly fine with me. I was, however, able to do a few things…

-The first was doing a voice-over role of an old creepy woman (yes, that’s right – a woman) named Mother Nubbins for the film “The Messy Boys” by DIRTY SWEATER PRODUCTIONS back in April. I was originally one of the main supporting roles for this, but had to step down due to my Dad being in the hospital at the time. Kyle and Charity managed to fit me in there somehow though. They said I sounded really creepy and I can’t wait to hear it in connection with the film.

-Then I played the role of the Lead Rustler in a short film called “Rustler’s Promenade” – also by Dirty Sweater Productions – in October. Originally this was a music video (and still might be). I had no lines, but I had a lot of fun playing that slimy-type of villain from the Old West. I believe both of these projects will be released at the same time soon.

-Right now, I have at least two acting projects on the horizon for 2022. We’ll see how they all go.In addition, I also did some filming on the “Film that will Never End (HA!)” AKA “Tales of Dracula: Dracula Meets the Wolfman. It was supposedly finished, but now we have to redo the last fight scene as well as 30 more minutes of footage being added. What kind of sucks – and I’ll get into it more – is that I’ve lost a lot of weight from the beginning of 2021 to the end (see the main pic to compare). I mean, it’s around 40 lbs (!) so there will be noticeable changes on my weight thru out the film. To be fair, filming has been going on for years and trying to maintain the exact look during that time is a Herculean task. Worse, I’m more in “fighting” shape now whereas the beginning of 2021 I was bloated to a degree. Oh well, that’s life right? The clip above is me doing ADR for the film, but not sounding like you would normally think it would sound – maybe it’s for the porno version (HA!)?

-I did manage to get some more interviews in, which were a lot of fun but will test a listener’s endurance (Hey – it’s me! HA!) The first was with Baretta Simmons for HORROR ADDICT FANATICS. This was tied in to an online showing of TALES OF DRACULA. There were some sound issues on the first one so we did it again – and ended up going over three hours (!). Actually, they show the entire movie and I was doing some commentary over it, as well as a whole lot of cool stuff. Check it out via the two video links.

-And if you thought three hours was too much, this next one with Ian Slayer went over four hours (!). You all knew I was a talker but not this bad right? (HA!). This one was a little more focused on what I did with both STAR TREK: NEW VOYAGES and THE FEDERATION FILES, but we still got into a ton of different things. Ian has the patience of a saint to endure my talking here – and there’s A LOT of stuff to take it, but if you get thru it all, I think you’ll know me a little better (as well as receiving a Mighty Marvel No-Prize (remember those?).

-2021 saw the release of ZILLAFOOT by SRS CINEMA LLC. There was a lot of footage filmed after the fact to get the running time to full length as well as tying stuff together. It was…interesting…Dr. Mosku is still one of my favorite roles. I just wish we did some actual ADR for it. One big surprise was that, at the end of the film, they said coming soon was “Zillafoot 2.” That’s news to me – unless I’m not in it. You never know. There’s still a good amount of films that I’ve done that still have yet to be released. Maybe they’re all waiting for me to die before releasing them? I’d believe it…or not (HA!).

-To go back to music for a moment, I did attempt to create a music video for the new CAROLINE BLUE song “My Fingers” in 2021. Unfortunately, as it got closer to the time for filming, the owners of the location both caught Covid so the shoot was postponed for 2022. Be on the look out for it. I can’t reveal much, but it’s looking more like a short horror film than a music video. Very ambitious to say the least. Then again, how many times have I “jumped into the deep end” right? I have to be careful though cause I was doing stuff way before I was prepared for with this project and, as a result, almost “drowned.”

-I did managed to get in a few cameos for various projects. The first here was for the music video “Get it Together” by HANOVER FIST. It’s not everyday you see me getting beat up by a chicken hawk (Say What?!) 😀 Next time I have to remember to put a shirt on cause it kind of looks like the chicken hawk is beating up while I’m naked (HA!).

-I also did a cameo for G33KPOD PODCAST‘s 100th episode. Just a few words of congrats and encouragement. You can see me at around the one hour 53 minute mark. Just a little improv thing I did in my car.

-There’s really not much more to add here except for what just happened to me and my Mom in December. On Christmas Eve no less, we both were taken by ambulance to St. Joseph’s hospital. I was starting to feel bad and it got worse as time went on the weeks before that fatal day. On top of that, our furnace broke down for four days – which I’m sure made things worse for both of us. Initially I thought I was just going thru a Sarcoidosis flare up and maybes that’s what is was at the start. There are some similarities between Sarc and Covid. Yet I also had some addition stuff – coughing more than usual, shortness of breath more than usual, major congestion in my nasal areas (I can’t believe how much damn mucus is produced up there), going thru chills and sweats plus losing some taste and smell ability. However, with all that being said, I tested negative for Covid on 12/15. I still had to be in quarantine though. By the time the furnace crap ended (thanks to great work by Shane & Sons),, both me and my Mom were feeling worse-her more so than me- so I went to get tested again and this time, on 12/23, I tested positive for Covid Pneumonia .That also meant Mom had it. The doctor was frantic in getting me and Mom to the hospital right away, but I just wanted to get home to her (it took me way longer than anticipated to wait to get the test and then the results). He actually had me sign a paper saying that if I died it wasn’t his fault 🙂

Things were getting worse for me and way worse with my Mom. She hates hospitals and didn’t want me to call, but I eventually reached a point where I had to. I couldn’t help her anymore and she was suffering. So on Christmas Eve we were brought to St. Joseph’s Hospital. Thankfully she got a room right away. I wasn’t so lucky. We got there around 7:40 PM and I didn’t get my room till noon (!). During that time, things got worse and I was moaning in pain for several hours. It was like I had the worse case of the flu augmented or plus more. I couldn’t believe how bad I was feeling.

-Four days later I was released and felt better. The doctors and nurses were all wonderful, but having said that, I’ll always have some dread about this hospital cause this is where Dad died a little over two years ago. Unfortunately, Mom has had no change since being brought in, but she’s not getting worse (currently) either so there’s that… Trying to find out how she’s doing can be hard and having to explain the special situation she’s in can take awhile, but I told them to do all they could to make her better – no matter the cost. I’m sure the bills for me and Mom won’t be pretty but, like with my Dad, I don’t have time to focus on that. I just hope and pray Mom can get thru this. Both Mom and Dad are two of the strongest people I’ve ever know. Things seem so different now in so many ways then just even a month ago. Things can change so quickly…

-Oh – one thing to note…I kind of mentioned it earlier, but this all caused me to loose A LOT of weight. The beginning of 2021 I was around 275 lbs (!). Before all this hit, I was at 253 lbs and when Covid Pneumonia hit me, I dropped down to 227 lbs (!). To me, I actually look different than normal. It’s kind of freaky.Kind of why I posted that top pic for this.

-On top of all that, my first day back and I get locked out of my Facebook account (!) for “liking” too many posts (I was doing that to all the people sending well-wishes to me and Mom).. I was able to get back in, but I’m limited in terms of “liking” and / or replying to anything. Just another whacked out thing happening to me at the end of 2021.

-So that’s basically my 2021. Things seem about as bad for me, in general, like in 2017 when I took on a new job that I’m STILL not recovered from all the damage that decision caused.. Even with how bad things are, I know I can make things better. Just remember the mantra that you learned awhile ago Wayno… “One Step at a Time, One Day at a Time.” Here’s hoping that you all have a great 2022 and I just want to say a big “Thank you” for all the well-wishes me and Mom received on my Facebook and Instagram accounts. It’s so deeply appreciated. Thank you all and hopefully we’ll all have a much better 2022.