My good friend, the late Frank Q. Dobbs - doing what he liked to do ~

Drop book at Palm Desert Post Office then home. Check e-mail and news sites. Snack with girls. More work on computer. To TV and flip around while eating lunch. Talk to Beth and LeRoy. Down for nap. Up and feed girls. Mail. New pants arrive so try them on for fit. Sweep dog hair. To office and work some more. Beth home early. We talk. I fix dinner while she works in office. We eat. She prepares for weekend; I write here.

Trish, Dani, Sheri, and Beth -MDD prep 2008

Stop and get cookies so we don't run out then home. Check e-mail and news sites. Do some reading on the new camera. Answer several e-mails. Submit a script online. Someone delivers some late MDD registrations. Turn on TV. Brother Bob calls about meeting at bank tomorrow to close out an account. Make lunch and eat with TV. Beth by for minute then leaves. Down for nap with girls. Up and feed girls. Mail. Sweep dog hair. Work at computer. Beth home early to get some things done before the MDD committee gets here. We talk in office. The committee members start showing up. I into office and TV - O'Reilly Factor. Work at computer. Beth brings me a tray of food. Eat, Take pick of group for posterity. Back to office. All finally leave. Later ~

Beth relaxes on her birthday


Our work stations - Beth on left; me on right - can you tell?
(taken with new Pentax)

Beth's Birthday!!!
Stop at Palm Desert post office and mail a book on way home - check e-mail and news sites. Copy one of my scripts and start to do rewrite. Work all morning. TV and lunch. Beth by for minute. UPS here with the new Pentax Camera. Open boxes then down for nap with girls. Up and feed girls. Mail. Open and assemble the camera. Try both lenses and shoot experimental shots all over house - girls don't like the clicking sound it makes. Beth home and we talk - take some pics of her on her BD. Out to BD dinner at Ruby's. Then Rite Aide for an ice cream cone. To Best Buy and get camera case and CD case for Beth. Home and put camera and accessories in case. She talks on phone and Paul delivers some last minute registrations. Off to bed. Later ~

Firehouse Dog - I give it Five Stars

Stop at Office Depot after meeting to Xerox for her and buy new ink cartridge for me. Home and check e-mail and news sites. Beth by for minute. Work at computer. TV - movie Firehouse Dog I loved it. Found when it's playing again and set recorder. Lunch while watching. Get mail. Down to nap late. Up and feed girls. Note to producer. Several e-mails sent. Package up a book for tomorrow's mail. Beth home. We talk then I make salads and we eat. Both to office and work. Help her send an e-mail with attachment. Later ~

2007 Maad Dog Daze Committee - Sheri and Beth on Left

Sleep in day for me. Beth up at 4:30 and off to Hall. I up 6:00; shower and dress - breakfast with paper. Trim beard. Vacuum all tile. Beth home and she mops. Both to office and work awhile. I fix some lunch and we eat. Sheri Priess over to work on Maad Dog Daze with Beth, I retire to office and eventually down for nap with girls. Up and feed girls. Beth and Sheri still going strong. Paul Anobile here for moment then leaves. I back to office and play on computer while they still work. Sheri leaves and I fix dinner. We eat then retire to office. She hits shower. Later ~

Filming Rio Diablo at Alamo Village, TX - 1992

Grocery shopping on way home from meeting. Home and unload and put stuff away. Check e-mail and news sites. Write some e-mails and send. Beth home and we both work in office. Have an early lunch together. Back to office - mail - birthday cards for her start to trickle in. I down for nap. She off to a co-worker's to do some clean up on Maad Dog Daze registrations. I up and feed girls. Work at computer. Another producer friend wants to see another script - I'll mail it on Monday. Beth home and we talk. She makes some phone calls while I to office and work. New neighbor by and discuss trimming back oleanders. We eat; Beth showers then we watch Grease the 1978 movie. She bed; I print out some e-mails from my brother then. Later ~

Nader - in front of his station

Stop and see Nader at his Exxon Station on way home. Check e-mail and news sites. Talk Beth. By Beth's place of employment and drop fax invoice. On to Sam's Club to do shopping for Hall. Home. Feel punky. To Mimi's to meet Tom and Harry for lunch but pass and go home because I still feel bad. Have some ginger ale and call Beth. Down for long nap. Up and feed girls. Feel better. Get mail. To office - have some crackers and a Dr. Pepper. Beth calls saying she'll be late. Tom and Harry call to check in. Beth home and we eat. Talk; then I to office and write here. Later ~

Filming a Gene Autry Western

Stop at market and pick up a couple of peppers for Beth. Home and check e-mail and news sites. Ross calls and we talk politics. Call Beth. Work at computer foe a while with snack and girls. Envelope from Sunwise to Ron over fence (gift for leaving solar panel storage bin out front too long). TV at 10:30 - Gene Autry in The Blazing Hills on the Western Channel. Eat lunch at same time. Talk Beth, Down for nap with girls. Up and feed girls. Mail. Office and work on computer for a while. Beth home and we eat. Both to office - put out trash for tomorrow. Later ~

Drop two books at Palm Desert post office after meeting; then gas up at Nader's Exxon. Home and check e-mail and news sites. Pull up Charley Sunday script and make some notes. Call my producer friend and leave message. Work a little while on computer. Turn on TV and watch final installment of John Adams - tearjerker (Kirk Ellis wrote this episode). Talked to Beth and ate lunch while viewing TV. Down for nap. Up and feed girls. Open mail. Sweep some dog hair. Work in office. Return Ed Mohler's call and we talk about his liking my book and old times. No call back from producer. Beth home and we eat quickly. One of her Maad Dog Daze committee members here with registrations (Trish Mohr). They work on registrations while I work in office.

GRT Board Meeting at Brother Bob's

Home after meeting and check e-mail and news sites. Call Caroline friend and drive over to Betty Ford center to pick up Maad Dog Daze podium book and drop it to Beth at her place of employment. Home. do a few chores; then watch 5th segment or John Adams while making and eating lunch. To office then down for nap with girls. Up and feed girls. Open mail - book order from Netherlands. Talk brother Bob's wife Eva ans set date for us tonight. Talk Beth. We'll order our own pizza and take it with us. Waiting for her to pick me up right now then we'll head over to Bob's and Eva's. She home and we to Bob's and eva's with pizza. We all eat then go over papers. Finish at 7:00 and home. Work in office then bed. Later ~

Ray "Crash" Corrigan with Kirby Grant and Gloria Winters of Sky King Fame

Drop three books at Rancho Mirage post office after meeting; then home. Check e-mail and news sites while snacking on popcorn with girls. To bank and make four deposits for Beth - she's treasurer of Maad Dog Daze again this year. Call from producer who's read a script of mine. We talk for a while and he will send two sample scripts for me to read. After call scripts arrive in .pdf. I start reading first script and finish it by lunch time. Stop and make lunch and eat with TV - not much on. Beth by to pick up checks for her work. I back to office then down for nap. Up and feed girls. Open mail. To office and spend all afternoon reading second script. Beth home and I help her carry stuff inside. We talk for awhile. She to office while I make dinner. We eat and talk about my script and how I can make it better. Both to office. I go online and do a writers chat room. Lasts an hour. Get ready for bed. She does too. Later ~

My ex-wife Jill - on the Here Come the Brides set - 1969

Sleep in day. Beth up and off to Hall. RAINS like hell. I up and shower and dress. Get paper between storms and read it. Vacuum tile throughout. Beth home and she mops. I to office and work at computer. She joins me. Then to dining room and watch British Open. Fix lunch and we eat as it concludes. I down for nap. Up and feed girls. Jill (my ex-wife) calls and asks if she can come over today instead of tomorrow. Says she'll be here in an hour. Beth on bed resting with QVC and girls beside her. I computer for a few minutes. Jill arrives and we all sit around and talk. She brings me a few things from the past; I give her an And Action! book. She's off to spend the night at a girlfriend's place. I fix salads and we eat. Beth on phone with Ron next door; and another call. I to computer and write here. Later ~

Here Come the Brides Pilot - 1967 or '68 - MGM Lot#3

Grocery shopping after meeting. Home,unload and put away. Beth home. I to office and check e-mail and news sites. She sweep some. Both work some in office; then I make lunch and we eat and talk. Beth hurts her back and I massage it with battery massage thing. I down for nap early. She lies down, too. Up and feed girls. Open mail. Work in office with Beth. To Longs Drug Store and pick up pictures I took yesterday - Beth's making a small album for Eric.
Work at computer.

Our Friend Eric's Graduation from Drug Court Day

Drop one book at Palm Desert Post Office on way home. Check e-mail and news sites. Talk Beth, To bank and make deposits. Home. Computer and something to eat. Change into long sleeves and long pants. Drive to Beth's place of employment and we off to Indio in her car - it's Eric's graduation day from Drug Court. Into Court building and wait for a few minutes; then into jury room and say hi to Eric's mom, dad and sister. Ceremony begins and Eric is first up. Five graduates all together. Enjoyable to see people who have turned their lives around. Stop by Smart and Final on way home for her. Take my car home and feed girls. Down for quick nap; wake up an hour later with Beth coming home to girls' barking. Talk to her then fix din and we eat. To office where she scans e-bay paintings while I transfer and crop today's photos. She shower. Later ~

1970 Columbia Ranch Western Street Fire - looking back from park area. Bobby Sherman from Here Come the Brides in Right Foreground. Sent to me by Mischa Hof ~

To PD post office after meeting to mail some info to new attorney. Pick up Eric and to Edie's to get her car started. Jump it; then out to pick up a battery charger (small one) and back to put it on her battery. Drop Eric and by Office Depot to pick up some pens for Beth then home. Sunwise guy there waiting for Rancho Mirage Inspector. Check e-mail and news sites with girls and popcorn. Talk Beth. To PF Changs and buy gift certificate for someone special (more info later). Home and make some lunch, then watch the rest of part 4 of John Adams while eating. Take Sunwise guy some water as he's still waiting for the RM Inspector. Down for nap. Up and feed girls. Sunwise guy left just as I was getting up - heard him taking down ladder and checked out window and saw him talking to inspector (RM City officials are really a cut above - then more). Bring in mail and open it for Beth. I have one book order. To office and write here for a few. Wait for Beth and do some chores. Beth home. Joel Peters by to sign up for Maad Dog Daze; we all talk. He leaves and I cook and we eat. Both to office. Trish Mohr by for registration forms. She leaves . We off to bed. Later ~

Richard Boone and Murray Hamilton in Deadly Harvest - CBS-MOW 1972 - St. Helena, CA

To Palm Desert post office after meeting and drop off two more books. On to Desert Imaging for CT Scan of chest and back. Home and snack with girls while I check e-mail and news sites. Call Beth. To Sam's Club and ship for Hall. See Sharon from morning meeting and talk. Buy some tacos; then home. Start to watch fifth episode of John Adams and eat - but have to shut down when workers arrive to continue putting in new glass. Down for nap early. Up and feed girls. Workers finish up and leave. Books out of garage into office. Bob Ingram by to pick up his stuff. Work in office. Wait for Beth. She home and we eat. To office and I Xerox for her. She talks to brother, Bob, re new attorney. Get overnight mail ready for me to mail tomorrow. Finish up. She shower. Later ~

Series of shots: Panels going up; Equipment needed; The Workers

Drop two books at Palm Desert post office then to Sherry's for Hair cut. On to get keys made for Beth; stop by AT&T to find out how to pair my bluetooth - no luck; then home. Solar Panel workers are already on roof working. Into house. Hi to girls. Check e-mail and news sites. Do some work. Talk Beth.. Call Glenda and make appointment for sonogram tomorrow. Talk to Planatronics and get info on how to get bluetooth working again. Out and take some pictures of workers on roof. Back inside and watch third episode of John Adams recorded last weekend. Make lunch and eat while watching TV. Dogs out in back - back yard. Side yard occupied. Talk Beth then down for nap. Up and feed girls. Out and take some more pictures - panels are attached; only working on wiring. Back to office and work on several projects. Beth home. Make dinner and we eat. She watches All Star game. She has to go by her work place to get soething. I to office and send a query. She home and joins me in office. She watches game in bed while I go to sleep. Later ~

Preparing garage roof for solar panels

Steve Grippi stops by to check on workers

Big yellow storage bin holds the panels until installation

Stop at RM post office after meeting and mail some books. Home and check e-mail and news sites. Guys show up and start on garage roof preparing it for solar panels. Steve Grippi by to check on things. Bob Ingram by with ironing. I watch third installment of John Adams which I recorded over the 4th weekend. Lunch. Talk to Beth. Down for nap with girls. Up and get mail - hi to guys on roof - they're about to quit for the day (2:30). Feed the girls. To office and work a little. Have a root beer. Beth home and we talk. Other workers here to fix electric in back. Make dinner and we eat. Power off TV and computers only. Power on. Write here. We'll both putz around for a while then hit the hay. Later ~

With my Girls

Sleep in day. Beth up and to Hall. I up 6:00; shower and dress. Breakfast with paper. Trim beard. Vacuum house. Beth home and she mop. I to office and do some work. Beth to office and bids on another painting. I fix lunch and we eat. Back to office; then I down for nap. She feeds girls before I get up. Take pics of me and girls for her new frame. She leaves for Maad Dog Daze committee meeting at Hall. I work at computer - talk to James Jenkins in Fla. Start write here and watch some Youtube videos. Beth home and joins me in office. Take some pics of girls and me for her new photo frame. I to kitchen to make salads. We eat. She washes hair. Both to office. Later ~

George Reeves as Superman

Grocery shopping after meeting; then home and unpack and put away with Beth's help. To office and check e-mail and news sites. We both work in office until I get up and fix an early lunch for both of us. I down for nap early. She works in office. I up and feed girls. Putz around in afternoon - read paper with her, etc. Start movie I recorded a few days ago, "Hollywoodland." Pretty good and accurate telling of TVs Superman, George Reeves death (murder). We eat chips and chili while watching. After to office and look up Reeves and other characters online. She shower and I write here. Later ~

Festival of the West a few years ago

Stop for stamps and drop two more books at post office after meeting. Home and check e-mail and news sites. Work for a while then off to bank and deposits. Home and more on computer; talk Beth. Start to watch part 2 of John Adams which I recorded last weekend. Phone calls and drop bys continually interrupt but I manage to eat lunch and finish show. Office. I down for nap just as workers start removing swamp cooler and patch hole in wall. Girls are very good - no bark, just stay in bedroom with me. Up and feed girls. Cooler workers leave. Feed girls and bring in mail. Open mail and scan a magazine. To office and work a little. Beth's supposed to be by to pick up a UPS she got today. Beth by and then to bank. I putz and start dinner. She home and we eat. Both to office after dinner. Later ~

Filming in Old Tucson: from my book And ... Action!

Stop at market then drop two books at post office after meeting. Home and check e-mail. Check news sites. Respond to e-mails re Maltin's review of my book And ... Action! - Talk to Beth. Work a smidgen on Satan's 7. Watch TV - Springfield Rifle . And Action! fan, Phil Saliva calls from Louisiana and we talk for a while about movies. Mail delivered to door as Beth receives Red Skelton painting she won on e-bay. After lunch I to office and work a little. Down for nap. Up and feed girls. Open mail. To office and work for a while. Some Bill O'Reilly; Beth home. Cook and eat. Both to office and show her video of Nicholas Brothers. Get ready for bed. Later ~

Leonard Maltin Reviewed And ... Action! Today

Leave meeting early and to Luci Curci for monthly blood draw. Home and check e-mail and news sites. Work on Satan's 7 for a bit. Beth by for minute. Sit down for lunch and watch part of first episode of John Adams which I recorded over the weekend. Going to be a good show. To office for minute. Call from Darwyn in Leonard Maltin's office advising me that LM has reviewed And ... Action! - she sends link to me. Here is Maltin's review:
AND...ACTION by Stephen Lodge (Mirage Books) — I’m normally leery of self-published books, but here’s a happy exception to that rule. Lodge was lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time: as a child of the first television generation, he was hooked on the cowboy movies that played incessantly in those early days of broadcasting and in 1951 his mother arranged to take him and his brother to the set of a Monogram Pictures western starring Johnny Mack Brown. The location was Iverson’s Ranch, and it would be the first of many such visits for the lucky youngster. We’re lucky too, because a) Lodge has excellent recall of his childhood encounters with stars, stuntmen, and crew members and b) his mother took along her Brownie camera so we have a wonderful scrapbook of photographic memories.
In time, Lodge got to play bit parts in a handful of TV shows, and wound up working as a costumer in the late 1960s and 1970s. Even when he went to work professionally at CBS Studio Center (the former Republic Pictures lot), or on location in Old Tucson, Arizona, he never lost his boyhood enthusiasm for westerns and the people who made them. That’s what makes this book such an enjoyable read.
If you’d like to put yourself in the place of a young fan getting to meet Roy Rogers, Gene Autry, Guy Madison, Andy Devine, and other such heroes, I think you’ll have as much fun as I did with this charming and unpretentious book
Call Beth. Down for nap. Up and feed girls. Open mail. To office and send out announcement to all re Maltin's review. Package two book orders for tomorrow's mail. Beth home and we eat. She on phone for a while and I read e-mail replies to the review. Later ~

Sean Keating tweeks our computers


Help a new guy get his car started after meeting; then drive home. Check e-mail and news sites. Call for blood draw time. Move some books to my car. Call Sean re Beth's computer. Beth comes by for a minute in her employers' car. I fix lunch and watch TV - Yellowstone Kelly, on the Western Channel. Office. Then down for nap. Up and feed girls. Mail. Beth calls. To office and work. Sean calls, he's running late. Work on Satan's 7 script. Sean finally here and works on Beth's mine and the laptop - adding some programs. Beth home; Sean leaves. We have dinner - chili and potato salad. Both to office. I write here; she works on her retirement paperwork. Later ~

Bill and Sunny White at Hog's Breath Last Night


John and Kim Hardee at Hog's Breath Last Night

Drop off mail at post office on way home from meeting. Home; put up new flag but have trouble with last extension; check e-mail and news sites. Work for a little on Satan's 7. Send photos taken last night to Bill, Sunny, Kim, and John. Eric by and fixes shower door then helps raise the flag to its utmost height. Call Caroline Friend at Betty Ford Center. Out to bank and make deposits for Beth. Drop off Maad Dog Daze Podium book at BFC for Caroline to work on. To recycle yard in Palm Desert and drop off old dining room TV and VCR. Home. Make some lunch and watch TV - old Forrest Tucker, Jim Davis Western on Western Channel. Down for nap. Up and feed girls. Back to office and work on Satan's 7 some more.
Beth finally home. We talk. I make dinner and we eat. She off to Indio Jail to meet women who take meetings to the inmates. I watch some TV. Glen Beck and a Maverick episode. To office and write here then proof what I have of the new script. Beth home. Later ~

Beth does pill boxes while girls eat

Sleep in day. Beth up and off to Hall. I up at 6:00 shower and dress. Eat breakfast, trim beard, then vacuum house. Beth home and we take off for the ABC Club monthly Alumni breakfast. Meet Bill and Sunny White and Joel Peters for breakfast and talk. Stop for Edie's mail on way home. Once home Beth mops and I to office. Both in office - I snack; then down for nap. Up and feed girls. Beth does my pill boxes. Work on computer in p.m. - To The Hog's Breath in La Quinta with Kim and John Hardy - We take Bill and Sunny White out to dinner in honor of Bill's retirement. Home - get ready and bed. Later ~

Taking a picture with my iPhone

Grocery shopping after meeting; then home and unload and put away. Beth getting nails done. Check e-mail and news sites (I get most of my news over the Internet). Beth home and I assist her in bidding on e-bay for a Red Skelton painting. Fix some lunch I picked up in the deli section. Eat. Back to office and finish bidding on painting. She wins. I down for nap. Beth to hospital to visit Tina Hiddleston. Up and feed girls. Work at computer. Beth home and we both to office to work. Watch recording of "Sweet Charity" while eating dinner. Write here. Later ~

Happy Independence Day! Home from meeting and check e-mail and news sites. Beth home; she'd stopped by her place of employment to drive one of the cars. We talk, etc. I read through one of my work's in progress. We have early lunch as we're going to be eating this afternoon after 2:30 at the Hall. I down for nap. up and feed girls. Beth has made some deviled eggs for the BBQ. We work in office. Beth up to feed neighbor's cats; then we to Hall for 4th of July Celebration. Large crowd. Eats. Clean up and home. Both to office; I write here. Later ~