Montly recap: April vs March

A few notes before we bein our recap. First of all today I read a very nice comment from Angie, so I went to her blog and imagine my surprise at the wonderful post she made about my blog (to read it click here). Thank you so much Angie for the kind words. It's made my weekend! I wish you all the best renewing your hobby. Also secondly very soon I'm going to change the format of the montly recap. I'm getting bored with the last month vs this month theme. I'm also planning on tweaking some of the questions in the recap too. I'm not sure exactally to what, so until I figure it out for sure (hopefully by next month) we'll present it the way your used to reading it. This month wasn't nearly as nice as April of 2005 was to me.

April 2006 autographs

Autographs received (real or believed to be): 7
Out of that number, the amount that were purchased: 0
Pre prints: 0
RTS: 0
Other: 1 unexpected surprise
Total sent out in April: 17


March 2006 autographs

Autographs received (real or believed to be): 12
Out of that number, the amount that were purchased: 0
Pre prints: 0
RTS: 1
Other: 1 refusal to sign
Total sent out in March: 23

Talk to the hand ..ler

One last success wraps up the month of April for me.

Evan Handler - Sent: 4/11/06 Received: 4/29/06. You might have recently seen Evan when he guest starred on "Lost" a few weeks ago playing "Dave". Evan has guest starred on many shows including "CSI: Miami", "24", "The OC" and "Joan Of Arcadia". Or maybe you remember the recurring character he played on "Sex & The City", Charlotte's second husband, Harry Goldenblatt. He's also a leukemia survivor which he wrote about in the book "Time on Fire: My Comedy of Terrors". A very inspiring man.


Evan Handler (click to enlarge)

Huston, we've contacted ET

Sometimes I wish I had started this hobby a lot earlier. There are so many autographs of people who are now deceased that I wish I would have gotten. Elizabeth Montgomery, Burgess Meredith, Cesar Romero, and Carolyn Jones come to mind instantly. Today's success reminds me of Carolyn.

Anjelica Huston - Sent: 4/14/05 Received: 4/27/06. It took over a year to achieve but today I received my "Addams Family" photo back from Anjelica Huston. I hadn't thought about this photo in a while so it was a pleasant surprise when I opened it today. Anjelica, her grandfather (Walter) and her father (John) all have won Oscars. They were the first family to have three generations of Oscar winners.



Morticia Addams (as portrayed by Anjelica Huston)


John Tesh - Sent: n/a Received: 4/27/06. This came as a total surprise. Last April my friend Monica surprised me with a signed Elton John photo, and today she surprised me again with an autographed photo of former "Entertainment Tonight" co-host and musician John Tesh. Thank you Monica for the autographs, your nice comments on the blog and just listening. Your a sweetheart!



Surprise autograph of John Tesh

Worley Woman

Getting Jo Anne Worley today reminded me of my friend Beverly. She had the same last name (before marrying). There is a photo that exists with Beverly's head photoshopped on Lynda Carter's body. I call the photo "Worley Woman", which I also call today's success post.

Jo Anne Worley - Sent: 1/27/06 Received: 4/21/06. Famous from "Laugh In" Jo Anne Worley sent me this fun photo of herself, personalized to my name, just the way I like it. I think I remember Jo Anne more from her guest roles on various games shows in the '70's and '80's. She's one funny lady.



Jo Anne Worley (click to enlarge)

Happy birthday blog

It was a year ago today that I began my blog, so I would like to take a moment to say thank you to you for coming to my site to visit it (and especially the repeat visitors). In the last year I've received many nice comments about this site which I really appreciate. By the way feel free to use the comment section below each post to make comments. You don't have to be registered in order to post. I value all comments (except spam which will be deleted).

What's in store for the future? More "Flashback's" that for sure. I had a nice collection going before I started the blog and I want to go back and share some of my successes that I achieved before I started the blog. Look for "Flashback's" to resume next month. Also I plan on maybe revising the "Monthly recap" a little bit. A tweak here and there. Something you want to see? Let me know. I definitely will consider it.

Today I received Lily Tomlin... and that's the truth!

Cast photos are always a gamble. I've had a few that I've lost that I deeply regretted sending out. But completing a cast photo is fantastic. I took a gamble with the photo I received today (already signed by Jane Fonda who rarely personalizes) but it paid off.

Lily Tomlin - Sent: 4/5/06 Received: 4/14/06. Lily Tomlin has been out on the road performing some shows so I thought this would be a good time to try her via venue. I've liked about every movie/show I think I've seen her in but "9 to 5" is probably my favorite. That movie has so many classic lines, with my favorite of Lily's being "I'm a doctor.. so why the hell am I talking to you? Piss off!". I want to get the special edition DVD that was just released for the 25th anniversary more so for the bonus features than the movie itself. I wrote to Lily c/o The Overture Center in Madison, WI where she performed last Friday. Today my envelope came back (postmarked North Bay, CA) with my index card signed and my photo signed with a great inscription. Thanks Lily!



The fantastic Lily Tomlin signed my "9 to 5" photo

DA and DB in today's mail

This April definitely isn't like the April I had last year. Successes are way down already. I mean it took 10 days into the month for me to even get something. But luckily not one, but two envelopes arrived today.

Delta Burke - Sent: 3/27/06 Received: 4/13/06. Delta Burke did Broadway last year but I didn't write to her because first of all, I had a signed photo of her already (that I got TTM years before I ever began collecting full time) and secondly because this cast photo was still out to Dixie Carter (which I really thought was gone for good because of how long it took). I lucked out in finding Delta starting a new play in California at the end of last month so I wrote to her at that venue. Success. Delta's "Suzanne Sugarbaker" was my favorite of the "Designing Women". Who else in TV had the best one liners ever and a pig named Noel to boot! The true challenge of this photo, Jean Smart remains for a cast completion.



Delta Burke "designed" my photo with her autograph.


Daniele Alexander - Sent: 3/27/06 Received: 4/13/06. Daniele Alexander recorded two country music albums for Mercury Records in 1989 and 1990. (Her biggest hit "She's There" went to #19 on Billboard). Although she never received the recognition that I thought she deserved, both her albums have always been favorites of mine. I searched for her online and found an e-mail address. I e-mailed her and asked if I could send my cd inserts to be signed and she replied back. My autograph collection has always been about collecting people who's work meant something to me or brought me enjoyment, and Daniele Alexander qualifies in both those categories.



Daniele Alexander - her 1st cd (above) and her 2nd cd (below)

Famous since 9 weeks old

It has felt like forever since I've worked on the blog, which is due to no successes coming in. Finally 10 days into the month I received my first for April today. One with historical timing.

Millvina Dean - Sent: 3/20/06 Received: 4/10/06. I remember the first time I ever learned about the Titanic. It was a TV movie that was on while I was at a relatives house. It peaked a curiosity (that many share) that still exists to this day to learn more about that fateful evening. In the very early hours of April 15, 1912 on a chilly morning, nine week old baby Elizabeth Gladys "Millvina" Dean, her brother and her mother (third class passengers) left the Titanic and boarded lifeboat #13. Millvina would become the youngest survivor of the disaster while her father's body would never be recovered. Today there are three living survivors from the Titanic, with Millvina being the only one that will participate in any Titanic related activities or honor autograph requests. It wasn't an easy letter to write but an autograph that I think is very special in my collection. This Saturday marks the 94th anniversary of Titanic's sinking.



"To Ryan, with best wishes from Millvina Dean, youngest Titanic survivor" is inscribed on this photo of the famous ship. Click here for a brief bio on Millvina Dean.