What I did this summer…

Hello everyone,

So wanted to give you a little insight on what I have been up to since the end of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. This is my, “ WHAT I DID FOR MY SUMMER” blog.

2012, my wife Kelly and I celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary. We were married on June 12, 1992. I found this Grateful Dead tee shirt that was from their NYC, June 12, 1992 concert. Can you believe it!! The Dead played the same night in the same state we got married in. If you didn’t know, well, Kelly and me are big Dead fans. So, I got the tee shirt and framed it for her. Kelly made me a book on her Mac computer that was a timeline of our lives together; Every place we lived, all of our animals, all the places we have been and things we have done together, plus the friends that we made and the friends that we have lost. I will treasure this book forever.

Speaking of friends, we lost a very dear friend Mary Hanes this year. She died of cancer after being diagnosed only 18 months earlier. Mary was a beautiful friend, a wonderful playwright and a great wife. As a matter a fact, it was Mary and her husband Ken that helped me get Extreme Makeover: Home Edition 10 years ago.

I was working on their house they just bought in the Hollywood Hills, when the house was finished they threw a big party to celebrate and at that party was their friend, Star Price, who was working on casting a pilot called “Space Invaders,” which is what EMHE was called back then. Anyway, if it weren’t for Ken and Mary, I would have never had landed on EMHE.

Whenever Kelly and I would go over to Ken and Mary’s house Mary would say in her beautiful voice, “Paulieeeeee, “Kellyyyyyy!” and give us a great big hug. It will always make me smile. I miss my friend, Mary Hanes.

How random life is!!!

We also lost Mrs. Creasey to cancer. EMHE built her, her husband William, and daughters Brittany and their twins a home in Lexington North Carolina. They were one of my favorite families. You may all remember Jewel in their living room singing “Hands” …what a voice.

Well, Kelly turned 50 yrs old this year. I first fell in love with her when she was 25. For all those that know her she still looks 25 for sure, all that has grown is her heart. We decided to head to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico to celebrate, just the two of us. Since I started on EMHE the last 9 years I have not been there for her birthday, so we had to make this a one special.

My two favorite things were the Huevos Rancheros and the temperature of the water. Coming from the East coast I find it so strange the water on the Jersey coast is much warmer than the water here in California. Anyway, Kelly and I had a great time; it was a birthday to remember. I have to mention… Kelly also is my Pilates instructor and she kicks my ass!

[Listening to Eric Clapton Unplugged]

One of my highlights was playing in the MLB Celebrity Softball Game in Kansas City. This was my 2nd year to be a part of this event.

I went 2 for 3 at the plate. I can’t tell you what a thrill it is to be sitting on a bench with Ozzie Smith, Bo Jackson, Rollie Fingers, Joe Carter, Rickey Henderson, Andre Dawson, Rick Sutcliffe, Steve Garvey, Dave Winfield, George Brett, Fred Lynn, and Jennie Finch. I also got to help Habitat for Humanity build 2 homes going to Joplin MO.

Over that last two years I have become friends with MLB. I got to build the FanCave in NYC the first year they had it and I continue to stay in touch with those friends that I made after that intense build at 4th and Broadway. If you are ever in the neighborhood you should stop in. Just tell them that I sent you. I do love my Philadelphia Phillies but even more the game of Baseball and the history that it tells, and now the friends that I have made.

As this year comes to an end a look to new beginnings. What’s next? I ask that question every day. Right now I am writing this in the Philadelphia Airport. Spent a couple of day with my mother out in West Chester, Pa. Try to get here whenever it’s possible. We had a great couple of days.

I was down in the D.C. area shooting a new show called, “Second Act.” Ten half hour episodes of being part of the many stories of men and women who after they leave or retire from what they have been doing for work for many years are asking the same question as I did “what’s next?” So far we are shooting 4 stories. Wonderful stories. One is a Lawyer named Jeff who wants to be a comedian. Then there is Debbie and Michael who are opening a restaurant. Terry who is opening a dog day care center, and Wanda who is opening a theatre. The funny thing is, that these are all things that I would love to do. Well, I have 3 dogs so it’s like we already have a daycare center for dogs. What I take away so far, is how brave these men and women are. It takes a lot of courage to start over. To have the wisdom to know how important it is to continue to strive for new things. New things!!! That’s not to say that these are new things that we just thought of, these might be things that we have wanted to do since we were little kids. It’s funny that the very things we wanted to do when we were little continue to be the things that we strive for in our “Second Act.” Then, there is that fear of failing. But as you get older you realize that failing is just part of it, without it there is no growth.

What do I strive for, you ask? Well many things…to be a better husband for one. To play the banjo better as well as piano, guitar, mandolin and to lose some weight. You can’t just say it; you need to make it happen. Do the little things and the course will be set. “Big things have small beginnings.”
So RLTV is the name of the network. If you have Comcast you have it. The network is in 25 million home. We are set to air in April.
Very excited about this project. Been working with some wonderful people.

It’s been great being in Washington, DC I love our nations capital, the whole area is great… Baltimore, the Chesapeake, it’s a great part of the country.

[Listening to Gram Parsons and Emmy Lou]

There are other things in the works as far as TV goes, but I don’t what to jinx them by talking about them yet, but I’ve been out pitching show ideas, some with Tracy and Preston too. It’s a funny world, …this TV world.

So that it for now. Have a wonderful holiday. Have a very Merry Christmas. Take some time, gather your friends and family around and sing some carols. It’s free and it’s a memory that will last for a lifetime.

Thank you all for your support. Much love to you all,

Paulie