Retroactive good luck to vettech

[plasticene]

You truly looked beautiful and poised. Great job so far!

Did other people who don't watch in HD have technical problems with this episode, or was it just the LA station? In the first half, the picture was horizontally stretched so that parts of the questions and choices disappeared off the edges of the screen. On the second guy's last question, it was vertically stretched as well, so that choices C and D weren't visible at all. When they got back from the commercial, everything was back to normal.

[secondchance]

You truly looked beautiful and poised. Great job so far!

Did other people who don't watch in HD have technical problems with this episode, or was it just the LA station? In the first half, the picture was horizontally stretched so that parts of the questions and choices disappeared off the edges of the screen. On the second guy's last question, it was vertically stretched as well, so that choices C and D weren't visible at all. When they got back from the commercial, everything was back to normal.

Yep- I noticed that technical problem as well. I started worrying that my TV was going out! I record on non-HD to save room on the DVR.

Spoiler

And O.M.G & Holy Craaaappp.... I think we need to declare today a Billie Holiday! Congratulations, Vet Tech!!!

[MarkBarrett]

I've seen the Thursday, 4/28 show.

Spoiler

During the pause Billie took to select a choice on the 100K Q I found myself holding my breath in anticipation as I willed the correct answer. For a sports Q to then follow a video game one at a high level? Unbelievable. Way to go to know a horse and take a chance on it. The resemblance to Annie Duke was complemented by gutsy and skilled play.

What is the X-Ray/Scotch Tape explanation? How? Why? Science is not my thing.

[vettech]

Spoiler

What is the X-Ray/Scotch Tape explanation? How? Why? Science is not my thing.

Spoiler

Ha, I still don't know!

[TheConfessor]

I just watched today's episode. Don't miss it!

Kentucky Derby Mint Julep Glass

I loved that you won the big bucks on a Kentucky Derby question. I've been to about 12 Kentucky Derbys and have many of the official Derby mint julep glasses that list the names of all the winners. I'll be in Louisville for this year's Derby on May 7th, so I'll drink a julep in your honor. Congratulations!

[vettech]

I just watched today's episode. Don't miss it!

Kentucky Derby Mint Julep Glass

I loved that you won the big bucks on a Kentucky Derby question. I've been to about 12 Kentucky Derbys and have many of the official Derby mint julep glasses that list the names of all the winners. I'll be in Louisville for this year's Derby on May 7th, so I'll drink a julep in your honor. Congratulations!

Hey, I may have to get myself one of those! (An empty one, because mint makes me gag.)

[rayxtwo]

I was screaming the $100,000 answer at the TV. I knew that because of a video game special I saw about a year ago (and about $2,000 in quarters I put in that stupid machine). I reasoned out the x-ray question. Would have walked on the same one you did.

Great job.

Ray

[Bob78164]

Wow! No wonder you were anxious for this to air. Congratulations, and way to go! --Bob

[earendel]

Nice going so far, and, in the words of Billy Crystal's Fernando, "You look mahvelous, dahling."

I had no idea that this would be part of one of your questions, Billie.

[thguy65]

Reading the transcripts had me on the edge of my seat!
Tremendous job, vettech! Have fun with your ample rewards for a great run!

[vettech]

So, I guess it's time for the obligatory report. A lot of this I may have already covered, but I'll try to consolidate as many of my thoughts here as I can.

EDIT: I'm getting really long-winded, so I'll do the "pregame" in one post, then a separate post for the actual gameplay.

I auditioned on 9/8. Not a lot of people passed the test (less than 10, I would guess), which surprised me because I didn't find it to be that difficult. Of those of us that passed, only 2 that I know of (including myself) moved on to the videotaped interview. Now at this point I was pretty excited because I had never made it this far in the process before. I hadn't slept the night before so I don't remember what I talked about and I think I grinned like an idiot the whole way through (maybe that helped, who knows?). On the way back to the hotel to meet my husband I felt as though I were walking on air. I excitedly told him about how the audition went, and although I know he was happy for me, I also knew he really didn't get the significance of the videotaped interview. Yes, I know it's not a guarantee, but I think we've pretty much established that you aren't getting anywhere without one.

The next few weeks I was on high alert with the mail. Finally exactly 3 weeks later I came downstairs and saw my husband had left the mail on the counter. On the top I saw a small white postcard. My heart began to pound and I saw it was from WWTBAM. I remember thinking to myself that I had never seen a white card before so I took that as a good sign. I turned it around and...began doing a happy dance. Then I was on high alert once again, jumping every time the phone rang. Less than a week later I saw "ABC" on the caller ID and almost hurt myself getting to the phone! (That would've been a sight, taping with a cast.) Thus began a flurry of phone calls and emails with APs, and making arrangements for time off and travel. Fortunately I got about 3 weeks notice so we were both able to get the time off without any problem, except for Craig, who could not get the Friday of that week off (I was scheduled to tape on Wednesday 10/27 and was cautioned about the possibility of carrying over to Thursday).

So on Tuesday we drove down to NYC (airline travel has become so cumbersome and stressful that I have a policy of not flying anywhere that I can drive to in a day). We stayed at the same hotel as the one we used when we auditioned, so we knew exactly where to go. We spent the evening walking around, thinking it odd that it was so hot and humid at the end of October. Craig insisted on going to FAO Schwarz. We went back to the hotel where I proceeded to toss and turn all night - I had to be at the studio at 7:30 a.m. After getting around 2 hours of sleep I walked over (the hotel is only about 7 blocks away) and felt like I was melting from the oppressive humidity (it was also drizzling a little). There were already a few other people there when I arrived and we ended up standing out there in the drizzle for quite some time. Finally we were corralled in and taken to the locker room, then the greenroom. We spent the morning getting all the legal stuff out of the way, then went over all the rules of gameplay, etc. The contestant coordinators also told us tales of the prior day's taping (the Sheri Shepard episodes) - everyone was there until quite late with all the "do-overs" and whatnot that were required. We got a tour of the studio, played a couple of sample questions, then it was sit and wait.

By this time the holdovers from the day before came in and there were probably around 5 of them, so I knew we'd be waiting a while. Since we weren't allowed to watch any of the taping going on and couldn't have any sort of reading material, we did our best to entertain each other talking about the most random things (for example, I remember the TLC show "I Didn't Know I Was Pregnant" coming up at least twice). Finally people from "our" group were getting called down. About mid afternoon my name was finally called. Walking downstairs I could feel my teeth begin to chatter. I was placed in some sort of holding pen by the stage. Tom McGill was playing at this point and the only sound I could hear was the audience cheering, then the dreaded horn - this was the last show being taped that day so I had to come back. I was also informed that I wouldn't necessarily be first the next day - it would be random again. The good part was, since we'd already heard the legal spiel, we didn't have to come in until about 10. But we had to wear the same clothes (since our pictures were taken in them) and we were all feeling a little ripe by then. I met Craig outside, we got something to eat and spent the evening walking uptown (since we'd never wandered that way during our previous trips). I was so exhausted I slept like a baby.

I got up the next day rested, refreshed and ready to go. I was becoming very happy that I had been held over; I was such a mess the day before physically and emotionally. A good night's sleep makes all the difference in the world for me. We decided we would go ahead and check out of the hotel (they held our stuff for us) and hit the road right after taping since Craig had to be at work the following day (although fortunately not until the afternoon). He walked over with me and we stood outside chatting with the other carryovers and their companions - at this point I was amused to find that the companions had bonded in much the same way we contestants had. Finally the carryovers were called in - there were about 7 of us so I know the contestants for that day (which included supermawg) were looking at us like "ugh, we have to wait for all of them?". I hoped to ease the blow by bringing in a tin of dark chocolate pretzels from Godiva (one of my stops the night before) - we spent the whole day before craving chocolate during our long wait, so that put the idea in my head. As Tom was finishing up, Robert Ford and I were called downstairs. No shaking or chattering teeth this time - I was ready. Robert and I sat in the holding pen (which is freezing!), then Robert went. The AP and I chatted, interrupted by cheers every so often. Finally I was up - I got my mic and went on.

[peacock2121]

So, I guess it's time for the obligatory report. A lot of this I may have already covered, but I'll try to consolidate as many of my thoughts here as I can.

EDIT: I'm getting really long-winded, so I'll do the "pregame" in one post, then a separate post for the actual gameplay.

I auditioned on 9/8. Not a lot of people passed the test (less than 10, I would guess), which surprised me because I didn't find it to be that difficult. Of those of us that passed, only 2 that I know of (including myself) moved on to the videotaped interview. Now at this point I was pretty excited because I had never made it this far in the process before. I hadn't slept the night before so I don't remember what I talked about and I think I grinned like an idiot the whole way through (maybe that helped, who knows?). On the way back to the hotel to meet my husband I felt as though I were walking on air. I excitedly told him about how the audition went, and although I know he was happy for me, I also knew he really didn't get the significance of the videotaped interview. Yes, I know it's not a guarantee, but I think we've pretty much established that you aren't getting anywhere without one.

The next few weeks I was on high alert with the mail. Finally exactly 3 weeks later I came downstairs and saw my husband had left the mail on the counter. On the top I saw a small white postcard. My heart began to pound and I saw it was from WWTBAM. I remember thinking to myself that I had never seen a white card before so I took that as a good sign. I turned it around and...began doing a happy dance. Then I was on high alert once again, jumping every time the phone rang. Less than a week later I saw "ABC" on the caller ID and almost hurt myself getting to the phone! (That would've been a sight, taping with a cast.) Thus began a flurry of phone calls and emails with APs, and making arrangements for time off and travel. Fortunately I got about 3 weeks notice so we were both able to get the time off without any problem, except for Craig, who could not get the Friday of that week off (I was scheduled to tape on Wednesday 10/27 and was cautioned about the possibility of carrying over to Thursday).

So on Tuesday we drove down to NYC (airline travel has become so cumbersome and stressful that I have a policy of not flying anywhere that I can drive to in a day). We stayed at the same hotel as the one we used when we auditioned, so we knew exactly where to go. We spent the evening walking around, thinking it odd that it was so hot and humid at the end of October. Craig insisted on going to FAO Schwarz. We went back to the hotel where I proceeded to toss and turn all night - I had to be at the studio at 7:30 a.m. After getting around 2 hours of sleep I walked over (the hotel is only about 7 blocks away) and felt like I was melting from the oppressive humidity (it was also drizzling a little). There were already a few other people there when I arrived and we ended up standing out there in the drizzle for quite some time. Finally we were corralled in and taken to the locker room, then the greenroom. We spent the morning getting all the legal stuff out of the way, then went over all the rules of gameplay, etc. The contestant coordinators also told us tales of the prior day's taping (the Sheri Shepard episodes) - everyone was there until quite late with all the "do-overs" and whatnot that were required. We got a tour of the studio, played a couple of sample questions, then it was sit and wait.

By this time the holdovers from the day before came in and there were probably around 5 of them, so I knew we'd be waiting a while. Since we weren't allowed to watch any of the taping going on and couldn't have any sort of reading material, we did our best to entertain each other talking about the most random things (for example, I remember the TLC show "I Didn't Know I Was Pregnant" coming up at least twice). Finally people from "our" group were getting called down. About mid afternoon my name was finally called. Walking downstairs I could feel my teeth begin to chatter. I was placed in some sort of holding pen by the stage. Tom McGill was playing at this point and the only sound I could hear was the audience cheering, then the dreaded horn - this was the last show being taped that day so I had to come back. I was also informed that I wouldn't necessarily be first the next day - it would be random again. The good part was, since we'd already heard the legal spiel, we didn't have to come in until about 10. But we had to wear the same clothes (since our pictures were taken in them) and we were all feeling a little ripe by then. I met Craig outside, we got something to eat and spent the evening walking uptown (since we'd never wandered that way during our previous trips). I was so exhausted I slept like a baby.

I got up the next day rested, refreshed and ready to go. I was becoming very happy that I had been held over; I was such a mess the day before physically and emotionally. A good night's sleep makes all the difference in the world for me. We decided we would go ahead and check out of the hotel (they held our stuff for us) and hit the road right after taping since Craig had to be at work the following day (although fortunately not until the afternoon). He walked over with me and we stood outside chatting with the other carryovers and their companions - at this point I was amused to find that the companions had bonded in much the same way we contestants had. Finally the carryovers were called in - there were about 7 of us so I know the contestants for that day (which included supermawg) were looking at us like "ugh, we have to wait for all of them?". I hoped to ease the blow by bringing in a tin of dark chocolate pretzels from Godiva (one of my stops the night before) - we spent the whole day before craving chocolate during our long wait, so that put the idea in my head. As Tom was finishing up, Robert Ford and I were called downstairs. No shaking or chattering teeth this time - I was ready. Robert and I sat in the holding pen (which is freezing!), then Robert went. The AP and I chatted, interrupted by cheers every so often. Finally I was up - I got my mic and went on.

Reports are close to my most favorite thing in the world.

Be more long winded!

[vettech]

Trip report, part deux:

As I walked onto the stage, I gave Meredith a peck on the cheek - it left a smudge of lipstick that distracted me so I made a mental note not to do that again when I came back (I knew we had to be close to the end of that day's game, so unless I really blew it, I knew I'd be taping another game). I was surprisingly relaxed - I was just so damned happy to finally be there! The first 3 questions were easy enough ("softballs" as my dad put it), which helped me even more. My hesitation over the bluegrass question was more a matter of "can it really be this easy?" than any doubt about what the answer was. I had tried my best to remember the preshuffle order of the categories, but that stayed in my head for all of 5 seconds. I just wanted to be sure it wasn't a trick question somehow! Obviously Meredith and I didn't get much of a chance to chat at this point, but her warmth and sincerity came through right away.

The horn blew and we literally ran upstairs to the locker room for me to change. I changed very quickly, but nonetheless I had just barely buttoned up before the AP was knocking on my door saying we had to go back downstairs. I didn't even get to check my hair! And just like that, it was a "new day" and I was walking back onto the stage. This time I was careful to do an air kiss so Meredith wouldn't have any distracting smudges.

Another softball question - then something I had no clue about (the X-rays). Since I had nothing to go on, it was an easy decision to jump. I truly wasn't bothered in the least that it was the $25k question. I had absolutely no intention of walking in Round 1 so the amount in my bank was irrelevant to me (most of the time I had no clue how much was even in my bank). As far as I was concerned, it was just one step closer to the real money.

I want to point out here just how great a cheerleader Meredith is. As we chatted during commercials, she is very encouraging and it is obvious she genuinely wants the contestants to do well. I do remember during one commercial one of the producers told me I was a little "intense" and could I smile more? I thought it odd since I felt I was already smiling too much, but OK. There was one chat Meredith and I had that was edited out about my psychotic cat (which I found odd since it was the one story that the AP seemed totally obsessed with - she kept bringing it up with me over and over). Our chat about TOPG, which is the one I figured would be cut, made it through, so I'm glad I was able to make that shout out.

Back to the game: 3 more easy questions, then one that should have been - my nemesis "Running Man". This is my one and only "regret" (not really the word I want to use, since I'm thrilled with how things worked out) of the game. My only excuse is that I haven't used AOL in about 15 years (I don't use AIM, either) and back then they had a different logo (some sort of triangle thingy with a circle in the middle). The only one I could eliminate for sure was Gateway, since I'm sure they've always used the cow motif. I didn't think it was Microsoft, but they and Dell have had various ad campaigns so I couldn't eliminate them either. Since I had a feeling it was really an easy question, I knew the audience would be a good choice. And they came through! (Later, as Craig and I are walking down Columbus Ave. on our way to the garage, I stop, yell, "Son of a b*****!" Of course, being NYC, noone bats an eye, except my husband - I looked at him and said "I just got the picture in my head of the AOL man!" Oh well...)

The Office - I said it all on air - never watched it, no idea, let's start playing the real game.

OK, I've played Donkey Kong (about a million years ago). And I remember coming across this fact somewhere. Now which one was it? I spent some time crawling through the recesses of my brain to retrieve it. Finally, I just pictured the game itself. The first thing I thought then was the "boing boing" of him jumping. Sounds good. I spent a brief time on risk calculation - mmm, risk around $18k for a possible additional $57k on something I'm about 50% sure of. Sounds real good. I'm going for it. How often do you have a day where the worst thing that happens is you win $25,000? While it was a guess, it wasn't as random as it seemed. I not sure why I said the guess was "pure" because it really wasn't, I was basing it on something, I was just wasn't sure.

Now something I haven't told anyone - I had a dream I made it to the million dollar question. While I don't remember the exact question, it had to do with Triple Crown winners. So to get a $250k question on Kentucky Derby winners seemed quite fortuitous. As a girl I was rather enamored with horses and become quite obsessed after watching Secretariat win the Triple Crown. So I immediately recognized Omaha (who was a TC winner so, by definition a KD winner). I wasn't sure about Spokane, though it seemed familiar, and I didn't recognize the other names. The rest of my time was spent figuring out just how nasty did the writers want to be? Would they put a single winner in some or all of the wrong choices? My thinking was they would figure the odds of anyone recognizing even one of these names was pretty low, so they wouldn't bother to stack the deck. Plus that would require that there be several KD winners that also share their name with an Native American tribe - the odds of which I figured would also be pretty low. That decided it for me.

The last question, again I said it all there. I had no idea, so the decision to walk was easy. When I told Meredith "b" after the fact, I was just pulling a random letter out of my ass. To have guessed at that point (even if I was right) would have been foolish.

So that's that. My 15 minutes are winding down, which is a relief. This week has been way more stressful than the actual taping. I had a small party Thursday night with a few friends and family. My friends were very careful to avoid spoilers until that evening (although the preview video took some of the suspense out, IMO). They were so excited, supportive and happy. But to have this alternate community where people truly "get" your obsession is something else again. Thank you all for your support and encouragement, and for letting me ramble on. I'm looking forward to seeing more BB's going the same route.

[peacock2121]

So cool!

I saved the show on my DVR to show Sting so that he could enjoy someone "I knew" really playing the game the way I think it was designed to be played.

I loved it, loved it, loved it.

Hope you stick around.

[MarleysGh0st]

So, I guess it's time for the obligatory report. A lot of this I may have already covered, but I'll try to consolidate as many of my thoughts here as I can.

EDIT: I'm getting really long-winded, so I'll do the "pregame" in one post, then a separate post for the actual gameplay.

You can't make these reports too long! For some of us, experiencing this vicariously is as close as we're going to get.

Since we weren't allowed to watch any of the taping going on and couldn't have any sort of reading material, we did our best to entertain each other

I still don't like TPTB cutting off the studio monitor, just because they're afraid a bad run will dampen your mood.

The good part was, since we'd already heard the legal spiel, we didn't have to come in until about 10. But we had to wear the same clothes (since our pictures were taken in them) and we were all feeling a little ripe by then.

Now this is an anecdote we've never heard before; I presume you're talking about the picture they show on the big screens during your intro? So do TPTB expect carryover contestants to get their outfits dry cleaned overnight or wouldn't they mind having Meredith standing next to someone in a ripe, wrinkled suit?

One more question regarding something I noted in Thursday's transcripts, after question #4.

Meredith says that Billie's bank is $31,100, disagreeing with the official total displayed on screen.

It surprised me that Meredith made a flub like that (and that TPTB left it in) and I replayed that scene a couple times to be sure she had actually added that $100. But then after question #7, your total did go up to $XX,100. So let me guess: did Meredith have to retape that line after your run was complete, when that extra $100 was so fixed in her mind that neither she nor the producers noticed it?

[vettech]

So let me guess: did Meredith have to retape that line after your run was complete, when that extra $100 was so fixed in her mind that neither she nor the producers noticed it?

There was one line that Meredith had to retape, but I can't for the life of me remember what it was. My game went very smoothly, unlike early in the season during the games I watched in the audience where there were several retakes per game. I think it took a little time for everyone to find their rhythm with the new format.

As for my outfit, I had some Downy wrinkle release spray with me (which has a nice scent), I layed everthing out to air and sprayed it down with that. By morning, it wasn't too horrible; as long as noone stuck their nose right in my pit (which I couldn't imagine happening) it would pass.

[MarleysGh0st]

So let me guess: did Meredith have to retape that line after your run was complete, when that extra $100 was so fixed in her mind that neither she nor the producers noticed it?

There was one line that Meredith had to retape, but I can't for the life of me remember what it was. My game went very smoothly, unlike early in the season during the games I watched in the audience where there were several retakes per game. I think it took a little time for everyone to find their rhythm with the new format.

That's gotta be it, then.

Another question: we've been calling that table in the middle of the stage various things--the Hot Podium, the Barstand, etc.--but do TPTB have any special name for it that they use?

It'll never be as iconic as the Hot Seat.

[vettech]

Hope you stick around.

Oh, I'm not going anywhere! There are too many people left to cheer on who need their turn.

[vettech]

Another question: we've been calling that table in the middle of the stage various things--the Hot Podium, the Barstand, etc.--but do TPTB have any special name for it that they use?

It'll never be as iconic as the Hot Seat.

That's a good question, I think they usually just called it the podium. For some reason "ironing board" is popping into my head, but I can't remember is someone here coined that term or if I heard it there.

[MarleysGh0st]

Back to the game: 3 more easy questions, then one that should have been - my nemesis "Running Man". This is my one and only "regret" (not really the word I want to use, since I'm thrilled with how things worked out) of the game. My only excuse is that I haven't used AOL in about 15 years (I don't use AIM, either) and back then they had a different logo (some sort of triangle thingy with a circle in the middle). The only one I could eliminate for sure was Gateway, since I'm sure they've always used the cow motif. I didn't think it was Microsoft, but they and Dell have had various ad campaigns so I couldn't eliminate them either. Since I had a feeling it was really an easy question, I knew the audience would be a good choice. And they came through! (Later, as Craig and I are walking down Columbus Ave. on our way to the garage, I stop, yell, "Son of a b*****!" Of course, being NYC, noone bats an eye, except my husband - I looked at him and said "I just got the picture in my head of the AOL man!" Oh well...)

That question confused me, too. When I saw the phrase "iconic mascot" my first thought was of a live, advertising spokesman and I couldn't remember any of those companies having ads like that. It took a few seconds for me to realize that they meant "iconic" as in a computer icon, i.e., this guy:



Under the pressure of the real game, I'm not sure if I'd have made the connection--and I've had my AOL account since '93!

[MarleysGh0st]

Yet another question: you said you've been trying out for the show since the early days of the Phone Game, but how many times did you audition? Did you ever get a Happy Card before this time? What do you think might have made the difference this time, besides "grinning like an idiot"?

[vettech]

Yet another question: you said you've been trying out for the show since the early days of the Phone Game, but how many times did you audition? Did you ever get a Happy Card before this time? What do you think might have made the difference this time, besides "grinning like an idiot"?

I did actual in person auditions 4 times, passing the written test each time. I also submitted 2 videos when they offered that as an option. Never had a happy card before, never even made it to the videotaped interview before. I honestly have no idea what made the difference this time. It could just have been the luck of the draw in who I talked to.

[vettech]

It took a few seconds for me to realize that they meant "iconic" as in a computer icon, i.e., this guy:

I hate that guy.

[kusch]

Since Marley is asking a lot of questions, let me tag along.

How long have you been around the bored?

When does supermawg appear?

I would like someone to revive the question thingie we did a few years back. It would be nice to see if I remember who was here when and what I remember of them and what I don't know about the newer additions.

[vettech]

Since Marley is asking a lot of questions, let me tag along.

How long have you been around the bored?

When does supermawg appear?

I would like someone to revive the question thingie we did a few years back. It would be nice to see if I remember who was here when and what I remember of them and what I don't know about the newer additions.

Almost 3 years.

supermawg has already appeared:

http://wwtbambored.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=32880
http://wwtbambored.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=32896