Sorry it has taken so long for me to post after my big day but it took awhile to get over the intense high of the entire experience and I find it hard to put it into words.
First, let me give a huge THANK YOU to Bob for being "on call" for me for not one but TWO days straight! It was even more stressful because one of my PAFs didn't answer the first call on my second day so that only left me with two PAFs (but at least it was the best two!). The question I used my PAF lifeline for was one that I knew my good friend Roger would easily know, although I'm sure Bob could have handled it as well. I loved reading the "She's in the Hot Seat" post and the rundown of what was possibly happening! Based on the time stamps for each of your posts, I think you were somewhat close to the mark. Thank you to everyone who was cheering me on, too! I'm sure I must have felt those good vibes while I was in the hot seat! Bob, I sincerely appreciate your willingness to do this for me, a virtual stranger and it absolutely made me feel much more confident just knowing you were there if I needed you. *HUGE APPLAUSE*
So, I will be on two shows in January! They ended up putting a hold over from a previous tape date last month ahead of me, so, to start out the day, it was the lady from the day before (who I just LOVE) continuing her turn, then it was the new hold over guy's turn, and then I was up! Jay, I don't know if you felt like this but ended up feeling so relieved that I didn't go on the day before! I was much less nervous the second day- not to mention, my husband told me later that it was a good thing that I didn't go that day because the expert that "week" was horrible! I ended up getting a great expert the "week" I was on so everything happens for a reason! Once it was my turn, I was on for a little while and then time ran out for that show, so we took a break in between "days" and I got to start out the "next day's" show by walking out holding hands with Meredith! That was so cool!
Overall, it was so much fun! In fact, during that break between my shows, I was standing there telling my producer how much fun I was having and I was surprised that I felt so relaxed at that point! Maybe it was Frogman's words of wisdom that kept going through my head telling me to just enjoy the experience and have a good time that kept it all in perspective for me. I even shared that with my fellow "contestants in waiting" in the greenroom, which, by the way, I had the BEST group of people with me that first day and we seriously bonded with each other- especially the few that were hold overs for the next day like I was. And what's funny is my all too shy husband bonded with the other "on air companions" since they were together in the audience all day long! I now know what you meant, Jay, when you were saying you couldn't wait to see how each of your greenroom buddies did on the show! I feel like I have a vested interest in some of their lives now and I even teared up when I got to witness the taping of the lady I bonded with the most since I was on deck and then backstage watching her on the monitor when it was her turn. We basically encouraged each other throughout the day and I'm pretty sure we were the only Christians there, so it meant a lot to get to watch her. Oh and btw... since we actually had a girl in with us who HAD NOT seen a single show of the new season with all the changes and, in fact, didn't know about all of the changes (she was just called the night before to be on the show!) we convinced our "babysitters" to get tapes of THIS season's shows for us to watch! So any of you who get the call for this season can thank our group for getting them to change the tapes!
One funny story and then I will end this enormous post but, fyi, I have some other stories I will post later that some of you will be interested in. So, you see the set from your TV at home but it is soooo much smaller in real life! On the back side of the stage next to the hot seat and Meredith's seat, there is a two-steps-up half circle raised platform that both Meredith and the contestants use to get into their seats. They brought us down before the day's taping and had us all practice getting in and out of the hot seat. So, here I am in the seat during the taping of my show and it's time for me to get up- all the while I am very conscience of every move I make because I have 3 inch heels on and the last thing I want is to fall on national television! Meredith begins to stand up and we are suppose to follow her lead, so I step down onto the platform with one foot watching it closely, then I look up at Meredith as I stand all the way up and put my other foot down on.... NOTHING! My right foot is going down into the center part of the half-circle onto absolutely nothing! As I start to fall over, the audience gasps collectively and Meredith reaches out and catches me just in time! Talk about one of my most embarrassing moments EVER! Fortunately, unless the show plays an evil trick on me, you all will not get to see Meredith's heroic rescue because they had us re-tape the entire exit! While we were sitting there waiting for our cue to get up again, I joked with Meredith that I had better not see that on some "bloopers" show in the future and she laughed and told the audience it's a good thing I didn't fall because I could have sued the show for much more than what I was leaving with!
If you actually read this entire post, I congratulate you and you need to get a life!
-TexasMommy
