A funny thing happened the other day...

[Billfred]

Alright, so my big graduation trip was to California with my mom to try and get on The Price Is Right. (I've only wanted to for thirteen years.)

It took getting to CBS at three in the morning to get a good spot in line, but we got into the audience after a few hours of interviews, forms, and sitting on very unyielding benches with some interesting people.

Fast-forward to the second segment, after the first game. The folks are telling us to be loud and applaud and cheer and everything you'd expect at a FIRST competition up about three notches. So then Rich Fields (the new announcer) calls the next contestant. I heard something Brooks and sit down. Nobody gets up. Then he calls the name again...

"Mary! Mary Leverette!"

Yes, my mom got to be a contestant. However, all that cheering and loudness kept her from hearing the descriptions, and my hand signals weren't helping. So she got stuck on contestants' row for the rest of the show.

On the up side, we now have won outdoor lighting and two karaoke microphones...about $600 in stuff. And that's all she's getting--once you're a contestant, you can't be one again. (But you could still get in.)

The show airs on October 1st...and yes, I wore my d5robotics shirt. (Good luck seeing the back, but I think you could see the 1293 on the front.) We're like three or four rows from the front on the right part of the center section (looking from the stage). We also got in on the taping for 9/29, but we're wayyyyyyy in the back. We're wearing USC shirts there.

(By the way, this is also my official "I'm home and not dead" post. I'm a little fried, since I got about four hours of sleep Tuesday night and maybe an hour on the plane. Then off and on for the drive from Atlanta to home, although that was mainly because Mom was a bit fried as well and I wanted to make sure she didn't doze...some help I woulda been! But then I got home and slept for six hours. So it's all good now.)

[Dorienne]

that's pretty cool!
i love that show.
my grandma and i used to watch it all the time.
i'll be sure to try and spot you!
--d0ri

[Billfred]

Alright, since the air date is a week away, I figured I'd revive the thread.

If anyone has a way of getting screencaps, I'd be very much obliged.

(but please, no comments about my relative lack of hair back then!)

[Franchesca]

That's pretty cool. I don't know how I'd feel to be in a game show (I'd be too nervous and embarrassed ) but it's great that it happened to your mom -- things like this don't really happen often.

A karaoke machine is pretty awesome!! And well at least it was fun, huh? And its great that you had your team's shirt on!!! Free advertisement of FIRST! Right On!