Picking up from yesterday –
I’d just been called out of contestants’ row!
I ran up onstage. I had a fleeting thought as I’d had when I was called on down in the first place – “How do cool people run down here?” “How do cool people run onstage?” “Is there something creative or cute I can do here?”
But I was too nervous to ever try to be “cute.” And I didn’t have any fun, groundbreaking ides. So, I just ran on hope, hoping I wasn’t boring people – “Oh, look at her. She just runs up like normal. Boring. Where’s your somersault or something?” (Sorry TV viewing public.)
As I was coming onstage, I saw all the cameras moving like normal, and Drew just going to his next mark. Everyone had their jobs completely down to a science. They were just going along, business as usual.
Okay, but how can you all be so normal?! My life is changing here, people!
(I know, I know. That’s their job. And it’s great that they’re so good at it. At least some people know what they’re doing ’cause I was a complete mess!)
So, I go up to Drew Carey. I’m pretty sure I’m shaking a little. I think I’m usually okay on most stages, and with a crowd. But it was all just happening so quickly and unexpectedly!
What do I say? What do I do? I have no idea if I was being coherent at all.
Now, when I first went up there (this part was edited out, so welcome to the behind-the-scenes tidbits from the day) – When I first went up there, I said, “I saw you at the Goofy Challenge and we weren’t friends then, but now we are.” He said, “Yeah, now we’re friends!”
(Drew Carey said on tape that we were friends, and I didn’t even get to keep that moment forever. Wah wah.) (I think, by the way, this was all edited out because we couldn’t plug a Disney thing on the show, but who knows.)
He then explained to the camera what the Goofy Challenge was – a race in Disney World where you do a half marathon on Saturday, and a full marathon on Sunday. Then, we said something about my shirts and all the races I’d run.
I remember him making jokes about me, since I lived in L.A., just seeing a line and getting in it. My mind was going 3 million miles a second. I remember thinking, “Wait. He’s being really funny here. You think this is funny. I think you’re smiling. Are you laughing? You just have no control over your face muscles anymore, do you? Nope. Didn’t think so.”
Before you know it, they’re introducing my possible prize.
This part again was edited out, but George Gray started the introduction with, “You’re not gonna have to run anymore!” – which was an excellent intro. (Thank you, George.)
The moment I heard, “You’re not gonna have to run anymore,” I knew it was going to be a car! (A car! A freaking car, y’all! On The Price is Right. American dream, much?)
In the split second between “You’re not gonna run anymore” and “a brand new car,” my brain was screaming, “Say a brand new car. Say a brand new car. I know you’re gonna say it. Let me hear those magic words.”
And this is where I’ll pick up next time.