Picking up from yesterday –
So, I always think the absolute most ridiculous thing on Wheel of Fortune is when Pat asks someone if they want to get on the express and they say no. Like, why, why, why, why, why, why, why would anyone ever say no? It doesn’t make any sense to me?
I guuuuuuuuuuess if you have the million dollar wedge(?)… like… I dunno… like… maybe. But the chances of you actually getting the million in the bonus round is so infinitesimally small, and you’re much more likely to make it to the bonus round if you have money.
Plus(!) you have to trust yourself! You’re on Wheel of Fortune! You should generally know the puzzles. You’re there to win. Now… I know… big words coming from someone who didn’t know “honey bun” and like, okay, fine, I guess.
But the prize puzzles are all so similar, and I think you should take the chance you’ll know it, because at the very least, I trust myself more than I trust the wheel itself. So, I always think it’s weird when people don’t take the chance.
And I especially think it’s weird when they don’t have something special that they’re gambling (like a million dollar wedge). What are you scared of?! Get on the express!
I GUESS you’re always gambling losing control of the puzzle, even if you have nothing. But guess what? That’s gonna happen if you call a wrong letter either way! So, if all you’re worried about is losing control of the board, might as well make yourself 100% in charge in that instead of leaving it up to the chance of the wheel.
So, when Pat asks me if I’m gonna do the “express thing,” and I say, “of course, I have to,” like… I meant it. I felt I really had to. It would’ve been a thing crazy to not do.
So, again – I play a little more conservatively than I’d imagined before getting there. And the next thing I call is an “i” – wasting $250 on a vowel.
But I do it because I absolutely cannot lose. I am given the freaking golden opportunity. People – including me – dream of landing on express. I was gifted this insane thing that’s so unlikely. If I screw it up, like… oh boy.
So, I go in order of what I’m absolutely most sure of. And while I’m almost certain the bottom word is “location,” I go for “i,” because “tion,” is the thing you can be most sure of in that word. And at that point, I didn’t know the first word, so any information I get in the second is giving me information in the first.
Then I go for L – again, almost sure it’s location. Of the 3 letters remaining in that word (L, C, A,), L is the one in RSTLNE, so it’s the “safest” one (in my mind) to pick of those 3. And it’s exactly where I think it’s gonna be.
Now, at that point, I’m still not completely sure of the first word. You would think I would know “oceanfront” by now, but I don’t. What I do know is that there are only 2 possible remaining vowels. And what I reasonably know is that the second word is location. So, since A is very safe, I go ahead and buy it.
So, if it’s in the first word I’ll have it in the first word. And they tell you when there are no more vowels. So, if U would’ve been in there, I would’ve bought it next, as it would’ve been guaranteed to be in the puzzle if it was the only vowel left and there were to have still been vowels in the puzzle. And if not (as it wasn’t), I would know I’m only going after consonants (which I did).
You can actually see me looking over to the board to see if U disappears when I call A. [I’ll go over that board, in another part of this series, if you’re not already familiar.]
I see U disappear. I look at the board. “Oceanfront location” now becomes clear. You can almost see me solve it in my head.
Then, I clearly know it once I just start calling the last letters.
And then I oh so carefully pronounced “oceanfront location.” They made a HUGE deal about how we had to overly pronounce things. I didn’t want to leave off that t in “oceanfront” with lazy pronunciation or anything.
Oh my goodness gracious. And then if it isn’t just absolute pure bliss after that. You can see that I just seem like the happiest person who ever lived in that moment. My hands are shaking in front of my face.
Then I can’t hug Pat Sajak because of Covid protocols. (We shot on March 13 – the day everyone pretty much remembers as the day that most things shut down. So, we didn’t know what was ahead for everyone, but we knew we weren’t allowed to touch anyone – especially Pat and Vanna, which was sort of awkward, but we all got by!)
And this is where I’ll pick up tomorrow!