THE Blog

Alright...here it is...the blog you've all been waiting for....

Let's begin at the beginning....and yes, I'm giving all the details so if you just want the RR scoop, skip over my lovely prose (but you're missing my excellent writing skills if you do that)

Thursday night, 7:20 P.M., I climb aboard Continental flight 310 to Newark. I give up my seat so a party can travel together and sit next to the sweetest couple. They escaped Cuba during Castro's regime and were so interesting to talk to--not to mention he put in 32 years with Exxon and his family lived in Libya, London, Saudi Arabia and well, Jersey. Anywho...we chatted, I watch MI:3 (Blah, Tom Cruise does nothing for me anymore...however if they'd given that Jonathan Rhys Meyers a few more screen time minutes, I might've been a bit more impressed). We landed at 11:49 PM and I was met by a limo (read: Town Car) driver holding a card with my name (love that). He whisked me to 36 Central Park South, The Helmsley Park Lane Hotel. I took a picture of the hallway to my room because all I could think was "Redrum, Redrum". It was late, I was tired and my mind was playing tricks on me.

Once inside the room, any thoughts of it being similar to "The Shining" went by the wayside. Flat screen T.V., king sized bed, turned down with chocolates, slippers waiting for me, fizzy water with a bowl of pears. Sweet. I crashed in the bed lulled by the lullaby of the city.

Woke up at 7:30 AM and laced up the sneakers. I went for a 2 mile jog around Central Park. I then went to the room, showered and ate breakfast at Sarabeth's there on Central Park South and 6th St. I sipped my coffee and watched the world go by. I was so inspired by the city (and my delish cup of coffe) that I took this art-house shot. You dig?
















I had about an hour and a half to kill so I went down 5th Ave. I stopped in Bergdorf's, Tiffany's, Saks 5th Ave (so that's why it's called that....). Then I stopped in Rockefeller Center and snapped this shot of Ann Curry doing her thang with "The Today Show". They'd begun to take down the stage where Alan Jackson had performed early that day. Guess I missed it by an hour or so. Next I went to the stores that any 32 year-old in NYC needs to hit: American Girl Place, FAO Schwartz and The Disney Store (what? I was looking for a gift for Miss F)

It was then time to get back to the room, pack up, check out and change. I met the other 3 girls in the lobby of the hotel and we waited for our limo (aka Town Car) to arrive to whisk us to the studio. They arrived. They whisked.

We stepped out of the limo and walked past the line of people waiting to be in the studio audience. They craned their necks and tried to figure out just who we were. I sure hope they wondered if I was Lauren Graham (if you don't know who she is, look it up on imdb.com, people!) Here's the shot of the studio from the outside.

We had our own dressing room (it was a green, Green Room) right next to the famous guest star (if you ask me, I may tell you who it is but technically I signed a contract and they asked me to keep it on the DL--let's just say if you met him, he would 'slay' you). We weren't allowed to bug said famous guest star so I have no photos. In fact, they kept extremely close tabs on us. I guess they knew about my slight, stalker tendencies.


They did hair and make-up (and as I look at this photo, I see waaaay too many rolls in the stomachositiy area--eek! I sure hope that's my sweater!) and we went and filmed our part. Out of two days of filming and a trip to NYC, I can tell you this--I still have 10 minutes of fame left, people. Ten minutes (because Andy Warhol said we all get 15 minutes of fame).

Did I meet Rachael--yes and no. She touched me on camera. She was there. I was there. But conversation, hand shake, autographs--no go. However, she is the exact person she is on her shows. She is cute, and funny and she said "Friggin'" on T.V. (I believe they'll edit that out). She's skinnier in person. I want her to be my friend. I tried. I tried interupting her. I tried telling her I'd cooked the meal she was cooking on the show that day (seriously, watch me on the show and you'll see me be like that little annoying dog in cartoons, Rachael, hey, hey, hey.....). Alas, she is the super-popular girl who is nice to everyone yet no one can get close to her. She's still amazing. She didn't disappoint (well, except for not wanting me to be her new BFF).

It was over so fast....back on the flight to Houston. Watching "Laguna Beach: The Real OC" on the portable DVD, talking with my fellow T.V. supa-stah and her mom and arriving home at midnight. No limo. Self serve from now on, again. Boo!

Yes, I know...I'm not telling you exactly what happened. Contract, people. Contract. I will let you know when we'll air but rumor has it (from an audience member) that it will be one of the first shows so it'll probably be on in a little over a week!!!!!!!! Here's a photo of my letter (with my $40/day per diem--just like her show!), my cookie (yes, a RR cookie) and my name tag.

I leave you with a photo of Miss F being a Laguna Beach gal...she's in her LB shirt, riding in her convertible and waving carefree to the camera.