<p>9:00 a.m. The pages start handing out blue tickets. One half has a number on it, the other half: the number and a space for our name & social security number. Our numbers: 19 & 20. The Pages ask everyone to get out their ID and Social security card. The pages come down the line checking ID’s and looking at our social security cards.<br>
9:30 We get Price is Right NAME TAGS! But…they insist no nicknames on our Name Tags. It must be the name on your social security card. I hate being called Jill. But its the name on my social security card so Jill it is. We are warned again not get out of line. S and I play more games. S juggles the sugar packets. We know how to keep ourselves entertained while waiting in line!<br>
10:15 The Pages let us know we’ll soon be interviewed. About then I realize I have no idea what is happening with our car. I ask a page if I can run to the pay phone to make an important call. “Yes, but hurry”.<br>
I race to the pay phone and call the garage. The mechanic tells me the guy that works on VWs is on vacation until Sunday. They can look at it then. Its Wednesday. I have to drop my son off on Friday. Oh well. I’m in line for the Price is Right. I tell the mechanic I’ll get back to him later.<br>
10:20 a.m. I run to get back to my place, running between the two sets of benches filled with people waiting to see the Price is Right, everyone now has name tags. Hands reach out for high fives. A woman grabs me, hands me a quarter “Tuition money for your son”. We wish each other luck and I start running again towards where my S is waiting. The crowd starts chanting “Go Jill”<br>
I’m so happy to be back with my son. The crowds turns their focus on someone who has decided to dance for everyone. Thank goodness.
10:30 The Price is Right Producer and his assistant appear. Its time for interviews. In groups of twelve they call us up to the railing. The producer greets everyone and then asks each individual where they’re from and what they do, occasionally he asks an extra question or makes a comment. After S said he was a math major at Caltech, the producer asked if S knew that TPIR is all about math.<br>
After the interview we wait a little longer and are sent on to security. Cell phones and electronics are turned into security (oh, if only we’d known, we could have brought our cell phones).<br>
we’re through security by 11:30. The taping is at 1. The Pages remind us that until we’re seated in the studio there is no guarantee we’ll see TPIR.<br>
We wait. We play more games (thank goodness we know a lot of games that can be played anywhere). We chat with people in line. We do the wave.<br>
12:45 The studio doors open and we move inside. We will get to see The Price is Right!</p>
<p>I’m seated by the aisle with S next to me. Everything feels unreal. Music is playing and most of the crowd is on their feet dancing. Then The Price is Right theme song begins to play (who knew there were words to it?). The announcer (whose name I can’t remember) comes on stage. Everyone cheers.<br>
The rules were explained. We are told a stage hand will be on stage with cue cards with the names of the first four contestants asked to “Come on down!” - it will be so loud, we won’t be able to hear our names.<br>
We practice cheering for Drew Carey. And then in five, four, three two, one…the taping begins.</p>
<p>Darn, I am on the board an a Sat (not typical for me) and I have discovered this thread in midstory. And I NEED the next installment! I knew I should have waited until Monday. Hope you are typing this as you go. I would hate to think you have this all prepared and are just cutting and pasting…oh the agony.</p>
<p>The first contestant is asked to “come on down”. The man in front of me stands and races to contestants row. I look on stage to see the stage hand turn to the next cue card. ITS MY NAME! OH MY GOODNESS. I think I hugged S, I think there were high fives all around. Its all a blur. I think I ran to contestants row. I’ll have to watch the show to remember the details from here on out.<br>
I remember a break and being instructed to bid quickly. The game moves fast and they didn’t want us hemming and hawing over our bids. A yellow light beneath our microphones would light up if we won the prize. All too soon it was time for the first 3 contestants to spin the wheel. I was still in contestants row. I over or under bid on the next two prizes. Then a set of snow sleds was presented for us to bid on. I would bid last on the last prize. My bid - $1.00 My yellow light flashed. I had won 7 sleds & a year’s supply of cough drops and I got to join Drew Carey on stage to play a pricing game. A handshake and a hug with Drew Carey. My game :Squeeze Play. Five numbers: 75700 , remove one of the center 3. I glanced in the audience to see my son holding up 7 fingers. “Remove the 7” Ding ding - You Won! I’d won a player piano. And I’d get to spin the wheel.</p>
<p>We were shown where to stand to spin the wheel and lined up in order. I’d won the most so I got to spin last. The first contestant spun and got 85 cents. The second contestant: 90 cents. Then it was my turn. Drew asked about my son who attends Caltech while the wheel spun round. I said hi to my son and the wheel came to a stop: 95 cents. I was going to the showcase showdown!!<br>
There was a moment when I stood waiting for the showcase showdown when I thought I might faint. I told myself to take a deep breath and then I was fine. I was the “big winner” so I got to pick the first showcase or pass it to the other contestant. The first showcase: a books, a riding lawnmower and then a jeep. Yes, Drew I’m going to bid. My car broke down on the way here and I could use that jeep (and oh was it cute).<br>
To make a long story short. My bid was off by about $3000. The other contestant was only off by $2000. But I still couldn’t stop smiling. I hugged the winner and was taken off stage by the very kind TPIR staff.
The show was over. We had paper work to sign. S waited outside the studio. He was outside smiling when I came over 15 minutes later. I hugged him, he picked me up and spun me around. When he set me down, I looked up at him and asked “Why did they pick me?” S’s reply “Because you’re pretty.” Never in my life has anyone said I’m pretty. Never. I bit my lip so I wouldn’t start crying.<br>
We passed the crowd waiting in line now for the 4:00 pm taping. Everyone wanted a high five. A couple people who had seen our taping stopped me and told me they’d been rooting for me (and of course that they’d tryed to tell me to bid higher). S and I probably floated out onto the streets of Hollywood.</p>
<p>Oh my, Oaklandmom, I feel like I’m there with you. This is so exciting! Thank you, and keep it coming! I hope you get the car fixed, because those sleds aren’t going to take you far in LA.</p>
<p>LOL this is a TERRIFIC story.</p>
<p>I got tears in my eyes when I read that your son said, “Because you’re pretty.” :)</p>
<p>We wandered back to the Farmers Market, bought some fruit to eat. We found a cab and asked the driver to take us to the nearest car rental place. A $10 cab ride and we were at Enterprise. Now we had a way back to Castaic. It was nearly 4:30 pm by the time we made it back to our motel. I looked in the phone book for mechanics, but the only places I found that would work on a VW were 30-60 minutes away. At 5 pm I decided to leave it for morning. S and I went to dinner then came back to the motel. I think we were both asleep by 8 pm(at least I was). In the morning I called the auto club. They helped me find a repair shop about 8 miles away. We checked out of the motel. Had the car towed to the repair shop and then headed to our Hollywood hotel(very fun - full of movie star & rock star photos). We ate dinner in the hotel coffee shop. I went to bed early while S got on line (the motel did not have internet access and he was anxious to chat with his friends). Thursday we just hung out in the hotel, took a short walk along the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The car? At first the mechanic thought it was the thermostat but when they took it apart they found the thermostat was gone because the water pump had blown up and a piece of the water pump stuck in the thermostat.
Friday we woke early and checked out of the hotel by 10 a.m. I felt more butterflies driving towards Pasadena then I did at any point standing in line for TPIR - I never imagined I’d be a contestant on TPIR but I knew once we got to Pasadena, I’d be saying goodbye to my son. We were at Caltech by 10:30. We stopped at the housing office so S could pick up the key to the house off campus, he’s living in this year. He also stopped into Finaid to sign the loan documents for his $250 student loan for the year (YEA for Caltech finaid!) We dropped his stuff off in his room (a fireplace is his room!? very cool and its a gorgeous house). Then we made a quick run to Target. I helped him carry the Target purchases into the kitchen of the house. We hugged, I blew him a kiss and headed north in the rental car. </p>
<p>Total cost of car repair: $750. plus $150 rental car and $97 limo ride and $8 tow. Tickets to the Price is Right: $0 Value of Prizes: Over $8000.
My son telling me I’m pretty: Priceless. </p>
<p>pps I’ll post when I find out the air date of the show.</p>
<p>Will Oaklandmom ever get her car back?
Will S make it to college in time?
Will she ever sell her house?
Will she buy her dream craftsman house?
Will she be discovered by a hollywood agent after her amazing performance in TPIR?
Find out this and more in future installments of…A drop off day story, in installments… :)</p>
<p>Crossposted with Oaklandmom…</p>
<p>I am just crying my eyes out. Your son telling you you’re pretty!! What an absolutely wonderful memory!! Imagine 4 years from now when you’re re-telling it at his graduation! Best of luck to you and oaklandson!!<br>
PS Can’t wait to see the show!</p>
<p>Oakland mom is back in Oakland with her VW Jetta (great mechanic), smooth trip back home. Will she ever sell her house? Oh I hope so(though much to my surprise my next door neighbor is moving out - is her house going on the market too? oh no! The dream craftsman house is still waiting for me but I haven’t heard from my agent about the inspection…but she knew we were headed to TPIR. Back at home: the dog sitter noticed the bathroom sink was draining slowly and thought they’d fix it for me…now the bathroom sink is completely clogged and full of ugly black water. Time for a plumber…another story for another day but I sure hope that story is without any drama. Moral of that story: dog sitters should not attempt plumbing.</p>
<p>So cool! I LOVE your story!!! Can’t wait to find out the air date of the show!</p>
<p>Congrats to you and your son, and I hope he has a great time at Caltech.</p>
<p>I had tears, too. Can’t wait to see the show. What memories.</p>
<p>^^^^ Me too!!!</p>
<p>Thanks for a wonderful story Oaklandmom, and good luck with everything!</p>
<p>Great story, and what wonderful memories with your son! I loved it, thanks! Best of luck selling the house, too :)</p>
<p>Hooray for Oaklandmom!!! Thank you for posting. How ful for all of us.</p>
<p>I’ve sent a few friends an email link to the story…so real life friends (as opposed to collegeconfidential friends 
) a few things you should know - CC = collegeconfidential, S = son, and a special note to K&B, before Drew pulled me back to see where the wheel would stop I was just about to say “Hi” to you on the air. You’re my girls and I love you. wish you could have shared the day with us.</p>
<p>Great story! I strongly recommend you paste it all together and submit it to a few magazines for publication… if you don’t someone else will!!</p>
<p>“Priceless” indeed!! :D</p>
<p>Oaklandmom:</p>
<p>Your story is such a hoot, but also a beaut. It’s even better than Little Miss Sunshine
Your son sounds like such a wonderful kid. “Because you’re pretty.” Now, as you sit in your house, waiting for a seller to come and buy it and waiting for his email (see the thread started by Washdad), you can just remember he said that and everything will feel better. And you can remember that he was not fazed by all the happenings on the road trip. What are the rigors of Caltech after all this, eh?</p>