Today was pretty special.  After over a year of waiting for tickets, I got to be part of the studio audience at The View.  It’s ridiculous I know.  I get it…but then again, maybe I don’t ‘cause I actually like The View.  Laura Wyatt was kind enough to accompany me on my excursion and was just brave enough to wake up at 7am to go stand in a two hour holding line to see a cheesy morning talk show.

As we were shuffled into the building and were asked to hand over our tickets, I was asked, “Where are you from?”  “Brooklyn,” I say.  “No, originally,” he says.  “Oh, Mississippi.”  He gives me a big smile and says (with a lot of enthusiasm for it being so early in the morning), “I’m from Pensacola!” which excites me because it is very close to my beach hometown in Mississippi. 

Eventually, after much bellyaching from Laura and I about how our knees, backs, and legs hurt, we get seated in some pretty prime seats.  I cannot express how excited I was.  It was almost like walking into the Magic Kingdom…HEY, I said almost.  After a brief warm-up host (who seemed very desperate for a date) and a package of E.L. Fudge cookies and apple juice (my sense was that they were trying to get us all sugar hyped up), the show began.  At the first break, I was approached by Mr. Pensacola himself to see if I wanted to read a line with Whoopi introducing the guest star.  DUH.  I have been looking for my big break for so long now, of course I will!  The only catch was that I would be introduced as “Laura from Mississippi” rather than “Laura from Brooklyn.”  Apparently Mississippi is far more intriguing than Brooklyn…sorry Brooklyn :(. Although my immediate feeling was that of excitement, soon after I could not hear anything except the loud thumping of my heart.  I do not even remember the following segment…I blanked out with nerves. 

When my part came, I was ushered over to a small stage where I stood with Whoopi and where I was told by the cameraman to “watch that drawl.”  Ha, mmhmmm.  Although my heart was still beating too loud for me to hear myself talk, apparently I did a wonderful job, as both Laura and a few envious women in the ladies’ room assured me. Phew! …AND I got to meet Whoopi.  I really like Whoopi.

Here’s what the morning looked like…

My lines…introducing the ever famous financial adviser, Suze Orman.  I had NO idea that her name was pronounced, “Su-zee” until today. 

After our television debut, Laura and I went down to the New Museum to see the Carsten Holler exhibit: The Experience.  It was right up my alley: slide, carousel, special goggles, and all.  Laura and I went straight for the slide, signing waivers and handing over all of our possessions, of course.  We got to the top floor, hardly a line, were instructed to put on our helmets, and were given a few brief details of how to position our bodies when riding down the slide.  While Wyatt thought about whether she could handle the thrill or not (she could), down I went.  It was much faster and more thrilling than I thought it would be, passing straight through the third floor, down to the second floor, and shooting out onto a large cushy mat where you could process what had just happened.

Less thrilling was the longer line for the special (and very expensive, or so we were told) goggles that flip your world upside down.  Laura and I signed yet another waiver and took our head-squeezing goggles to the back of the gallery: an area of giant mushrooms.  We only lasted about 5 minutes with the upside down goggles.  They made me dizzy.

Here’s what the afternoon looked like…

Ooh, man, I’m beat.