Tuesday, March 21, 2006
I'll be sitting there watching the wheels go round and round.....
On Saturday, I have the chance to do something really unusual, or at least unusual where I live: watch the taping of "Wheel of Fortune"! Yes, Pat and Vanna are coming to my city this weekend and will be taping a couple of weeks' worth of shows. The tix to watch the taping were free but subject to a lottery. I lucked out and got four tix when I had only requested two. So Dan, my sister and a friend are going with me.
I would rather have been a contestant, because I'm really good guessing the puzzles, but I had some concerns that kept me from auditioning. One is that if I won a trip, I wouldn't be able to go because I'm too sick. Another is the tax issue. You have to have enough money to pay taxes on what you win. That's pretty much a no-brainer if you win cash, and if you win a vehicle, you can always sell it, but what about vacations? Anyway, I decided to leave the competition for the healthy, and cheer the contestants on instead. I'm bringing the wheelchair in case we have to walk a long way from the car to the convention center and/or stand in line a long time. Seating is first come, first served, so I don't want to get there at the last minute in case there aren't enough seats to go around. I may end up in the back row because of the wheelchair, but hey, I'm not out any money for the tix, so I don't mind so much.
This won't be the first game show taping I've attended. I went to a taping of "Millionaire" at MGM Studios in Florida in 2002. That was a great deal of fun! At that time, they were still doing the "fastest finger" contest to determine who would be on stage, and while I got all the answers right, my reflexes were too slow for me to qualify. But it was fun to watch someone play and see them sweat out whether they should guess or take the money. We also got to vote on the "ask the audience" lifeline.
It's kind of funny....while I'm not a big tv watcher, I looooove game shows! I started watching them as a child. Early faves were "Match Game", "$25,000 Pyramid", "The Newlywed Game", "Truth or Consequences", "Family Feud" and of course "The Price Is Right". After I started college, I got interested in "Jeopardy" and "Wheel of Fortune". I was actually lightning fast on the "Wheel" puzzles compared to now; some people wouldn't watch it with me because they could never beat me on the puzzles. Now I guess I'm probably average, but I still like to watch as I believe it's good brain exercise. Saw on Oprah today that medical experts now claim the best defense against aging is to exercise your brain every day. I can't argue with that and in fact make a point of watching "Jeopardy" to try to keep sharp. The old use it or lose it principle. It's not just for physical exercise anymore.
Got a massage today. I am sore and feel weak tonight, probably from all the toxins released from my muscles into my bloodstream. But I am moving easier than I have since that damned functional capacity exam two months ago. I believe I may FINALLY getting back to what passes as normal for me. Yayyyyyyy!
Had Dan try to copy software updates onto a CD at work last night. All he got were empty files that were trying to connect to a server?? WTF? I still can't keep an internect connection going more than 45 minutes at a time, so there's no way I can download them at home. I guess I can check with the Apple Store and see if I can't acquire the downloads on a disc someplace?? I'm getting desperate. Last night, I found out that I can't download ANY songs on iTunes until I update it! Dammit! I have $65 in gift cards I can't use! Waaaahhh!
In the meantime, I have started going through my music CD collection in alphabetical order, copying a few from each disc so I have something to listen to. I can't access my old playlists until I update iTunes, so I'm pretty much re-building from scratch. The upside of this is that I'm copying songs that hadn't been in my lists before, like goodies by the Beatles. I have every original British release on CD except for "Yellow Submarine".
Right now, though, I'm listening to "Big Balls" by AC/DC. Hee heeeee!
I would rather have been a contestant, because I'm really good guessing the puzzles, but I had some concerns that kept me from auditioning. One is that if I won a trip, I wouldn't be able to go because I'm too sick. Another is the tax issue. You have to have enough money to pay taxes on what you win. That's pretty much a no-brainer if you win cash, and if you win a vehicle, you can always sell it, but what about vacations? Anyway, I decided to leave the competition for the healthy, and cheer the contestants on instead. I'm bringing the wheelchair in case we have to walk a long way from the car to the convention center and/or stand in line a long time. Seating is first come, first served, so I don't want to get there at the last minute in case there aren't enough seats to go around. I may end up in the back row because of the wheelchair, but hey, I'm not out any money for the tix, so I don't mind so much.
This won't be the first game show taping I've attended. I went to a taping of "Millionaire" at MGM Studios in Florida in 2002. That was a great deal of fun! At that time, they were still doing the "fastest finger" contest to determine who would be on stage, and while I got all the answers right, my reflexes were too slow for me to qualify. But it was fun to watch someone play and see them sweat out whether they should guess or take the money. We also got to vote on the "ask the audience" lifeline.
It's kind of funny....while I'm not a big tv watcher, I looooove game shows! I started watching them as a child. Early faves were "Match Game", "$25,000 Pyramid", "The Newlywed Game", "Truth or Consequences", "Family Feud" and of course "The Price Is Right". After I started college, I got interested in "Jeopardy" and "Wheel of Fortune". I was actually lightning fast on the "Wheel" puzzles compared to now; some people wouldn't watch it with me because they could never beat me on the puzzles. Now I guess I'm probably average, but I still like to watch as I believe it's good brain exercise. Saw on Oprah today that medical experts now claim the best defense against aging is to exercise your brain every day. I can't argue with that and in fact make a point of watching "Jeopardy" to try to keep sharp. The old use it or lose it principle. It's not just for physical exercise anymore.
Got a massage today. I am sore and feel weak tonight, probably from all the toxins released from my muscles into my bloodstream. But I am moving easier than I have since that damned functional capacity exam two months ago. I believe I may FINALLY getting back to what passes as normal for me. Yayyyyyyy!
Had Dan try to copy software updates onto a CD at work last night. All he got were empty files that were trying to connect to a server?? WTF? I still can't keep an internect connection going more than 45 minutes at a time, so there's no way I can download them at home. I guess I can check with the Apple Store and see if I can't acquire the downloads on a disc someplace?? I'm getting desperate. Last night, I found out that I can't download ANY songs on iTunes until I update it! Dammit! I have $65 in gift cards I can't use! Waaaahhh!
In the meantime, I have started going through my music CD collection in alphabetical order, copying a few from each disc so I have something to listen to. I can't access my old playlists until I update iTunes, so I'm pretty much re-building from scratch. The upside of this is that I'm copying songs that hadn't been in my lists before, like goodies by the Beatles. I have every original British release on CD except for "Yellow Submarine".
Right now, though, I'm listening to "Big Balls" by AC/DC. Hee heeeee!
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