So 5 weeks go by and I get this e-mail. This is it! The chance I have been waiting for! Unfortunately I will be in Spokane and Idaho for a family vacation on this day. I pull some strings and book a flight one way from Spokane to Sea-Tac on Wednesday night. A co-worker drives me to a cheap Seattle hotel near the Pan Pacific, and I walk over that night to check the place out.
I get a drink and chat with the 2 couples at the bar. One thing led to another, yada, yada, yada, and there we are playing midnight scrabble at the bar as I tell them of my Wheel of Fortune experience and the big day tomorrow. After drink number 2, I promise them that when I am on TV I will give a shout-out to my new friends at the Pan Pacific Bar.
Tomorrow comes at last and I show up at the Pan Pacific dressed for success, as we hang around near the hotel lobby waiting for further instructions. When the time comes, 60 of us file into a conference room and the 3 hosts from the contestant selection team create a seating chart.
Some of the details may be fuzzy because it has been four months of daily mailbox checking with a grand total of zero letters inviting me to be on Wheel, while I have painfully watched upwards of 5 local residents perform adequately at best and embarrassingly poor in a couple cases.
Here are some highlights of my memory. Tom is called in position # @40 or so and stands up with puzzle mostly solved.
_ _ _ _ / S_ _RT/ _ ND/ STREET/ S_ _RT
M (ding), Buy a vowel -A (ding), OMG what is the first word, drawing a blank, Buy a vowel -O (ding,ding) I'd like to solve - book smart and street smart. I pulled that one out with some good vowel calling. The nice lady (Jackie) brings me a prize, she is holding an autographed Vanna White portrait from 1985 or a WOF baseball cap and I think I am being asked to choose. I could use a cap since most of my hair has been gone since 1985. I say I'll take the hat and apparently that was the wrong answer. (They booed me very politely) I get both. The Vanna photo is prominently displayed at work and I wear the hat whenever it is raining, which is nearly all the time.
We take a 5 minute written test, partial puzzles - Rhyme Time - Seal the Deal, Lean Cuisine, stuff like that. I get 7-9 of 16 completed. Pretty good, most people I talked to got 4-6, some said half, no one said 10 or more and I talked to a lot of people. I am feeling pretty good.
The tests are being graded and 20 minutes go by, I take the opportunity to do a wardrobe change, show them a new look that wasn't totally pitted out. I brought a spare shirt in my Disney backpack.
The crew comes back, Thanks a lot but most of you are going home, if we read your name you stay if we don't, your Wheel dream has been crushed. I remember the first 20 names exactly...not me, not me, not me, not me... Jackie was down to the last few cards and the next name was - you guessed it - me. Not not me but me. I made the top 24 and was staying to play more.
We were brought up in groups of 4. Spin the imaginary wheel and solve a puzzle or two. Group 1,2,3,4 and then mine. Third in line, second to last group. Player one picks a T (ding x 3), S ( buzz), no S. Player 2 picks an N (ding), Buy an E (buzz) no E. My turn. I know it!
_ _ _ _ T _ T / _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ N _ T _
Is it tit or tat? There may have been an R in for already solved, I can't remember. I picked an H and solved. Habitat for humanity. Yay me. The next puzzle came up and player 4 started, it came around to me and I solved "free-lance artist." 2 for 2 and MVP of the WOF audition so far in my opinion. I went back to my seat and watched the last group.
Gary O'Brien, the audition host, picked a group of three that he wanted a second look at, including perky SPU student Jessica, who was on the show December 23rd, she looked so nervous on TV she made me uncomfortable. Then Jackie said she had a few more to bring back up. With the aid of the computer technician, test scores and applications in hand, she called out my name along with the Seattle Firefighter, whose claim to WOF fame was that he was on the show, in his mothers womb, as she shopped for fabulous prizes twenty some years ago.
I was third again and had a chance to solve the before and after category to be a perfect 4 for 4, but blanked on the last word of
Pe _ ple/ Wh _/ need/ Pe _ ple/ _ a _ a _ _ n e
and picked the R instead of the M, G, or Z. I had no money to buy a vowel. No R. The Seattle firefighter solved (Magazine) and I watched him tell Pat the story of his prenatel WOF experience on TV. Then I watched him try to buy a vowel that was already called and not solve an easy puzzle with over 20K in the bank. I think I missed my chance to be on wheel by one Z. I would have given the greater Seattle area a contestant to be proud of, but four months later, I don't think it is going to happen.
They said letters go out in two or three weeks, and the five or so Washington people I have seen on TV have aired from Haloween to Christmas. I don't know if they go back to their files and say, hey remember Tom? He spoke clearly, dressed nice, was enthusiastic, and was a good puzzle solver. Isn't that what we were looking for?
With 3 contestants each show and less than 200 shows a year, it feels like I was so close to making it.
I leave the Pan Pacific in high spirits, walk to the Seattle Center and get picked up by my brother-in-law. He takes me back home to Olympia and the next day, Friday before Labor Day, my wife and daughter make the 6 hour drive back from Spokane and tell me about day 2 at Silverwood Amusement Park in Idaho. Sorry I missed that, but, I tell my 10 year old daughter, when I go to tape WOF, we can extend our stay and spend a few days in Disneyland.
Family, friends, co-workers, and strangers have heard my story and were amazed by the extent of the contestant selection process. When my friend James went through this, he was called to tape a few days after his 2nd audition at the Seattle Convention Center. He won over $40,000.
Unless I get my letter or another Washington resident that I met appears on the show, then this is probably the end of my Wheel of Fortune story. But my career as a blogger has just begun.
Stay tuned for Tom's Oscar Pick Blog, Tom's World Series of Poker Blog, Tom's Septic Tank Blog etc., finishing out the year with a Dave Barry style 2009 Tom's Year in Review Blog.
Thanks for reading, both of you.
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
The Wheelmobile is spinning into Seattle!
So I get this E-mail on July 8, 2008..
Hello Wheel Watcher!
The Wheelmobile is on the road...and headed in your direction! Our next events will take place in the Pacific Northwest.
You might be wondering...what is a Wheelmobile event? It’s the chance to try out for America's Favorite Game Show! The Wheelmobile serves as the preliminary screening process before a final Wheel of Fortune contestant audition.
City: Sequim, WA Date: Saturday, July 12th Location: 7 Cedars Casino Show Times: : 2 PM — 6 PM Address: 7 Cedars Casino* 270756 Highway 101 Sequim, WA 98382
* The event will take place inside the 7 Cedars Event Center.
We will begin handing out applications one hour prior to each show. Shows will begin at 2 PM, 3:30 PM and 5 PM. Each show will last for one hour with lots of puzzles, prizes, and fun.
and I am off to Sequim and my hometown of Port Angeles for the weekend. My parents are out of town, so I make arrangements to stay at my friends house in P.A. Saturday night.
When I arrive at Seven Cedars after a two-hour drive, I see the Wheelmobile parked in front and get an up close view as I hustle inside to join the sizable line that has formed. It is a few minutes after 1 PM when I get my application form and fill in my name, address, blah, blah, blah... and finally interests. I love games: scrabble, poker, Wheel of Fortune. Anything else? I have six brothers, I broke my neck playing rugby, and I am a Research and Development Chemist for a large Forest Products Company (well it was large back then).
2 PM and the line begins to move. The Seven Cedars Bingo hall has been transformed into a 500 seat Wheel of Fortune auditorium, and the people drop their forms into the giant hopper and take a seat. I choose a seat in the 4th or 5th row a few seats from the middle aisle and chat with the nice lady and her brother as we watch the Not_Pat Host and the Vanna-Be prepare for the show.
I would describe the host, Marty Lublin, as a cross between Hugh Jackman (sexiest man alive and host of the 2009 Oscars) and Jim Carrey. More like Jim Carrey though. The Vanna-Be was Heidi Jackson, a Port Angeles High School alumni, go Roughriders! The game board was a series of whiteboards like on the UPS commercials and the letters were not turned, or electronic, they were written with dry-erase pens.
They drew 5 forms from the hopper and called out the names, I remember them clearly: not-me, not-me, not-me ,not-me and not-me. They took pictures and sent them onstage to do an interview with the Not_Pat, solve a puzzle and win fabulous prizes. They called 5 more names to wait on deck, all of them not-me.
They went through 25 or 30 people in groups of 5. As 3:30 approached, I planned my move to go to the back and get in line (which was sizable again) so I could try again during the second show. They announced that they would draw the last group, but someone did not show up from the previous group, so they would draw 6 names, the first name would join the group on the stage immediately.
The first name, you guessed it, was me. Not not-me but me! I high fived the nice ladies brother and walked up to the waiting photographer who snapped my picture as I approached, took my name and I was up on stage fifth in line. I stepped forward a little so the audience could see only me.
We did the interview and I was nervous. The crazy lady before me said the magic word...I like to DANCE. Dance? Yes. Then the music starts and she does the bump and grind with the host and of course we all have to dance. When it was my turn he reads from the card, "So you like to play poker" Yes, "Have you ever won any tournaments? Yes, several small ones. "Did you have pocket Aces?" I say, "I can win with any two cards."
It was time to solve the puzzle: no t no s 2 r's 1 n. I pick an E and it doesn't cost me anything. 1 e. The board looks like:
_ _ _ _ r _ _ _ n / _ _ _ _ e r
and I haven't a clue. 1 L, no m, no b 1 p, my turn and the second word is player, I pick an a..2 a's.
a _ _ _ r _ _ _ n / p l a _ e r
and I draw a blank. Player 1 picks a y and I figure it out during that turn. Player 3 picks a C and solves. I give him a high-five and we leave the stage to collect our fabulous prize, a Wheel of Fortune fanny pack. I wave to the audience as I cross the stage in front of everyone else so they can only see me (accordian player was the answer).
So I was done and I could head to P.A. to enjoy the Saturday Nightlife in the big city. On my way out I went to the line of people waiting to try again and said goodbye to the nice lady and her brother. When she heard my last name called, she recognized it and asked do you have a brother Steve? Why, yes I do. I was your neighbor and Steve's best friend in kindergarten. A small world moment.
The Wheelmobile event, you will remember, serves as a preliminary screening process before a final Wheel of Fortune contestant audition. Stay tuned to hear the story of Tom's final Wheel of Fortune contestant audition experience.
Hello Wheel Watcher!
The Wheelmobile is on the road...and headed in your direction! Our next events will take place in the Pacific Northwest.
You might be wondering...what is a Wheelmobile event? It’s the chance to try out for America's Favorite Game Show! The Wheelmobile serves as the preliminary screening process before a final Wheel of Fortune contestant audition.
City: Sequim, WA Date: Saturday, July 12th Location: 7 Cedars Casino Show Times: : 2 PM — 6 PM Address: 7 Cedars Casino* 270756 Highway 101 Sequim, WA 98382
* The event will take place inside the 7 Cedars Event Center.
We will begin handing out applications one hour prior to each show. Shows will begin at 2 PM, 3:30 PM and 5 PM. Each show will last for one hour with lots of puzzles, prizes, and fun.
and I am off to Sequim and my hometown of Port Angeles for the weekend. My parents are out of town, so I make arrangements to stay at my friends house in P.A. Saturday night.
When I arrive at Seven Cedars after a two-hour drive, I see the Wheelmobile parked in front and get an up close view as I hustle inside to join the sizable line that has formed. It is a few minutes after 1 PM when I get my application form and fill in my name, address, blah, blah, blah... and finally interests. I love games: scrabble, poker, Wheel of Fortune. Anything else? I have six brothers, I broke my neck playing rugby, and I am a Research and Development Chemist for a large Forest Products Company (well it was large back then).
2 PM and the line begins to move. The Seven Cedars Bingo hall has been transformed into a 500 seat Wheel of Fortune auditorium, and the people drop their forms into the giant hopper and take a seat. I choose a seat in the 4th or 5th row a few seats from the middle aisle and chat with the nice lady and her brother as we watch the Not_Pat Host and the Vanna-Be prepare for the show.
I would describe the host, Marty Lublin, as a cross between Hugh Jackman (sexiest man alive and host of the 2009 Oscars) and Jim Carrey. More like Jim Carrey though. The Vanna-Be was Heidi Jackson, a Port Angeles High School alumni, go Roughriders! The game board was a series of whiteboards like on the UPS commercials and the letters were not turned, or electronic, they were written with dry-erase pens.
They drew 5 forms from the hopper and called out the names, I remember them clearly: not-me, not-me, not-me ,not-me and not-me. They took pictures and sent them onstage to do an interview with the Not_Pat, solve a puzzle and win fabulous prizes. They called 5 more names to wait on deck, all of them not-me.
They went through 25 or 30 people in groups of 5. As 3:30 approached, I planned my move to go to the back and get in line (which was sizable again) so I could try again during the second show. They announced that they would draw the last group, but someone did not show up from the previous group, so they would draw 6 names, the first name would join the group on the stage immediately.
The first name, you guessed it, was me. Not not-me but me! I high fived the nice ladies brother and walked up to the waiting photographer who snapped my picture as I approached, took my name and I was up on stage fifth in line. I stepped forward a little so the audience could see only me.
We did the interview and I was nervous. The crazy lady before me said the magic word...I like to DANCE. Dance? Yes. Then the music starts and she does the bump and grind with the host and of course we all have to dance. When it was my turn he reads from the card, "So you like to play poker" Yes, "Have you ever won any tournaments? Yes, several small ones. "Did you have pocket Aces?" I say, "I can win with any two cards."
It was time to solve the puzzle: no t no s 2 r's 1 n. I pick an E and it doesn't cost me anything. 1 e. The board looks like:
_ _ _ _ r _ _ _ n / _ _ _ _ e r
and I haven't a clue. 1 L, no m, no b 1 p, my turn and the second word is player, I pick an a..2 a's.
a _ _ _ r _ _ _ n / p l a _ e r
and I draw a blank. Player 1 picks a y and I figure it out during that turn. Player 3 picks a C and solves. I give him a high-five and we leave the stage to collect our fabulous prize, a Wheel of Fortune fanny pack. I wave to the audience as I cross the stage in front of everyone else so they can only see me (accordian player was the answer).
So I was done and I could head to P.A. to enjoy the Saturday Nightlife in the big city. On my way out I went to the line of people waiting to try again and said goodbye to the nice lady and her brother. When she heard my last name called, she recognized it and asked do you have a brother Steve? Why, yes I do. I was your neighbor and Steve's best friend in kindergarten. A small world moment.
The Wheelmobile event, you will remember, serves as a preliminary screening process before a final Wheel of Fortune contestant audition. Stay tuned to hear the story of Tom's final Wheel of Fortune contestant audition experience.
Saturday, December 13, 2008
How my Story Began...
It was at my daughters soccer game on a Saturday in early 2007. I overheard one of the parents talking about Wheel of Fortune! Hey, I love that show. It turns out that one of the parents was on Wheel of Fortune several years ago.
I asked him about his experience and especially, "How do you get on the show?" He told me to sign up online as a "Wheel Watcher" and I would be contacted when the "Wheelmobile" came to my area. He described the 2nd audition process including a written test and he told of his taping experience at the Seattle Convention Center.
I think I signed up later that night, I filled out an online contestant form and registered for my "Spin ID." Although I did not realize it yet, I was now WAITING FOR THE E-MAIL. There is a lot of waiting in my story, so you must wait until my next post to hear the story of the e-mail and the Wheelmobile.
I asked him about his experience and especially, "How do you get on the show?" He told me to sign up online as a "Wheel Watcher" and I would be contacted when the "Wheelmobile" came to my area. He described the 2nd audition process including a written test and he told of his taping experience at the Seattle Convention Center.
I think I signed up later that night, I filled out an online contestant form and registered for my "Spin ID." Although I did not realize it yet, I was now WAITING FOR THE E-MAIL. There is a lot of waiting in my story, so you must wait until my next post to hear the story of the e-mail and the Wheelmobile.
Friday, December 12, 2008
Waiting for the Letter
It has been over 3 months since I attended a Wheel of Fortune 2nd audition at the Pan Pacific Hotel in Seattle, Washington. I am starting my career as a blogger in a desperate attempt to get the attention of the WOF audition team and remind them of my impressive performance at the audition, so I can fulfill my destiny as a contestant on America's Game Show.
I will use this blog to tell my WOF story from the beginning, also keeping loyal readers informed of breaking news such as "Getting the Letter," and when my show will air on TV.
Along the way we will discuss non-WOF topics as well, because I have many interests and more than one dream in this giant Wheel of Life.
I will use this blog to tell my WOF story from the beginning, also keeping loyal readers informed of breaking news such as "Getting the Letter," and when my show will air on TV.
Along the way we will discuss non-WOF topics as well, because I have many interests and more than one dream in this giant Wheel of Life.
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