Two weeks ago my mom arrived for a visit in which we planned to divide our time between my house, and then going south to visit my best friend from high school (Alissa) and her mom, and then to return to my house where my dad would also come to visit.
As soon as I had flights booked for our trip I got on the Ellen DeGeneres website to try and score tickets for a show taping. Two weeks after applying I got the call asking if I would like to come to the show....um, yes please!! So our visit to Alissa's was from Saturday to Wednesday and Alissa and I were set to go to Ellen on the Monday (thanks Grandmas for babysitting!). The weather in Southern California was nice and warm so the kids spent a lot of time playing in the backyard, we walked around an outdoor mall, and just enjoyed catching up (it had been 9 years since Alissa's mom and my mom had seen each other).
Katelyn, Bella, Brayden and Joanne
Bella is way too interested in walking to pose for pictures
Riding the carousel at the mall
So Monday finally came. Alissa and I had to be in Burbank at 1:30 for a 4:00pm taping. Talking to people around us it seems we were pretty lucky to have scored tickets. A lot of people just get stand-by tickets, end up in the Riff-Raff room and then get to choose a future date for guaranteed tickets. I was very excited we had guaranteed tickets off the bat. Upon arrival we had to wait for about two hours on benches in a parking lot until they were ready to take us over to the filming studio. During that time you get to watch the episode of Ellen they had taped the day before-in this case, Ellen gave her whole audience tickets to one of her 12 Days of Giveaways (equivalent of Oprah's favorite things) shows....so we were hopeful for something good at our taping! During this time they also announce who would be the guests at our taping: Hayden Penetierre, Khloe Kardashian/Lamar Odom, and a "surprise guest"! Finally we were escorted over to the filming studio and once we were all seated a staff member gets the crowd going with dancing and cheering of which they are filming the whole time. I was surprised at how small the set actually was-it seems so much bigger on TV! Unfortunately Ellen's back was out and so she didn't dance at our taping which we were hugely disappointed about. She also seemed much more sedate than usual and really we felt like the whole taping was kinda mediocre. Once our episode had taped we were told that a guest who was supposed to come later in the week couldn't make it so they were going to do costume changes and film the portion of that show with this guest today....and it was JAMIE FOXX!!! He was HILARIOUS!! He totally made the taping worth it. During commercial he was up near the audience singing and dancing. Good times! Our taping aired the next day and Alissa and I caught a few glimpses of ourselves on TV-we were on the very front row, all the way to the right so a lot of times the camera just went right over us. But then I watched the episode later in the week where they cut and pasted our taping with Jamie Foxx...and because that audience missed out on seeing Jamie, they ALSO got tickets to the 12 Days of Giveaways....WHAT????? I feel jipped!!! REALLY??? No offense Jamie, but I would trade you for tickets to 12 Days of Giveaways! Oh well, at least I can say I got to go to a taping!
At the WB lot!
With our seating numbers, and ready to go!!
No photos are allowed inside the studio but this one made it onto the Ellen website of audience dancing...I am at the very left of the pictures in pink!
All good things must come to an end and so ended our trip to see old friends. Until next time!
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