A Great Deal of FUN!
THE FABULOUS FIVEChris Horst, Sarah Gibson, MaryLou Shaffer, me, Janelle Stoltzfus, Emily Rodriguez
Dear friend....
Last night, I was devoting, exerting every last shred of energy and mental strength within me in attempts to watch the show from it's very own stage-with me as the contestant! If you're reading this with absolutely no clue what I'm talking about: I was granted the privilege of a 'second interview' in the process of becoming a contestant on "Deal or No Deal".
At 6pm, my fabulous supporters arrived at my parent's home (they had a room that was the most accommodating "studio" that we could find, not to mention my mom's generous and tasty dinner spread she 'quick' put out for everyone-what a woman!!). We went over the information the Casting Associate had sent me and some of us ate and some of us (me) were not the least bit hungry and performed video/lighting tests with my handsome husband and talented videographer, Uncle Brian Shaffer. I was to receive a telephone call at 7 in which I was to used the speaker phone and simultaneously be filmed while talking. The next day I was to FedEx the package to Deal or No Deal. Yes, I was nervous-but a 'good' nervous. Like when you are about to go on a blind date, or have the job interview you have wanted for a good long time!
A picture of the 'studio' in my parent's home. Curt is adjusting the telephone.
At 7pm, I received the call. It was as if my brain and body shifted into the highest gear possible, a gear which has not been used for such a long, intense period of time in a very long time! The Casting Associate who I spoke with was accommodating and fun. In fact, he encouraged me to talk as much as I wanted! I told him that he and I will get along just fine! (Funny, I never have heard Curt encourage me to do the same...) I was under the assumption the interview portion would maybe last 15 minutes.
Let me tell you, friend...I literally threw myself into it.
Hands were flailing.
Eyes were wide and rolling.
Stories that had been in storage were dug out (in many cases, unexpectedly) and retold with renewed enthusiasm.
(Me acting silly before "the call")
And in all that, I feel like I stayed true to myself. It wasn't 'acting'. It was me---on fire!
Of course, I look back and think of all the things I could have said, but did not. And I could barely re watch the video. Looking at it, I realize how self-critical I am as thoughts of applying for Extreme Makeover cross over my mind.
Instead of the interview being 15 minutes, it went over an hour. Even the guy on the other end of the line was surprised!
Next, my dear, dear, patient Supporters came in, all geared up for a game!! (They had been waiting for over an hour in the room next door! What saints!!!) We played a rousing game in which I'm sure the house shook from their hootin' and hollerin'! In the end, I wildly proclaimed "DEAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" when offered $250,000. (And wouldn't I be thrilled with that in real life!)
As we are all cheering and congratulating, we hear the voice at the other end of the telephone speak the following words (as i remember them) that injected real tension and suspense into the hot, hot, hot "studio":
Now, this is the part of my job I wish I didn't have to do.
(Silence)
Are you aware that Deal or No Deal is the #1 show in America?
We hold open auditions in 15 cities across the United States.
We see many beautiful, talented people and combined with the home video applications, in the past year we have seen over 100,000 people audition to be on our show. (Wow).
Our producers obviously cannot see all the people we chose to interview, and so they have told us we must decrease the number of applicants that we send their way.
This is what must be decided now.
(Tension is building in mega blocks. My supporters move closer to me. A few grab my arm)
There are two envelopes before me. In one envelope there is a slip that reads "No". If you chose that envelope, you still send the video to me, but you can be pretty sure it will collect dust on the shelf and you will not hear from us.
If the envelope reads "yes", you send the video to me, I edit it and present it to the producers for their consideration. If they call you for an interview, it would be the last step before appearing on the show. (if they ask you to be on it).
So, Jeane`, I need you to take this very seriously because this is for real. Thank you, everyone, for coming out tonight. You all did a great job. (and they did!)
Which do you choose, envelope #1 or envelope #2? This is big. Take a minute.
So I take a moment. My supporters are offering prayer, water and a few suggestions. They were so dear. I was shaking, because I had no idea it would all end with this, a 'chance' game. Even though I usually gravitate towards even numbers, the number 1 kept nudging me and I took a leap of faith.
I spoke the words: "Envelope #1"
He spoke the words: "Envelope #1. You sure?"
"Yes."
(It seems like a loooong silence. Except for the sound of an envelope being torn open).
In a tired, timid voice we hear...
"Jeane`, I'm sorry to say...it says
YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Then he told me that of the 5 interviews done that day, I was the first to chose "Yes"! Wow!
Genuine shouts and screams of joy erupted from me and all those precious people surrounding me. It was such an exhilarating moment after an exhausting (but fun!) hour and a half. After it was all over, I could barely stand. And yet, later that night my brain would 'shut up' and let me sleep!!
Today I christened the little video tape with bubble wrap and sent it on it's way to Culver City, California with a wish and a prayer. It could be anywhere from a month to a whopping year and a half before I hear anything, or so I was told. I may not hear anything at all!
Although my future on Deal or No Deal is not certain, several things are for sure:
I thank God for this splash of fun in my life. I thank Him for those FUN & HIGHLY ENERGETIC people that were needed that came to my rescue at the last minute (THANK YOU Emily, Janelle, Chris, Aunt Lou and Sarah)...there are many other friends who could have fulfilled those positions as well, and I wish I could have had more involved!!!! I am thankful to Brooke at Lord & Davis salons who made sense of the homemade cuts I had made on my hair. It was a real treat coming to you!!
I also thank God for Himself and His gift of my precious little family, who leave me far, far, far richer than a millionaire!
If I should hear anything further, I will post in on here! Stay tuned (but don't hold your breath while doing so! :) I feel I did about the best I could do, so the rest is out of 'my' hands.
Thank you for being interested!!! Good Night!
Comments
xoxo,
J.
yipee!