So... yesterday was my Wheel of Fortune audition!
I made it down to Denver without incident and actually found parking only a block from where I needed to be. It wasn't hard to find the place I needed to be, and I got in line with the other early hopefuls.
They let us in right on time and we got seated. There was an information sheet for us to fill out, so I jumped right in on that. The only "question" that really stumped me was "What is an interesting or unique thing about you?" Haha! While everyone filled out the form the Lady 1 started taking names for her seating chart. Then we jumped right into some games!
There were about 50 people trying out, so Lady 1 would call out a name and the person would jump up where they were, Lady 2 would spin the spinner, the person called would call out a letter, and Computer Guy would enter it in a laptop which would turn the letters (projector/screen of laptop program) or buzz you out. If the letter you called was in the puzzle, Lady 2 would spin for you again and you'd get to pick another letter. You could also "buy" a vowel, or solve the puzzle. Just like Wheel of Fortune - go figure! - only you're playing against 49 other people instead of 2. If you called a few letters without trying to solve, Lady 2 would intentionally bankrupt you so they could move on to someone else. The intention was clearly to get a quick reading on everyone trying out. If someone solved the puzzle they'd get a prize (shirt, hat, Vanna bobble head) and they'd move right into another puzzle.
I was figuring out most of the puzzles before they were solved, so that was a good thing, but I was constantly nervous that I'd get called on before knowing what the answer was and end up making an idiot of myself! That didn't happen. *whew*
The category was "Place" and it was ______ (6letters) PORTS OF CALL. I had the ports of call figured out fairly early on, but there were no letters in the first word and I was stumped. A guy picked C, so now it looked like _____C PORTS OF CALL. He tried to solve with TROPIC and was rejected. I still wasn't positive of what that first word was, but a girl in front of me got called next and picked T. Now we had ___T_C PORTS OF CALL. Click. EXOTIC. She spins again and picks F. Uh... no. "Scott." Up I jumped, trying to look excited. I think Lady 2 spun me $900, which really doesn't matter because no one was keeping track of the money, it was just a formality. I called out X in a loud voice without yelling like a moron. X! Can you believe it?! I get a WOF audition, and I get to call X as my letter!! That, by itself, will forever be awesome. "Solve! Exotic Ports of Call!" Ding ding ding ding!!!! Everyone's clapping and I throw my arms up, trying to show exuberance in front of 52 strangers. Heh-heh. Lady 2 brings me a t-shirt two sizes too small and I sit back and relax knowing that I won't be called again for quite some time, if at all.
They made it through everyone and had a few puzzles left, so I had to start being ready again, but they didn't re-call me.
Next up was the written test, which I was dreading, and rightfully so. There were 4 categories with 4 partially filled puzzles each, and 5 minutes on the clock. I had 6 1/2 done with less than 30 seconds left and unexpectedly figured another one out before the end. 7 1/2 out of 16. Not good.
We took a 15-20 minute break for them to grade the papers, and I traded my shirt with the guy next to me for the hat he won. :-D A little water, a bathroom break, and a quick call to Staci to tell her what was going on, and back to the chairs for the results. They read off the list of names that could stay for more "fun," and not surprisingly I wasn't on the list.
Oh well. It was a neat experience, and I got a great life story out of it. And I got to call X before solving a puzzle! X!!!