P is for Price Is Right!

      If you read my blog post for the letter L you will remember I said there were more Las Vegas stories and I would save some for later.  Well, it's later.

     When we planned our trip to Vegas we wanted to be sure we got the full experience, including shows.  We checked out different shows and venues and found one that we thought would really be fun.  The game show, The Price is Right, was at Bally's.  We were so excited.  What if we could get on stage and win some big money or prizes!  Maybe we would get to meet the host, Drew Carey!  Okay, before I go any further I need to explain something.    We were so excited because we thought this was the real Price is Right and that Drew Carey would be there and it would be like the TV show.  TV shows sometimes go on location...right?  So we thought that's what we were paying $49.50 a ticket to see.  Needless to say, boy were we wrong!

     All afternoon we had anticipated the evening, hoping that one of us would get picked to go on stage.   Brenda even talked the rest of us into all of us dressing alike.  She thought we would draw more attention that way and come nearer getting picked.  So, we planned our outfits and finally the time arrived.

     Here we are in all our glory, heading into the auditorium where the show was to be held...still without a clue.  Finally, the doors opened and we go in and found our seats.  I remember thinking to myself that it sure was a small crowd for a big TV show.  Still didn't hit me that maybe this wasn't quite what we thought it was.  

     Then it starts; lights go down and the curtain opens.  The MC was introduced and it certainly was not Drew Carey.  It wasn't even anyone we had ever heard of.  The games start and suddenly the small crowd begins to make sense.  This was not even a good knock off of the real show!   They did call people up to play various guessing games but there was not one person that won anything worthwhile.  All they kept winning were points.  Points?  What were they for?

     The show was almost over and none of us had been called.  Just as they called the last round of names we heard Libby's name.  Some of our old excitement returned.  She didn't have to go on stage or do anything.  Just because they had drawn her name she won 20,000 points and she could see the girls down front to exchange her points for cash!   We thought we had hit the jackpot.  20,000 points!  That had to be at least $2,000, maybe more!  We had decided before the show that any money we won we would split and go shopping!  Trouble was, this was our last night; we had to fly out early in the morning and it was already getting late.  How would we have time to spend it all?  We just couldn't contain our excitement.

     We all go down front to wait for Libby to get our money.  There's a long line so 3 of us decided we would go to the cafe next door and get a table while we waited for Libby and Kelly.  Off we go to find a table, all the while planning how to spend our windfall.  According to Kelly, when they finally got to the front of the line they were telling the girls handing out the money how excited they were and just couldn't wait to spend their money.  The girls were taking their sweet time and finally Kelly told them, "We have to hurry because we leave in the morning and we won't have time to spend our money."  She said the girl looked at her funny but never said anything.  She just handed Libby her cash.

     After what seemed like an eternity they finally met up with us at the cafe.  We were bursting with excitement waiting to see how much money we had to spend.  When they walked up to the table I think the rest of us all asked in unison.  Libby looked at the soft drinks we were drinking and without cracking a smile said, "Not enough to pay for these drinks."  We nearly rolled in the floor laughing!

     20,000 points equaled $10 in cash.

     So much for our big shopping spree.

Until next time...that's my view.

Kat