Ellen Show

Here's that story that was saved for another day.

It seems that since I've been in the audience at the Ellen Show during 12 days of giveaways, anyone I tell assumes I know some trick or someone that works there to get it. Truth is, I know neither. My friend Sylvia and I (we tend to go together to Ellen) have wondered how to get in on the 12 days audience for years. That and VIP. I'm sure that maybe there are some secret ways of getting in, but based on our story and that of many people at the taping that day (yes, we did ask) - it all seems sort of random.

One lady won a raffle in the Riff Raff Room in October. One lady was in the audience when they gave the whole audience tickets in September. Did they know beforehand that it was even a possibility to get on a 12 days show based on attending a taping a few months earlier? According to them, no.

Here's our story:

Sylvia called, or probably texted, that she had Ellen standby tickets (I think in February) and if I wanted to go. I said sure, I love Ellen. Plus, I hadn't seen a taping since 2008! Being unemployed does give you some free time, plus Owen wasn't in school yet. It was super simple to drop him off with my mom and enjoy an adult afternoon. Now, let's talk standby tickets. Guaranteed tickets get you into the audience. Now if people don't show for whatever reason, then there's room for standby ticket holders to get into the audience. If you don't get in, you get to watch the fun in the Riff Raff Room (waiting area outside of the studio), but you are guaranteed a date to come back, and sit in the audience.

Well, we stayed in standby mode. Everyone showed. It was a good show too. They gave away $250 from H&R Block. We were bummed we couldn't make it in. Anyway, the lady walks around with calendars of open days to attend. With taxes on the brain, we thought it would be great to come back on Tax Day, April 15. Boom, done.

Here's April 15. We're there, ready to have a great time. They're about to start walking people across the street and a woman from the Ellen Show walks up to us and asks if we're local. We say yes. She asks the group of 4 next to us as well. They said yes. She asks if she can talk to us away from the crowd. I assumed they were going to play a game or something and needed volunteers. That wasn't the case. She said that they were over capacity and that the Fire Marshal wouldn't let that many people in. She asked if we'd be open to coming back to another taping. We all kind of looked at each other and then she continued, that the day we'd be guaranteed to come back was during one of Ellen's 12 days of giveaway shows. Sylvia and I looked at each other and screamed yes via ESP, but calmly told this woman, yes, yes we would. She secured contact info, gave us a card and told us we would hear from her in October.

Sylvia and I were elated. We went to Don Cuco's to celebrate! If you go, you must really try the coconut margarita, it's delicious.

So, then we waited. And waited.

And like the saying goes, the rest is history.

So as you read, a series of choices (subconscious) lead us to 12 days. Deciding to go as standby in February, picking Tax Day to return, sitting where we were seated, being obviously identifiable as valley girls. No gimmicks, no tricks, not knowing someone. Just the luck of the draw. Here's to securing tickets next season and maybe having some luck again!

Be Kind Always

My friend Sylvia and I had the amazing privilege of being on the Ellen Show yesterday, day 10, of her 12 days of giveaways. Our journey to receiving that privilege is a somewhat long and funny-ish story, which will be saved for another day.

So, at the Ellen Show, there’s a little bit of waiting that’s filled with music and dancing. It requires you to get comfortable with those sitting around you: the audience guy tells you to introduce yourself to your neighbor, give hugs, etc. Even as they film, they have 1-2 minute breaks, where they hold dance contests, one contest being that your whole row has to do the same dance move, so you really have fun with everyone around you.

At our taping, we had a great time. A fun guest (Leah Remini), lots of laughs, oh, and Ellen gave us a bunch of AMAZING stuff. We were told that after filming the end, they were going to film another segment; they were filming out of order. So, after the excitement of the last gift, Ellen calls up Jacqui Saldana. No one had any clue why she was being called up and I was left in tears after hearing her story. See her on the show here: http://www.ellentv.com/videos/0-oq7i6mv7/

Jacqui was sitting in my row. I was three seats away from her. We said hello, introduced ourselves, laughed, danced, and had a good time. From outside appearances you wouldn’t know the struggle she was facing internally. It reminded of one of those quotes you see everywhere on the internet (which also prompted the title of this blog): “Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about.” 

After the show, Ellen stayed and spoke to the audience. She talked of inspiration, and using your platforms.  Her speech, although brief was inspirational. When I came home, I immediately went to Jacqui’s blog, www.babyboybakery.com, and immersed myself in it. It is beautifully tragic and no words I have can fully express the power it possesses. Please, go read it. I think I hugged my kids a little more yesterday and today, and hopefully tomorrow, until forever.

So, why am I writing about this? It’s not to jump on coattails or anything, since only about 10-20 people read this blog. I’m writing it for me, and for you. We’re all so busy that sometimes we forget to stop and enjoy our kids, our lives, and our good fortune. I’m also writing this because I was inspired. Inspired to use the one platform I have, to maybe brighten someone’s day, even if it’s just my own.

Hopefully this is the start of more regular postings from this blog.

Until next time.

Xoxo,

Inez

Owenisms 2014

So, we've been here before.

I apologize for not being around, blog a couple of times and go away again.

Since I'm on a roll for Home Grown Basil, my food blog, I decided to get back around to this one, you know, for everyday stuff, or stuff that's on my mind.

I wanted to blog today about Owenisms aka the things my four year old tells me that I can't believe a four year old would say. More than that, I think it's cute.

Take this one for example:

Owen: Momma, I want to be a mailman when I grow up.
Me: Why?
Owen: to make people happy when I deliver packages.
Me: that's sweet.
Owen: what does Momma want to be when she grows up?
Me: I don't know.
Owen: you should be a construction worker or a taxi driver.
Me: you think so?
Owen: yeah.
Me: I don't know.
Owen: well, do you like to build stuff? do you know how to drive a taxi?
Me: ummm...
Owen: it's easy Momma, driving a taxi is like driving a regular car, except a taxi has a siren on top so passengers know you can pick them up.

Based on this conversation, I should be a construction worker or taxi driver, when I grow up. Obviously. Where was he when I was looking at jobs 2 years ago?

As a side note: I did look at being a lyft or uber driver for a hot minute, but decided the taxi route wasn't for me.

Then we had a moment where he ran into the kitchen with a Gatorade on his head and proclaimed:

O: Hello, ma'am. What's the emergency?
Me: Nothing?
O: I'm am ambulance. Didn't you see my siren?
Me: I must have missed it.
O: Call me if you have an emergency. Menomenomenomenomeno (approximate way of spelling what an ambulance siren sounds like)

He then promptly ran back to his room.

But the best conversation of the day happened this morning when Owen asked me to make him some chicken soup because he isn't feeling well. I won't quote it, mainly because I can't remember it verbatim, but it was very sweet. He told me how it would make him better, better than any medicine could. And of course at that point, he mentioned he didn't need medicine and he'd be better in a few days.

As a kid who took medicine every 12 hours the first 14 months of his life, I don't blame him for being anti-medicine. In fact, I can't remember the last time he took medicine. Besides, there's nothing mom's soup can't help.

It's been a while: all of 2013 to be exact

That can’t really say October 12, 2012, can it?  How is it that I haven’t blogged since then?  So much has happened, so much to blog about, and nothing.

Here’s a snippet of what’s happened since then:

I was unemployed.  I’m now unemployed.
I had a bookkeeping job for about 7 months.  My boss was crazy.  I left.
All of 2013.
Kaitlyn is 15, Owen is 4.

Ok, so maybe there isn’t a whole lot to blog about.

One new thing in my life: twitter.  I have one, with no clue on how to use it.  On top of that, my daughter was showing me how to use it and I now know how my mother felt when I tried to teach her to text.  It’s like she was speaking a completely different language.  It started off well, I felt witty and relevant and that quickly dissipated.  Now I feel like I can’t post something on there without being clever.  And on most days, I’ve got nothing.