Tim's Report on the Wheelmobile

Hi everyone,

Erika and I are back from our jaunt to the always crowded "Wheelmobile" event at the Swap Shot in Fort Lauderdale, FL.

There must have been at least a thousand people at the event and with those odds, I was sure we were out of luck.

We arrived at 10AM for the 12 Noon start time because we figured the crowd would be HUGE. The Wheel of Fortune staffers began handing out the mini-applications and we filled them out. The Swap Shot is a flea market and normally it has a circus. Well the circus ring was where the auditions would be held.

We all poured into the bleachers and as we entered we dropped our mini-applications into a box. As I dropped my application into the box I told the attendent "This One is a Winner :-)." He just smiled back at me and we made our merrily way into the area.

After a pre-show with our local TV news trivia, they started calling out the names from a giant tumbler. 4 names are called and who do you think is #5? ME!!! I screamed my bloody head off and ran to the front of the stage. They took my polaroid and stapled it to the application form.

They then called us in groups of five and we jumped onto the stage. The MC then went through the five of us, asking us the basics as in what we do for a living, what do we like to do for fun. I enthusiastically tell him that I played basketball with Alonzo Mourning (basically the same spiel I used for WWTBAM). After the intoductions we played a mock version of the game. We all called letters. I stayed with the staples of R-S-T-L-N and E. Plus, I bought other vowels as I saw necesary.

I did not end up solving the puzzle but I do not think that is what they were looking for at that moment. They were really looking at the level of enthusiasm displayed by each contestant. After the puzzle was solved we all collected our prize (from the wheel spun by the MC we won a hat and a pen).

They told us if they like us they will send us a letter inviting us back to a final audition. I am hoping I had what it takes even though I did not solve the puzzle. We shall see.

Either way it was a blast and I was lucky just to be called on stage. I am crossing my fingers for the letter but if not that is ok too.

Tim :-)

Reported 11/2/02.