Bye Bob!

I just read that Bob Barker is taping his very last episode of The Price Is Right today. What an American icon this guy has been - I remember watching this show every morning during summer break, from 10-11 a.m. on CBS. I can't believe he's been on so long?! And apparently he was on some show called Truth or Consequences before that. Who would have thought someone could make a career (and fortune, I'm sure) out of hosting game shows?

Did you know that I once went to a taping of TPIR, when I lived in L.A. (1997)? Shannon, Jason's sister, came out to visit us one year, and insisted on getting tickets to the taping. At first we were a little skeptical, but ended up being really excited to go! So about 6 or 7 of us gathered and went to the taping. Before each show, they do a quick interview of every single audience member to determine who they're going to pick. And what do you know, the feisty and adorable 4'11" preschool teacher, Miss Shannon Kraus, was chosen to go on stage. She immediately guessed the right price for a stereo system and won that, and then got to go on stage. A NEW CAR (a Probe, which she has just totaled one in an accident, so that was pretty funny...) was presented, and she won that too! She spun the wheel, and WON THAT!

Jason, his friends, and I were DYING of surprise and laughter in the audience. You can actually see the camera cut to us jumping up and down a few times...

So then she went to the showcase showdown. Her showcase totally sucked - one of those old fashioned popcorn making carts that you see in the airport, a mobile steam room, which basically looked like a standing wooden shower that you put in the back yard - super WT, and a trip to Bangkok. I think I'm missing something else.... But anyway, she was looking into the audience looking for help, and Jason and I told her $20K - she went with our guess, and totally overbid. OOPS. Sorry you didn't get to see Bangkok, sweetie! ;)

So that's my TPIR story. It is one of my favorite memories... I think that Shan still has the VCR tape of the airing, if anyone wants to see it, by the way! ;)

Anyway, bye Bob! Goodbye and good luck! Don't forget to get your pets spayed or neutered...

Love, Mer