Ellen show audience member

I just returned from L.A. having had a very fun trip to visit a recently reunited childhood friend. Besides wanting to visit my friend, however, I was also wanting to cross off my list, "Ellen show audience member".

I was unsuccessful and didn't make it on the show, but the attempts I made make me

feel like I can cross this off the list anyway. Trying, regardless of success for failure, is what my "list" is all about. After being there and getting some insight from my Warner Bros. studio tour guide, I feel like I might have had better luck succeeding at putting on my list "Win the lottery". You can't just play the game or jump threw the hoops, you also need to be lucky.

My quest for being in the audience started with planning to visit my friend, Deonne, in April when the weather would be nice and she was "off track" and not teaching. There was no particular dates that were better than another, so as soon as the ticket web site showed April tickets available, I submitted my request. A few new dates popped up every couple of days, so I really had to stay on top of availability. I really thought I got the hang of it and was disappointed when I never received confirmation from the show. I thought,"Oh well", I will just try for "day of show" stand by tickets and at least see a taping from the "riff raff" room even if I can't be in the audience. How hard could it be?

"Day of show" requests were taken on the day of show only, from 8am to 12pm. You are to leave your name and a local contact number, and will be called to confirm you are on the standby list. On Monday morning, I called at what was probably 8:01 and the voice mail box to leave my information at was already full. Still thinking I could visit the Ellen studio, her gift shop, and have my picture taken under the Ellen sign would satisfy my goal, I booked a tour of Warner Bros. studio, to see the sound stages, the back lot, and a props museum. This is the closest I got to anything Ellen. Attached is the picture of her office as we drove quickly by.

I ended up having a great time with the tour. And it was something I wouldn't have gone to do if I hadn't been trying for Ellen. Every cloud has a silver lining. etc. I got to see lots of Harry Potter movie stuff, and "Friends" props of which I am a fan of. It was on my tour that I learned how much luck is involved with getting on the Ellen show. My tour guide told me she knows people who try for years to get tickets, and that so many requests come in at the same moment that it is totally random who gets that confirmation call back.

I had a glimmer of hope on Tues. morning because I began calling the "day of" request line at 7:55. I would call, get the old message, hang up, and call again, until I got the new message for the day. It had room in the voice mail box, so I left my name, etc. Since I was only requesting one ticket, I had hope they would squeeze me in. But, no such luck. I got no call back, and at that moment full of disappointment is when I really new I was in Hollywood.