OMW

I am going to go out of order on my posting about our trip simply because I want to. If you have read my past posts regarding the Olympics, you will know that I REALLY like them.

On Tuesday evening, we came back to our room a bit later considering we have 2 small children. Well, we turned on the television just in time to hear that over 150 Olympic athletes had arrived in Chicago that day and would be appearing on Oprah the next day at Millenium Park. Well, our hotel was only 2 blocks from Millenium Park so we decided to go there--not really knowing what we would experience.

Now, I had always wanted to see a taping of the Oprah show since I was in high school and saw her at Disney World...my classmates who were with me didn't believe me that it was her--but it was because when we all got home, Oprah had a show from Disney World...anyhow...I thought of the Oprah thing, however I know that children cannot be in the audience.

We arrived and were given an Olympic pin (that's cool). We were shocked at how much space there was available. In Millenium Park there are about 1000 seats or so around the stage and then there is a grassy area immediately behind. In order to get the seats, you had to do backflips, starve, be a dignitary in Chicago, be an Olympic family member or have magic...and that process took place before we arrived in Chicago. The grassy area had a fence to divide it, but we were able to get right up to the fence. Of course, you had to agree that you are allowing HARPO to have your image on their production, but yeah we all know that. There was a lady warming up the crowd and doing all the run-throughs on how to ask a question, how to cheer etc...She also made mention of the fact that this is the ONLY time children are allowed to attend the Oprah show. I think I saw approximately 10 total including my own. Anyway, the people in those seats I mentioned were expressly told NO PICTURES and no autographs. If you had a camera in that area, you would be taken out. Well, not in the grassy area =). Only problem is, I am at the event of a lifetime and my camera is DEAD--DEAD. I didn't have the charger with me. Cell phone pics it had to be.

We got a glimpse of the athletes all strolling into the holding area. They were waving and you could see golden. Oprah arrived onstage and WOW--her hair was really big--even bigger than it looks on television. There was red, white, & blue confetti and balloons flying everywhere--really cool. The athletes all came in to the stage to huge cheers from everyone. There were over 150 of them including Phelps, Dara Torres, Shawn Johnson, Nastia Liukin, Kerri Walsh, Misty May, etc...all of the winners you can pretty much think of were there--even the basketball players like Kobe. The first interview was with none other than Michael Phelps. It was cool to see him in person. The one thing that is interesting about a taping is all of the moving of chairs and other such things around the stage and the dead silence as this goes on. It seemed like half of the show. They tape for probably 1 hour and 15 minutes plus before and after footage so it will be interesting to see what makes the Sept. 8th show.

David Cook (American Idol winner) performed at the end as the athletes left their seats and greeted people. I got to high five Brendan Hansen (swimming & relay) and Monique Henderson of the 4x400 relay. All of the 4 x 400 women's track relay walked by us as did the decathalon winner and others who I didn't recognize. I was trying to take pics on my cell phone, but that delay is rough on the pictures! I did get some though and will have more to post on this exciting event later.