Could you, er, maybe, help me? --- Day 301

Walk: Union Square, Mindful Body
Distance: 1 mile and take restorative yoga class

Just got a ticket to a 'Sold Out" 'Grateful Dead' concert. It has ever been Grateful Dead way to announce concerts suddenly, thus initiating a mad scramble for tickets.  This continues even as the Dead has morphed into different names after Jerry Garcia died.  So, the night before my Jeopardy flight an email appeared in my Inbox announcing a concert I dearly want to attend.  Problem: The (always instantly sold out) online box office would open while I was on the plane, and by the time it landed for sure the tickets would be gone.

Solution: I have one friend who is a Longtime GD person and I realized my only hope of possibly getting into the initial (Monday morning) auction would be to ask him to include me if he or someone he knew would be buying/trying to buy tickets.

The key words in all that are "ask him."  For some reason it is nearly impossible for me to ask people for things.  I'm sure the psychological complexities surrounding this are vast and boring for the ciwt reader.  As Freud would say, the mindset is "over-determined." 

But, finally I did it; I sent an email asking.  He responded he might be tied up in meetings but, sure, if he could.  Instead of thinking, "Whew, that's taken care of," I proceeded to feel like 'omg, now look how I've  burdened him, etc.'  In fact he did get tied up in meetings and couldn't get on line in time.  Then I felt Even Worse: Poor Guy had meetings and I had the presumption to ask this busy person for his time. This discomfort lingered (of course) as I made special unsuccessful trips over to the physical box office (where there was consistently a virtual party of ticket buyers) and did the few other things I could do to 'take matters into my own hands/Be responsible for myself.' 

Then this morning I got a text from my friend saying he'd noticed some tickets were available online, and maybe I should check the site.  I did, and the tickets were Sold Out. But he had seen availabilities. So, I began to realize that, due to online (and general) overwhelm, maybe they were getting to sales as their nerves and computer allowed and it would be worth continuing to check from time to time.  Seemed futile, but, what the heck.  And, guess what, on a quick pre-yoga class check this afternoon, there was suddenly a Quantity? sign on the Tickets page.

So, it was OK to ask.  Life did go on.  The (ever dreaded) consequences were actually Positive.  My friend texted a 'Yay!'; I texted a 'Thank You!'; and the concert people e-mailed a will call confirmation.  A pretty ordinary occurance but a Big deal to me.

That Thank You! goes to the precious few of you I've actually asked for things over time. You know who you are. I'm so appreciative that you're in my life - period and because I trust you enough to ask for things. Aww...

A Quiet Moment --- Day 300

Walk: de Young lecture (Gender in African Art and Artifacts), Mindful Body
Distance: 1 mile and take (hard) yoga class

I'd like to take a ciwt moment to acknowledge the people on the East Coast who have been impacted by Sandy, the recent colossal hurricane.  Namaste to all of you.

Double Jeopardy --- Day 299

Walk: Union Square, Mindful Body
Distance: 1 Mile and take yoga class

OK, on Halloween Eve, THIS is the long-awaited scoop on Jeopardy! 



Sony Pictures Entertainment is about 6 Miles, 20 Minutes by Town Car from LAX.



All visitors enter here.  This is where my Town Car and I were such a hit until they realized I was
'just' an audience member.



About 45 minutes before taping, Chris from the show sets up a table and audience members who have been waiting on benches or just standing around are instructed to come up and show him the Jeopardy pass we've downloaded after being approved on line.  (Passes are free; you go to Jeopardy.com Tickets, pick a date, sign up and then call about a week ahead to confirm).  He gives you a red "Jeopardy"wrist band after he has checked you off, and then you return to bench sitting and a 10 minute "Introduction" by a man who has been giving it for 30 years.  He tells you how to act (cell phones, cameras, walking no more than double file through the lot), the type of questions to ask/not ask Alex, etc.  He tells you so much, in fact, you kind of remember nothing and hope you're doing the right things anyway.



Then you're picked up and led to Studio 10 (a pretty good distance) by a staff member whose name I didn't get.

Studio 10

After entering the actual Jeopardy door to Studio 10, you have just a moment to walk down the hall and observe pictures, trophy cases for awards they won and other memorabilia.

The cut out of Alex in the hall is the only picture you get of him.  Right after it is the door to the actual taping room where no cameras are allowed.  You've already been told by the Introductions man that Alex only takes pictures with the 3 daily contestants, so you won't get one of you and Alex.  This a factor of time. (You can contact the studio for a signed photo which they will send; might do this now that I remember).

But you do get to see a lot of Alex - much of it up close.  His stand during the taping is maybe 80 feet away from the audience so very visible.  And during the various breaks he comes and stands directly in front of the audience where he talks and answers questions from audience members.  He looks exactly as he does on TV and, to me, seemed more gregarious and chattier than I would have imagined. A nice man, and a bit of a character (which I also didn't imagine).

Johnny Gilbert (age 88 and really you wouldn't guess this!) is very present.  Talking a lot to the audience - especially at the beginning where he assigns our 'roles' - specifically 1. Silence and 2. Applause.  When the taping is about to start they have a sort of count down and several men stand in front of the audience like traffic cops with their arms up for Silence - which we are unless we see a light that blinks "Applause." Then of course we do that. 

We're watching the actual show so we have a sense of when to clap. But even so, the blinking lights help (or helped me) stay present.  Because I've watched for so many years, and there is an actual TV screen you can turn to, it took a bit of effort to stay alert/present.  Part of my brain was back at home where I'm fixing/eating dinner, talking to Callie and phasing in an out of rapt attention - and it was almost weird to remember I was there live. 

The contestants are off to our right side.  A little more difficult to see than Alex, but definitely visible.  They look directly across at the clue board which is Huge.  If they or Alex makes a mistake, time is taken during each break to correct/retape the line or lines that were flubbed.  Apparently the contestants have a private, coaching time early in the day to get used to the buzzer and who knows what else.  (They'd probably have to give me a new brain if I were a contestant because I'd be reacting like mad if I got the answer wrong - scowling, blurting out answers, etc.  I'm always amazed at how composed and TV-ready the contestants are).

Breaks are taken for commercials.  They don't play commercials, but they stop and attend to business during the commercial time.  Altogether there are probably at least 15 people other than Alex and the contestants active in the studio: producers, clue crew members, camera and mic people, Johnny Gilbert.  There is a long break after the first show is taped when Alex goes wherever and changes into a new suit and Johnny talks with and answers questions from the audience.  When Alex returns, we are reminded "It's a new day, you're a new, fresh audience!" and we return to our Silence and Applause.  At the end of the second show, the afternoon taping is complete. (They have 2 taping sessions; one in the morning and the afternoon one I was at which began at 2:30 and was over by about 4:15).

Two shows was about right for me.  I was actually kind of tired after all that Silence and Applause and staying present.  It's intense! Just sitting around being quiet/silent is one thing; concentrating/working on Being Completely Silent turns out to be quite another thing.  But luckily my Town Car was close at hand so I sank down into its leather seats and rode in comfort back to LAX.  Probably because of Sandy on the East Coast, I had LAX virtually to myself, whisked through security and was easily able to get on an earlier flight back to SFO.

Highly recommended for Jeopardy fans.  And, to everybody out there this dark and stormy night, BOO!!!!

Small Jeopardy Recap Delay --- Day 298

Walk: JCC, Trader Joe's, Best Buy, Mindful Body
Distance: 3 miles, take yoga class, give yoga class



"I'm running short on time.  But, I'll be back tomorrow to tell you all about Jeopardy.  Stay tuned."

Town Car and Me --- Day 297

Walk: SFO Short Term Parking, Virgin America, Sony Pictures Studios Visitor Center, Studio 10
Distance: Maybe 1 mile

The question is:  Which Jeopardy audience member arrived at the taping in a Black, shiny Town Car?
The answer is:  CIWT writer, yours truly.

Having no idea how to navigate L.A. - especially on a short, turn-around trip - I threw up my hands and said "Town Car!"  Which was totally the right decision with an unexpected result.  When I arrived at the Sony Pictures Visitor Center, they fawned all over me: Hello, Where Would You Like To Go?, that sort of thing - much more fawning than my very nice driver.  Finally, he was the one who said, "She's here for a taping.  A Jeopardy taping."  Their response: "You're an audience member?!"  They couldn't have been nicer even then, but my sense from what happened is that very few, if any, audience members come (and later go) in a town car - so they assumed I was someone.

Good day.  Report later. 

It's Always Sunny in L.A. --- Day 296

Walk: Not much - Sunday more and more is becoming a day of rest
Distance: 6 blocks?

Busy figuring out what to wear to meet Alex at Jeopardy tomorrow.*  84, clear and sunny in Culver City tomorrow.  Sunglasses for sure! 

*I haven't left yet, but it is looking better and better for those of you with money on "Yes" in the Will/Won't She? pool.

Inside Out --- Day 295

Walk: Mindful Body, Sundance Kabuki (The Perks of Being a Wallflower), Trader Joe's, Wells Fargo
Distance: 3.5 miles and teach class

Another Beautifulll day - So, I spent it inside of course.  It's my regular teaching day, and I was happily surprised quite a few people came to class.  Mostly men.  More men than women is unusual in the yoga world but is quite often the case in my classes.  I grew up with all brothers, many male cousins, a totally athletic father who actually manufactured sports clothes and brought professional athletes into my growing up life on a pretty regular basis. So I'm very used to being and doing sports with boys. It's where I'm most comfortable actually; maybe they sense this. Anyway, it is unusual - and it works for me.

Then, being as incapable as I was yesterday of knowing how to structure a sunny, warm, Indian summer day in the city, I just carried on as if it were winter and walked leisurely in the beauty to a movie.  A very nice little indie titled The Perks of Being a Wallflower which I recommend for you indie people.  Finally another leisurely stroll admiring the day to Trader Joe's where I  cornered the market on Alstromeria lilies.  And now I'm 'in for the evening' for the 3rd World Series game which starts in a couple of minutes.  Go Giants.

Got this color:

And this:

And this:


The beautiful outdoors comes In!

Keep Breathing -- Day 294

Walk: Nail Salon, Mindful Body, Trader Joe's
Distance: 2 Miles and take yoga class

Our summers and glorious Fall days are wonderful but sometimes confusing.  Periodically we wake up to balmy brightness that demands going for a run, playing some tennis, even sun bathing.  But it is the end of October; there are Fall things on the calendar: winterizing roofs, taking classes that began in September, reading voter pamphlets, and, you know, just going to work.  And of late the Giants and the playoffs and World Series.  These last have been so entertaining and riveting, they've captivated our imaginations, galvinized our energies and blocked our brains from having to figure out what else to do except stay centered on baseball.

Now now, suddenly, we have to contend with a day too nice for our empty and unmotivated heads.  Clear, warm, Indian summery and No Baseball.  What's a girl to do?  All options lack the automatic get up and go of the Series - they actually demand, ugh, work, making yourself run or work out, paying attention, knuckling down, thinking, being present.  Ie, they are not natural highs which we've been on for a few weeks now with the Giants.

Such, sometimes,  are the travails of living in the Bay Area.