Went to see Oprah...

I had to post about my exciting trip to Chicago this week. My dad has some sort of connections with the TV station that he works for and the Oprah show. Not sure how it all worked out, all I know is I got tickets to see OPRAH!!! It was so awesome!! My friend Kari and I went! Kari and I have been friends for YEARS, we tried MANY MANY times to get tickets to Oprah and could never get through. So it was no question who would go with me when all I had was one extra ticket! :-) We left Tusday afternoon and headed to chicago, we got there in time to eat supper at the ESPN zone which was pretty yummy. We shopped there in their store but then everything else was closed by the time we were walking back to our hotel (which was on Michigan Ave!) :-) The hotel was kinda crazy though, it was very small, I mean the building was tall, but the hallways were all very small and the elevetors were VERY small like 4 people tops would fit in with luggage! The room seemed small too for what we paid for it. But anyway, the next morning we woke up and got ready! We ate breakfast and went to the American Girl store so that Kari could get some things for her daughters. All I can say about that store is OMGosh I would have NEVER thought that you could spend so much money on a doll. That place had a hair salon for you DOLL!! A photo studio for you to get your picture taken with your DOLL!! I couldn't believe it. I can see how every little girl in the world would fall in love though!! I'm thankful for my boy!! LOL

We hopped in a cab to head over to Harpo Studios, we stood in line for about 45 minutes, then we were ushered in to the building, if you had a coat you could check your coat and or bags. You showed your ID and the checked to make sure you were on the list, then you headed into the next room where your purse is searched and you have to walk through a metal detector. Your phones and cameras are taken and checked and you can get them back at the end of the show. Thats where there are NO good pics. A once in a lifetime experience and they don't let you take photos. Kinda sucks! But then you head upstairs and wait for what seems like HOURS in another holding room with a tun of chairs in it.

Then they make the announcement that they will call you buy numbers (listed on a form they gave you to fill out) so in we go when our number is called. I walked in behind Kari and you walk in behind where all the seats are. When people walk down the isle to the stage thats where you are ushered into. Kari turned to me and giggled I was so exicted we couldn't wait to see everything. We were seated three rows up from the floor. Great seats. We could see her perfectly. When she is sitting on those white couches, she is facing us right where we were seated.

The show was not a big give away, not a life altering show or anything overly exciting, but we did get to see the REAL Oprah not the TV Oprah. As most fans know her beloved dog Sophie of 13 years passed away on March 10. Sophie never missed a day of work with oprah, she slept with her did everything with her. She was her daughter as she called her. So its been really hard for her these past 2 weeks. I can relate as our dog Annie of 15 years died a few years ago and she was our baby. it was devestating! So anyway the show was dedicated to Sophie and was about saving dogs from all the thousands of puppy mills in the United States. They did a montage of Oprah and Sophie together at the begining of the show, and Oprah lost it, she cried and cried, loud enough for us to hear her in our seats aways back. I felt horrible for her, 1. that her sweet doggie died, and 2. because she had to go through this with all of us sitting there starring at her. Nobody really knew what to do. She had Lisa Ling on the couch with her who patted her and then Dean her director came up and sat with her. (not sure that will all be on the show I think it happened during the montage and then commercial).

Its a really interesting show and so so sad what they do at these puppy mills. So if you are an animal lover you will like the show! Be sure to check it out on April 8th.

Oprah is even more beautiful in person!! The experience was great and its something I will remember for the rest of my life!

During the taping they mentioned that Suze Ormann will be there on Monday to do a show and that if we had any questions we wanted to ask there would be a table set up outside. So I went and let them know what my question was and they took my picture and my phone number then asked if I would feel comfortable asking it on camera, I didn't know what to say but they said oh it will be real quick no big deal etc etc.. so I went over and did it, I sounded like a total idiot I'm sure. Not sure if they will use it in the show or not, but yet another fun experience.

After that we went over to the Oprah store, there were LOTS of her favorite things in the store and even some of her shoes and clothes from her closet, all proceedes from that stuff goes to her Angel Network! She had things from vendors in Africa which those proceeds also go to them. I was able to get a picture of Kari in the store, but some big guy came over and said "no pictures please" we were like WHAT? its a public place? But we weren't going to cause trouble!! LOL

So that was our big trip to see Oprah!! I will leave the part out of us getting lost trying to get out of the city! :-) We obviously made it home!

Below are the few pics I did get that day!