Wow. I am all ready back home. Seems just like last night that I was sitting here telling you all about how freaking nervous I was getting. Well, I know everyone wants details.. So I'll give you the details I can.
We left Wednesday evening, drove all the way to my mom's and got there a little after 4am. We piddled around during the day, ended up doing a little shopping and then my step-dad talked me into going to karaoke Thursday night. We found $1 bottle, domestic beers. Can you say JACKPOT!? Every time I went up to the bar, I grabbed six beers! It was a blast. The owner of the Savannah House (http://savannahouse.com/index.html), sang a duet with me! We sang "Take me or leave me" from RENT. Brought the friggen house down.
Fast forward to Friday. We got up, later than I wanted to - $1 beers will do that to ya. I bawled my eyes out having to leave Jack for the first time overnight and this would be three nights. Got on the Metra, rode to the O'hare transfer, took a shuttle to O'hare, got on the blue line at O'hare, went to Logan Square and started the trek to my brother's house. Prior to leaving my mom's house, my mom told Logan and I that it was only "five or six blocks from Logan Square (the train stop) to Zach's house." Yeah, no. Turns out it's more like 2 miles but if you get lost -- it turns into four. So, we barely get to Zach's by the time we needed to be downtown to meet my friend Steve. Luckily, he drove down (well, technically I think it's up.. but to-may-to/to-mah-to) and came to pick us up. We were going to go to the Outback for dinner but we barely had enough time to get to the hotel - so we ate at the bar. Turns out, to make a blt sandwich it takes a half hour. Anyway, I had to scarf down my food (because Logan and I hadn't eaten anything all day because we hadn't intended on getting lost and not having time to grab lunch with Steve!) before going to the meet and greet.
I get to the meet and greet and there is hardly anyone in there. I found out I was going to get a medal for making it that far in the competition and had my picture taken about a zillion times. I verified my songs, their key and then sat down for about an hour and a half. Luckily, we brought the iPad and Logan and I played scrabble. :) After waiting forever, we finally found out that Carnie Wilson would be one of the judges! (I heard a shriek from someone who would later turn out to be the person I became closest friends with during the competition.) Then a bunch of other mumbo-jumbo about how if we told anyone about the show that we could have a major law suit brought upon us. After all of that, Logan and I tried to get a hold of my friend Nick and his wife Cora but didn't have any luck. We said that we would go to iCream, which is Cora's ice cream shop in Wicker Park, and the only time that we had available to go was that night. So, we hopped on the blue line and headed to Wicker Park.
We got off the train, tried to find iCream ( http://www.facebook.com/pages/ICream-Cafe ) and of course our phones are dying. We decided to just walk down the street until we found it, yes after all ready having walked four miles about three hours earlier our bright idea is to walk MORE. Of course, we can't find it. Why would anything go right for us? We hit up a Walgreens to get a few things that I knew I would need before the competition, wisps, nail polish remover, eyeliner, an eyeliner sharpener, listerine, etc. Then we ask for directions. Turns out, we had all ready passed it. Yay for us. We get there finally and there wasn't much of a line but about two minutes into being there - it's packed. (If you haven't heard of iCream, there is a video on youtube from when it was on the Food Network. Essentially, you pick out what kind of ice cream you want [or frozen yorgurt, organic ice cream, shake or hot pudding], then you pick out the flavor, color and mix-in's. They put it into a regular kitchen-aid mixer, which has a hose for liquid nitrogen to flash freeze your ice cream and they make it right in front of you. Let me tell you, with out a doubt, best ice cream I have EVER had. It was so smooth and creamy, I almost died. After that we wanted to find some Chicago style pizza. We walked around and couldn't find a place that had it, so we settled on New York style pizza -- makes sense, right? We were hungry and it was delicious. Then, we had to make the trek home. I wore my ballet flats, not the ideal shoe for walking miles in the city. We finally made it home around 11ish pm. I was exhausted but definitely ready for the day ahead. I knew that I wouldn't have to sing the next day and so the pressure was off.
We slept in until 8am, got ready and hit the road. As soon as we made it to the House of Blues ( http://www.facebook.com/hobchicago ), I met the most amazing guy - Brandon Hynes. He had a group of friends with him with shirts that said "Brandomonium 2011" and they were amazing too. Logan, my Mom and step-dad sat next to his Grandma and Mom. Apparently, we were meant to be friends. Haha. Anyways, remember earlier when I said I heard someone shriek when they said Carnie Wilson was a judge? It was Brandon. Again, another sign. So, we get inside FINALLY after melting outside forever (because what is a better time to make people show up to a taping than 12:30pm on a hot and humid day? Oh, and in camera ready make-up too.)
Well, we finally got in and it took forever to start the actual singing but once the singers started singing, it stopped being karaoke and started being more like American Idol or America's Got Talent. It was no longer a bunch of drunks up on a stage singing, it was a rip your heart out judgement on your vocals and stage performance. I thought in that moment, after the first performer, "For all of you that thought this was just a shitty karaoke show.. humph! This is the real deal." I clapped, cheered, booed and stood up then sat down more than I ever have in my life. My mom's fingers were cracked from all the clapping!!
We finally got out of The House of Blues around 10pm, we took the train back to the bus stop but we had no idea that the bus didn't run in the evenings. So, we didn't get home until 1130ish. Man, was I livid. I was on so unbelievably hot and annoyed from the long walk. Plus, I had to be up at 5am to be there the next day by 730am. My brother's apartment doesn't have central air. I'm a grown up, I have central air. (Don't worry, when I saw him I told him that he's a grown up and he needs to join the group that has central air. lol) I finally got to sleep around 2am. I had to soak my feet in cold water because they were so sore and swollen from all the walking we had done in the last two days.
We got up, I could barely get my makeup on because I was sweating so badly. My hair looked awful. I was SO mad. We got to the bus, we were afraid we were going to be late for the train. My mom and Zach were going to meet us at the House of Blues. Luckily, they stopped at Dunkin' Donuts and got coffee. My throat was KILLING me and I couldn't stop coughing. Oh, and the real kicker? I knew the week before we left that I was going to get my period while we were in Chicago. I made it through Saturday, no problems. Sunday, I didn't get so lucky. So, not only was I coughing up a storm, my nose was either stuffy or running, my chest was on fire and my throat felt like it was ripped and bleeding -- I was bloated and got my period. THANKS SO MUCH MOTHER NATURE!!
I definitely learned that television isn't all about talent. It isn't all about ratings. It isn't all about filling demographics. It is mostly about ratings, then about filling demographics and then about talent. There was such an unbelievable amount of talent in the room I sat in and I honestly feel so humbled to have been included in that group.
Coming back to Chicago is always such an emotional experience for me. It is where my family started. It is where the most beautiful baby girl was born and placed into my arms. It is where I became a mother. It is where I learned about the importance of need versus want. All I wanted was just to make my kids proud with my performance and talking about my song (since I'm not sure if I can tell you until the show airs without getting sued, I'll wait) just made all of those feelings come to the table. I wanted them to see me as someone who wasn't just their mom but someone who was following her dreams. I have dreamed about being on t.v. and singing since as long as I can remember. My Mom says I was singing since the moment I came out of the womb. I believe that. I don't remember a time in my life when I wasn't singing.
I have always felt I was somewhat talented until this last weekend and now I feel truly blessed. I wasn't on my "a-game" this weekend, I was (and still am) really sick but even still, I feel that it is a major stepping stone for me. My band has our first practice on Monday. I received a HUGE compliment from my guitarist on Tuesday. I was asked to co-sing a jingle for a local business today (details later when I can fully inform you on what it is). It just seems like the ball is fully rolling now. I know that eventually my name will be up in lights, the drive and determination is here more now than ever before.
This is just the beginning for me, I can feel it.
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