So when we got off the F train in midtown I was trying hard to come up with some plausible guesses: a museum, a fancy lunch, a walk through Central Park?  But we turned the corner on 52nd and a saw a large group of people outside an indiscriminate door.  We joined a short line on the left side of the door which was opposite a very long line on the other side.  Then I asked, “Okay, what are we doing here?”

It turns out we were in the standby line to tryout for the game show “Who Wants to be a Millionaire?”  Really?  Cool.  We had twenty minutes to find out whether we would make it in off of standby, but the dude working the door said our chances were good in the afternoon.  Turns out he was right.  After the group that had been in before us filed out, they let in all the people in the regular line (who had previously set up “appointments” online weeks ago) and then turned to our line and told us all we were getting in.

After a metal detector test which I can only assume was to check for calculators or hidden compasses, we were herded to tables which had an envelope and a number 2 pencil in front of every chair.  I hadn’t been a part of this scene since the SATs and it felt strange.

What was also strange was looking around at some very intent and focused faces amongst our large number of 100 or so people.  Some people had Millonaire clothing on and one guy, who had apparently been there to try out many many times, even had a Shirt on celebrating Meredith, our moderator for the tryout test.  The shirt said “Meredith Rocks”.  I guess she moderates this test a lot.  And the guy was obviously loved and feared by the people who ran the test.  He was surely deemed sweet and crazy at the same time and he seemed to know it.

Basically we had 10 minutes to answer 30 multiple choice questions.  The written test was what was in the envelope.  If we scored high enough our number would be called and we would move on to the next stage of them interviewing and screen testing us.  Then we would be put in the contestant pool, and who knows after that.

But first we had to pass the written test.  I can only imagine the number we needed to get correct was somewhere in the 26-27 range.  And just to cut through the suspense, I didn’t make it.  And I knew it.  I think I did well (they never tell you your score) but I knew I didn’t do that well.  I was guessing on about 7 questions and only a few of those guesses were even educated.

What I did nail down were the two Presendential questions and I was proud of that.  If I am a buff of anything it might be the 44 Presidents we have had in our nation’s history.  On top of that you might include Ancient Rome and Quantum Physics, but alas there were no questions on that subject.

The two I got right were, “Henry Kissinger was Secretary of State under what two U.S. Presidents?”  Answer: Nixon and Ford.  Not LBJ and Nixon as my wife answered (p.s. she didn’t make it either, but I’m sure she was closer.) And: “Which catch phrase is attributed to a Democratic President?”  Among the mix of catch phrases was “The Buck Stop Here.” which was Truman’s, a Democrat.

But it seems I don’t know enough about Oysters, Track and Field and the distance between Tora Bora and Bora Bora, so after fifteen minutes we were sent outside and on our way to an afternoon movie, which is something we haven’t done in a while.  Frankly I was relieved to not have to stick around even though it would have been fun to pass the written test.  I guess I’d rather be on Jeopardy where if you get one question wrong, you don’t lose the game.

But this was an adventure to be sure.  And if you go in to try this yourself, just know you need to be full of useless knowledge and you need to get lucky.  But don’t wear a shirt that says “Meredith Rocks”.  Because when you are not chosen once again (he wasn’t) for what must have been the 20th time.  It looks kind of kooky.

We are tracking drums right now which means Seth is in the live room in Manhattan banging away for most of the day.  Rob and I listen and help out occasionally, but for the most part we have been getting a lot of reading done.  Rob is also slowly turning his I-phone into a portable arcade and now that I know the secret to virtual skeeball I’m going after his lofty high scores.

The camera crew showed up for the first time yesterday which means soon you all will be able to see what I mean and all that is to follow in video format.

The tracking is going really well but it’s hard to get either excited or frustrated as it is a slow process.  But each step along the way has felt like one going forward.

Will try and send some photos soon as I have uploaded that option on my burgeoning blog.