SEPTEMBER 7, 2005
7:30am: We await outside our hotel for a shuttle to the DFW airport and as we are waiting, we meet a troop of National Guards from Hawaii on their way home for a 2 week visit before returning to Iraq. We hand out Psalm 91 books and chat with them. Because Billy promotes our soldiers so much, what a great way to start the trip!
10:45am: I arrive at LAX with my husband and meet sweet Laura who also flew on our flight. We are so excited and it hasn't quite hit what is about to happen!
12:30pm: We check into the Sheraton Universal, very nice, and waiting for us are gifts from Billy & his awesome assistants, Michelle and Sue. The gifts were a Billy's Bootcamp T-shirt and one of his very cool JAMZ Cd's.
1:00pm: We have free time! We are off to eat and shop at Universal City Walk and take a taxi down to see the Walk of Fame and shop, shop shop! My husband was able to get his much awaited wheat grass juice shot at Jamba Juice.
6:00pm: We all gather to ride to the World TaeBo® Center to workout with Billy! It was so fun to start meeting the other ladies in the informercial. They are each so precious and special and I feel so honored to have been able to get to know most of them very well.
6:30pm: Upon arrival, we meet Marisa and Mel, two instructors that we know from the Billy Blanks® Message boards. They were so beautiful and so kind! I wish I would have had more time to spend with them. I felt like I had known them for a long time prior to this. OH GOODNESS! It's HIM! And SHELLIE! AND JULIANN! I actually went and touched each of their abs as I spoke to them and they didn't seem to care at all. I couldn't help myself! They talked to us and were humble and were very genuine and kind. Billy gave me a hug, signed my Ultimate Bootcamp DVD case, posed for pictures and even teased me. I felt like I was talking to my Uncle. He was so down to earth and even though he was so tired, he never once complained and took time to give each of us attention. He had a full day and was leaving to Germany the next morning!
Sometime after 7pm: Time to do a live workout! Suddenly, a swarm of 50 people hit the floor and we all fight for our kicking space! The music begins and it is being fast fowarded like the Chimpmunks and suddenly, we are doing TAE BO® at warp speed! I have NEVER experienced Tae Bo like this before! It is non-stop, speed, cardio, faster than I have ever done it! I just want to keep going and push and work harder than ever. My clothes are completely soaked with sweat. It is dripping down into my eyes and down my nose. It is sheeting off my arms, it was incredible! An hour and a half goes by and we stop. Although I am exhausted, I just want more of it! The class leaves and Billy spends about an hour of one on one with us, giving us a motivational speech and really preaching it. He was so thankful for our testimonies and continually wanted us to know it. It was so special! Another moment I didn't want to end. We eventually make it back to the hotel and I collapse and skip dinner, besides, can't be all bloated for the shoot!
SEPTEMBER 8th, 2005
8:00 am: Up and ready to roll and somehow manage to walk through the hotel lobby without everyone noticing me without any make-up! I was sure I would run into someone famous looking like that! The production assistant takes us to a downtown Hollywood studio where we go for wardrobe and make-up and gives us great info about stars she has worked with. My make-up/hair lady was Jennifer and she did a fabulous job! I looked like a movie star! The wardrobe lady and everybody in the studio loves my bright orange shirt (who knew? At least someone else out there appreciates my love for orange clothes...LOL) and I am briefed about how to do the interview.
Sometime around 11 am: It is time to shoot! My wonderful husband, who hasn't left my side, is recording every precious moment and taking pictures. I am so blessed! They are ooing and aweing over my orange shirt *giggle* and I keep hearing, "She is so beautiful" and "This is going to rock on camera". I am thinking, okay, these people really want me to say something good don't they? LOL! They are just so kind and wonderful and make you feel like a Queen! I love them. The interview goes so well and the director almost chokes up hearing my testimony which in turn takes everything in my power to not boo hoo all over the place. Mark, was so awesome and just made everyone feel special. his patience is remarkable! He tells everyone that I am a real star and the sound byte lady is so happy at the results. Michelle is shooting compliments left and right and I walk out of there feeling so special and get so pumped thinking about the thousands of people this will reach and hopefully help! Next is the photo shoot in my regular clothes and in my workout clothes. Good Lord, I would never choose modeling, if I had a choice, it just is too painful all the positions you have to twist in to look good. OUCH! But Skye the photographer was really good and I can't thank her enough for making me look good in the photos! What wonderful people and what a wonderful experience!
1:30pm: More eating and shopping! My husband is so great for enduring this part! We had so many souvineers to buy!
6:30pm: Many of the girls meet up at the Hard Rock Cafe and we have some fun. We have all held out on eating much, but now that the shoot is over, we order good stuff! A friend I met through my website comes to join us with her little girl. It is always such a thrill to meet those I have helped face to face. She and her daughter are just gorgeous and so precious and sweet. What a wonderful treat! The funny part was I was eating off a plate of nachos and thought how hilarious it was that one of my weight loss followers meets me for the first time and that is what is in front of me! LOL! We are having fun and I am getting sad about how it is all going to end and wonder if we will all ever see eachother again.
SEPTEMBER 9, 2005
4:15am: Okay, so I am still on Texas time. Decide to go back to sleep.
7:15am Hubby and I decide to do a 5K run on the treadmill before we leave. Our real 5K race is in one week so we better get working! It feels so great and after eating Nachos at night, much needed!
9:30am Time to head to the airport. Laura, Kelly and her Mom all join us for the shuttle ride and for some airport shopping. Goodbyes are so hard. Even though we just met each other IRL for 2 days, it feels like so much more and I will greatly miss every single person that came or that was involved in this production.
12:00am Home sweet home and a lot of hugs and kisses and greetings from my very missed children! It feels so great to be safely home! We all sit back and watch the documentary my husband made and the kids are so excited that their Mom is almost famous :o). God was so good to give this reward to us and to give us such a smooth and safe trip. I felt His hand in the entire thing and of course it would be because Billy serves God and with both of us working for the same reason, how could anything possibly go wrong. The informercial will air in January to promote the most incredible Bootcamp workout to date. It will be THE BEST! I have to keep my lips sealed for now, but trust me, save up your money for this one, it will be worth EVERY PENNY! See you on TV in January and thank you so much to everyone for your love, support and prayers!
