I LOVE Regis & Kelly!

OH MY GOSH!

So, like a week ago I got really bored at work and I was looking at Regis and Kellys website with the girls!
I saw that it was about to be "Celebrity Look Alike Week!!"
A.K.A. My favorite week of the year!
Just as quick as I could, I sent my picture in for Kelly Ripa's look alike!
I wasn't going to do it, but people do tell me I look like her a lot, so why not!?

Well, yesterday, the producer called me from LIVE and told me that my picture was picked as one of the finalists.
OMG!
I have never been so excited in my life, I was speechless! So thrilled!

This morning, I decided to go to the show because the Friday shows are filmed on Thursdays, and if I was a finalist I wanted to attempt to be in the audience so that I could possibly meet them both!
I would wait in the stand by line as long as it took me to get in!

I got to the Subway, and oh gosh, not such a good idea at 5am! Right as I got down to the 1 train, which I might add, I have never taken before, I saw a man with blonde dreads. Trust me, he wasn't a natural blonde! Also, I saw a woman who looked like she wanted to kill somebody, real pretty! I was really not in the mood to watch her make a scene.
In hindsight, I probably should have taken a cab!

So starting from the beginning...I woke up (forced myself out of bed) at 4am, got ready, and went straight to LIVE'S studio to wait in the standby line for tickets! I had been hoping and praying all night that I would be able to get in some how! I kept a really positive attitude, and I knew if it was meant to be, it would happen. It was just really imperative for me to be inside the studio on that particular day!

I found out pretty quickly, after the standby numbers were given out, that I was # 17...I guess its better then 20. Apparently usually only the first 15 get in.
On the up side, I ended up meeting the nicest people! First, I met a mother and her daughter from Texas who were on a weekend getaway! They were so sweet, and easy to talk to. At 5 am, you never know who's gonna have an attitude! Then, shortly after, I met 2 girls behind me who had just graduated college, and were living in New York! They were into acting, and very determined! Also, easy to get along with! Then, I met a woman named Wanda and her husband! He brought her flowers in line for her birthday, and then we started talking about how excited she was! I was so excited for her, what a way to spend a birthday! Lastly, I met a grandmother who frequently attends Regis and Kelly because her daughter lives in the city! So much fun! Her little grandkids came to visit, because we didn't move in line for 3 hours, and of course they were adorable! We all stood very close in line, and got to know each other quite well! At the end of it all, we all exchanged e-mails!

Finally, it got to be 7am. This was when the people with tickets started getting to the studio. They get to go in first, obviously!
Once all of the ticket holders got there, It was packed, and so from 7 to 7:30, I was really hostile because HELLO I had been there since 5, and it was serious! I really wanted to go to that show! Then, at just the right time, we found out we all got a complementary breakfast! That made me feel...a little bit better! I got a HUGE bagel and so I had plenty of energy!
Shortly after, around 7:45, I saw Regis walk out of his apartment building! He was so crisp, and so clean cut! He lives right beside his studio, and walks to work every day! He waved at all of us, and we shot pictures!
After an hour of waiting and eating breakfast, the stand-byers got to go into the building and wait for our number to be called!

Just being in the building was good enough for me! I was standing right beside the case with all of Regis and Kelly's awards, and a TV where we could watch if we didn't get in! I was so ecstatic!

Once inside, we realized that only 10 of the people on stand by were going to get to see the first show Live at 9am. I didn't get to, but a bunch of us watched it on TV.

Eventually, it got to be 10 o'clock, and my heart was pounding! At first, 4 people would go, then another 4, and then I was the next one in line! I was like HELL no, this line better not stop on me, ive been here too long! I waited, and waited, and prayed, and prayed!Thank GOD, about 5 minutes later, the lady came out and took 4 more of us.
When we got into the studio, it was me and my friend from line, and the lady told us to sit in the front row!
Yes, I SAT FRONT ROW!
OH MY GOSH!
HEAVEN!
Eventually, after Gilman warmed the audience up, Regis & Kelly came out, and I was beaming from cheek to cheek!
I know I will be on air sometime next week in the audience, the camera man and I got pretty close, he has family at Wrightsville Beach...big connection, I got some camera time!
While I was seated, the woman beside me and I switched e-mails and she is going to send me all of her pictures, including the ones of me and Kelly, and me and Regis and Kelly! AHHHHH!!!
I broke my camera a while back, so she was so sweet to do that!
Then, I was telling my new friend about my picture hopefully being featured as Kellys look alike, and all of those women over heard me! They were all just absolutely adorable, and taking a weekend trip!
All of the sudden 20 people were tapping my shoulder calling me Kelly, and saying they were gonna SCREAM when they saw my picture, and that they would all vote for me!
I was like "My real names Katie, but PLEASE call me Kelly!"
YAY! I love meeting new people! So fun!
Then at that time, Kelly was out of her seat on commercial break, and my new camera man friend told me to call her name, she would come say hey and do pictures!
Well, I shyly screamed "Kelly!"
She looked over, smiled, and said "YES, WHAT, WHERE, IM COMING!" and she came over!
I asked her if we could get a picture, still beaming from ear to ear, because you know she is who I want to be in 5 years!
She was so sweet, and took a picture with me!!!
As we were posed all of the women that I had just met kept telling her "that's your look alike, shes going to have her picture up in a few minutes!"
Kelly was so so sweet to me!
She was like,
"your so adorable, I wish I looked like you" "You remind me of me 10 years ago!"
Y'all, seriously, shes Kelly Ripa, every woman in America wants to look like her! She is extremely modest! LOVE HER!
Then, we took tons of pictures together and she said,
"I wasn't suppossed to know that you were a look alike, but i'm going to remember that when it pops up!"
AHHH!!!!
Well, then the show started back, and there were look a likes for Michelle Obama, daughter, and kids! They all looked just like them! Then there was Bill Clinton, and Leo Decaprio!
After that, they did the Regis and Kelly look alike pictures!
As I had hoped for, I was nominated!
YAY! I am so so happy!
When my picture came up, I was clapping so hard, and all the girls were screaming around me yelling,
"SHES HERE SHES HERE!"
Kelly looked at me as my picture popped up, pointed and said,
"That's Katie Garner, shes in our audience today!"
After the next break, Kelly brought Regis over to meet me, and when I saw him my eyes got as big as apples and I said "REGIS!"
He said
"come here sweets, lets get a photo of the 3 of us!"
We took tons of pictures together, and then he said,
"Katie, the prize is going to be yours, I can tell! You do look like my co-host here! I'm gonna help you win!"
Then he winked at me, put his arm around me (fanning myself!) and we took another picture with the 3 of us!
After that, the break was over, and they went back on set!
Again, I was in shock (and still am!)
I met Regis and Kelly, like personally! I am so so so happy, I just don't have words!
I seriously thank God for giving me the ability to talk to anyone! I just love them both!
I really need to find a way to record tomorrows show!!
I will say that Regis and Kelly are 2 of the nicest people I have ever met! They talked to everyone, and took pictures with everyone!
It was a day that I will never, ever forget!