A big deal for Bob

Bob has been dying to be a contestant on the game show, "Deal or No Deal" since it's inception over two years ago. He feels we could really use the money since our adoption costs are now almost 33% more than we were initially told. When Howie Mandel was listed as one of the guest speakers at my college 25-year reunion in October, Bob hoped I'd go and slip an audition tape into his pocket. (Sorry, I'm daring, but not that daring.) Fortunately for me, his big chance came today: Howie and company were in town for casting calls.

Even though the temperatures dropped below zero last night, it didn't stop hundreds of people from standing outside. By 8:00am there were more than five thousand people in line. (Bob being one of them.) It took him five hours of standing in frigid temperatures to get his 20-second interview.

Now mind you, Bob is no stranger to auditions. Almost 50 years ago, his mother took him to audition for the role of Dennis on "Dennis the Menace." He remembers at the audition being given a toy airplane to play with. But instead of using it as a prop to engage the casting director, he sat quietly in the corner, entertaining himself. Needless to say, the part went to Jay North and the rest is history.