My big night.

'oh I hope they call my name...please call my name, please call my name. I could have won the last two games. I knew the answers'..I wait on baited breath. People around me are screaming and clapping, but it feels a million miles away as I try my hardest to hone my non-existent telepathic abilities for the faceless man to call my name.....'please, please, please'....
The host, who I desperately want to meet looks into the camera and asks "who do we have next?" so with crossed figures and shut eyes I listen...."well drew, Maura Duke...come on down, you're the next contestant on the Price is Right"....what no? really, it takes me a full 30 seconds to realize I am the only Maura Duke in the audience. The people around me are slapping my back and pushing me out of the chair! I realize all at once that if I don't get out there I will lose my chance forever. I get up and scream run down the isle, high-fiving all the oust reached hands. 'I made it, I am actually here!' Drew makes small talk but I am so excited and star struck I couldn't remember what he ask me or what I answered even if they did play it back for me. 'bring out the prizes...I am so ready for this'

The lovely models model off a cappuccino maker with all the bells and whistles. 'I don't drink cappuccino...I don't know how much those cost! what am I going to do...why couldn't they have modeled a bag of pull-ups or cool-aid packets...I know those ones?' Drew asks me what I want to bid. I hear the indiscernible babble behind me of the entire audience trying to tell me how to play MY game..... so with a wishfull heart and a small prayer I use the fall back "one dollar drew" and on to the rest of the line. "the actual retailed price...$890, Maura, you're the only one who didn't go over...you win"...'what one how much do people think those things cost? and two, how can it really cost that much? and what am I going to do with a cappuccino maker?' all this runs through my head as I am running up on stage, hugging Drew and excitedly looking for my family in the audience.
"Maura, how are you?"..
"Nervous, excited and ready to win something, Drew"
"what is your favorite game?"
"what's everyone's favorite game...PLINKO"
"well it is your lucky day because you get to play PLINKO!"
I jump up and down and hold my head, like that will make all this seem real! 'I get to play PLINKO...what..how can things get any better?!'
so we go through the motions of getting more PLINKO chips. first item was a bag of pull-ups, I get the chip, second a packet of cool-aid, another chip, third item children's vitamins, another chip and last but not least a fondue set....another chip....' I have five chips to play on PLINKO... that is potentially $100,000'....WAHOOO
I get up on the stares, the first chip falls. I don't know if it is silent because the audience is actually quite or if my head is so filled with blood and excitement that I have lost all capability to hear or think. The chip finally gets to the bottom. $1,000...'ok...not bad'...the second and third chip both land in the $1,000...' I can handle that!' my forth chip lands in the $20,000 spot. I jump up and down again...hoping I am not imagining what I just saw...I just won that? my last chip falls...it seems to take forever, right, then left, down....down and can it be....'YES, YES another $20,000. I just won $43,000' Drew congratulates me and tells me he will see me at the wheel....
The rest of the show goes by in a blur. I don't know what people have won or how long it took....I didn't care I won money and I still have a chance to go to the show case...'the wheel.. really? already? we are doing the wheel now?'
I get there and here comes my turn I push down on the wheel with all my might, around and around it goes.
"Do you want to say hi to anyone?"
"I'd like to say hi to all of my family, there are too many to name off and all of my friends!, Hi guys...I got to play PLINKO..WAHOOO!!!!"
we turn back to the wheel which magically stops on .95. I am the highest number.....I get to go to the show case.
the first show case is a wedding dress, diamond ring, bridesmaids dresses and a trip to Paris. Nice but I have already been married and I want a car...so I pass it on. The guy next to me bids $38,000. My showcase is two Guitars, a trip to Las Vegas and two brand new Lincolns...WAHOO the cars. I bid $80,450.
Now, here is where it gets tricky Drew tells us that this is the Million dollar show. So if one of us is with in $1,000 of the actual price...we will win the show case and a million!
the actual retail price of the other guys show case... $45,000 a difference of $7000... I hold my breath, my nerves so on end I can barely contain myself I just want to scream for 10 minutes straight, my knees are shaking and my eyes are squeezed shut.... drew pulls out the card.."the actual retail price of your showcase $80,575 a difference of $125. Maura you've won a million dollars" he keeps screaming.. or am I screaming?, who knows, who cares. 'I just won an insane amount of money and prices. I can't even believe it.'
I see my family running up to the stage. I am jumping around, confetti is flouring all around. And there is this annoying sound. It gets louder and louder. At first I pay no attention, who cares about a dumb sound? Look at what I just won?! ....but really can't someone do something about that sound? am I the only one that hears it?
And then with a sinking feeling and realization. I look around....People are jumping and yelling but it is all silent except for that one sound....BEEP BEEP BEEP. And just like I were in a bubble. The people and stage are gone in a 'pop'.
I squeeze my eyes shut even harder....'no, no, no, this can't be. come back everyone, come back cars, come back Million Dollars!'....nope all I get is BEEP BEEP BEEP.

Yes, time to get up and back to the real world, so with a mental note not to watch the Price is Right before bed again, I slam my hand on the annoying sound, rub my eyes and ask my dog who is looking up at me "so did you have a nightmare too?"