The best birthday = O-P-R-A-H

I rolled out of bed at 2:55, having set my alarm for 3:00. I felt like I slept 10 hours because I was ready to go! (I had only slept 2.) Guess what time I arrived at Harpo Studios? 4:30 a.m. Not kidding. I really don't think I have ever purposely woken up at that time to do anything quite like this.

Long story short, the doors opened for us at 7-ish and we went through coat check and security check (mega security check, too) and then ate breakfast (given to us by Harpo Studios themselves). Even though we waited and waited, it wasn't a boring wait. It was the kind of wait where you just sit there looking at all the other people, seeing what they wore to the show, watching their enthusiasm, just really taking every bit of it in. And then about 8:30 they actually let us into the studio itself. Talk about amazing to set foot onto the Oprah set. It's just not explainable. Maybe I'm crazy, but it was just a dream come true for me.

So, being that I was literally the FIRST PERSON IN LINE, I thought I would get a front row seat. And while my name was called really early, we didn't get as grand of a seat as I had hoped, but really, anywhere in the studio is a good seat. It only sits 300 people and it's really not that big at all. (I did beg and plead saying it was my birthday and that just didn't get my anywhere. Boo.)

About 10 minutes before the start of the LIVE show, Oprah comes out. It was, as silly as this sounds, a surreal experience. I have loved and watched this woman on TV since I was 10. Like many of us, I just love and respect her so much. I hardly ever miss a show. Those who are closest to me know how much I adore this woman, so seeing her walk out made me light on my feet. It was actually Oprah that I was seeing with my own eyes and who was standing (at times) just a few inches away from me. It just didn't seem real!

She was beautiful. She wore a beautiful black and white striped skirt, which after seeing it on tv, it made her look larger than she was. And her shoes were gorgeous which were about 4 inch heels and she later told us that when Jessica Seinfeld was on her show, as a "thank you" she sent Oprah 21 pairs of heels. (Oh my goodness!!)

And then there was her hair and makeup. Her hair was just amazing. I am sure almost all it is a weave, but it's the most gorgeous weave ever. I just couldn't believe how beautiful that woman was and how magnificently she carried herself and how kind she was to everyone. She really really loved us and in between segments she would talk to the audience and at the end she took more time to talk to us and she whole-heartedly told us how thankful she was for us coming to Chicago to see her and how she wouldn't have been here for so many years without us (I mean, me . . . Val, hehe. You know, she was speaking directly to me that whole time). It was so incredibly fun and surreal.

Simon Cowell was the main guest and if you don't know who that is, watch American Idol, and you won't miss him. He comes across as a total arrogant jerk but he is really a man with a huge huge heart. I have always liked him and now I like him even more. One thing I really noticed about him was that during commercial breaks crew members would come up to him and pour him a new glass of water or powder buff his face and each time he genuinely thanked them by looking them in the eyes and saying "thank you very much". He doesn't have to do that, but he does. And it's a small gesture, but it's admirable, and one that I think says a lot about him.

If you saw the show, you saw that Simon was on to debut his newest prodigy, Leona Lewis. She is an absolute beauty from Great Britain whose voice sounds like a mix of Mariah Carey and Celine Dion. She is phenomenal. And she is the sweetest. I think she and I would make really great friends :c) It was neat being one of the first to see her sing live on TV. And we got a copy of her CD, which was to be released today. Kinda cool. (At least we got something!) You can hear her beautiful song "Bleeding Love" ----> here. You must hear it. I have played it about 10 times already today. It's beautiful and it's even better in person.

Jamie Oliver was also on the show as well (what a CUTIE!) as well as the latest one kicked off of Oprah's new show, Carlana, from the Big Give. Simon also stuck around for the whole show, writing a check to a family in need for over $160,000 to pay off their mortgage so they can concentrate on the bills for their daughter's cancer treatments. We were all in tears.

Simon talked about how he never use to "give" anything and now that he is doing it, it's changing his life. It's molding him and changing him. Which warms my heart. I know how experiences, no matter how tough they are or easy they are, can change your life forever. Like for me, my 3 years of infertility and losing 3 babies . . . that changed my life forever and really has made me see life differently. Each of us are woken up in different ways, and learning to give (some of his 44 million dollars) has been Simon's wake-up and change.

Oh and I can't forget to mention the ventriloquist from America's Got Talent, Terry Fator. He and his band were on and it was just fantastic. Oprah loved him so much she asked them to come back later and perform again for her! (Which we got to see!)

What an amazing show it was. I loved seeing all the crew working behind the scenes and what Oprah and the guests did during commercials or while a clip was playing. I loved seeing how the show itself was decorated. I loved watching the 9 cameramen do their jobs. I loved watching the one photographer who shot all the still pictures and kept thinking to myself how I would absolutely love to have that job wondering how you go about getting that job. I'd move to Chicago in a heart beat to be The Oprah Show's photographer if she was looking for someone cool like myself. My favorite teacher from 3rd grade, Mrs. Sleeth, would be super proud of me is I were to get that job! :c)

We were surprised later with the opportunity to stay for a taping of an upcoming show with Kirstie Alley and Jamie Oliver (again) with a lunch given to us by the show, but we had to leave because Neil had to fly out of Indy at 8 that night. But at least I got to be a part of one show, and that one show was truly amazing and probably the best birthday gift I have ever ever had.