TODAY IS THE DAY!

I’ve been a Price is Right fan as long as I can remember. I have fond memories of watching it with my grandmother whenever my “I’m sick” attempts got me a “get out of school for the day” pass. I can almost taste the chicken noodle soup!

Today is the last time Bob Barker will be hosting the show – and to mark this event we’re having a watching party! I’ve got imaginary dana and imaginary embracey here to help keep my enthusiasm at a sane level. Our fellow TIG writer Stella is watching from home and will be joining us in the comments as we live blog our way through this monumental event. Please join us!!!

And, to fulfill imaginary Char’s request… here’s a bit of a video of me in the TPIR audience a couple of years back. I’m in a pink shirt on the far aisle – I’m the third in the line of three pink shirts (my friends April, Wendy, and I went as a team in matching t-shirts).

Let the live blogging begin!

imaginary embracey said:

Not much “last day” stuff going on yet, other than some sparkly confetti and extended applause. Bob went right to it!
Lucky Seven – and Denise wins a new Corvette!
Shit, I am gonna be as weepy as five-days-in-line contestant Philip when this is over…
OK, game 2 is PLINKO! more in a minute…

imaginary dana said:
Embracey and Liz just shouted PLINKO!!!!!! in unison. I’m a little scared.

imaginary dana said:
I take it back — contestant #2 is pretty and looks good in her t-shirt…

imaginary embracey said:
It NEVER works out well when people start the PLINKO chip in the oddly-placed “i” dot. So contestant 2 wins, but not the big 10k…

imaginary dana said:
Next price on contestants’ row: a STAIR STEPPER.

imaginary embracey said:
There’s someone with a cheap “Plinko Princess” tshirt in the contestants’ row – well no Plinko for you, sis…

imaginary dana said:
The winner — $1301! Again with the dollar-more BASTARD PERSON winning!!!!! And that’s a terrible tie-dye number he’s got going on.
He’s playing for a ski boat with a Volvo engine. Hoo boy! THE RANGE GAME, a hard one…

imaginary liz said:
embracey and I just got weepy thinking about the end of the show… it’s kinda like a graduation… i mean it’s going to be over and all… but we’re starting a new era — and that isn’t so bad right? it could be Rosie O’d taking over (which would be neat). Still, I’m scared and sad.
Hey, does anyone know if there’s an album of Price is Right music?

imaginary embracey said:
Range Game! And Mr. Hyperactive Tie-Die is having a go.
It’s total bullshit that they “can’t start it again for 37 hours” – but I still love it.
AND HE’S A WINNER! 3 WINNERS SO FAR!

imaginary liz said:
Wow — this is great — everyone’s a winner in this round… it’s nearly time to spin the big wheel!!!
When I went down there to be in the audience I practiced my slide on the rug and weighed different scenarios — do you spin again when you spin 65 cents on your first spin of the wheel?

stella said:
No, not Rosie! Please!
When’s the last time we saw the Range Game? It’s been ages… I bet the mountain-climber also makes an appearance before the end of this episode.
I already got a little teary, I won’t lie.

stella said:
I wonder if the ep we were just on is also on YouTube? I’ll have to search…

imaginary dana said:
SPINNING THE BIG WHEEL!!!! Man, I’ve always wanted to spin that thing!!

stella said:
It’s so sparkly in person.

stella said:
By the way, that one dude was in line for FIVE DAYS!

imaginary dana said:
85 and 85 — SPINOFF!!!!

stella said:
She got the $1.00 on the spin!!!!!!!! $1,000 worth of gas for your new Corvette, Denise!

imaginary dana said:
Blondie is pissed that Denise tied her….. and THEN she spun THE BIG 100!!!! I knew Denise would be the big winner!!!! First the Corvette, then the $1000 spin and SHE’S GOING TO THE SHOWCASE SHOWDOWN!!!!

imaginary liz said:
Denise just got $1000 — I can’t even speak. This is too much excitement!

imaginary embracey said:
Bob’s next-to-last showcase showdown. (boo hoo)
Kristen says hi to someone with a birthday and ends up with a solid 85-cents.
Tie-Die Francisco is calmer now. 80 cents total – not enough!
Denise’s excitement is palatable. 85 cents! Tie with Kristen!
It’s a SPINOFF! Kristen 40, Denise LANDS ON THE DOLLAR!!
SHE’S SPINNING AGAIN! So just a grand for Denise (it’ll help with taxes on that ‘Vette), but the SHOWCASE is in her future!!

stella said:
Dean just fell on his way down to Contestants row!

imaginary dana said:
I want to win a jukebox!!! Dean the Canadian won. And now he’s up for ANOTHER NEW CAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! A Chrysler 300. I would be pissed I missed the Corvette.

imaginary liz said:
I think they should have the putting game and the race game. Wouldn’t that be dreamy?

imaginary embracey said:
Dean, who evidently fell down a minute ago, is wearing a Canada t-shirt, gets to contestants’ row – and he wins!
He’s playing “Double Prices” – the lamest TPIR game ever.
Bob is doing his charming suspenseful stall … oh Bob!
AND DEAN WINS! 4 winners today!

stella said:
I wonder if Dean practiced that fall?
Bob just said some of the audience members are throwing up – he meant confetti, but I’d be yakking if I were up there.
Five-day Phil is still not up on stage!

imaginary dana said:
And here…. comes…. MELBA!!!!!!!!!! She’s screaming. And the prize on contestants’ row…. a motorcycle. And also, free tick and flea collar.
Melba just won. She’s uncomfortably excited (IMHO). And she’s winning a trailer to go with that motorcycle. Perfect!

imaginary dana said:
Jesus, Melba looks like she’s about to have a stroke. Poor dear.

imaginary embracey said:
Grocery Game – I always liked this one when I was younger.
And Melba is the first non-winner of the day…

stella said:
I sure love that Grocer game…if I’d have gotten on stage, that’s the game I wanted to play.
Melba just lost – first loser this whole show! She’s going to need to sit down now, and breathe. Whoa.

imaginary liz said:
Melba has to play The Grocer Game? I want the Mountaineer!
DAMN SHE LOST AND RUINED THE WINNING STREAK.
Well, good for her… she said was her dream or something.

stella said:
Five-day Phil! He’s on stage!

imaginary liz said:
PHILLIP finally MADE IT! YAY —
did they just say he was going to get porn games?

imaginary embracey said:
Philip!! He’s totally crying!
It sounded like they just said “Porn Games” instead of “Board Games”…
And he’s up for ANOTHER NEW CAR!!!!!!!

imaginary liz said:
YAY! A THIRD CAR IN THE RUNNING! GO PHILLIP!

imaginary embracey said:
7 = piggy bank
6 = car
1 = piggy bank! OH NO
5 = car
2 = porn/board games
0 = CAR! ONE MORE!
3 = PIGGY BANK
I tried to tell him it was EIGHT… DAMN!
Several days in line just got Philip $7.31. Let’s hope he does well in the showcase showdown!

stella said:
Poor Phil. At least he got on stage – and maybe he’ll still make it to the Showcase!

stella said:
That was it, wasn’t it? No more games! NO GOLF! I can’t believe it.

imaginary embracey said:
Contestants not appearing on stage (including the Plinko Princess) are receiving a grill and some stereo system thingy with multiple remotes in chargers…

imaginary dana said:
Go Phil Go! 55 cents, spin again. He’s gonna lose. Ahh, he got 80 cents total.

imaginary embracey said:
Holy shit – MELBA fell down… and DEAN (who fell down earlier) helped her ass up!

stella said:
Phil! I think he’s going to make it to the Showcase! He did!

imaginary dana said:
YAY FOR FIVE-DAY PHIL!!!!!!!!!!!! He made to the showcase!

imaginary embracey said:
YAY PHIL is going to BOB’S FINAL SHOWCASE EVER!

imaginary liz said:
YAY – all that enthusiasm worked out for Philip — he’s in the SHOWCASE together… it’s him and Denise battling it out for the RV in the SHOWCASE! It is good to know that me and embracey (and you Stella – across town) won’t be the only ones crying. Philip and Denise will be a flowing!

imaginary liz said:
I love the SHOWCASE themes… they stretch so far it must hurt! But those BARKER’S BEAUTIES NEVER FLINCH — WHY AM I TYPING IN ALL CAPS — I CAN’T STAND THE EXCITEMENT!

imaginary liz said:
For PHILIPS showcase – I would bid… $46,000.

imaginary embracey said:
Final showcase – and it’s Denise v. Phil!
Denise doesn’t seem big on travel. And if there’s no RV or car she’ll probably pass…
And there’s the car… Denise “already got a car” so she passes to weepy Philip, who bids 61000.
I’d have said 57500.
Denise’s showcase up next…

stella said:
How nice of Denise to pass that Showcase to Phil since she already won a car!

imaginary dana said:
So far, Denise’s first showcase features a trip to St Martin, Ireland, and an atrocious Lincoln Navigator…. she’s passing cause she “already got a car.”
He bet $61k. I think that’s right on.

stella said:
Oh but wait! Another car has made its appearance for her Showcase!

imaginary liz said:
For Denise’s… I would bid… $75,000… embracey, dana… what do you bid?

stella said:
I say 80K for Denise’s, and maybe 63K for Phil? Go Five-Day PHIL!

imaginary embracey said:
Now Denise is bidding on a huge showcase including a Cadillac Convertible. She bids 84823! Which seems a little over to me…
Wow, Phil may be close enough to win BOTH! TWO CARS? And TRIPS? Let’s see what happens…

imaginary embracey said:
She’s NOT over
Phil was 7677 off! And Denise wins!
She’s got a $140k total on Bob’s last day! Two cars! Big winner! (no pun intended)
And Bob didn’t make a big to-do… but he did say thanks for the 35 years and remind us to help control the pet population, have your pets spayed or neutered.
Oh, Bob…

imaginary liz said:
Oh my… it’s over. sadness… follows…

stella said:
That wasn’t very emotional of an ending. Surprising – I’m not even crying! I will watch again at 8p.m. tonight though.

imaginary dana said:
We were wrong! DENISE IS THE BIG WINNER AGAIN!!!!!! She got her $90k showcase! I hate to think of her tax bill.
And it’s all over…. don’t forget to spay and neuter your pets!!!!

imaginary liz said:
I’m so happy for Denise! She’s a real peach!
Who wants a mimosa?