Well, It’s been 7 weeks to the day that I moved here; I flew in after my appearance on, The View on ABC; what a day that was. Previously I had been with my family in Toledo, where we watched my appearance on Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition with my family. While I was in Toledo I also had a couple of concerts.
That morning I left Toledo a driver was sent to pick me up and take me to the airport, and I then flew into New York. During our descent to land I could see the Empire State Building and The Statue of Liberty; it was fantastic! Once I landed my next driver got into a heated argument with another driver and used words that we won’t share here. It was just like the movies and I was cracking up at the humor of it all. From the airport I was taken to the Pearl Hotel, which is across the street from the theater hosting the Tony Award winning Broadway show, “The Book of Mormon”. Very neat!
Two of my sisters and their friend drove to New York City from Toledo and we enjoyed a VERY expensive Italian dinner together. After dinner, we took a taxi and drove through Times Square, which was packed with thousands of people! Our taxi dropped us off at Ground Zero. Even though the 10-year anniversary of 09/11 will be next month, it was still quiet and you could see the new buildings going up.
It was nice to see Alex Respess since he had completed the skin removal surgery; he looked fantastic; I couldn’t believe that this was the same guy I had been with just four months earlier.
The next morning after Alex and I had breakfast, the taxi picked us both up again a took up to the ABC studios. We had interviews with “The Insider” then we went to the other studio for our appearance on The View it was nice having my own dressing room with my name on door and just two doors down from mine was, MORGAN FREEMAN!! Right there!!
I met the producer; we went over the questions that the ladies were going to ask us, while my sisters and their friend was waiting in the next room. Oh yeah, and I saw Elisabeth Hasselbeck and Whoopie!! As we were all waiting in the Green Room, at one point Morgan started walking towards me and I thought he had a question for me, but he was just reaching for a Kleenex. DARN!
Alex and I had to go for make-up and soon we were up next.
Alex went out first and then myself; there were a MILLION things going through my head; the lights cameras, cues to do this or that; and as soon as I started, it was over; I can’t even remember what they asked me. As they were going to commercial Whoopie learned over and told me it was good that I had stopped running to food and finally accepted what I really was…
After the show, I talked to Morgan and thanked him for what he is doing on stage and off. We talked about the Oscars and I told him he should have 7 of them, technically. He said, “that’s the way things are”. One of the producers told him why me and Alex were on there and he was shocked; he said, “I lost 150lbs; myself, I got a divorce!!”
My day finished with another interview for “Extra”, saying good-bye to my sister and her friend and off to the airport again for my flight to California. Six hours later, when I landed, I had another driver waiting to take me to my new home in Anaheim, California. My brother, Bradley, was waiting eagerly for my arrival.
It was a day I’ll NEVER forget!!