Wheel Of Fortune Wheelmobile at Casino Del Sol

The Morning Blend TV show that I manage is housed in the station's marketing / creative services department. I was asked as part of that department's staff to help out with this weekend's Wheelmobile event.

The Wheelmobile is a giant yellow RV (and trailer) that travels around the United States each year putting on events in search of new contestants for the Wheel Of Fortune TV game show.

It's fun to watch potential contestants get called on stage, play a round of the game and solve a puzzle, and show their personalities to show producers on-site in the hopes that they could get a shot of being on the show.

KGUN 9 station personalities and on-camera talent were on stage as well. This was a two day event, and during the Saturday session (which was the one I was at) there was Tina Jennings from the Morning Blend, Chief Meteorologist Erin Christiansen, and Good Morning Tucson anchor Pat Parris to draw names of contestants to go on stage and help to get the crowd at Casino Del Sol's AVA Amphitheatre excited to be there.

A highlight of the event for me was the catering. I enjoyed some eats between shows during the afternoon and had some delicious potato salad. The last time the station hosted this event in 2014, they also had delicious potato salad but in 2014 it had bacon. This batch didn't have bacon and while I wished that it did, I ate it anyway and it was good.

I won a little money in the casino before the Wheelmobile event started.
Cha ching.

The crowd gathers at AVA Amphitheatre next to Casino Del Sol

for the Wheel of Fortune Wheelmobile event.

A table of Wheel Of Fortune shwag waiting to be won

Vinca, Joe, Tina and Lindsay working the Wheelmobile event

Steve, Andy and Brian checking out video on a GoPro

Gabe and Alex chat with Wheel Of Fortune producer Suzie

Alex and Tina, two of my co-workers on the TV show,

do a little dancing as the event gets underway

A fake owl in the rafters

Wheelmobile host Marty Lublin pumps up the crowd

Marty Lublin

Andy peeps out his phone on the side of the stage

Prize table in the foreground, Gabe shoots video of Marty in action

in front of the attending crowd

Audience view of the stage

Closer view of the stage from the audience

This woman wore an outfit that got her noticed.

She made it up to the stage as a contestant late in the afternoon

and revealed that she's due for a serious surgical operation.

I was thrilled that her name was drawn to go up.

The woman talking to Marty on the left showed off a dance move

These five people were next to take a shot at a puzzle

and were getting coached as to what to do when they got their turn.

Andy and Tina have a conversation on the side of the stage

And.... somebody spotted the Kenparazzi.

Mallory from the Wheelmobile (she plays the Vanna role essentially),

Tina reads more names to come up to the stage, and Wheelmobile host Marty

This potato salad backstage was delightful and delicious

I wanted to eat the whole bowl full

But... I settled for a giant scoop on my plate and a piece of cheese pizza. 

Gabe and Paul shoot video of the Wheelmobile event

Marty introduces Erin to the crowd

One of the banners on stage

Solving another puzzle

Andy shoots Erin and Pat's picture

This contestant played a mean air guitar

The woman with the zebra stripe outfit (even the shoes) finally made it on stage

And she can dance!

This man in the blue shirt was apparently exhausted from watching the action

I wasn't the only one lucky in the casino.

Congratulations Steve!

It was kind of warm and the most handy thing to wipe sweat

from our foreheads were these wads of cash winnings.

Photos from the grocery store

Photos from my last couple of visits to Walmart Neighborhood Market grocery store:

Ad circular left with the clearance baked goods.

Noooooooooooooooooooo

Abandoned shredded lettuce left by dinner rolls.

Noooooooooooooooooooooooo

Cinnamon Frosted Flakes.

Scary tiger ready to eat you while you have breakfast not included.

Here are the seeds, now all you need is a pet.

Dinner rolls abandoned with the cookies.

Nooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Oreo Chocolate Strawberry cookies.

I bought these for my co-workers to try, reviews were positive.

Someone forgot their Vaseline.

I hate when that happens.

Cereal left all alone with the Tampico.

Nooooooooooooooooooooo

Empty sample cups left with hamburger buns.

Either that or someone was taking jello shots at the store.

The graham crackers have fallen and they can't get up.

Noooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Sample cup of cereal left with the mouthwash.

Fresh breath took priority.

Another empty sample cup abandoned by the vacuum filters.

Nooooooooooooooooooooooooo

A bottle of wine left with the napkins.

A perfect combo if you want to get sloppy drunk.

Anthony pointed out these new Cheez-It sandwich crackers.

Made with real cheese. Revolutionary!

A stuffed donut offered as a Valentine's Day gift.

Notice this was by cheap beer.

That's what you really need to have a Happy Valentine's Day!

Replacing the poomobile

The poomobile was totaled in the accident on December 23. Once Progressive alerted me that they were going to pay it out, I had 72 hours to give up the rental vehicle or I would be forced to pay for the rental out of my own wallet.

I had to find a new (to me) vehicle, and pronto.

I have spent an extraordinary amount of time and effort improving my credit in the last couple of years and it ended up paying off in what turned out to be essentially an emergency situation. I easily qualified for a new loan.

I went shopping at Mercedes Benz of Tucson. I didn't have plans to buy a new Mercedes (I don't make that kind of money). But, they have a fantastic selection of used cars and I'm acquainted with Natasha Rogerson, one of the salespersons at the dealership. She was a guest on the tv show a few years ago and we're friends on Facebook.

Four hours at the dealership from start to finish and a hug later, I drove off in a 2014 Volkswagen Jetta GLI Autobahn. The experience of purchasing a vehicle there was amazing. I've had the vehicle several days now and the car has exceeded every expectation I had.

I have asked for suggestions on Facebook as to what name it should get. I've had interesting suggestions like Black Beauty, Black Stallion, and the funniest one was Melenamobile. Melena is the condition where there's blood in your stool and it turns your poo black. (It can also happen after taking an over the counter medication like Pepto Bismol). Kind of a take off of poomobile. I haven't decided yet but that's currently my favorite choice.

2014 Cadillac, one of the vehicles I considered.

It's a beautiful car but the interior is a bright yellow/tan color

and it's kind of obnoxious

2015 Jeep Renegade, another vehicle I considered

It's a nice little truck but Jeeps don't have the best

reputation for being reliable

I looked at this 2014 Chrysler 300

It's a gigantic car, I felt it was too large for me

2014 Volkswagen Jetta GLI Autobahn

Winner!

Sitting at Natasha's desk while she went to the sales manager's office

A few of the new Mercedes in the showroom

wrapped in gift bows for the holidays

Cars in matte finishes are all the rage these days.

This new Mercedes is $137,000

They have their own water!

This stunning new Mercedes convertible

has a sticker price of only $250,000.

For that price, it should do sexual things to me while I drive.

Coffee spilled on Natasha's desk.

It's fake!

Swag bag I got from Natasha

The Jetta has lights on the dash that I have never seen

including that round green light which is actually a shoe

in the middle, which means push on the brake pedal

before pushing the keyless start button.

DRL indicates Daytime Running Lights are on.

The Jetta at my house, front view.

The Jetta's butt

The Jetta has a really big trunk.

I could put several adult bodies in there.

Interior, and because it's sunny it looks grey in the photo

but it's actually black.

Back seat, the red stitching is part of the accent

that comes with the Autobahn package

Jetta, side view.

I'm back in business thanks to Natasha and Mercedes Benz of Tucson!

Vroooooooom!