(Essay Originally Posted March 15, 2001 and Updated March 21) (NOTE: On March 19th, I taped my appearance on the TV show. Due to contractual obligations, I can't comment on the show itself until the air date of April 3rd. But I can tell people that unfortunately I won't be able to quit my day job and take an early retirement :(
I did have a great time and will write an update later this week on some more pre-show happenings. Stay tuned for installment #3 in the next few weeks).

In my previous article, I talked about my trials and tribulations in an effort to become a contestant on ABC's 'Who Wants To Be A Millionaire.' When we last met, I had successfully answered all five questions of part 2 correctly and was nervously awaiting word from the network that I was going to be a contestant on the show.

If it came, the call was supposed to come on my cellular from 3-6:00 pm Central time. I figured the earlier, the better. So after a half an hour had come and gone, and I hadn't received a phone call, I figured that my luck might have run out.

But just after 3:30, a loud but wonderful ring on the cell phone quickly snapped me into attention. It was Rich, a producer on the show, telling me the great news that I and a guest were flying to New York later that Sunday for a Monday taping of the program (air date of April 3rd)!!

The itinerary was quickly explained. A guest and myself (which will be my wife Darlene) receive airfare and hotel arrangements for a two-day stay in New York. You get a small per diem (note to ABC: I'm not complaining mind you, especially if I win some serious jack, but $50 a day won't go too far in the Big Apple) and some free time to do a little sight-seeing.

My show's taping will be on Monday, March 19th. If I get past the Fast Finger Round and become a 'carryover contestant' from one program to the next, I need to stick around in NYC another day for a Tuesday taping. The producer and I discussed interesting bullet points that Regis could talk about if I'm on the big stage (that one was easy - the twins who are married to twins and half of them are expecting twins was an obvious choice). One additional point that Rich mentioned is that I can tell people I'm going to be on the show and even mention if I get past Fast Finger, but I can't tell anyone how much I won.

The bulk of this week has been devoted to studying (note to future contestants - two good sources of trivia are The Dictionary of Cultural History and About.Com's trivia quizzes), and also selecting my five potential phone-a-friend lifelines.

I've had lots of volunteers, but here is who my five phone-a-friends will be (and their areas of expertise)...

1. My twin brother Craig (honestly I don't expect to call him if it gets to the point where I can phone a friend, since Craig pretty much knows the same mindless trivia that I do). But he's more knowledgeable on twins' trivia (hey, there are some great trivia questions that deserve to be on WWTBAM), and there are other people here in the office who are good on Monty Python and Beatles trivia.
2. My brother Doug (a likely call - he claims he's never lost in Trivial Pursuit. He's particularly good in pop culture, current events and outdoor activities)
3. My friend Pat (a lawyer, he would be good in law, religion and history)
4. My friend Marty who just happens to be Pat's twin brother (my top choice for space, astronomy, many of the sciences, art history and more)
5. And my friend and neighbor Bernie (a mechanical engineer who would be good for math, engineering and botany questions).
6. Other friends like John and Sean didn't make the cut but they were kind enough to say they will help out by hanging around with my lifelines should the call come.

Well that's about all I can report on at the moment. Wish me luck. I'll write about my experiences on the show next week when I return to Houston. Now if you excuse me, I need to keep studying!!!

Next Essay: The Big Day!!!