Read about my American Idol experience from the beginning
I got up at 5am to get ready for the line up. I figured that I may have to spend all day in line waiting for a wristband and ticket. I met my friend Ben down at the Erwin center at 6am. By then, the line was already almost a 1/4 around the stadium. We waited no more than an hour before the line started to move. Just 30 minutes later, I had my wristband and ticket. An hour and a half... I was expecting to be camped out all day long.
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Waiting in line for our wristbands
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So with wristband and ticket in hand, I drove home. I then spent the next 30 minutes wrapping my wristband in saran wrap. It may sound silly, but I have to wear it until Thursday and I don't want to get it messed up. It was quite an accomplishment doing it with just one hand.
After going to my regular Tuesday networking group, The Business Connection, I decided I needed a haircut before the auditions. I headed over to Lakeline Mall to the Toni & Guy. Normally I just go to MasterCuts but this was American Idol and I wasn't about to risk a $15 haircut! So I went into the Toni & Guy and asked for some "hair advice." I spoke to the colorist Tracy and explained that I was going to be auditioning and wanted to do something with my hair. She suggested some treatment which sounded good, but I clearly didn't really understand, and off we went.
She got me in the chair and started wiping my hair down with some goop she mixed together on the counter next to us. While she spread it around, we talked about Idol. One by one, the other people in the store started to linger and listen in to our conversation. While we were waiting for the goop to do something which apparently takes 20 minutes, the owner of the store, Barbara, sat down next to us. She then informed me that I needed to have my eyebrows waxed.
Well, I was in way too deep to say no at this point, so as soon as the goop was washed out of my hair, a very nice Asian lady sat me down and started to apply some different, warmer goop on my face. Slowly but surely she ripped the skin right off my face. Actually, the wax wasn't so bad because it was quick. It was the following (what seemed like) 30 minutes of plucking that was just too much to bear. At one point, she sat me up to look at her work... and my eyebrows were lopsided! Needless to say I was a little nervous at that point, but she fixed it up just fine.
Throughout this whole thing, Barbara kept telling me that I was going to sing for them. In fact, several of the hair stylists stuck around instead of going home just to hear me sing. So right there on the spot I busted out with my Michael Buble song, "I'm Feeling Good." I think they were impressed, but it's not like they would bust out and tell me I was terrible!
After I finished singing, Barbara asked me what I was going to wear. I told her jeans, white striped shirt with the cuffs flipped up. Her response... "No." She then proceeded to tell me what I should be wearing. All of their staff got into the act, giving me recommendations on what I should wear for the audition. I was totally confused, as I'm no fashion expert.
Barbara then sat me down in her chair and cut my hair. She really didn't cut a lot, as I keep my hair pretty short anyway. But she was very particular about it... much more than my regular stylist.
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My American Idol outfit
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Once the cut was over, I started asking Barbara again about what I should wear... since I was totally clueless. Tracy walked by and offered to take me shopping on her break! So first, Barbara, Tracy, and I walked to the nearest shoe store so Barbara could show us what kind of shoe I needed.
Tracy and I went down to Algo and tried on 4-5 different pairs of shoes before deciding on the right pair. We then went down to Gap to look for a shirt. Well, we found a blazer and a shirt but I wanted a second opinion. I got several of the sales staff to help as well. I must have tried on 10 different shirt/undershirt combinations before finding the right outfit. It was hilarious... my hairdresser, who I'd never met before, spending almost an hour helping me get dressed for my audition.
Once I'd purchased my clothes (and spent WAY too much money), we walked back to the Toni & Guy to let Barbara approve our purchases. With a hug and good wishes, I finally left the mall... a little lighter in the wallet but feeling much more confident.