American Idol ~~~ One and DONE!

Arrived at the site at about 5:00 am courtesy of Margie and began the wait for entry at 8:00. Major storms headed into the area so they began letting the lines move in at about 6:00 am - too late for those of us in the middle or end of the line. Irony is (yes, hindsight is 20/20...) if you'd just shown up at 9:00 you would have not stood in line, not gotten wet, and not had to wait as long...

Despite rain, lightning, crowds and so much more, we made it into the Arena in one piece.

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With everyone being soaked and then freezing in the Arena, it was still all okay and spirits were good all around.

For the first three hours you do a lot of "studio staged" activities and taping for the actual show. Good production supervision and lots of singing and yelling, cheering, etc.

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Ryan Seacrest did show up and do some audience participation activities, along with our Jaguar cheerleaders and the Mayor, John Peyton.

We were about half way through the audition group - about #6,000 - and 101 people had been put through with "Golden Tickets" when Cristin auditioned...

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It is an unbelievably orchestrated and staged and the more attention you can command the better opportunity you have to get noticed - for good or for bad. There were definately some folks here in Jax who got through for something other than their vocal talents.

Once you get to the front, you stand in a line with three others, step forward when it's your turn, sing for up to :30, step back in line, and then when your group is finished they bring the whole line forward, thank you for auditioning, clip your American Idol bracelet off, and then usher you out a door that delivers you to the front sideewalk outside of the arena. No re-entry, no waiting, no nothing.

If you make it to the next round you are ushered through another door, given a new bracelet, and don't know what happens after that.

We ended up on the sidewalk...

And they clipped MY bracelet off as we I exited as well. Nothing to show for the experience or scrapbook other than my ticket, which no one collected.

Okay, so we've had the "Idol Experience" .

Another one to put in the memory book!

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Pics of the whole mess are at

www. americanidol.com/photos/?set=743