Yes, we made it to -- and through - registrations!

Now we have all the official stuff, just need to come back on Wednesday (at 5 am) and actually get to audition.

Of the 15,000 plus who show, a couple of hundred will actually be selected to audition in "Round 2" in September.

Of those, a narrowed field will be sent to "Round 3" also here in Jax, and that's when you audition for Randy, Paula and Simon. Clever editing makes it look like all of these thousands have been along for the whole ride, and that the three judges have been part of the whole process.

Not true...

In fact, the whole thing - as most of us would have figured out by now - is a cleverly orchestrated media phenomenon that builds dreams and hopes among some of the most unlikely auditioners.

While Cristin wants to "go through the experience" -- and since it's here locally we might as well --it's pretty clear that there is a lot of defined criteria, staging, and hollywood manipulation that goes into the whole audition process. Unbelievably, we met people who have auditioned 4 times, travelled all over the country to do this, cashed in retirement plans and college funds, fundraised for a year to pay for their trip, etc.

For us, it's an opportunity to put into the scrapbook and a fun experience before digging into "Senior Year"

Watch for more updates after Wednesday!