Manhattan Beach

Several people have asked us where exactly the show was filmed. We flew into LAX, were picked up by a car service (because even we are not crazy enough to try to navigate traffic in Los Angeles in a rental car) and taken to the Manhattan Beach Marriott. It is a beautiful hotel that has a large fountain out front. The absolute highlight of my children's stay at this hotel both times has been the sunglass wearing yellow rubber duck floating in the fountain. The first time we were in LA, it was a football weekend, and USC was playing Oregon. We just assumed some smart aleck Oregon fan had "decorated" the hotel fountain with a duck. My kids loved it so much that I was really hoping it would be there when we arrived the second time. It was! My kids were overjoyed. Imagine how stupid I felt when, upon closer inspection, I realized that it was a chlorine dispenser. Oh, well, it gave my kids a thrill. We're easily amused, what can I tell you? Rednecks on vacation!
We all loved Manhattan Beach, and there was an awesome little shopping center within walking distance of the hotel, complete with a CVS. In the rush to get out of town, Kirk wasn't able to get a haircut before we left home. We figured surely the Disneyland Hotel (where we spent the first part of our trip) would have a barber shop (which it didn't) but then were able to find one near the Marriott. In conversation Kirk told the man cutting his hair why we were in town. I can't imagine how he knew we weren't native Californians. Southern accent, anyone? The gentleman finished his haircut with a flourish and assured him that this was a $100,000 haircut. When he got back to the room, Kirk told me all about how nice the guy was who cut his hair and how if we won he was definitely going back to give him a bigger tip. Naturally, the next day, after the taping was over, we did one of the most exciting things I have done in a very long time. We went back to that shop and, catching him totally off guard, we gave that sweet barber a bigger tip and a "thanks" for the $100,000 haircut!
I mentioned that there was a CVS in the same shopping center. We found ourselves in need of junk food and a necklace to replace Savannah's broken one, so we headed out. While we were collecting our "groceries," we got in line behind two completely stereotypical teenage California skater dudes, both of whom were buying Milk Duds. With typical teenage swagger, they headed out the door. The first kid dropped his skateboard, hopped on, and took off through the parking lot. Very slick. The second kid followed suit...but he forgot to allow for the rubber mat that triggers the automatic door. When he hopped on his skateboard and tried to take off, the wheels stayed put... and he faceplanted  right there on the sidewalk in front of God and everybody. Totally humiliated, he glanced around quickly trying to figure out if anyone saw him (we did) and ran off with his skateboard in hand. Our cashier laughed so hard I thought he was going to wet his pants. "Those little sh$%s come in here all the time!"
However, the neatest thing that happened to us in Manhattan Beach was right after the taping. As we sat down to eat after the show in a 50s themed diner, a group of college age kids came in and sat down. I noticed that one of them had on an AFV t-shirt, but didn't think much about it. During our meal, a young lady passed our table going to the restroom. On the way back, obviously distracted by something, she tripped over the "wet floor" sign and almost fell down. A few minutes later I became aware that a large group of people was standing behind out table. Apparently "grace" who tripped over the sign had been sent to confirm that we were who they thought we were. I heard, "I'm sorry, we hate to interrupt your dinner, but congratulations! We were in the studio audience!" Still completely in shock, all I could do was stammer, "Thank you!" I sure didn't mind the interruption, with what had just happened to us. But at least that was confirmation that someone else had seen it and I didn't dream the whole thing! I can't imagine being really famous.