Livin' Life

May 21, 2001
Now day 2 was not much better. I’m on lock down in a fancy hotel room with no contact from anybody and at this point I’m getting a little antsy. About the time I start to pace the room from boredom, there’s a knock on my door. A guy named Rick, one of the producers, comes in to explain the rules of the game. Following him comes a guy named Davo who interviews me on camera, kind of a precursor to the game getting started. OK I guess it’s on now…….no, my mistake. He leaves and I don’t hear from anyone the rest of the day. For the second day, I’m on lock down in a fancy hotel room with nothing to do bu watch TV and eat crappy sandwiches. I fall asleep when the rain begins.

May 22, 2001
On day 3 I wake up to boredom again wondering when the heck this thing is going to start. I look out my 10th floor window and see that the street is lined with people standing in the rain. I’m thinking that this is the day it starts. Suddenly there’s a knock on my door and a guy named Chris enters and proceeds to blindfold me. OK, I’ve been on lock down for 3 days and now I’m blindfolded and marched down to the lobby where I’m placed in a chair. All I can do now is listen to the banter around me and try to guess what will happen next. Is this the beginning of the show? After 15 minutes of waiting anxiously, I am escorted back up stairs and placed back in my room….jail cell….?? They tell me that the show is delayed because of the rain and I am again placed on lockown. Now I’m starting to get pissed!

That evening, they told me to grab my stuff and escorted me downstairs and into a black van with 4 other people. I soon learn that these other people have endured the same fate as me and that we are all a secret part of this crazy game called Cannonball Run. My fellow cast members are Dana, Jackie, Princess and Mark and we drive through the night to Blacksburg, Virginia, all of us speculating about what the heck is going on.
Finally we reach our destination and we’re placed in another hotel room for the night.

May 23, 2001
On this date, we finally find out where we fit into the whole scheme of things. Apparently, the race did begin the day before when we were sitting in the lobby blindfolded. You see, we are to be the “third wheel.” Basically, there are six teams of two people. They began the race the day before and will be surprised to find out that today they will be getting us, the “third wheel” to join their team.

So, we are transported to a race track somewhere in Blacksburg, Va. where the six teams are already competing in a demolition derby. At a pre-designated time, we will be introduced into the mix. My team, I notice is competing in a ’68 Chevy Impala low rider and my team mates are……..rappers from LA.

They are actually in first place at this time and as they make their way off the track, I jump in front of the car stopping them and say the following scripted line, ” I’m your third wheel and I’m driving.” I jump in the car and drive off to an address in Alpharetta, Ga.

The team is now complete and the race is on!

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The shock to these two guys is palpable as they suddenly realize that if they win this thing they will have to split the winnings with a “third wheel.” Oh well, that’s the game and there is no doubt that we will win this thing! So for the rest of the day I drive and we talk and we come to an agreement that we will work together despite our differences. Around midnight we pull in to our destination, a pasture on a farm. We clock in first place for the first leg of the race. After some welcomed fanfare we are led to a field where we will spend the night. During the night, the other teams file in from second to sixth place and everybody attempts to sleep.

May 24, 2001
Because of technical problems with cameras and rain, today became a down day so the production staff could get their shit together. They moved us all to a hotel for the day.
Now is a good opportunity to check out the rules of the game. Click here.

During the day, the teams regrouped, did laundry, made alliances and schemed.
My two team members fought. Both, being macho rap-star wannabes from LA and in great competition for camera time, were in each others face most of the day until the shirts literally came off and the fight was on. Guess who was in the middle trying to stop the nonsense? This type of behavior could put an end to our chances of winning this thing. I finally got them seperated and Swann left saying he wasn’t coming back.
The day past and as sleep set in and Swann had not returned, I wandered what would happen to our chances now……….Swann showed up in the middle of the night!

May 25, 2011
We meet early this morning and are whisked off to the farm we spent the previous night. Breakfast is waiting, holywood style, under a tent and served up on paper plates. It fills the hole I guess. After breakfast we are gathered together in front of a pig pen for our first challenge.

The Challenge:
There are 18 pigs in a large mud-filled pig pen. Each pig has a color-coded ribbon around its neck with a key attached. The colors designate the 6 team colors. Each team will elect one member to find the key that fits their vehicle. Only one key fits each vehicle. The first team to find their key and start their vehicle is on the road. The next team to find their key is on the road and so on.