The man, the myth, the legend. And some creepy dumbass in the background…
Before The Nest gets on with sharing its world this week, I’d like to use my intro to note the passing of American broadcasting legend Regis Philbin this past Sunday at the age of 88. While the number of TV shows he hosted over a career that spanned five decades are too numerous for me to list, I will of course always remember him as the host that literally made the US primetime version of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire a smashing success at the turn of the millennium. Regis is the only true celebrity I’ve ever had the privilege of meeting, which of course happened 19 years ago when yours truly (the creepy dumbass in the screenshot above) appeared as a zero dollar winning finalist contestant on the game show in January 2001. Some of you were around when I spent 33 weeks recalling that story from my life on this very blog back in 2014, and there are plenty of glimpses contained within that tale which display just how talented this man was at conducting a TV show. Thanks for the memories, Reege, and we hope that when St. Peter rendered his decision on your final destination, that you gave him your trademark response, “Is that your final answer?”
OK, now let’s share our world with Melanie’s questions for this week!
I’d like to take the 50/50 lifeline to remove two globes, please.
Are you a clean or messy person?
At work I’m as neat and tidy as possible, which is more than I can say for many of my co-workers. At home, I’m the very definition of a slob, you know, the kind of person who’d have four cans of half empty expired chocolate frosting currently in their icebox. I think the reason for this contradiction is because while I don’t mind living in a mess at all, I don’t want to make other people have to clean up after me, which would be the case anywhere outside of my messy nest. I don’t like to make people do things that I’m perfectly capable of doing myself…
I coulda done this myself and saved $12,000, dammit!
If I asked you to describe yourself in five words – what would they be?
Only five? Dammit, I’m gonna have to ask George to edit down the list…
Hmmmmm, I’m torn between p#*s, t**s, and motherf*%#?r…
Do you enjoy being out in nature?
Well, that goes without saying…. if you consider walking around the park to perv take pictures of squirrels to be “out in nature.” You’d never get me camping, though. Nuh uh. I’d rather sleep in my messy bedroom than in a body condom sleeping bag among the bugs and bears…
Well, OK, maybe I do have to brave one bear while inside…
What could you spend all day talking about?
Me, myself and I. Now, I generally keep to myself and speak only when spoken to (and sometimes, not even then)…. but if you manage to push the right (or wrong) button and get me going, watch out. I’ll bore your fucking eardrums out talking about anything having to do with me. Nobody at Mecca wants to hear me drone on and on about the good old days at work, but it happens. Wanna know the exciting details behind how my shelf critters got their personalities and quirks? I’ll “entertain” you for hours. Oh, did I ever tell you I was on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? Just a couple minutes ago? Oh…. well, wanna hear about it again?
Someone make this narcissistic bastard STOP!!!!
Please feel free to share some gratitude from your life!
Today is Ody’s 11th birthday!
And I still like to embarrass him by showing his kitten pictures…
Evil Squirrel's Nest 
Yes, RIP, Reege. And I very fondly recall all 33 installments of your trip to the Big Apple to appear on Millionaire, Bill, including your refusal to eat anything but that one greasy spoon’s chicken no matter the bigger hopes of your father.
Ha! You have a great memory! And hopefully “Regis on the Can” still has a treasured spot in your household…
It sure does, Bill. Your response to my comment is priceless artwork!
Happy Birthday to Ody. A lovely photo of him as a baby cat.
Ody says thank you. That’s not his cutest kitten picture, but it’s the funniest…
Happy birthday, Ody. 🙂 My birthday today, too, except I try not to remember what number it is …
Hey, who’s counting anyway? Happy birthday!
I think I recall your TV debut about as well as all your fans do – but it’s still quite an adventure to read and I know it was quite an adventure to HAVE. I’m sure you could have dug that kitchen-pit without help but would you be able to fix the pipes???? Nah….best leave pit digging and pipe repairs to the pros! HAPPY BIRTHDAY ODY – that is truly a cute photo of the little baby beast.
Pam
I could see myself with a jackhammer in hand….. nothing would be safe! But if I could have that 12K back, I just might take the chance!
Thanks Bill for Sharing Your World and it’s very VERY extremely interesting content! You made it to actually be on “Who Wants..” ??! Tell me your secret of how you got past the $@# m#$%$#!f%$!@# t*ts PHONE screening. I was told, once too often, that I ought to go on the show because I often knew the correct answer to something, while the contestant was scratching their nuts and looking bemused. So I said “Why not?” Because YES I want to be a millionaire. Who doesn’t, especially now??” The tax man is chuckling evilly off stage of course, ready to reap at least half that ‘found money” the bastard, but never mind. I therefore got in line to qualify via that damned phone screening ‘test’ and I failed. Every single time. It still pisses me off that I had ageism flung at me (because I could not dial that damned fast..never did a video game in my life!). My hat is perpetually off to you for your success (even if you didn’t get a dollar out of it. You screwed that horrid tax guy anyway)….and I’ve used the whole comment space to rhapsodize about my idol worship of your wonderful journey. R.I.P Regis. You were unique.
The phone game took some getting used to, although that’s neither here nor there since it’s not how I got on the show. Their first experiment with actual in person auditions happened in late 2000, and through a lot of luck and serendipity, I just happened to land a very limited spot in the auditions they were having here. They were actively looking for people who were “different” from the endless stream of white, middle aged, white collar dudes the phone game was bringing them…. and I guess being younger and working a menial job worked in my favor and they picked me. Even though I didn’t win anything, the tax man cameth for me TWICE for my “all expenses paid trip” to New York, apparently since I qualified in 2000, and the trip itself came in 2001. I probably came out poorer money wise, even with the $50 per diem they gave us, but it was totally worth it for the unique experience!
Regis was one of a kind – always enjoyed seeing him on the TV. Glad you got to meet him in person.
Happy Birthday to Ody! 🙂
There will never be another like him. And he’s even shorter in person than he looks on TV!
Regis was as close to a god as humans come. I mean he manage to make Kelly Ripa tolerable. That requires god-like skills!
If Regis could make a talk show PERIOD tolerable, that would be a superhuman feat to me!
Well, you’re a bit of a shithead. Am I allowed to say that on WordPress?
Happy birthday, Ody! RIP Regis.
Sure, you can say shithead. But you’ll have to put a dollar in my Cuss Jar each time you say it…
Happy birthday, Ody!
I’m the same as you on the tidiness front. Don’t care at home, absolutely fastidious about it at work.
It’s like I become two different people. An hour and a half ago, I was rushing around to make our backroom as presentable as possible. Now I’m in front of my computer, and a tornado couldn’t move me out of this chair…
I was shocked to hear Regis was 88. I would have guessed he was at least a decade younger. Maybe it had been awhile since I’d seen him though. When I heard he had died I immediately thought of you. It’s cool you got to meet him.
I understand being both neat and a slob. I can’t tolerate clutter out in the open where I can see it but my linen closet is so full top to bottom that I can barely get the door closed. And the coat of dust on everything can get pretty thick before I break out the dust rag. And let’s not even talk about cobwebs or the outside of windows.
I hope Ody had a good birthday! He was such a cute kitten.
I was a little surprised by Regis’ age as well (And he’d have been 89 in a few weeks, because I know he shares a birthday with my youngest sister)… but I remember he was pushing 70 when I saw him in 2001. It just doesn’t seem like it was THAT long ago!
Ody was a cute kitten… and he was also very little. That didn’t last long. My sister (the same one mentioned above) always calls Ody “Puma” because of how huge he is. Though after all that’s happened to him this year that’s affected his diabetes, he doesn’t quite have the gut anymore at least!