Posted: 6/26/07
MS didn't keep local woman from Vegas
By Charlie Warner
Argus News Editor
Caledonia's Lorna Augedahl has been a faithful viewer of Bob Barker's The Price Is Right for many years. When she heard the popular TV gameshow host was going to retire, she just had to be there for the taping of his last show.
Lorna, who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) nearly 20 years ago, told her home health aid Trina Alfson of Spring Grove of her desire to catch Barker in action before he retired. So Alfson helped Lorna apply for tickets.
"We found out they sent out 500 tickets, but would only let 300 people in for the final taping," Alfson said. "It didn't make a lot of sense to fly all the way out to LA, stand in line with Lorna in a wheelchair, and then not get in. So I asked Lorna if there was anywhere else she'd like to go. She replied 'Las Vegas.' I got on the Internet, did some checking and found out a new Price is Right show was being taped in Vegas with potential new host Todd Newton. When I told Lorna about the new show in Vegas, she decided that was where she wanted to go."
Lorna's husband Paul thought the trip was a good idea. On June 4 Lorna and Alfson boarded a plane in La Crosse, flew to the Twin Cities and then on to Las Vegas. Neither Lorna or Alfson were seasoned flyers, with just two flights logged between the two women.
"I hadn't flown since I was 10 years old. I asked Lorna if I could hold her hand when we got ready to take off. She said that was fine. I squeezed her hand pretty hard when we left the ground, but she didn't say anything," Alfson recalled, as Lorna chuckled.
They arrived in Vegas Monday evening and attended the Price is Right taping Tuesday morning. Lorna said she was quite impressed with Todd Newton, and really enjoyed taking in the taping of the show.
The two spent quite a bit of time sightseeing and attended The Legends Show, which featured entertainers impersonating many bigtime celebrities. They included Garth Brooks, Toby Keith, Prince, Michael Jackson, Faith Hill, Barbara Streisand, Bruce Springsteen, and of course, Elvis.
Elvis spotted Lorna in her wheelchair and made a beeline for her. "He gave me a big hug and Trina took our picture," she said, beaming.
When asked if the two did much gambling, Lorna replied "gambling was minor, we enjoyed people watching."
She then explained the hotel they were staying in, The Imperial, had celebrity impersonators, called "dealatainers" serving as dealers. She said they had more fun watching the dealers and the hordes of people gambling, "besides our luck wasn't very good," she added.
The Imperial also featured a Hawaiian luau, which was kind of pricey. But their room overlooked the courtyard where the luau took place, so they were able to enjoy the sights and sounds from their hotel room.
The two also enjoyed Siegfried & Roy's Royal White Tigers display at the Mirage.
Because of the MS, Lorna requires quite a bit of sleep, and usually retires around 6 p.m. But out in Vegas, she and Alfson were out gallivanting around until 10:30 or even 11 p.m.
"I seemed to get my second wind at night," Lorna said.
Alfson noted they met many caring people who helped open doors for them. A special cab, equipped with a backseat lift, was needed to get Lorna around. One evening Alfson called for a handicapped cab and the two spent the next 60 minutes waiting out in front of The Imperial.
"The bellhop came out of the hotel and asked if we were having troubles," Alfson said. "I told him we had been waiting for more than an hour for a cab. He got on the phone right away and called the cab company. It still took another 20 minutes before we got a cab, but he was very nice, and apologized for our inconvenience."
Lorna attracted quite a bit of attention at the security stops at the airport. With the wheelchair, there are many places to hide explosives and weapons, and Lorna was poked and prodded by security personnel. She finally had enough as they prepared for their return flight and exclaimed, "I'm getting sick and tired of being felt up by you guys."
"I just broke out laughing, and so did the security people," Alfson said, laughing as she recalled the scene.
The two returned on June 7, just in time to get in on some very unstable weather. Southeast Minnesota was in a tornado watch on the Thursday the two were flying between Minneapolis and La Crosse. There was so much turbulence the flight attendants never got out of their seats. But the two did get back on the ground, safe and sound.
Looking back at the trip they made three weeks ago, Lorna said she was happy she decided to go to Las Vegas. "It was pretty much what I expected. The people were nice, and it was quite entertaining ."
And although she didn't get to see the final taping of the official Price is Right, she did get to see the next best thing in Vegas....and she got a hug from Elvis and the picture to prove it!
Caledonia Argus
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E-Mail: editor.argus@ecm-inc.com