MEETING CAROL BURNETT ON FRIDAY 6/29/07 UP IN SANATA BARBARA WHERE SHE DID HER Q&A AT UCSB CAMPBELL HALL

IT ALL STARTED THURSDAY NIGHT WHEN I RECEIVED A CALL FROM MY GOOD FRIEND KATHY - WHO HAPPENS TO BE CAROL BURNETT'S OFFICLA ARCHIVIST - IT SEEMS WHEN KATHY GOT HOME FROM WORK THURSDAY THERE WAS A MESSAGE ON HER ANSWERING MACHINE FROM CAROL'S ASSISTANT ANGIE INVITING KATHY TO COME TO SANTA BARBARA TO SEE CAROL IN HER ONE WOMEN Q&A SHOW - AND HOW MANY TICKETS WOULD SHE NEED - TICKETS WERE TO BE COMPED AND THERE WOULD BE A VISIT WITH CAROL AFTER THE SHOW

KATHY CALLED ME AND INVITED MYSELF, WIFE AND DAUGHTER TO JOIN HER - NOW WE LIVE IN LOS ANGELES, ABOUT ONE HOUR FROM SANTA BARBARA AND KATHY LIVES ABOUT 30 MINUTES AWAY FROM ME - BEING THIS WAS A FRIDAY AFTERNOON AND TRAFFIC WOULD MOST LIKELY BE HORRIBLE WE NEEDED TO CORDINATE THE DEPARTURE TIME - WE WANTEDTO LEAVE BY AT LEAST 4PM

MY WIFE DECLINED - NOT WANTING TO RUSH FROM WORK - SO IT WAS GOING TO BE KATHY, ME AND REBECCA

KATHY WOULD DRIVE TO MY HOUSE AND I WOULD THEN DRIVE TO SANTA BARBARA - WE LEFT MY HOUSE AROUND 3:30 AND ARRIVED IN SANTA BARBARA A LITTLE AFTER 5PM - THE DRIVE WASNT AS BAD AS WE ASSUMED - AND THE SCENERY ALONG THE COAST WAS CLEAR AND BEAUTIFUL

WE WENT TO THE BOX OFFICE TO GET OUR TICKETS - THEY ALSO GAVE US SOME NICE POSTCARDS AND SMALL POSTERS PROMOTING THE SHOW

WE THEN FOUND A PLACE TO EAT - AFTER WERE DONE I SAID TO KATHY LETS GO TO THE STAGE DOOR AND SEE IF WE CAN SEE CAROL ARRIVE.....AS WE GOT THERE - DONT YA KNOW IT - CAROL DROVE UP - HER HUSBAND BRIAN WAS DRIVING WITH HER ASSISTANT ANGIE IN THE BACK WITH ONE OF CAROL'S OLDEST FRIENDS FROM HER NY DAYS AND THE LEAD DANCER FROM HER SHOW DON CHRICTON.

WHEN CAROL SAW KATHY SHE JUST BEAMED AND ROLLED DOWN HER WINDOW AND WAS GAVE KATHY A BIG HELLO - WHEN SHE GOT OUT OF THE CAR SHE GAVE KATHY A BIG HUG - REBECCA AND I STAYED BACK SO KATHY COULD HAVE HER MOMENT WITH CAROL - KNOWING WE WOULD HOPEFULLY SEE HER AFTER THE SHOW

THE SHOW WAS BEING TAPED FOR AMERICAN MASTERS AND LASTED ABOUT 90 MINUTES - ONE YOUNG GIRL TOLD CAROL SHE JUST PERFORMED IN ONCE UPON A MATRESS AS WINIFRIED AND ASKED HER IF SHE WOULD SING A COUPLE OF LINES FROM SHY - CAROL SAID SHE WOULD IF THE YOUNG LADY WOULD DO TI WITH HER - SO THE YOUNG GIRL JOINED CAROL ON STAGE AND THEY SANG

CAROL WAS CHARMING, FRIENDLY AND FUNNY FOR THE FULL 90 MINUTES

I ASKED HER IF ANYONE WHO SIGNED HER BOOK AT THE END OF HER SHOW EVER WROTE ANYHTING OFF COLOR AND COULD SHE TELL US WHO AND WHAT THEY WROTE AND SHE SAID YES - MARTHA RAYE ALWAYS WROTE SOMEHTING OFF COLOR AND SHE COULDNT TELL US :)

THE SHOW WAS OVER AND OFF THE THE BACK STAGE DOOR

IT WAS ONLY THE THREE OF US - WHEN WE GOT THERE THE LADY WITH THE LIST WHO WAS NOT PART OF THE BURNETT ORGANIZATION ONLY LET KATHY IN - WE WERE DISAPOINTED BUT I TOLD MY DAUGHTER WHEN CAROL COMES OUT WE WILL TAKE A PICTURE THEN

WELL CAROL'S HUSBAND BRIAN CAME OUT - WENT TO THE CAR AND THEN CAME BACK TO THE STAGE DOOR - THE DOOR WAS LOCKED AND THE GUARD WOULDNT LET HIM IN SINCE HE DIDNT HAVE A PSS - BRIAN WAS KNOCKING ON THE DOOR - IT OLDTHE GURAD THAT HE WAS CAROL'S HUSBAND TO LET HIM IN - THEN I SAID TO BRIAN THAT WE DROVE FROM LA WITH KATHY FOR 2 HOURS CAN HE GET US BACKSTAGE - HE SAID HE WAS HAVING HIS OWN TROBULE BUT HE WILL SEE WHAT HE CAN DO

BRIAN GOT IN AND NOT ONE MINUTE LATER THE DOOR OPENED AND MY DAUGHTER AND I WERE USHERED BACKSTAGE

I LET REBECCA AND CAROL TALK FOR A SECOND OR TWO - AND THEN ASKED IF WE COULD TAKE A PICTURE WITH HER

THEN IT WAS ALL OVER

TIME TO DRIVE HOME

I AM SO GLAD WE HAD THAT TIME TOGETHER

WAYNE