I was a LIVE with Regis and Kelly Trivia Contest Winner (for Real)!

Just when you're facing yet another really bad day, like a bolt of lightning, things can turn around in an instant. Trust me. It happened to me, and it can happen to you, too.

Tuesday, January 27, 2009, started off badly. First, there was a frantic search to find my younger son's missing social studies folder. This was followed by my older son's anger because I forgot to wash his favorite football jersey. Normally, this isn't a huge deal, but when you're 14 years old and in the throes of puberty, it's paramount.

After weathering the tornado of an unusually hectic morning, I settled in my home office to attack a mountain of assignments, E-mails and phone calls. Where was this path headed? It certainly looked like a continuation of my bad morning. As it turned out...NO!

At 8:05, my telephone rang. Impatiently glancing down at it, I noticed that caller ID said "New York." No name. No recognizable phone number. I let the telephone ring three times. One more ring, and the answering machine would pick it up. Oh, what the heck. I made the last minute decision to answer the call. In retrospect, it was the best decision I made all morning.

"Hello. Is this Jackie Kass?" the caller inquired. "Yes, it is," I replied, too curtly, thinking that this was a sales call of some sort. The caller ignored my impatience, and calmly continued, "This is the LIVE with Regis and Kelly show calling from New York, and you were randomly chosen to be today's trivia caller."

Come again? The LIVE with Regis and Kelly show was calling me in Alpharetta? Get out! I began my love affair with Regis Philbin in 1994 when my older son was at the height of a very nasty case of colic. Regis and Kathie Lee became my best friends, and often my sole link to sanity. I have been a fan ever since, and often manage to take a "coffee break" to catch the first 20 minutes of Host Chat. I was going to talk to Regis on live, national TV? I was going to have the chance to win a spectacular, and much-needed dream vacation? Get out!

The show's producer asked me a few quick questions, and told me to stay close to the phone, as she would call back at 8:55. Uh oh! I quickly realized that I had not seen the show the day before. Uh oh. Uh oh. Uh oh! I had 50 minutes to call in reinforcements! Nicole, my neighbor and friend, rushed over to my house, and we frantically "Googled" the guests from yesterday's show. We furiously made notes, and I felt somewhat armed and ready... and very, very nervous. In the midst of everything, I even managed to remember to set TiVo to record the show. I knew that I'd want to relive the moment, and to surprise my children when they got home from school.

The call back came at 8:55, and I was instructed to remain on hold for an additional twenty minutes. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. After what seemed like an eternity, I finally heard Regis Philbin and Kelly Ripa on the phone, saying my name! It was definitely an unreal feeling. Kelly, Regis and I chatted about silly things like "The Real House Wives of Atlanta" TV show, wine and the weather. It was a fun and engaging conversation, and I couldn't believe it was happening. Regis then spun the famous wheel, and it landed on a trip to the Verandah Resort in Antigua.

Yikes... Now, it was time for the trivia question. "What state did the 2009 Miss America represent?" Yippee! From my Google research, I immediately knew that the answer was "Indiana," and blurted it out! Regis said that I was a winner, and congratulated me. I had just talked to an icon of American television, and I was going on a $6,000 trip to a tropical island for a whole week! Unbelievable! My bad day definitely changed direction, to say the very least.

Later that day, after coming down from my adrenaline rush, I surprised my sons by showing them the show. When my husband came home from work, and we all celebrated at the day's good fortune.

The moral of my story is that, in an instant, a bad day can suddenly turn into a good day. Keep the faith, keep trudging along, and you too will be rewarded for your perseverance. Good luck and best wishes for a really great day!