One thing that was an automatic must do was going to the Good Morning America (GMA) studio in Times Square in the morning during the show taping. You see, my mom is the biggest GMA fan you will find. She's been watching since Joan Lunden was the co-anchor...I don't even remember those days! The co-anchors now are Robin Roberts and George Stephanopoulos...or I should say, Mom's best friend, Robin, and other people. Mom has taken such a liking to her, it's just crazy! She listens intently to every word she has to say and even makes note of her clothing and accessories. They have this relationship...well, Mom has this relationship with Robin that is fun to watch. I mean, Mom cares so much about Robin that when news broke about Robin's breast cancer, I had to make sure to tell Mom in a careful way and not just blurt it out.While Mom has this significant relationship with Robin, she still loves the other cast members of GMA...Sam Champion being at the top of this list. Sam is the weatherman and has this great fun, spunky, and approachable manner about him. You can often see him joking with the crowd outside of the studio in the mornings. So, when I found out that Mom and Dad were coming, I made sure that we scheduled in being a part of that crowd. I knew meeting Robin could be a long shot, but I figured, at the very least, Mom would get to see Sam.
We got to Times Square at 6:45a and there was already a crowd there! We had a row of people in front of us but we could still see the 'set' and the producers so I figured we would still be able to see Sam and be on TV when they span the crowd. I have to say, I was very impressed with how nice all the GMA staffers were! There was no attitude, no one got annoyed...I almost forgot I was in New York City...hehehe...just kidding!
We were told that only Sam would be down that day and that he wasn't coming until 8am...so we waited...and waited. Keep in mind, waiting outside at 7am in a crowd that didn't understand the phrase 'personal space' can make you cranky really fast! But all that melted away when Sam came down. He was so happy and cheerful...I told you he was a nice guy!He went around shaking hands starting at the other side of the crowd. By the time he got to our side there were about a million hands reaching out to greet him. Then Sam did something that caught us off guard...he said that he was going to do the weather report from inside the crowd on our side...meaning he went in between my parents, had his mic in one hand and his arm around my mom...I know!
At first it was like she couldn't believe what was going on and then when it set in, she was all smiles! She kept telling him how much she loved him and that she watches all the time. It was so cute! I got some great pictures of them...absolutely priceless!While I had a poster that I made the night before, it was about Robin as you can see...so of course, I kept that poster stayed down while Sam was there...hehehehehe
Their trip was short, but as you can tell, quite eventful! So, Sam Champion, I doubt you read my blog, but if you do, thanks for making my Mom's day and making this NYC trip unforgettable!
