Friday night dinner. Clockwise from top: Tara Miller, Susan Boekholt (camera), Dave - our harried waiter, Leigh Cosby, Kathy Davis, Tim Davies, Jennifer Kelly (Lieberman Prods), Laura Robinson, Joni Williams and Joan Boadway

My day began with a 3 a.m. wake-up and workout followed by a mad dress and dash to meet my cab at 5:15 a.m. My flight left San Francisco at 7 a.m. and after a brief weather delay in Atlanta, I arrived in Columbia at about 5:30 edt. I was greeted in baggage claim by Jennifer Kelly of Lieberman Productions, who introduced me to Tim Davies, Cindy Lhamon, Kathy Davis, Wendy Hopkinson, Bryce Chicoyne, Joni Williams and Catharine Carroll.

A travel-weary Melissa with Joan Boadway.

Once we were all together, we piled into a van and were whisked to our hotel, the Clarion Townhouse. While en route, Jennifer gave each of us a packet with detailed itineraries and local information, and explained that we'd be arriving just in time to check in, drop our bags and return to the lobby to meet the rest of the testimonials for our first production meeting. So after picking up my keys, running up to my room and laying out the clothes I planned to bring to the wardrobe check after the meeting, I headed back downstairs. I was not five steps out of the elevator when a stunning tall brunette gal said "Well, there's Melissa Horton now." It was my online pal Joan Boadway, who'd recognized me from my avitar photos at ya-yas and the FIRM Forum. Talking with her was fellow ya-ya Stephanie Babin (who is even more gorgeous in person than she is in print). Across the lobby were Cindy Eldridge and Amanda Grossman, whom I'd recognized from the first infomercial; Christy Chase, whom I knew as Chasemom from the FIRM Forum; and the new-to-me faces of Tara Miller, Laura Robinson, Susan Boekholt, Leigh Cosby and Suzanne Postlethwaite.

Foreground, left to right: Susan Boekholt, Amanda Grossman, Christy Chase.

After some brief "get to know you" chit-chat, Jennifer called us together and went over our schedule for the weekend and answered any questions we had. A few minutes later, Sarah, our producer arrived with Lisa Kay - who was teeny tiny in person - and we all went upstairs to a suite that had been set aside for our wardobe check. Sarah took each one of us aside and examined the clothes we'd picked out for our one-on-one interviews, made suggestions and supplemented with items from the racks of clothing they had provided. Once we settled on an outfit, she'd polaroid each one of us so there would be a record of what we'd be wearing. I'd brought my favorite burgundy twin set along, which Sarah liked, but she wanted me to wear it to Saturday's "talk around" session with the instructors. We'd been told they had found a great Antibellum-style home to be the outdoor location for Sunday's shoot. I knew from my TV work that location, lighting and everyone else's clothing could affect what I'd be allowed to wear just as much as whether it would be flattering or not. Fortunately for me, Lisa Kay liked what I'd brought just as much as I did, and she helped talk Sarah into letting me wear it to the one-on-one interview (thank you Lisa!).