The PR team of Edleman and Expedia.ca were excited because it turns out that every major TV station and newspaper thought the idea of having a comedic fast talker on their show was entertaining... and so the bookings poured in. (Not a bad way to start a campaign!)

So I flew in on a Wednesday night, did a quick late night dinner with the team (since our flight was delayed), and then was up and ready to flap my lips by 4 a.m. with my first radio interview. (I like doing radio interviews first, they warm you up, and you don't have to look good on radio. Plus this was from my hotel room.) Then with mouth ready, we hopped into a taxi and were off to the Toronto Star.

It was so early no one was at their desks yet. I was whisked into a studio where I was photographed for a good ½ hour by this fun loving cameraman while I interviewed with Judy Gerstel. Judy fired questions at me as I was posing for the camera. We both figured why not do two things at once, my kind of reporter! After that we headed to another room where I did an internet segment. Judy and I talked non stop (surprised?) all the way into the elevator and out the front door.

Then we were off to a few more radio shows, and then to the Toronto Sun, where I was greeted by Mike Strobel... whose first words were, "I can't believe that the world's fastest talking woman is 15 minutes late!" We joked, we talked, we joked... we talked some more, and as I was heading out, their newsroom staff was coming in. Mike smiled at me, "Would you do the honors and amuse them?"

I shot off a quick rendition of TheThree Llittle Pigs. Mike got such a kick out of it that we kept talking and talking. We talked down the elevator, out the lobby and into the streets with his cameraman in tow. We walked and talked our way three blocks to my next interview! That's a lot of talking!

The day went on like this non stop. I was on a diet at the time (what better time than when you are going to be seen on TV across the nation?) The diet required I eat every 2 hours... so I kept popping out these little packets of powdered food shakes. Since I hate to gobble down food in front of people, I'd sneak into the bathroom to do it and also to make sure nothing was stuck in my teeth. Nothing more attractive than a close up of the fast talking mouth with food dangling out of it. Anyway, you are supposed to savor the taste of these powered meals, but that was not going to be happening on this crazy schedule. Which might be a good thing anyway.

As the day went on, and more stations heard me on other stations, I kept getting asked to do more interiews and of course, as long as I have a voice, I'll always say yes."

Finally the last TV interview took place with a show called, "The Hour" an unconventional show that wanted me to tell my "best story ever". They wanted a different setting so they took me to the subbasement of their media complex. (At first look, it seemed more like a spot that they'd have a mob hit at.) But finally we settled in this huge room with a cement wall. The funny thing was when we got there the place was deserted, but every time we started to roll tape, some prop guy would come out of no where as if on cue dragging along a fake tree, or scenary piece, or a hammer would just start. I started wondering if they were playing a prank on me. But it was just the Gods of media wrecking havoc with us. Anyway, we wound up shooting the segment several times, I got out my Titanic story and we wrapped.

Then just as I thought I was home free, we got asked to do one last interview. We did it from the phone booth in the lobby of the hotel as I waited for my limo to take me to the airport. With the last interview done, the Edleman team and I gave a thumbs up and I was on my way to the airport.

At the passport counter a security guard recognized me from TV that day and asked for an autograph for his son. It was wonderful.

Now with the media done, we waited for the results to come it.

Well, it was fantastic... thousands of people entered the contest

There was a whole array of entries, from those just reading as fast as they could, to those dressing up as Elvis, to a girl dressed up in a wedding dress, to the one guy who didn't know how to work a camera and so you just saw him starring at the video cam pressing buttons. Some of these would make great entries on "America's Funniest Videos".

Finally it was narrowed down to the top ten finalists, chosen on speed, clarity, creativity, Vegas Content... and highest number of votes. Yes, the first leg of the competition was decided by a jury of their peers on the Internet.

Expedia flew these fast talking Canadians into Toronto on a Monday night. We all had dinner together and introduced ourselves. It was interesting to be at a table with a group of motor mouths. The weird thing was instead of making me want to speed up, it made me want to slow down. Maybe all that fast talking overloaded my circuits, or maybe it was the 50 straight days of working on very little sleep coupled with a sore throat – or maybe it was my two glasses of cranberry juice, since one glass usually gets me drunk. Whatever it was facinating.

Everyone was great, enthusiast and there to have a good time. I watched the personalities of the finalists. I saw; the super competitive ones; the ones that just sat back and observed the others; the ones who were fast talking non-stop to pysch out their opponents; the ones who played it cool as if they didn't care, and the ones who said they were happy just to get the free dinner.

At the conclusion of the dinner, the contestants were given gift baskets with an autographed copy of my Adrenaline Adventures book in it compliments of Expedia (hey, after Vegas they needed to know some other cool places they could travel around the world).

We also went over all ther rules of the contest. "Tomorrow you will all go to the Second City, the famous Improvisational comedy club. There in front of a live audience and media you will be given two chances to say a set passage as fast and clear as possible. Points will be deducted for missed syllables. The decision of the judges is final. We will pick names out of a hat now to determine your order... drum roll please."

One by one, the names were picked in the order they would perform tomorrow. Then in a Mission Impossilbe style fashion, they were all handed a sealed envelope with their scripts in it. They opened it, and from that point till tomorrow they could rehearse as much or as little as they wanted. The dinner ended, and we wished them all good luck and fast lips.

The next morning I was up bright and early for some last minute radio shows, and then it was off to Second City.

Being in that room itself was wonderful for me as a stand up comic. I knew many comedy legends had performed on this stage... like Alan Alda, John Belushi, Dan Ackroyd, Bill Murray, and Gilda Radner just to name a few. I felt their comedy karma.

Expedia.ca and Edelman had transformed the comedy room into a Vegas style nightclub, complete with singing Elvis at the door and a show girl, card tables, roulette wheel. The atmosphere was festive, and media was all about.

Opposite the stage was a judges table, which consisted of judges, Loren Christie, Canada's AM TV travel expert and Expedia.ca's Managing Director, Sean Shannon (who ironically has the same name as Sean Shannon in the Guinness Book who recited Hamet's soliloguy in 23.8 seconds.) They in addition to myself would be judging the contest.

Finally when everyone was gathered. The contest began.

I leaped to the stage, welcomed the guests, introduced the judges, went over the rules of the competition and then called the fast talkers to the stage to take their hot seats.

Then in the appointed order I called them up, introduced them, showed the video entry that got them to this point, gave them a countdown and said, "Three, two, one... go."

One by one they rattled off the prepared speech, "I want to be the one to go to Vegas with Expedia.ca to try my luck at the lovely Luxor, hit up the Hard Rock, see a show like Cirque and get my groove on at Studio 54, then crash a bachelorette party, ride a wild roller coaster and strike a pose at the Wax Musuem. Pick me, Pick me... Please! To bring five of my BFF's to go down to the desert, shop till we drop and have the best time ever! Vegas baby- yeah! I'll send you a postcard. Promise!"

The time keepers clocked the contestants speed, the judges watched their lips, the audience rooted for their friends. Frenetic energy was in the air.

Some crunched under the pressure and only gave it one try. Others took the stage with bravado and really hammed it up, still others raced through it slurring words in a monotone. And then there was three... three finalists that stood out... three that made the audience wonder who the fastest lips would be crowned, three that made us tally up the scores a few times to make sure all the numbers were right.

As the score talling was taking place, nervous finalists paced. I was asked to entertain the audience with my world record stories, some stand up and answering questions about my fast talking.

Then word came. The decision was made.

I headed to the stage for a final time. The finalists were on pins and needles waiting for the announcement, the media was poised with their microphones to hear the winner.

"And the winner of the Expedia.Ca's Fast Talk Your Way to Vegas contest is... Eduardo S! His online entry got him enough votes for the showdown in Tornonto, and his fast talking won him the votes with the panel of judges... Congratulations come on up to the stage and get your prize."

Eduardo jumped on stage with a huge smile. I presented to him the Inaugural Racing Teeth Trophy and handed an envelope with the tickets to Vegas." He was speechless at first, but then quickly came out with a flurry of words.

Afterwards Eduardo did interviews with the media, was congratualed by the other contestants... and left one proud papa.

As for me, I thanked everyone for a wonderful time, did a quick tour of the CN building, walked over a glass floor suspended thousands of feet in the air (you know have to jam an adventure in every trip)

and then hopped on a plane for home, but not before Expedia and I talked about future fast talking adventures... after all, these lips not only can fast talk... but has the body to match which does adventuers all over the world as well, and can take Expedia customers on a trip of a lifetime, via reading, in person or through commercials... .a perfect match for a fast talking travel company.

Bon Voyage!