Price was right for this ride

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME-Calabasas High School graduate Lauren Marks took her friends and family to "The Price is Right" to celebrate her 20th birthday and was ecstatic when she was picked as a contestant on the show. Before the day was over, Marks had won a brand new truck. Lauren Marks is counting No. 20 her best birthday ever.

The 2004 Calabasas High School graduate not only appeared on her favorite game show Sept. 11, she ended up winning big.

Marks, who has been hooked on "The Price Is Right" since she was a child home sick from school, de- cided a trip to the show's Westwood studios would be the perfect celebra- tion for her birthday.

"I know Bob Barker is aging and thinking about retiring, so I thought, what's a better thing to do?" Marks said. "It's a once-in-a-lifetime thing."

So the University of California at Irvine student, who admitted to scheduling classes around the show, rounded up 13 of her closest friends and family for the event.

"We got there at 2:45 in the morning and slept on the sidewalk," Marks said. "Finally, an hour before the show, we met with the producer. . . . I know you're supposed to be really energetic. I was like, 'I'm a drama major at UCI' and he knew I was going to be really dramatic and crazy. I sold it."

Marks was part of the first group of four chosen from the audience to compete. After winning the second prize, a wine chest, Marks took the stage with host Barker.

"It was right when the show started and all my friends were go- ing crazy," Marks said. "I was just so happy to get up there. I stepped up there and I just turned around and saw all my family and friends. It was unreal, to this day, just unreal."

Despite her satisfaction with just getting on the stage, the college jun- ior still had more winnings ahead of her.

"Bob Barker asked me, 'Who are you here with today?' and I got to tell him, and everyone was just going nuts. Then he said, 'Well, they are going to be really happy to see you win this!'"

A blue truck parked behind the curtain inspired more screams from Marks' fan club. Marks continued to win at the game, naming the prices and picking the right enve- lopes, and eventually she won the truck.

"We all flipped out," Marks said. "My mom just kept shaking her head, 'This is not happening.' . . . It sounds corny, but I was so happy I was with my friends and family."

Marks picked up the truck Sat- urday.

"I've never known anyone to ac- tually win something on a game show," said Meryl Marks, Lauren's mom. "Real people don't win that kind of stuff. She's so excited."

Although Marks didn't actually need a new car, she is very excited about selling the 2006 Chevy Colo- rado and being "a good student and saving the money."

For now, she's enjoying the memories.

"It was unlike anything" else, Marks said. "I don't know if I could ever do it again--we were up for 48 hours. I don't even remember what happened that day. It was a dream. It was a dream lived." Her episode will air Wed., Nov. 8.