Tuesday, October 05, 2004
We're Baaa-ck!
Welcome to the official site of Mike and Maria's Halloween Housewarming Race 2004!
Maria and I have a lot to be thankful for this year... new house, baby on the way, and the success of Ashlee Simpson's album. So why not celebrate with us? Last year we threw the birthday on Mike's 30th B-Day... this time around, consider it an odd mix of Halloween party/housewarming/baby shower. Huh? Hallmark doesn't make a card for such an ocassion? Whatever.
HERE ARE THREE DIFFERENT WAYS TO JOIN IN:
Choice 1: Form a team -- or join a team and participate in The Race! Then party afterwards at Cinnabar, a cool restaurant/bar in Glendale.
Choice 2: Don't want to race? Serve as a Clue Captain. You'll be stationed at one of the stops, handing out clues to teams and making sure they complete any tasks they've been asked to perform. This is much less time-intensive than choice 1, but still fun. You'll still head to the Cinnabar party after you're done.
Choice 3: Forgo the race and instead just show up at Cinnabar at 7 p.m. for the party.
Of course, there's also Choice 4: Pretend you didn't see the Evite or this website, and send a Mike and Maria a belated housewarming gift sometime in February. Nice.
SO WHAT'S THIS ALL ABOUT?
If you watched HBO in the early 80s, chances are you caught the ultra-cheezy movie "Midnight Madness," probably best known for Michael J. Fox's and Paul "Pee-Wee Herman" Reuben's big screen debuts. But the movie's concept itself was appealing in its simplicity. "Midnight Madness" revolved around teams of college kids racing throughout Los Angeles overnight in an "Amazing Race"-style game.
The five teams are assembled by an eccentric college student named Leon, who has concocted "The Great Allnighter," a scavenger hunt around Los Angeles. Leon divides the teams by colors: The good guys who play fair (yellow); the cheaters, led by Stephen Furst (blue); the nerds, led by "Grease's" Eddie Deezen (white); the sorority sisters (red); and the beer-loving jocks (green).
Teams are given clues to solve, which lead them to various L.A. destinations (such as LAX or the Griffith Obervatory), where they then have to find the next clue.
It was glorious early '80s fluff, in the same vein as "Xanadu" or anything else from that era. HBO ran it constantly in those days (along with other questionable entries, like "Oh God!" and "The Pirate Movie"), giving it a permanent home in our collective unconcious minds.
Now, much more recently, "The Amazing Race" -- which just won its second Emmy -- reigns as one of the best, if not the classiest, reality shows in all of television. The CBS series follows teams as they race around the globe, completing challenges and making their way to various route markers -- where they better not be the last team to arrive, or they're eliminated.
HOW DOES MIKE AND MARIA'S HALLOWEEN HOUSEWARMING RACE WORK?
You'll divide into teams of four or five players a piece. It's up to you guys to figure out who wants to be on which team.
Teams can consist of whoever you want. You can hook up with others you see on the Evite list. You can bring along friends and significant others, even people Mike and Maria don't know. The more, the merrier!
And if you don't have time to join a team or put together your own, just show up! We'll assign you a team.
WHAT IF I DON'T WANT TO RACE?
That's why we came up with Choice 2 above. We need clue captains! You'll meet along with the other teams in the morning, and then head to your stop when the race begins!
WHAT ARE MIKE AND MARIA DOING?
They're running "Game Control" out of their house, meaning they'll be tracking all the teams, troubleshooting problems, perhaps meeting you at a pit stop or two, and setting up shop at the final pit stop to crown the winner.
ALL RIGHT, FOR THOSE OF US RACING, WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN?
You'll meet at Maria's and Mike's house at 9 a.m. on October 30. (It's a Saturday.)
First, breakfast. (Provided by them.)
Then, wearing your team colors (yep, we'll divide you into red, blue, green, yellow, white, black, whatever) you'll be given your first clue. Traveling as a team, the race begins! You'll then travel around Los Angeles, completing various tasks (don't worry, nothing too strenuous-- you're not bungee jumping here) and figuring out your next clue.
First team to reach the final pit stop wins. (Wins what? You'll have to wait and see.)
At that point, we'll eat, drink and celebrate. That's at 7 p.m. at the aforementioned Cinnabar, where people who choose not to compete will be waiting.
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HERE'S THE VITAL INFO:
--Give us an idea of who your team is in the days before the race. And be sure to answer the Evite!
-- Dress to race. Tennis shoes, comfortable outfits. You won't be running too much, but you're in a race! Comfort is a must. (And don't forget to wear a shirt that at least resembles your team color!)
-- Bring along a digital camera. Chronicle your adventure. You'll be glad you did, plus we'll be putting together a web site where you can check out all the shots, including what your rival teams did.
-- Your team will ride in one car.
-- Bring along $20 each for incidentals. (And more if you want. There are no spending limits, but you're not going to have to spend much beyond parking and perhaps an entrance fee to some city attraction. Beyond that, you're probably going to want money to eat and booze at the Afterparty!)
-- Have a cell phone at hand. You'll be checking in with Game Control every once in a while, including to let us know when you're heading toward the final stop!
LOCATION INFO:
Mike's Birthday Race-- Meet at Mike and Maria's new home at 9 a.m., Oct. 30. Check the Evite for their address.
Afterparty-- Cinnabar, 7 p.m. 933 S. Brand Blvd., Glendale (cross streets: Brand and Acacia); (818) 551-1155
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***KEEP CHECKING BACK HERE FOR MORE DETAILS!!!***
