This weekend was a rare conjunction. Most of my friends were out of town and I had the weekend off. This is the first time in over a year that I have not been on vacation and have had an entire weekend to myself. I decided last week that I should contact my friend Mandel and try and hang out. I met Mandel many years ago (I was still working at Edmunds so that is at least 5 years now) and we have kept in touch now and then. I see him at the park with his friends and he invites me to these crazy parties that he and his friends throw. I have great memories of the Weakest Link part as well as the Match Game party.
As it turns out, Mandel was attending a birthday party for some people he knows through the TV Show he produces – Reality Remix. While talking to him on the phone he asks me if I watch “The Amazing Race”. I responded with my, “It’s only the best show on television, of course I do.” He asked if I had been watching awhile to which I responded – since Episode 1 Season 1.
It turns out that he was attending a birthday party for Lynn of Lynn and Alex fame from TAR Season 7. (For those of you in a fog – this was the season that Rob and Amber from Survivor were competing on the Race)
I met up with Mandel and after some dinner and a few classic episodes of “Starcade” – you know you remember the TBS game show from the 80’s – we headed out to West Hollywood. Thanks to some parking karma, we found a great spot right out in front of the place we needed to go. It turns out that a friend of Lynn and Alex was holding the party. I was a bit worried since I didn’t know anyone other than Mandel and he reassured me he only knew Lynn and Alex and the lady hosting the party (sorry short term memory I can’t remember her name). As we walked up, I was introduced to Lynn and Alex and they mentioned BJ was there. My mind raced and I remembered that he was Mandel’s friend who won TAR 9.
At any rate I ended up talking with the racers who were all fun and very down to earth people. I am not sure what I expected, but I liked the fact that despite the fact these people were on my favorite show they were just normal people. The people you saw on the show really were them. As the night progressed there were some strange events that transpired:
1. Some old drag queen with one tooth sporting a Cher wig who kept talking to the dogs
2. A very tired looking stripper performing for the birthday boy (sorry Alex, I know he was third tier)
3. Lynn offered me a beer and I drank most of it (shocking since I hate beer, but love being polite)
4. Excellent Chocolate cake from Costco
5. Mandel liked the Sears portraits with the ghost profile of the subject above the main photo – he wants his myspace photo to look like that.
6. Karaoke!
All in all it is one of the better times I have had at a party – lots of good people and good food. I think when #35 rolls around next year I want something like this. Of course 34 is just around the corner and as far as I know I’m going to dinner with friends and family – equally good, but there is something about having a party that brings out the weirdness in some people.