Since I’m starting this mad project on my birthday, it seems only natural that we have a party to celebrate. If you or your girl likes to party all the time, this is the event for you.

As a recovering nerd, I never had a chance to go to a Cool Kids Party in high school. With the alleged games of spin the bottle and seven minutes in heaven, and the guy-who-knew-a-guy-who-got-a-keg. So that’s the theme of the party: A Cool Kids Party. It’s requested, though not required, that you don the garb of the cool kids in your school. It is required, not requested, that you have a good time.

Since you are my friends on the internet, peppered with a few strangers wandering their way to the site, I invite you all to come celebrate with me. Come with ideas for the project in tow, and prepared to be knocked on your ass. You might want to call in sick for work the next day now; this one is going to blow doors down. The cool kids from tomorrows brightest minds will be DJing and you’ll see me do things you never thought I’d do.

When: My Birthday! Monday, March 5th
What: A party!
Where: 1160 Bar and Lounge (1160 Vermont, in the bottom floor of the Ramada Inn, Hollywood)
When Part 2: 9pm - whenever
Who: Me!
Who else: You! And everybody you know.

See you there, party people.

–opus

I suppose it needs a little explanation.

Here is my shameful secret: At any given moment, wherever I am, I would rather be home. I could be having a lot of fun, but my thought it usually something like “Ah! Now I have had fun! Now I can go home!” There is usually a sense that there is something I need to be doing at home. Some chore that needs finishing.

Of course, when I do get home, I don’t do chores. I feel like I’ve done my chores by even going out and being social. So I tend to slump around, listening to music or watching TV, reading or playing video games. And for all the pull I feel to be going home, I usually don’t end up that satisfied.

I know I should get out more, and so part of the reason I devised this project is so I can do just that: force myself to go out, meet new people, have new experiences. Break out of my comfort zone a little. There’s only so much sitting at home a person can do before he goes insane.

So in a couple of week’s time it’ll be on. Until then you can find me on my couch.

–opus

Just writing to give great thanks to those of you who took the time to write in suggestions - they’re all being dutifully logged and noted and put in the pipeline. Although, even though several of you asked, I will not be getting breast implants. Seriously, people? Where’s your mind?

Keep ‘em coming!

–opus

My lovely grandmother, Jane, who I have always called Granny, seems excited about the project. Yes, she’s on email, and yes, she’s going to be following my progress. Says Granny:

Wow! Opus! What a great idea….I shall try to think of things but I’ll
bet your fertile brain is filled to overflowing. I shall follow your
progress with anticipation and glee. Speaking of progress I would think
that, if you need to move off home base, you would need to go from the west
coast to the east and all that entails. Do you have any limitations? Do
you have any that would keep you back? I’ll bet not…..Can’t wait to see
you ski down a mountain, fish for a trout, play in a jaz band…. Better
stay away from the antics of George Plimpton who was in Jim’s class at
Harvard and did a lot of things he really couldn’t do. He may not be
around today and he has definitely disappeared from the public stage. Good
luck, have fun, and know that I shall we watching…..much love, granny

Well I now know I have some east coast support for the project. And to think, I could possibly have “Spend a day in a retirement community” as one of my goals…

–opus

I want to thank Gabe Abelson for sending in the first suggestions using the Fancy Official Suggestion Email, which is of course, suggestions [at allnewyear [dot com.

Gabe’s suggestions were:

Spend a day in a Tigger suit (inspired by Glen Humplik)

Spend a day at McDonald’s, playing in the kid’s gym with the plastic colored balls.

The first being a reference to something we made Glenn Humplik do on the old New Tom Green Show back when we worked together. The second being something Gabe’s insane mind made up. They’re on the list now. Got any bright ideas yourself? Email ‘em to me, please.

–opus

Going into something like this, I realize, it’s important to have a set of rules to play by. So I have come up with the following:

What will be the first thing? I think I have an idea. You’ll have to check in on March 5th to find out.

–opus

I think perhaps it was a great philosopher who said it. Or perhaps I saw it on a faded bumper sticker on a VW Microbus chugging its way down a freeway. But somebody, somewhere once said, “Try something new every day.” Literalist that I am, I’m going to try it.

Starting on March 5th, 2007 (my birthday) I am going to try one new thing every single day. Some will be small and easy - I have never had a Sloe Gin Fizz, for example. I look forward to that one. Others will be scary and difficult. I have never jumped from an airplane. I do not look forward to that one, and I may need a few Sloe Gin Fizzes in me to make it happen.

Regardless of the terror that clutches my bowels when I think of what’s in front of me, it will be an adventure. I invite you to come along, help me out, give me suggestions, and enjoy.

Embracing fear as tentatively as one would embrace a purfume-soaked aunt,

–opus

PS - I have a lot of ideas, and a lot of plans, but I can always use more, more, more. Please drop me a line at suggestions [at allnewyear [dot com to give me more ideas. Thanks!