The Amazing Race
posted at 11:01 am
on Sep. 12, 2003
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Planet Light, Planet Bright
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I’ve been so socially busy lately, breaking an isolationist trend I’ve had going. I told Susie recently I was lonely, and she said, and I quote, “So, go do things.” And I thought to myself, as often I do, that she had a valid point.
So I’m in a cafe right now (note: not now, but when I wrote this), working on my laptop. And before this, I was at a social event put on by Media Bistro for journalists in Los Angeles.
And this weekend, I had dinner with two sets of friends, and would have gone for a hat trick if I hadn’t bought a new computer game that completely engrossed me from Saturday at 10 p.m. to Sunday at 7 p.m.
And last weekend, well, last weekend was amazing. My work buddy Mike planned a birthday party for himself the likes of which deserves a phrase as pompous as “the likes of which.” Mike is a television editor for Variety, and a big fan of the show “Amazing Race,” in which various two-person teams compete over five weeks as they race around the globe to various destinations.
Well, Mike’s version was Los Angeles-centric, and also involved figuring out clues, which he and his wife Maria had meticulously prepared. Mike’s attention to detail puts NASA to shame: not only did M&M together do a dry run of the course the previous Saturday, but they also had backup and alternative clues in case the teams overall were running late.
The clues, in the exact envelopes that the show uses (being TV editor hath its privileges), directed the teams all over the city, from the California Science Center to the roof of the swank Standard hotel downtown, to the San Antonio winery, to the famous El Cholo’s Mexican restaurant—all before lunch. After lunch, the Hollywood cemetery, the farmer’s market, the stars of the walk of fame, the museum of television and radio, and a mandatory ride on L.A.‘s metro (yes, we have a metro) were all clues.
I have a photo album online, but it was hard to take pictures as I was running.
My team, self-named “The Juice” because of our orange T-shirts, came in second. Susie was home sick, but was ably replaced by Amy, this random woman who came just as the race was about to start. My other teammate, Lance, provided a zippy car and certain aplomb behind the wheel.
The prizes themselves, handed out at a bar that was the final destination of the day, were thoroughly unimpressive (8 DVDs that would be at home in a remainder bin), but the prizes were completely beside the point. Much better, was that Phil Keoghan, the host of the actual CBS television show, showed up to wish Mike a happy birthday and to congratulate the winners. He wasn’t just in the neighborhood—the other television editor had arranged his visit as a treat for Mike. As I say, Variety hath its privileges.
And the true prize of the day, was the opportunity to rediscover what an amazing city Los Angeles is. In a city that seems like it’s all plastic people and expensive restaurants, it’s nice to rediscover what a vast submerged collection of pearls lie beneath the surface of this city. If I went back and re-visited each clue, one per day, I’d be busy the rest of the weekend of this year.
Which I hope to be, but that’s another column.
