The Doing Stuff Club

In November, before I had the epiphany that I need to get out more, I had the epiphany that we (me+whoever) need to get out more. And so The Doing Stuff Club was born.

Ok, well it wasn't exactly like that. I just sent out an email informing my friends that in the months to come I would consistently badger them into joining me on questionably fun outings. The first event was a classic (if underwhelming) Laserium show set to Beatles music.




Call me naive, but I sort of expected my world to be rocked by these lasers. I wanted them shooting out from every direction, accompanied by smoke and strobe lights. I didn't expect some piddly little shapes bopping around in the front of the room. Perhaps the problem is that the laser show is orchestrated by a laser technician, who is sort of like a laser DJ that stands in the front of the room and makes it up as he goes along. Normally I'd never advocate a machine replacing a person, but I think in this instance it could have helped. People get tired and obnoxiously artistic; A laser robot would somehow make lights go boom. Plus the idea of a laser robot is just awesome.

While few people share my appreciation for all things lame, I think most everyone had at least an okay time. I will say, though, that I was disappointed the popcorn did not glow in the dark, as the Laserium website promised it would.

The Laserium is currently closed for renovations and will re-open some time this year. So it's either a good thing we went when we did, or a bad thing that we didn't go after the renovations (and installation of a laser robot?).

Our second event was not very well attended, owing to December's holiday chaos, and was a trip to Griffith Park's Holiday Light Festival. A 1 mile stretch of the park is decorated with light displays resembling different local landmarks --except for the one with a volcano and giant purple dinosaurs. Sadly, there are no dinosaurs in L.A.

To view the light displays, you can either drive or walk. If you drive, you have to sit in your car on the road for hours before you even reach the lights; if you walk, you inhale the exhaust fumes of the 100 idling cars that sit between you and your view of the lights. We walked. Cough cough.

Here's Barry's picture of the tunnel of lights...which would be really cool to drive through. Walking next to it, not so cool.



And here's Devin's picture of an elf doing something that, I'm sorry, looks inappropriate.



Afterward, we went to my apartment for cocktails and all the egg nog we could drink (collectively, about 3/4 cup). We watched A Muppet Family Christmas and by the time Ms. Piggy finally made it through the blizzard to join her Kermie at the farm house, half of the club had dozed off.

We are, if nothing else, a lively bunch.

I'm not sure if calling ourselves a club is exactly accurate, since we don't always have the same people at every event. But I like the idea of being in a club because I haven't been a member of one since the Ecology Club in middle school. And all we did was sell Human-i-tee t-shirts, adopt a whale, and take turns feeding the ducks in our courtyard's pond.

Tomorrow night The Doing Stuff Club heads to World On Wheels for Roller Disco night. In addition to roller skating, there will also be a dance party and karaoke. It's like a dream come true. Look for an upcoming recap of the outing.

If you want to join The Doing Stuff Club - find us on facebook!