My partners Jay and Shaun and I made a reality TV pilot called “Cheap Thrills”. The idea we had, much along the same vein of this page, is that people should be able to go out and affordably experience things and live fuller lives. Basically, if you watch alot of TV, and you aren’t finacially able, you could end up feeling like some sort of loser if you aren’t in NY or LA or Vegas or Miami every weekend, and that makes me sad. People have budgets and jobs and families and bills, and we all don’t live like Paris Hilton or The Situation (ok, I do sometimes). There are TONS of things to do, without spending a fortune, right in your own backyard, wherever that may be.

“Cheap Thrills” was about finding the fun and exciting festivals, conventions, competitions and gatherings that are happening all over the place, all the time. I went with Jay and his wife Wendy to the Minnesota State Fair, which was one of the funnest weekends I ever had. I have been going to the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival for 30 years now, it’s now up to like a whopping $40 for a day of seeing upwards of 60 bands available A DAY. And if those kind of things sound too ‘trailer park’ for you, there are sonnet festivals, chamber music festivals, science fiction theory events, etc etc….(but for me, I will stick to a tractor pull or a cow-pie chucking festival anyday)…….

I took Nathen to a drive-in last week too…..my god that was fun…..it cost a DOLLAR for him. And we are in our second year of heading to a national park over Christmas break for a couple of days. I want to do one every year for at least the next 5 (or until he can’t stand the sight of me, whichever comes first). Last year was the Grand Canyon (it should be a national law that everyone has to stand on the edge of the Grand Canyon once every 5 years). This year will be Yosemite. These are great trips that neither of us will ever forget, and no, they hardly cost anything. We go camping quite a bit too…(“I don’t go camping” = SHUT UP, try it for a night, it’s wonderful). And we also like to just grab our fishing poles and “drop a line”, as Nathen says. In winter, there’s nothing better than renting a cabin in snow for 2 nights, with friends. Kids go nuts for it, and parents can hang and drink all the wine they can hold, not a bad weekend at all……

We went on a cruise last year. Not really my thing, but for kids it’s great. And that is an industry that has been hurting BADLY, so the deals are crazy. Like 70% off. Like last minute. It’s a great thing if you are into it. For my money I would have been happier at a cool hotel in Negril (also not expensive), and I wouldn’t have been sleeping in a weird undersized rocking pod…….

There’s a lot of stuff to do——and I always feel—-DO IT….when all is said and done, you gonna sit at the old folks home and say, “I wish I did LESS”??

Please keep adding yourselves as followers, forwarding it, and commenting…..I thought this was going to be difficult, but it’s not. I hadn’t realized how fully imbedded these ideas were in the way I live. Chalk anther moment of clarity up to my dear friend Sarah Jessica——-she knew, and here we are…….

Talk tomorrow…..WG