5
 
 
 
12:06 PM, Friday, October 17th, 2014:
 
So this is 39? I remember when my career crashed in my 20s singing "Success in your 30s is more likely to stay..." I got a massive break at 31, it disappeared by 32 and, well I moved on.
 
Yet here we are as I enter the last year of my 30s (though technically the start of my 40th year) and it's been a half-decade since things have been rolling this good. It kinda hit me coming back from my meeting with Joel Murray... it's almost too smooth. For me anyway. Where are the gigantic roadblocks and disasters I'm used to? Sure not everyone is easy to contact and I'm sure many people decidedly will not want to participate in Hats & Minigolf, but the foundation of this show seems so solid that those people are the outliers. Everyone I've run across not only likes it? They are into it. Joel wants to come early to practice AND come to the Halloween event and actually compete. He's a golfer and hell, he even mentioned during lunch that he and Bill were gonna do a GOLF INTERVIEW SHOW. !?!? I'm ahead of myself though. Yes, I'm talking about Joel and Bill Murray right now. What? Let's go back to Monday.
 
Jim and I meet and as I mentioned in the previously locked entry - I offered him "Executive Producer" of Hats & Minigolf at which point both of us tried to figure out what the hell that actually meant. LMAO. The truth is, I want to give him a vested interest in the show as opposed to just asking for favors. I want him in the room with me during pitches and I want the execs to know that he was simply a guest that ended up liking the project so much he wanted to put his weight behind it. Which is the truth even without my offer. He was absolutely on-board if not somewhat sheepish about the title because he has no idea what it really means. But the truth is? That's how the game works. And believe me, Jim, YOU are the reason anyone will listen to me. That in and of itself is worthy of a big percentage. He's worked his whole life to have that type of heat, so use it! We're gonna make this happen. We sat for 2 hours shooting the shit and he's a blast. Though the funny thing is? I see the "Jerry" side of him not wanting to take compliments, being a little shy and reserved. Feeling bashful about asking others for favors. BI certainly understand that tendency, however at my age with my level of failure? What do I have to lose? Jim on the other hand is doing just fine and he admittedly hasn't had to struggle like most. First step is getting it to his publicist whose firm represents some massive clients. We need at least one big guest that will do the show. Have to show execs that it's not just favors that has made this work. Celebrities will do it simply because they like the premise.
 
And let us not forget, people are doing this with zero exposure. The YouTube links are private, they're never gonna get more than 100 views or so. There's no TV, no radio... this is in my backyard for fuck's sake. It's actually insane that I've even gotten the guests I have. But yeah, we're hoping the publicist gets excited and we can find a way to get an A-lister to give us some of their time.
 
Up next was my meeting yesterday with Joel Murray. Best known as Freddy Rumsen on Mad Men, I friended him on FB earlier this year having no idea he is also Bill Murray's brother. Wow. Not wanting to be THAT asshole, I never mentioned it as I really do want a Mad Men themed hole and have him and some other cast members participate in the ceremony. That being said, it's an unavoidable question and thankfully, Joel brought it up first at our meeting. Turns out he and Bill were thinking of doing a talk show of interviewing guests while playing golf... fucking with them during their backswings, etc. How crazy is THAT? The Murray brothers are infamous fans of the sport and that actually excites me the most: Joel can play. This will be a fun episode.
 
It was awesome hanging out with him for the hour or so he had. I can't put my finger on it, but after a few minutes, it really does feel like we're old friends. I'm starting to realize it's because I'm generally interested in what makes these people tick. I genuinely want to hear their stories. I respect everyone no matter their stature in their field... on a human level. I swear to you, if I had an ex-president on the show I would still pose the "let's get it out of the way question" the same: "So yeah, I bet those were some surreal years, huh?" I still feel everyone is the same when they look in the mirror in the morning. They still hold their personal story in their head and try to make sense of it all. When you break it down, even in moments where we're at a peak and we feel on top of the world, we all sort of think it's gonna be temporary. And honestly?  It is. Even Will Smith isn't "Independence Day" Will Smith right now. He knows that. Everyone may be at different levels of attention but the highs and lows are all there.
 
And that's what I'm noticing in these pre-interview meetings: they get that I get that. You can't fake sincerity. OH! Also looks like we're gonna do a special Halloween Episode with a guy from the X-Files, Dean Haglund. GolfKon master, Matt Lendach of all people hooked us up and Dean was stoked. "I am totally in. I got a hat and everything". People are genuinely excited. I'm still trying to process everything swirling around me.
 
Of course THIS is the other part of 39:
 
 
Family, family, family. So fun. LOOK AT CAM, FREAKING MACKIN'. Like 2 weeks ago we gave him the bluetooth speaker and he started LOSIN it. Shaking his head, humpin' the air. He responds to music so strongly. Vienna didn't. She just looked befuddled. Cam has to start MOVIN' the moment it hits the air. It's so drastically different. Fascinating stuff.
 
So, yeahhhhhhhh. Life is incredible. Every facet. I don't feel like I'm underachieving. That's a hard accomplishment for me and something I've only felt a handful of times this century. What an exciting chapter.
 
Adam