Guidelines for Hosting a Tempus Nugat Party
I've always wanted to try this idea, but it requires an enormous amount of cooperation on the parts of the partygoers. Plus, the partygoers must really enjoy spending time together. God willing, this party will get a pilot run in the next 60 years.
So, guidelines:
Partygoers decide on a location and date block for the party. The location should be a private residence with:
- abundant and comfortable furnishings
- a well-stocked pantry with lots of variety
- Adequate cooking facilities
- many modes and areas of entertainment (DVD setup, card table, pinball machines, dance floor, musical instruments)
- excellent air circulation and temperature regulation
- The host of the residence is automatically designated as the Timekeeper.
- Before the party begins, every window, skylight, peephole, door crack, or other surface which provides a view outdoors is covered with foil and sealed.
- Likewise, every door leading out of the residence is locked from the inside by the Timekeeper.
- All clocks, timepieces, or other time-telling devices in the residence are stowed off-site. Telephones included.
- Guests arrive with food and entertainment before a certain time. Nobody is admitted late.
- Once the time of the party is at hand, each guest surrenders his or her watch, phone, and all time-telling devices to the Timekeeper.
- This is when the party begins. Partygoers party as though time does not exist, and for all practical purposes, it doesn't.
- The Timekeeper alone knows the correct time.
- If the Timekeeper cooks meals, their nature must not correspond to the correct time (e.g. scrambled eggs and toast will be served at 6pm, BLTs at 3am, pot roast and Yorkshire pudding at 9am.)
- Sleeping is permitted, and encouraged.
- If a partygoer requests to leave, the others must make a valiant effort to get them to stay. Pleading and suggestions are fine, but physical restraint or knocking them unconscious is not. Ideally, all guests will leave at the same time.
- If a partygoer absolutely must leave before everyone else, the Timekeeper will give them their timepiece(s) in a sealed manila envelope, and all remaining guests will adjourn to a room where they cannot see the front door. The Timekeeper then unlocks the front door, and bids the departing partygoer good morning/night.
- Once a consensus is reached by the partygoers to officially end the party, the party is over. All goodbyes are said indoors, the door opens once, and everybody leaves.
- Partygoers are not allowed to open the envelopes containing their timepiece(s) until they have left the premises.