the invitation, sent out sunday, december 16:

Ring™ in the New Year - December 31st at Halflab

This New Year's Eve, HALFLAB -- the House Around Lisa, (Neil)Fred, Louise, And Brandon -- is excited to bring you a party theme that might be a bit... unexpected. After months of legal wrangling, we're proud to announce that for the first time ever, we have secured a promotional partnership opportunity that will allow us to throw a better party for you, our valued guests. With this deal, Halflab joins such illustrious corporate entities as Denny's, The Lego Group, and Air New Zealand in presenting an officially licensed tie-in for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (now playing at a theater near you).

No one is better positioned for a partnership with Warner Bros. Entertainment than the denizens of Halflab, a.k.a. the Halflings. And because The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is only the first film in the three-part adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's classic, we're counting on the success of this party to demonstrate the future profitability of a continued relationship. We trust you all share this vision and will not only attend a screening of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey as soon as possible, but also increase our party's promotional value with creative Hobbit-themed contributions of your own.

Don't worry, tie-in marketing is so easy, even a half-wit orc could do it! To get things started, our in-house team has developed a new line of beverage products, including Bilbo Baggins Beer, Smaug Nog, and Gandalf Gewurztraminer. We've also updated our collection of games so that you can enjoy Dwarven Dominion, Rock Giant Band, and Hobbit Hoedown Revolution. (Or we can simply play at riddles.)

Hobbits love to eat, so we promise there will be food -- and lots of it! We'll have a table piled high with Radagast-ronomical treats such as Precious Onion Rings, Gollumpops, and Shire Jambalaya, all ready to be topped with EZ-Pourin' Oakenshield condiments. Remember, it's a Low-Stress Potluck(*), so the selection of edibles will be as unexpected as a hobbit's journey!

So please join us on December 31 at Halflab to Ring™ in the New Year. And don't miss The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey from Warner Bros. Pictures, available in IMAX 3D.

What?Ring™ in the New Year
Who?You, your friends, sweeties, hobbits, wizards, dwarves, etc. (No dragons, please, out of respect for those with allergies.)
When?Monday, December 31, 2012, from 7:00pm until second breakfast
Where?Halflab - 1174 Fremont St, Santa Clara, CA 95050-4816
Where?? Consult http://www.halflab.com/map/ to take you there and back again (or call 408-248-HALFling)
RSVP?Optionally and probabilistically to rsvp(at)halflab(dot)com
Bring?Food or drink in accordance with Low-Stress Potluck rules(*), tales of adventure, rings, and of course your ticket stub from The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey as a condition of entry.
Seriously??No.

-- The Halflings: Lisa, (Neil)Fred, Louise, Brandon

(*) Consult the fine print regarding the term "Low-Stress Potluck" at http://www.halflab.com/party/

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and The Hobbit, and the names of the characters, events, items and places therein, are trademarks of The Saul Zaentz Company d/b/a Middle-earth Enterprises under license to New Line Productions, Inc. IMAX 3D is a registered trademark of IMAX Corporation. Low-Stress Potluck is a registered trademark of Halflab Holdings, LLC. All Rights Reserved.