Mara Posted January 1, 2012 Share Posted January 1, 2012 (edited) I figured out a long time ago that making grandiose plans for New Year's Eve celebrating is just setting up for disappointment - it is NEVER as much fun as you think it will be. The last time I went out partying on NYE I was about 26-27. A drunk acquaintance barfed on my fairly expensive (for me) silk bodysuit. Which was white and gold, so the puke never came out. My feet were killing me in the 5" heels, and I remember thinking at the time, "that's it, I've had it with NYE. I'm never leaving the house for one again." And other than small gatherings at friends' homes on the odd year, I haven't. This year, my mom went to Savannah with friends and asked if I'd mind staying with my grandmother. Now, Granny Jane is 93 and doesn't really NEED "sitting", since she's pretty self-sufficient and still razor-sharp. But she does feel a bit more secure if she has someone with her overnight. Besides, she's grand company. So DH and I took her to her favorite Mexican restaurant for dinner. Then we headed back to her house (she and Mom share), and chatted, read, and waited for the ball to drop. Of course, since it's Georgia, we also got to see split-screen coverage of the local party in Atlanta and the Dropping of The Giant Butt. (It's supposed to be a peach, of course. But it looks exactly like a colossal pair of cheeks, easing their way on down from the top of the tower. I joked that it would be perfect if there were a giant toilet at the bottom). It was a wonderful evening, even though I had not a drop of alcohol. I certainly do not miss the hangovers, exhaustion, and dry-cleaning bills that the debauchery from earlier years inevitably produced. I guess I am old and boring now! On a side note, I was really, really glad to see that Dick Clark has really made a ton of progress in his stroke rehab. His speech is so much clearer now, and he just looks better. Edited January 1, 2012 by Mara Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Godot Posted January 1, 2012 Share Posted January 1, 2012 I had... Well let's just say it was more real of a night than I've had in a while. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
priest_of_syrinx Posted January 1, 2012 Share Posted January 1, 2012 QUOTE (Litehawk @ Jan 1 2012, 03:50 PM) I had... Well let's just say it was more real of a night than I've had in a while. That sounds... ominous. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lerxt1990 Posted January 1, 2012 Share Posted January 1, 2012 QUOTE (Mara @ Jan 1 2012, 04:42 PM) ... blah blah blah.. my fairly expensive (for me) silk bodysuit. Which was white and gold, .... My feet were killing me in the 5" heels,....blah blah bah Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Draco Posted January 1, 2012 Share Posted January 1, 2012 Had a very quiet evening with housemates and kids. Here in Napa, the neighborhood lit up right at midnight like it was 4th of July, and the kids had a blast! A very good way to ring in the new year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1-0-0-1-0-0-1 Posted January 1, 2012 Share Posted January 1, 2012 QUOTE (lerxt1990 @ Jan 1 2012, 05:12 PM) QUOTE (Mara @ Jan 1 2012, 04:42 PM) ... blah blah blah.. my fairly expensive (for me) silk bodysuit. Which was white and gold, .... My feet were killing me in the 5" heels,....blah blah bah I usually spend NYE with whatever family members are around, but last night we all stayed in our respective homes and did nothing. I didn't even watch the ball drop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lerxt1990 Posted January 1, 2012 Share Posted January 1, 2012 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danielmclark Posted January 1, 2012 Share Posted January 1, 2012 If I had a choice, I would treat it like any other night. I'm generally not into the whole New Year's thing - like Mara, it's something I did years ago but no longer really care about. But I have kids now. And family lives nearby. My sister-in-law lives on a dead-end cul-de-sac road, and after everyone gets home, they block off the street starting about 5 houses up from the cul-de-sac so the kids can run around. Someone lights a fire, everyone brings food. Since my daughter was born, we've not stayed out at these kinds of parties until midnight, but she's six now and we ended up leaving at 12:15. Pretty low-key evening, really. No loud music, just a bunch of neighbors sitting around in lawn chairs. Annoyingly though, since nobody brought a radio or TV outside, all the people who had been drinking decided that they'd each be the arbiter of when the clock struck midnight by using his or her phone, most of which don't display seconds, only hours and minutes. So we had like, 10 people all going, "okay, get ready, 10...9...8.." at different times. Finally someone just yelled out "CLOSE ENOUGH, HAPPY NEW YEAR!" and they all gave up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Not Posted January 1, 2012 Share Posted January 1, 2012 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unattractive Truth Posted January 1, 2012 Share Posted January 1, 2012 My wife and I stayed home, watched TV and had a little champagne (well, I had more than a little...). But that was it. Our 9 year old made it to about 10:30, and we were not far behind. Back in our youth we would have done it up right. But now, we're old and busted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
circumstantial tree Posted January 1, 2012 Share Posted January 1, 2012 I was too busy hanging around airports to care (not that I ever do anyway). I would have liked to have stayed in Raleigh though because this year they added a Parisian theme which included a 9 story ferris wheel and the usual dropping of the big acorn. But no. I was flying back to Boston and I had a long layover at Dulles Airport. Dear god in heaven, what a sad bunch of people at the gate where I was to eventually depart. Those folks, luckily, were flying to Tampa. One woman who must have been a chronic smoker was busy puffing on one of those electronic cigarettes. Several people noticed the vapor and gave her this weird look. One little girl even waved away the vapor thinking it was smoke. Add to that, an alarm went off at the door to the jet walk. She was too damn chatty for her own good and talking to some guy she didn't know. I didn't get back to my apartment until 11:30 after seeing a bunch of silly and giggly people with blinkers on their heads. Was too tired and couldn't get home fast enough. I was up until 1:00 but quite frankly didn't notice 12:00 occurring. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ancient Ways Posted January 2, 2012 Share Posted January 2, 2012 I had a late night on friday. Fell asleep at 9:30 on NYE. Didn't wake up when all hell broke less Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
An Enemy Without Posted January 2, 2012 Share Posted January 2, 2012 My friends and I watched Limitless instead of the dropping of the ball thing. Is that bad? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ozzy85 Posted January 2, 2012 Share Posted January 2, 2012 Just hung out with the wifey and played Guitar Hero. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laughedatbytime Posted January 2, 2012 Share Posted January 2, 2012 Quiet is good (at least at my age). Had a quiet night at home with my son (my wife is with her ailing father). Stayed up till midnight...wondered why...never came up with a good reason. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janie Posted January 2, 2012 Share Posted January 2, 2012 Ours was quiet. Too quiet. I grew up with a family who made New Year's Eve the big party bash of the year because it was my grandmother's birthday as well. (Grandma was a hoot - loved by everyone.) So to me, NYE is all about a house packed with family, friends and neighbors and everyone drinks too much, eats too much, laughs too hard, watches movies, plays games, sings, dances.... It's an entire day packed with fun. And I guess, I keep thinking it's always supposed to be like that. We did nothing because of the husband. We did basically nothing all day and midnight came and went. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fledgehog Posted January 2, 2012 Share Posted January 2, 2012 at work til 1:30am. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janie Posted January 2, 2012 Share Posted January 2, 2012 QUOTE (Unattractive Truth @ Jan 1 2012, 02:48 PM) My wife and I stayed home, watched TV and had a little champagne (well, I had more than a little...). But that was it. Our 9 year old made it to about 10:30, and we were not far behind. Back in our youth we would have done it up right. But now, we're old and busted. The two-year-old went to bed at his usual time but I let my five-year-old stay up with me. He made it to 11:15pm. Since he fell asleep on the couch by me, I turned the lights off and turned the volume way down on tv. I didn't have the heart to wake him at midnight. Still gave him a smooch though. I also had, and still have, a horrible head cold. I sneezed my way through the countdown celebration. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nobodys hero Posted January 2, 2012 Share Posted January 2, 2012 I took the kids' to the show and then out to a hibachi steak place for a late dinner. Drank a little champagne, watched the ball drop and some of the stupid performers on Rockin' Eve and called it a night about 1 am. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drbirdsong Posted January 2, 2012 Share Posted January 2, 2012 QUOTE (Janie @ Jan 1 2012, 10:55 PM) I also had, and still have, a horrible head cold. I sneezed my way through the countdown celebration. I have the same head cold I get every year around this time. My wife and I usually find a quiet spot on the gulf coast of Florida, but this year we partied on the couch and the dogs were unconscious by 11. Rush fans are just so hardcore. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janie Posted January 2, 2012 Share Posted January 2, 2012 QUOTE (drbirdsong @ Jan 1 2012, 08:45 PM) QUOTE (Janie @ Jan 1 2012, 10:55 PM) I also had, and still have, a horrible head cold. I sneezed my way through the countdown celebration. I have the same head cold I get every year around this time. My wife and I usually find a quiet spot on the gulf coast of Florida, but this year we partied on the couch and the dogs were unconscious by 11. Rush fans are just so hardcore. I told my five-year-old we were going to, "party hearty." Hot cocoa and rousing game of Hungry, Hungry Hippos! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnnyBlaze Posted January 2, 2012 Share Posted January 2, 2012 QUOTE (Mara @ Jan 2 2012, 06:42 AM) I figured out a long time ago that making grandiose plans for New Year's Eve celebrating is just setting up for disappointment - it is NEVER as much fun as you think it will be. I disagree. The New Year's Eve Kansai Saga of 2001 and the Intergalactic Odyssey of New Year's Eve 2003 were just as epic (and more so!) as planned. This 2011 NYE didn't involve chasing dragons and such but it was a nice one: a lot of laughs, great meal, sake, various whiskeys, & games with the gf at the crib. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Babycat Posted January 2, 2012 Share Posted January 2, 2012 QUOTE (JohnnyBlaze @ Jan 2 2012, 06:20 AM) QUOTE (Mara @ Jan 2 2012, 06:42 AM) I figured out a long time ago that making grandiose plans for New Year's Eve celebrating is just setting up for disappointment - it is NEVER as much fun as you think it will be. I disagree. The New Year's Eve Kansai Saga of 2001 and the Intergalactic Odyssey of New Year's Eve 2003 were just as epic (and more so!) as planned. This 2011 NYE didn't involve chasing dragons and such but it was a nice one: a lot of laughs, great meal, sake, various whiskeys, & games with the gf at the crib. The New Year's Eve Kansai Saga of 2001 and Intergalactic Odyssey of New Year's Eve 2003... Are they games of sorts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HowItIs Posted January 2, 2012 Share Posted January 2, 2012 We never go out for NYE. For one thing, we don't want to be out on the roads on amateur night. For another... meh. We stay home, watch a movie then the Space Needle fireworks at midnight. The TV station that covers them always has a fail of some kind and it's a family game to see how badly they mess up *this* year. We might have champagne or a wee shot of The Macallan..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lerxster Posted January 2, 2012 Share Posted January 2, 2012 It was fairly quiet. No banging pots or lighting fireworks. We all 5 Guys dinner, then down to the developing man cave basement with the wife for debauchery while childrens hung out upstairs. Then up just in time to see the ball had dropped, and a smoochie the wifeee Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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