Regarding New Year's Eve

There seems to be two major schools of thought regarding New Year's Eve. One is this idea that you must party, party like you have never partied before and may never party again, because hell, it's the start of a new calendar year tomorrow. The other school of thought is centered around the idea of having a "quiet night in", as if the people who choose this path(here I except the heavy drinkers who think of New Year's Eve as amateur hour and stay home out of sheer annoyance, and people who don't drink at all) don't have a "quiet night in" the other 364 days a year. If the first school of hard partying thought seems a bit crazed and juvenile, this second school of thought is usually voiced annually with almost unbearable smugness, as if calm domesticity was the One True Path of Enjoyment and that, sooner or later, even young party goers must face the fact that life will eventually grind you down until you're nothing more than a yawning, flabby bundle of goo that turns in at 10 PM, promptly, and is proud of this fact. While the "people who go out on New Years" will spend New Year's Day nursing hangovers, visiting Planned Parenthood, and speaking horsely, the "people who stay in" will be up by eight AM tomorrow, bright eyed and eagerly engaged in domestic acts like sorting out the garage, or cleaning the fridge. They will wear cozy sweaters, speak in warm voices with their equally well-rested spouses, and maybe listen to that old Heart album during a lazy, snowy afternoon.

Right now I'm 28, and I'm sort of on the edge of these two camps. Last year I rang in the New Year by rocking out at the Hexagon Bar in Minneapolis, drinking a Fosters the size of my head, but this year I will be home and watching The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. This afternoon my lady friend and I went the Humanitarian Bowl here in Boise, my first ever college football bowl game, and as a result I think I'm suffering from sort of cold-wind-sunlight related dementia. SO I shall stay in, and drink dirty martinis.

But anyway. It's been a hell of year here at Blogagaard. Happy New Year everybody.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Happy new year.

Hope your book does well in 2008, David. I understand it's your 1st.

yasmin
birmingham. UK
never let go
in memory of Charlie Rocket,
reason for suicide
http://www.myspace.com/132501307

David Oppegaard said...

Thank you. Happy New Year.

Anonymous said...

happy new year, dave.

regarding the party or not to party question, my few cents:

i assume that we all recognise that new year is a reason to party; and there is nothing cosmic about the date and hour itself. so, after spending the hour and date at one of the most happening places this year, with about a million other people - i think, i shall not repeat the err. After the 15 minutes of sheer delight, there are two hours of public transport, when you are at your sleepiest tiredest best.

Another factor being, that for most people the holiday season is from 24th Dec to 1st Jan and work restarts on 2nd. Which means if instead of partying on the crowded 31st night, it will be much better to do it on 28th or 29th. A bit more room, I am sure, does not hurt a party – or that is the school of thought that I belong to anyway!

(That was a lot of work for a few cents)

Missy said...

We partied at the Turf this year. Just good times, not too much booze, but we had pizza and treats and laughs. I just love seeing all the people.

I am a little afraid to step into the quiet night at home world...I can't say why.

Ken McConnell said...

I was at the H-Bowl too! Fifty yard line under the old press box. Good Game and as it happens, the only WAC win in the bowls this year.

Rand said...

Happy New Year, Bloggy! Sorry we didn't connect when you were in the TC's.

Hope all goes well with the book release and all the accompanying fame and fortune!

Michelle said...

Hey David -- Happy New Year
We were cleaning house with loud music and champagne for our New Year's Day brunch. Pretty domestic, but then, you probably aren't surprised.
Have a great 08! Come visit again

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