dropping by to deposit an avatar i'm considering
or maybe this one
(apparently i've had some good NYE's )
phooey - where'd the one with the knife go now?
Screw it, I've decided I don't give a **** that I'm not going out! I just watched "Harold and Kumar go to White Castle" and I liked it! Ha! Now I'm going to pee! So there! New Year's Eve...to me, it's just friday!
Happy New Year everyone!
I had a weird New Years Eve just now. Anastasia was coming over with a coupla friends, we'd be six in total, it just seemed best/nicest to have the do here (since at her place no guests are allowed after 7:30 PM and her friend H.'s place is kinda far out.)
It was intended to be totally mellow - her friend H. is cool, just an unassuming cosy type, we've often gone to the movies the three of us. Then there was her friend D. over from Germany for the weekend, he makes great pics & knows a lot about music but is very, very quiet, up to the point of - something. Sometimes awkward. Then a friend of hers from work who I hadnt met before, who turned out to be totally - normal (kinda ... but plain folk, anyway), and her flatmate, who cancelled at the last minute to instead go to a party her mother was giving with friends to do ecstacy there. (Bad idea if you ask me ...)
So, this place having gotten a bit rundown, I basically spent two days cleaning up, getting some order in place and creating some cosiness. I also bought a shitload of food I was planning to make all kinds of dishes with. Planning being nimhish tho, in the end I just made brownies, Spanish potatoes and lavash with parsley salad and fetabutter, and (in a last minute quick improvisation) baby mozarrellas with baby plum tomatoes. But aside from that I'd bought stuff from the Bakkerswinkel (pieces of quiche, cakes, mini-scones), the Turkish catering (sigara borek, different salads/spreads, sausages), Italian cheeses, oh - more, still more.
Things quickly unravelled of course, but that was fine. Someone brought a TV, but forgot the reception cable, heh. Two of 'em arrived at 8, while A. and her friend from work were late, at 9. No prob, since I was still rushing to get something table-ready anyway. Turned out we just sat around, making conversation (well, A. of course, and H. and me kinda, the guys being mostly quiet, at least until work-guy had a smoke). They hardly ate anything, tho! Just the sigara borek and the brownies and cakes, and some little stuff! Just sitting round drinking beer, work-guy rum-coke ...
It was totally like I expected it to be, actually - very low-key (as in, low-key people who dont know each other too well) - but no drama, which was a welcome change from previous NYE's - just a pity about all the food!! I just sent out an SMS to two friends here in town, see if they wanna come over for a new years' tea / brunch or something tomorrow (small chance tho, new years day, people gotta visit family ...). I still got salmon, gambas, whatnot - altho the gambas got unfrozen on my way home yesterday, then refrozen in the freezer, dunno if I should still eat em - ridiculously expensive tho.
At midnight we went outside to see the fireworks of course, little bit of warzone going on as always, its cute. They even set fire on the corner to a pile of stuff, cupboards, whatever - then there were the crackers, light fountains, everything going on - sizzling bolts across the pavement, bangs from everywhere, lights over the roofs in all directions, Dutch NYE is cool like that - and a kinda instant street rave around the corner where someone'd put a speaker in the window. We ambled through to watch more fireworks at the Dom Square.
You know what strikes me tho? People dont seem to wish each other a happy new year anymore! Not strangers, anyway! Too weird. You call out "happy new year" to people, and they just look at you puzzled, like, "do I know you?". I dont remember that being so five years ago ... The whole square did applaud at one group's particularly spectacular fireworks tho, that was cute.
Anyway, homeboy from the rum-coke had totally had too much so basically stayed at home while we went out, we found him back still head in hands leaning forward on the couch when we came home ... ended up calling him a cab, took forever ... so it was 2:30 by the time we arrived at the place we got tickets for. Some Irish pub. Not my idea, obviously. I'd wanted to go to the Winkel, cool party going on there, you can dance forever, and you cant beat the ambiance in that place ... that woulda been cool. Havent gone dancing forever. But a bit too challenging for A. at the moment still, and even Cafe Solo (which is kinda hip in a kinda low-key way) makes her feel a bit claustrophobic, so the Irish pub it was. Its totally not my thing tho - its not even Irish, you know. They were playing the Pointer Sisters or something when we came in.
By that time also, homeboy was off, A. quite drunk (tho happily so), and H. and D. gone quiet and kinda just done (or just nonplussed?). It was then that I thought, hey - my life - new year - do I really wanna be here? Does anyone hold it against me if I'm not? No? OK, home I go! And here I am. And pretty glad too. Getting it on with my tipsy ex also would not have been the best way to start off the new year anyway.
All in all not as nicely surprising a NYE as last year's - but also a lot less stress - and it was fine, really, I mean, after a year like this. Plus, my place is all cleaned up and nice - and I got decadent food to last me through a week. So ... I mean, I guess <nods>.
I just had a nice little NYE surprise.
My neighbour Maria dropped by, with the puppy that got deposited at her house on Boxing Day. We sat out on my porch in our winter coats with three dogs (her other dog was already asleep at home - the puppy makes him tired) - talked quietly to help the puppy get comfortable. My two dogs nodded off, the puppy snuggled into our arms in turn. She's a sweet little dog, very quiet for a puppy, very happy to be with someone who clearly loves her.
Some other neighbours walked by - all the dog owners stopped at least long enough to say Happy New Year - others going to cars to go parties - others carrying cases of beer somewhere - Hello! Happy New Year! Have a great night! Hey, Happy New Year!
That was just a perfectly mellow interlude.
Though my pants are kinda damp from sitting on the wet bench.
Nimh - what is/are gambas?
ebeth - gambas - big shrimps, the spanish (mexican?) kind - still in their shell. You fry em (fry not deep-fry, never know how that works with the dutch-english translation) in garlic oil, then peel 'em. What do you think?
Was writing this post next:
New years eves are always such a stress tho, really, I mean to get something planned - especially if you dont have a fixed group of friends, like me, and all of your individual friends (or whatever you've got left of 'em) do - you end up scrambling, and always in a group you dont know half of. Or just the two of you, if you've got a gf. I just dont like the stress around it.
One cool, totally over the top NYE I had was, eh, three years ago, when A. had just gotten here, just that week I mean. We hooked up with my friend S. and a bunch of her friends - had a relaxed dinnner at one of her friends places in Amsterdam, nice place, amazing view of the fireworks from the roof, taxi ride through the war zone w/everyone getting high, out to a party on some boat, cool DJs, dancers, amazing decoration, and the boat just going out on the river and back (tho we hardly noticed, except in this - "hey, man, you seen that we're actually - like - out on the water?" way) - a cool trip. Way too much E tho, A. got all sick kept throwing up, and it took us forever to remember we could just, like - go home - take the morning train.
The next day was long, and that night, with its inability to get some restraint on the bad stuff in place, might well a'been an omen for the things to come - but it sure was a cool party.
But normally, nah. Used to join up with my then-gf and our former studentshouse's flatmates, that was always cosy - or some combination of first being at home the two of us with lotsa nice stuff to eat and then there - but ever since that group fell apart, its been ... scrambling, yeah. Spent one NYE alone with my father ... one with my gf and a group of S.'s friends who closed the curtains and spent all the time after 11 getting jolted up with all kinds of drugs, didnt even go outside except for a dip to see the fireworks - and me not using any, then - it was interesting but only in this anthropological way. The few years after my mom died (us getting the news the day before NYE) were tough too, and an awkward fit with not wanting to be alone but not feeling at ease with not all too close acquaintances playing Trivial Pursuit either ...
Two years ago was stress ... last year too, tho it ended up in surprising good cheer. But overall, no, NYE aint my favourite day a year ...
Happy new year to you, nimh! Thanks for some terrific contributions to A2K discussions in 2004!
Thanks Msolga, thats sweet!
I cant believe downstairs guy across the street has a NYE party going on - I thought he had no free time and no friends!
I also cant believe I'm at home at 5:30 AM wishing it was over already ... so I can get some sleep ...
A. came over still to get her cellphone ... had a story about this drunk guy who'd said something wrong, she slapped him ... they've gone back now.
Just came back from Dinner Out with my niece, who flew up from LA to visit w/me for a week. This happens once or occasionally twice a year and has always been a good time for both of us, not in a revelry way as I am way old and she has been moving through her teens, but a good time in that we don't have the role routines that happen between parents and children and we can just relax and talk and talk and talk.
I have been surprised, sort of, these past few years, that she doesn't think nye is important like I used to - it really is another friday for her, except for the trip and the catching up with me. She rolls her eyes when I tell her how keyed in we were to have parties lined up and, most of all, a boyfriend you were crazy about.
She has a boyfriend, and doesn't care about one stupid day.
Ahem.
Methusalina here, rolling my eyes back at her.
So we had a great dinner, the six course prie fixe (sp?) kind,
and both were crazy for the same two dishes.
Now I'm in my computer room in a nice warm house and she is ensconsced in the Murphy Bed Room with a Toni Morrison book and music on.
Tomorrow we have the art opening at the gallery, and she'll help with it. She and I have different ethnic/racial background. T'will be fun to watch heads turn in whiteville.
I'm back to celebrate NYEs at home with my animals and my a2k friends.
I am extraordinarily happy tonight. I dunno why, but I hope it bodes well for next year.
So do I!!!!!
Happy New Year!!!!
Happy New Year! So...2005, eh? What will I do with this year? Will I finally quit the job I have hated for five years? That seems possible finally. I see the light at the end of this crappy tunnel!
Yaaayyyyy to all of us, Kicky for the job plan, LilK for being happy, Dlowan for being the bunny.
And so for all of us.
Yeah, Yays all 'round! How 'bout you guys? What's your hopeful highlight for the new year?
Me, I have a perplexing situation, and now is not the time to es-plane. I am happily back to the olde Me, after a year of yucky eye stuff, and have serious decisions to make. All of which I put off while I tap dance to see what comes up. You may recognize this pattern, Kick.
I'm in the mood to do something Different, and might. But in the meantime, I deal with day to day while watching patterns form..
I should once and for all devise a plan for getting a degree in teaching.... possibly a masters.
On ya, Little k.
I want to let work dominate me less - do more things I enjoy - less things I feel I should.
Nurture my relationships more - I think I have been taking some friends for granted.
