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Happy Something.

December 31, 2005 | Category: In My Life



This is a note of warning - I have been ill for 6 days. 5 of which I vaguely remember in shadows and gulps and sweaty sheets. For all I know, I am currently inseminated with some evil alien's hybrid child that will split me open like an overripe melon. Look, it could be true. The past few days are lost to me like a bad NBC drama. I have no freaking idea.

And into the dim, comes New Year's Eve.

I hate New Year's Eve.

The best New Year I ever spent, on a balcony overlooking Reykjavik. A thousand blooms of fireworks lighting up the sky. Iceland brings in a new year with bonfires and hearty meals and drunken song and dozens and dozens of blasts in the sky. And even that night, that happy night, was book-ended with tears and maudlin moaning and trepidation.

Why?

Because New Year's Eve sucks.

It sucks rocks and there's no convincing me otherwise. You just can't attempt to encompass a year's worth of possibilities and realities and have that live up to itself. I mean, you blend up bad champagne, overly veneered strangers, shiny shoes that hurt your feet, and some guy who's decided he's getting lucky for sure and you will NOT come out the other end with anything good. No, my friends, you will, in fact, come out with the sum total of the umpty-ump remembered New Year's Eves of my life. A veritible sausage of disaster.

I'm talking about starting off the new year with worse than just blurry eyes and ringing regrets and vomit on my shoes.

The best of intentions, each year. The worst of results. The kind of stuff that you can't plop plop fizz fizz back into anything good.

*sigh* Not the best of moods to be contemplating a year in. So, I won't.

Instead, I will stubbornly do as I usually do. With the added festive touch of mighty blue Nyquil. Which is to say - count this as a night when it is best to stay at home, eat snack food for dinner, and watch reruns until bedtime.

But before I begin hauling all the pillows and blankets into the living room, I wanted to stop as I did last year and say this...

Thank you for the dance so far. This blog and each soul who has stopped by for a piece of the journey has been an incredible blessing to me.

And, please - drive safe tonight (if you must insist on revelry and merriment and/or shiny high-heeled shoes), remember to kiss your designated driver all over, and see you in 2005 2006.

Peace on Earth, God's peace to us all. (Or, at the very least, a mutual non-combatant treaty).

Icelandic New Year's Eve Chant:
Let those who want to, arrive.
Let those who want to, leave.
Let those who want to, stay.
Without harm to me or mine.

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Comments


Happy New Year*, Elizabeth!!

(* Not "Happy New Year celebration", but rather the heartfelt wish that you and yours have a wonderful and rewarding year to come.)

Posted by: Jim on January 3, 2006 10:30 AM


anything that has a BIG expectation LIKE New Yr's, the most hated valentine's day or mother's day....makes me nervous! While my husband was out catering a big party (probably not having a good time, yet with people having FUN), I hunkered down in bed with 4 (yes 4!) kids to watch the ball drop. At some pt we started to hear suspicious sounds and proceeded to call DARLING hubby at work every 15 minutes or so. yes call me pathetic. but i heard the sounds too!
btw...iceland is my choice place to live, but i live in upstate NY.
just started my own blog on 1/1!
nice reading about you

Posted by: tara on January 2, 2006 09:51 PM


God, I wish I had read this on New Year's Eve... Because mine sucked rocks! And I wouldn't have felt quite so bad.

Hope 2006 is your best year yet!

Posted by: lucinda on January 2, 2006 02:22 PM


Happy New Year, E! I hope that one of these years will shake you up, rock you -- and give you restored hope because it was such an incredible year for you!

Posted by: Eyes for Lies on January 2, 2006 11:28 AM



Although I must admit I kind of like New Year's, it is a sort of disorienting holiday. Things are rarely all that different at the stroke of midnight, but we all think it ought to be. Possibly in the same way that birthdays can be disorienting.

I spent New Year's with Mtk and my Mom at an Italian restaurant in Oak Park, and was at my Mom's at midnight. Mtk and I were droopy and bleary eyed (in spite of not having had much to drink) and my Mom, belive it or not, was chipper and energetic up until midnight. I think she probably stayed up after we left.

We spent the last 40 minutes of the year making fun of the drunken revelers on tv and by the announcers, who seemed a bit intoxicated themselves. So glad I wasn't anywhere near that.

Anyway, I with you the best of everything for the coming year!

Posted by: Laura on January 1, 2006 10:53 PM


Happy New Year all the same -- I hope you feel better really soon :)

Posted by: AGK on January 1, 2006 01:51 PM


I'm with you, I don't really see the point in all the lavish partying. Just guarantees you'll start the new year broke, if not dead. Anyway, Happy New Year, darlin!

Posted by: Crystal on January 1, 2006 11:06 AM


After the year we had filled with illness, broken dreams, financial ruin, "old" baggage returning...how does one celebrate New Years? To make matters even more complicated, we had an unexpected death of a cousin at age 42 that left everyone stunned. In between funeral plans and viewings, my husband and I had to sit down and decide how to handle the passing of this year, but more importantly, the welcoming of the new. We had talked to friends but all plans had been put on hold until after the funeral services were over. We began calling people on Friday AND Saturday and billed ourselves as the party between parties. Expecting few, I prepared what little I had in the best way I could and we welcomed whomever and what ever would come through our door. We were overwhelmed at the number of friends who came with their friends and families in tow from dinners, in between parties, from relatives' houses...each bearing food or drink or gifts. It was one of the best celebrations we had in years! Some came in jeans, some came in "recovery mode" (many had the same flu you had over Christmas and this was their first time out in days) and some came dressed to the nines. It just showed us that those clean white pages of the new calendar are for YOU to write your destiny and your plans on. The possibilities of new hope and new dreams are always there for those who keep believing!
Here's wishing you and yours (and all those bloggers who share their hopes and dreams with all) and healthy, happy, prosperous 2006 filled with dreams come true!

Posted by: janeye on January 1, 2006 10:46 AM


A very happy new year to you! Best wishes for 2006 and get well soon.

I've never said this before, but you are so lucky to have Bear. He reminds me of my nephew, both are the same age and I love reading all the Bear stories.

Posted by: plumpernickel on January 1, 2006 09:53 AM


Happy New Year!
Am fixin' to go to bed and listen to the radio. Oh, yeah, I am really out there and hopping to have a big time. NOT!!
The best to you and yours!!

Posted by: azalea on December 31, 2005 11:07 PM


We are home tonight, planning to watch a movie soon, and we'll probably be asleep before midnight arrives in Pacific time.

Wishing you and your family a 2006 that is much better than 2005 was.

Posted by: Kimberly on December 31, 2005 10:44 PM


I know where you got the New Year's Eve Sucks gene from. Moi. Since the first time I became aware that New Year's was an "event" I've never understood it. What is so special about this one night that I have to dress up, pay way too much money to party, kiss a bunch of strange people I don't know to wish them a happy new year and go out and drive on streets and share the road with way more people driving under the influence that is even reasonably comfortable. Oh scandal of scandal I opted out when I was about 24, way too much performance pressure for this rebel. Give me a good glass of champagne, some good music and a great book to read, what more can I say.

dancing my way around your cold, hope you're feeling better soon - your loving curmungeony autie marfa

Posted by: Autie Marfa on December 31, 2005 10:19 PM


Sigh. I was all geared up to go to a party at a friend's house, babysitter in place, nails painted, and the party got cancelled. The death of the drippy nose sickness. So I will probably be asleep in bed long before 2006!

Posted by: Tammy on December 31, 2005 06:15 PM


Word. I hate New Year's Eve, too. It's just too much pressure, too many expectations, to put on one night. Guess what? When we wake up tomorrow we're going to be the same people at the same weight with the same checkbook balance. Deal with it.

Posted by: Stacy on December 31, 2005 06:03 PM


I agree with you about New Year's Eve. It sucks.

Posted by: Rhonda on December 31, 2005 05:15 PM


Amen. New Years' Eve is the biggest Amateur Night on the planet for drunken stupidity.

After ten years of tending bar, I think I can speak with some authority on the subject.

And, in case you're wondering the SECOND worst Amateur Night is St. Patrick's Day.

Hope you feel better really soon, babe.

xoxo

Posted by: Margi on December 31, 2005 04:47 PM


Happy New Year!!! I hope that 2006 will be better for you than 2005. Just think of the new adventure you will be starting.

Posted by: crystal on December 31, 2005 04:27 PM


I love the Icelandic wisdom you incorporate on your site...my family currently lives in Norway and I pass the chants, blessings etc on to them. I do hope that you are soon on the mend. Truly. Have a beautiful 2006.

Posted by: gigi on December 31, 2005 04:18 PM