All dressed up and nowhere to go

I'm not a big fan of New Years eve and especially not the day after. To me, today is means then end of Christmas and I was just getting really into the spirit of it. Another thing is having to look back at the past year. Everyone's doing the 2008 in review. Telling us what was good and what was bad. Personally I love reading those blogposts, watching the countdowns on TV and even the political and economy analysts telling us what's happened during 2008.

As I was doing the dishes earlier today I started thinking about what my final post of the year would be about. My mind went everywhere as usual and if I'd been in front of the keyboard at the time it would have ended up with me rambling on about the Queens speech and being single. How I got from annual reviews to that is a mystery even to me. However I did finally come up with something worth reading - I hope.

To me New Years has never been about going out partying and for the life of me, I have no clue why. Honestly I don't think I've ever been out dancing and partying on New Years. When I was kid it was about decorating my room for New Years, the Queens New Years speech, dinner, TV and a sip of Champagne at midnight before getting whisked off to bed.

As I got a little older I was allowed out with some of the people from school but I didn't really want to. They'd go around the neighborhood playing with firework and do all sorts of stuff to the houses where no one was home. Everything from spraying the windows with shaving cream, putting scotch tape over the keyholes to hanging the trashcan or Christmas tree up the flagpole. I wasn't that kind of boy. Not that I was above the tricks, they were alright, I just didn't like the fireworks. I mean, the big ones are pretty but most of the fireworks they'd throw around just made loud bangs or fizzled around on the ground for a bit. Besides, back then it was always cold on New Years.

I'd much rather be home watching TV all night. You see, unlike these days, there was always something worth watching on New Years eve. I guess this was one more reason why the kids at school thought I was strange. Then I didn't care that much, I didn't like any of them anyway.

If I wasn't watching TV, I was dancing around in my room. Pretending I was one of the disco divas. Boy, did I put on a show. Then after my parents had gone to bed I'd sneak into the living room and watch the concert shows that were on. Everything from the shows from the Folies Bergère in Paris, to the Boney M concerts. I loved it. Only to wake up the next morning very tired with nothing on TV but downhill skiing. If that's not a depressing way to start the new year I don't know what is.

These days I'm just celebrating New Years alone again. I don't want to go anywhere and this day has become a night like the the night of the Academy Awards. A night where I stay in, dress up and enjoy some of the finer things in life. Good food, good wine, good Champagne and good movies until the show starts. The show on this particular day being the fireworks over Copenhagen. Somehow all this doesn't scream '2008 is almost over, let's disco' to me.

Happy New Year everyone and a big big big - no make that HUGE happy birthday to Savannah!