I know the phrase "challenge" when paired with "New Year" sends visions of weightloss and a pudgy
Kirstie Alley dancing through your head, but this is different. After ringing in 2006, I attempted a very trying memory game of recalling, in chronological order, where I had celebrated the
Nuevo Ano of days gone by. It's actually much harder than one would think (unless you are one of those savant-type people with the memory of an elephant). With Jerrett's help, I was able to think back to 1999. Below is a lil' recap. Read through, then post your own stroll down "pressure to have the best night ever" lane in my comments section.
2006: Who BURNED My Cheese?
Fondue, champagne and board games
at Jack & Suzi's house. After an incident with a wayward sterno flame, my fondue became a
fon don't and stunk up the place like the bog of eternal stench.
2005: Consumption Junction, What's Your Function?Stricken with the consumption, the black lung or some sort of debilitating cold/flu action, Jerrett and I sat on the couch watching movies. We briefly managed to make it to the front porch for the stroke of midnight where neighbors greeted us with champagne. Alas, our taste buds were already adrift in a sea of mentholatum cough drops making for a very unpleasant taste sensation. We were asleep by 12:10 a.m.
2004: The Year of the Great Party Hop Flop
Kicked off the night at Gary & Robert's New Year's extravaganza then raced back to the OC (Oak Cliff) for a party at Pam and Dan's. Unfortunately, most of the partygoers had rung in the New Year Eastern Standard time (aka 11 p.m.) and had already gone home.
2003: E-I E-I Road TripDrove 3 hours west of Fort Worth to
Throckmorton, Texas and stayed with Felix's parents. City boys gone country - we were so the precursors to Paris Hilton and her
Simple Life. Highlight of the trip was firing the shotgun at midnight and chasing chickens at sunrise.
2002: Fun with Shut-Ins
Don't know how I remember this, but we rented
Xanadu and
The Wiz. I think Judy and Felix came over
. Then we eased ourselves on down the road to lushiness with cocktail consumption.
2001: Neither Rain nor Blinding Blizzard ...Despite a blizzard, we trekked over to Las Colinas for a party at Liz and Chris' new house. The cliques of people never really merged. Jerrett and I spent the majority of the night sitting with Liz on her new sleep number bed trying to find out if we were a firm 72 or a soft and cushy 28.
2000: Y2Que?Who doesn't remember where they were? Surprisingly, we were not hunkered down in a bomb shelter with extra water and spam. Instead,we were in Albuquerque in Beth's apartment. I wore one of those tacky New Years party hat/tiara things that said 2000, and I think it is on my head in every photo taken that night.
1999: Movin' On Up?
I'll never forget this one. I was driving from Albuquerque to Dallas to begin my new job in morning radio. My Volkswagen Jetta was filled to the brim like a hillbilly mobile with all my belongings - pillows, lampshades, books. Unbeknownst to me, my alternator was dying. So, as sundown came and I turned on my lights, my car coasted to a stop just out side of Decatur, Texas. I called AAA for a tow truck only to pronounce the town "De' Couture" like some prissy French bitch (Jerrett, incidentally, was the true prissy French bitch celebrating 1999 in france). The town is actually pronounced "Decay ter"- as in to decay or rot. Two or three hours later after sitting silently in the front of the tow truck I arrived at the hotel, joined Gene & Julie for one glass of champagne then went to bed. Luckily the bad car ju ju was not an omen of a bad year to come.
Love, Love
Love as Auld as a Lang Sine (whatever the hell that is!)
Love, Jef
