In the eleven December 31st's that Stephanie and I have been together, we frequently think two days before hand about what we're going to do, and most of those years, we haven't done anything. We've gone to a few parties here and there, but generally speaking we end up chilling at home as if it were pretty much any other night.
It's not that we're anti-social or anything. The truth is that we don't even ask most of our friends what they're doing. I guess the "holiday" really isn't that important. Certainly getting drunk isn't what it used to be either. So as of now, it looks like we'll spend Friday night with Regis.
What I don't understand is where the notion comes from that you have to be doing something special that night. Honestly, 2004 was the first year since 2000 that brought anything strongly positive into my life. Who knows how 2005 will be. Furthermore, I can't allow myself to get all jacked up on what might be this year (or the next, or the one after that) when I should be making something of the time I have right now.
The passage of time seems to get faster and faster as you get older. Trying to find meaning in birthdays and new years gets more difficult every year.
It has literally been more than 20 years since Gordon and I went anywhere for New Year's Eve. I think we may have had friends over a couple times, but we tend to stay off the roads on what Gordon calls amateur night.
This year, though, we are going out. The husband of one of my high school chums is in a Jazz band called The Warren Commission and is playing at a local spot on New Year's Eve.
She said the place generally puts on a decent party, and asked if Gordon and I, and our other long time friend, Denise and her husband, would care to join her since she'd be there anyway while her husband is playing. Rachael, Denise and I have known each other for 47 years, and I think the last time we spent a new years eve together was back when we were in our twenties.
Something different for a change.