And We Thought the Dark would Never End

Sky
Originally uploaded by YourAuntBee.

This year, I spent New Year's Eve in Clay Center.

My Dadoo had to work, so we sat at the bar and let him serve us. I drank leftover strawberry daquiri at the bottom of the blender all night. Man, how do people drink so much sweet stuff?

There was even semi-live entertainment. Some dude with a major mullet sat on a stool and sang other people's songs to tracks.

You'd think that, since it was New Year's Eve, he'd sing some peppy songs to start the year off lively, right?

Wrong. He sang the sappiest, slowest country songs ever.

I was relieved when he played a song I knew and even liked: Patsy Cline's "Crazy." But then he played it twice.

When he was on an intermission, he would play recorded music.

If I was a mediocre entertainer, I would never sing a song and then play the original artist's version right afterward. That only helps everyone realize how crappy you are.

Not to mention, we ended up hearing the same songs two, three, even six times in four hours. I'm not exaggerating, either!

Since we didn't have champagne, I had dad throw together some shots for us to kick back at the magic hour.

I'm not talking tequila or vodka. No way! We shoot the real shots.

Five minutes later, the entertainment started the New Year early. "Shall we count it down? Ten . . . Nine . . . Eight . . ."

First, we all looked at each other as if to question how serious the guy was. Once we realized he wasn't kidding, several people yelled "It's not midnight, yet!"

Several others, however, decided to play along and cheered, sang and blew their horns.

Mom, Dad and I looked at each other and shrugged. We held our drinks high and recited our newfound toast:

"Through my lips
and over my gums
Look out, liver!
Here it comes!"

Of course, we didn't let the fact that we'd already toasted in 2006 bother us when midnight really did roll around. We cheered and toasted again.

Surely that means this year will be doubly good!

For many of you, this year will be full of what may seem to be new trials and tribulations. But it's all about new experiences. The year will also be full of good times and miracles.

And I can't wait to write about all of it!

Happy 2006!