Got to get up at 4am tomorrow for work, so I will wish everyone a Happy and Hopeful New Year now. Turn away from the 50% of people that are below average in thought, word and deed, and try to emulate all the others - Copy from the best, and be a light for the rest.
Good night.
We took the Cub to see the Ferdinand movie, -41 C windchill be damned. After the movie, he got the last DQ burger of 2017; they literally shut the outdoor lights off as we were in the drive-through line at 9 pm.
He was determined to stay up until midnight and help pop the champagne, but as soon as we got home we toddled off to bed. Mimosas in the morning instead. 
I’m making late night Denvers for me and Mrs Piper, then we’ll watch the TV until midnight and off to bed. Nice Yo Yo Ma disc playing in the kitchen as I cook: “Yo Yo Ma and Friends: Songs of Joy and Peace.”
Best wishes for 2018, all! Meilleurs vœux!
Happy New years, east coast!!!
Not plans but what we did.
My daughter was going to catch a train into the Melbourne (Aus) CBD with her two boys to see the fireworks last night. Had the backpacks ready with snacks and drinks, then suddenly had a flashback to the last time she was in Melb on NYE…yes, that plan was kiboshed real quick to my great relief.
Instead, just before 10pm we pulled our campchairs to the end of our driveway, gave the kids some glowsticks, and along with our neighbours watched the firework display in the next town (3km away, we’re at the top of a hill with a perfect view of the fireworks site). Perfect, and no stress.
And tonight was the first time our kids (8 & 6) got to stay up until actual midnight, and not get faked out by us setting all the clocks in the house 3 and a half hours ahead and watching a Netflix countdown kids’ show at 8:30. Tomorrow should be a joy.
Hope the furnace can keep the heat around 60 until the repair guy comes back Tuesday. I think if I keep it that low I can stop having to reset it. That happens when your furnace is more than 30 years old; they don’t stop working when highs are around 50, just like the AC doesn’t go on the Fritz when it’s in the low eighties. We did toast the new year with a Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA.
I’ll probably be in bed before midnight rolls around.
Happy New Year, central time zone!!
I took my 13 year old to a sensory friendly New Years bash for kids early in the evening but I got home by nine-thirty. There is not a place on the planet I’d rather be than in my house, warm and safe with my girls tonight.
I went to see the Star Wars movie.
I had a late lunch/early dinner at my favorite restaurant.
I came home, logged onto the computer, and spent the next few hours reading the Star Wars thread in Cafe Society. (15 pages! What was I thinking?)
It just hit midnight in Mountain Time Zone, so I am now listening to my neighbors’ fireworks.
As soon as I post this, I will head to the fridge to open a bottle of bubbly. (Carbonated fruit juice. I don’t drink alcohol.)
We watched Game Of Thrones. I’m watching the end of Titanic. Mrs. L.A. is asleep in front of the wood stove insert. Tonka’s asleep on the ottoman in front of it. Creamsicle is in front of the fire too, but she’s not asleep. She’s taking a bath.
Things went as planned, although I screwed up on the quantity of wine in the fondue and had to make a last second run to buy more cheese. :smack: The Oregon Zoo lights were pretty cool. We haven’t been back there for a number of years and they’ve really upped the ante. Back home by 7 p.m., watched a couple of episodes of “A French Village” on Hulu and called it a night.
Last night…
Spice to husband: Oh, hey, it’s New Year’s Eve
Sr. Weasel: Umm… yeah.
Spice: I mean, not that this has any practical meaning in our lives, but still. We should, um… anticipate a lot of texts from our friends.
Today, not much different. Our plan is to alternate housecleaning shifts until it’s done. Woo!
Lazed around the house, then dinner with about 14 friends at a restaurant. When one of them revealed his plan was to go home alone and hang with his two dogs, we spontaneously invited him over to out place (dogs included, of course). Another friend joined as well.
Friend’s two giant huskies, Magnus and Shalla, were on their best behavior. Our pit bull Luna has a crush on Magnus and followed him around adoringly before finally settling down on the couch beside Magnus’s human. We played party games until after 1:00 am. It was simple but cozy!
We stayed up much too late, why, I don’t know. We did have fun though, playing games and just hanging out. We watched the ball drop, which the teenager asked, why do they drop it? That’s something I never thought about and now I’m curious. Anybody have that info in their back pocket? I’m too tired and lazy too look it up right now 
. Happy New Year, all!
Awww… I love New Year’s Eve romances. Even better that it’s a doggy romance. 
Did they sniff each other’s butts at midnight?
It’s just an elaborate countdown device that’s become a tradition.
We are in Chicago visiting my in-laws. We went out for deep dish pizza, then we went to the 7 pm show of Blue Man Group.
The NY B&G didn’t happen, as the wife woke up having dizziness, which makes her nauseated. Will have to try the Epley later and see if it helps clear things up.
Last night we walked over to the beach here in Waikiki for the midnight fireworks, then went to bed. And we had to take a nap just to stay up that late!
One thing that struck me was the number of drones people had last night. I counted lights on at least six, maybe eight hovering around. It felt like I had jumped into the future. And that made me think about how far away the 2000s seemed when I was young. I thought it would always be the 20th century, the 21st was impossibly far away. Now I can’t believe how long ago the turn of the century was.