Saturday, January 03, 2004

New Year, Schmew Schmear

I hate New Year and all the bullshit that goes with it. I spent all of Thursday explaining to my coworkers that I did nothing for New Year's eve and that I didn't want to do anything. I watched an excellent movie, ate a chimichanga, watched one of the funniest TV shows ever, was in bed by 10, and was asleep at about 10:45. That's the New Year I wanted, it was perfect, for me.

I could have gone to a party, if I had wanted to. I was invited to the one my parents went to, but didn't go because I didn't want to pretend that I enjoyed talking with people who are nearly twice my age about what I plan on doing with my so called life. I was invited to a couple of "parties" by some coworkers, when I asked them about what would be going on the answer was always "drinking." "We're gonna get so drunk we'll forget what year it is and what year it's gonna be." Ugh. That's not what I call a good, or even decent party. I'm sick of most people near my age thinking that a good party is based around our ability to get so drunk we can't see at all. What is so exciting about that? I have never understood.

It's been nine years (I think) since I had a good New Year's eve (and I don't remember any really good ones before that). I remember sitting in an outdoor hot tub with snow falling all around. I remember watching lots of Twilight Zone episodes, even though the hostess protested loudly because she wanted to watch the ball drop. I remember many card games, most of which I lost. And I remember Risk being played, sovereign nations betraying each other, and curses being hurled across the board. There were many nights like that after, but none on New Year's.

Admittedly, that wasn't the greatest New Year's that ever was or ever could be, but it's the best I've had. And it had what I wanted: good friends, good games, and good conversation. I find that alcohol eliminates almost all of those things. Pot does it too, but it's so much more expensive, and 90% of the people at a party aren't smoking it.

Maybe I'm just a New Year's Grinch. I never wish people a happy New Year because I don't know many people who actually admit to saying that the last year they had was good. Each year, I swear more an more that the night is just an excuse for regularly sober people to get shit-faced as fast as they can and then, after screaming because a giant ball drops down a huge stick (What would Freud think?) taking another drink then driving home. It's a stupid holiday. If I took away all the alcohol, I don't think I'd find all the people singing and cheering at midnight, do you?

Thank God it's over. Thank God school will be starting soon so I won't have to explain the difference between a Vanilla Crème and a Vanilla Crème Frappuccino to prepubescent girls and boys who think that because they come into a coffee shop they're grown adults. (I can't wait to see how the next generation turns out.) Regular customers are bad enough, but these jack ass kids are even worse. When I transfer, I hope I don't end up in a mall.

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