NYE

The LA Times printed an article on Sunday's Image section that features a Champagne glass, a TiVo remote, and an eye mask, asking, "What are you doing for New Year's Eve?" and how it is such a loaded question.

Because it is.

I called a friend one year who was leaving for Berlin for an indefinite amount of time to hang out and to see what she was doing for NYE. "NOTHING!" She declared, "I fucking HATE New Year's Eve. It's not a holiday!"

...and essentially, it's not.

But what's the big deal about doing something for the new year?

I haven't had the most exciting track record for NYE goings-on, which is interesting, having grown up in the San Gabriel Valley, home of the Rose Parade and Rose Bowl game on New Year's Day. Though I haven't seen the parade in person (which I do hope to finally do one year), for many, many years (until I stopped living in a house with a consistent TV signal), I would always make sure to be (mostly) awake for the live, commercial-free telecast of the parade on Channel 5. If anything, that would be the extent of my New Year's celebration/tradition.

This year, for some reason, I've been approached and asked what about this year? How will I welcome 2009? This year has been a particularly interesting one - for the past I don't know how many years, all even-numbered years have been good ones, when the odd-numbered ones haven't been so great. 2008 was filled with a lot of bad and good, perhaps teetering more on the bad, and it seems that such was the case for many, many people (and countries, and companies, etc.), and I definitely got the brunt of some pretty stinky things happening in my life.

With that said, how do I say goodbye to a not-well-served year, and to welcome in what I would hope to be a much better one?

If I had my druthers, I would wish to literally be nowhere, and do nothing...but I guess that would be impossible.

There are places and things that I could be and doing, but I almost want to be fair to all of them and NOT participate in any, and if I were on the right side of the country, it would be cool to be one of the first people in the continental US to see the first sunrise of the year. I'd rather not make a big deal of it, but I also feel dumb making an effort to not make a big deal of it, because you essentially are making a big deal of it (kind of like those who are SOOOOooo anti-Valentine's Day).

So where that that put me? I haven't committed to anything yet, and I'm glad those who know me know not to pressure me into a decision. I may very well manage to get myself a Thermos of good hot chocolate and a good lookout point and see the clock strike 12 over the city and just chill there until the crazies clear the road. Who knows?