<p>Making charitable contributions online so I could make the midnight (Pacific Time) deadline to have them count for 2012. It’s so easy to do it that way that I’m afraid I got carried away a little bit.</p>
<p>Two years ago, D was at the kitchen table, frantically finishing her apps. One school had an optional 1500 word essay for a special program, so she was typing until 11:59 pm!</p>
<p>This year, we sat in front of the fire with Champagne and caviar. At 8 pm. We talked to D for hours – all about school, friends, what she should major in – it was really nice.</p>
<p>Great party right next door – hats, whistles, bubbly, and a good mix of generations.</p>
<p>Dowzerw ^^ :eek:</p>
<p>Stayed home with H. Ate appetizers and watched a movie, which ended just in time for us to watch the ball drop. Received texts from S and D shortly after midnight. S’s was musical. I’ll have to learn how to do that. His party was at house next to friend’s house. He spent the night with friend. D had to work early this morning. That made her night a little quieter.</p>
<p>Spent the evening with a small group of parents of Happykid’s HS pals. People we see all too rarely, but really enjoy when we get together. Kids in basement, parents upstairs, lots of good food, sufficient adult beverages for the adults, sufficient kid beverages for kids, everyone in front of the big screen TV for the final countdown, lots of small party poppers with streamers exploded everywhere, efficient streamer clean up performed by the kids, one last round of cards for kids, one last drink for parents, then out the door with the designated driver behind the wheel. Excellent all around.</p>
<p>I got in a solid workout, made a chicken caesar salad for dinner, and was ready to for bed by the stroke of midnight! I kind of forgot that it was New Years Eve. The whole holiday calendar has felt out-of-whack this year with Tuesday Christmas and New Years…</p>
<p>Played poker with friends and neighbors. Imbibed cocktails. Ate sandwiches. Finished off by dancing (still at home with aforementioned neighbors)
Usually I wake up to the sound of the B2 Stealth flying over Colorado Blvd for the Rose Parade, but this year it came late!! So I got a solid hour of extra sleep. Thank you Air Force.</p>
<p>H worked in the morning before retiring after 44 years with the federal government, then we went to BestBuy & got my defective i5 phone replaced with a good one, then we went to a party with his friends, followed by a party at my sister’s. Everyone was there except my parents who had already gone to sleep. We watched a lot of illegal arial fireworks last night (were made illegal over a year ago). They were quite large (like the ones you see at Disney parades). Our 23 & 25 year old kids were with us & seemed to enjoy the time we were all together. All of us had small amounts of great wine–will have New Year’s Day lunch at my brother’s with all the extended clan (about 30 of us). It’s nice that others are hosting & we just bring a dish & are free to come & go as things work out for all of us. 
</p>
<p>On Sunday, we had everyone attend a lovely brunch at the country club for H’s retirement. On Monday, we attended an evening graduation party of a family friend.</p>
<p>Went up to visit my brother. Had a live band and danced till midnight. There were people from aged 5 to 85. They played Auld Lang Syne first slow then fast and then finished off with their traditional sign-off “Wild Mountain Thyme”. Then we drank more champagne and some sort of Poire liqueur and the next thing we knew it was 2 am. My brother’s house is an old bed and breakfast and the house was filled to the gills. In the morning 10 friends of my niece were eating waffles around the dining table and the rest of us were on couches and window seats doing the same. About to have Chinese takeout for a late lunch.</p>
<p>We stay home with our kids (just the 9 of us) and do a jigsaw puzzle, trying to finish it by midnight. None of us really like jigsaw puzzles, but this was MY family’s New Year’s Eve tradition. . .Oldest D and I do most of it-- Lazy son always comes along at the end and fights us to put in the last piece. Eat Xmas cookies, candy,etc. watch TV, play piano, play board games. And drink champagne/sparking grape juice at midnight. We always make a gingerbread house before Xmas, and smash it with a hammer at midnight.
I usually call my family, who gets together at sis’s house–their new year comes an hour earlier than ours. I tried, but no one answered.
Last night, H took stitches out of my wrist (had a surgery last week)–that was the most memorable thing for me.</p>
<p>It was D1’s last night home with us before heading back to the city where she works. D2 was at her dad’s for the week, so just me and D1. Her flight went at 6 am this morning, so we made an early night of it. Homemade enchiladas & apple pie for dinner, then played a trivia game for a while. Engaged in our usual sport of debating D2’s college entrance chances, then off to bed early. 
The roads were VERY quiet at 4 am today.</p>
<p>I should add that my parents (600 miles away) always throw a fantastic New Year’s party for about 50 of their friends. They are in their mid-80s, but that crowd knows how to party!</p>
<p>HiMom- congrats on your husband’s retirement. 44 yrs in quite an accomplishment.</p>
<p>I hope to get there eventually…if I’m lucky, I will hit 44 yrs with my employer in 9 more yrs.</p>
<p>We came to Pasadena to see the Rose Parade so went out to dinner in Old Pasadena. We had 7 pm reservations at a Champagne restaurant. Their service was so slow that it took nearly 3 hours; the 10 pm seating was waiting at the bar. Then we walked a couple of blocks to meet our hotel shuttle and someone driving by threw an egg at me. I spent the next hour with hotel shampoo and hair dryer cleaning it off. We missed celebrating the east coast midnight (DH considers it the real one) and our own midwest midnight, but we did catch the pacific midnight at least.</p>
<p>Spent New Years Eve day lounging around with D and SO. Took them to train station then hubby and I went out to dinner. Could barely keep my eyes open, fell asleep and woke up at stroke of midnight. New Year’s day went to an open house party that was fun… Work tomorrow. Ugh!</p>