Happy New Year!

I love New Years, because everybody can celebrate it. This year we went to St. Louis' First Night, which was a lot of fun. However, we are going to do a few things differently next year. I am going to note them here so that we remember next year, and others considering going to their own First Night celebrations might benefit.

1. Do not dress cute. Dress warmly. There is no call for cute at this function. There is call for warm. (I forgot the Panta. BIG mistake. I also wore my cute coat instead of my warm coat. Another big mistake.)
2. Bring your own refreshments. Bring a thermos of good cocoa and some snacks. The lines for hot dogs and potato chips are not worth it, but the night is long.
3. Bring festive headgear and noisemakers. These will not be provided at the venue.
4. Even though you think you don't care when you go, go early. There are a lot of things to see that are sit-down performances (or fascinating enough to stand and watch for a long time) that chew up a lot of time. Standing in line also takes up a lot of time (see #1 and #5).
5. If you do want to see a sit-down performance, show up EARLY. They fill up quickly, but you have to stand around a long time to find out you won't be getting in.

We had a most lovely time, and I forgot my camera. The countdown was basically non-existent, which sucked, and a little anti-climactic. I gave my friends a "Happy New Year!" and a hug, but it still didn't feel all that exciting. I did love the fireworks. I always love fireworks. These were very pretty and interesting. We then drove safely home, and I listened to my neighbors party until about 2:00 or so, at which time I fell asleep.

I hope you all had a pleasant celebration (or sleep, or whatever you choose). And here's to a yarny new year!