New Year's Eve

New Year's Eve is called "Ohmisoka" in Japanese. It is certainly not for the night of partying Some do but going to shrines/temples in midnight with families is a tradition.  Japanese become quite lazy after Christmas. Many take a week off, special feasts are prepared and presented in special boxes (so they don't have cook for a few days), no house cleaning (usually from 29 Dec - 3 Jan. They consider is as a bad luck).... so all what they do is to eat, watch TV, and sleep. It sounds like Christmas for Christians, doesn't it? Ok enough about cultural lessons!

New Year's Eve plans have been changed several times this year. Originally, I was going to book hotel rooms in the downtown Denver, having dinner at restaurant, then going to a bar nearby or simply staying up until midnight while watching Dick Clark but some friends had to work until late afternoon (and some other silly reasons). I pretty much decided not to do anything with friends at first. Having my own time alone sounded darn good after dealing with so many people over Christmas in Iowa but the final decision was made on the 30th - having dinner with two guys in town and two friends from Denver. I am not a huge party go-er, especially when a size of party is relatively large - 4 to 6 is perfect in my definition of "party." 

We met up with all the guys, Gary#1, Gary#2, Mike, Ivan and Kirk, at 7 at Gary & Mike's place in town for wine and light snacks.  To be honest, I probably didn't need dinner after having them.  Anyway, these 5 guys are probably whom I care most in a circle of friends in Colorado. Mike is a psychiatrist, Ivan is one of deans at Regis University, Kirk is form. school principal... I don't know how we ended up being friends even if we work in total different fields but all of them are simply fantastic. At 8, we headed out for dinner at an Italian restaurant.... as always, I was a designated driver.  I wanted to get completely drunk as I wouldn't be able to remember anything happening a day before. Now I know why that has never happened to me. After opening 4 bottle of wines and seeing the guys being loopy already, I just couldn't let anybody else drive (and in the town of 150,000, it is hard to get a cab especially in holidays). We had a great dinner (more wine of course...), we shared each other's New Year resolutions and the biggest regrets of 2008, then chowed down super boozy rum cake at M&G's place.... Happy New Year at midnight.

Certainly not a wild party in New York nor Las Vegas, but I had a fantastic New Year's Eve. Except one regret, though.... I didn't even have a chance to talk and say Happy New Year to my friend in Utah whom I really wanted to be here, before midnight.... 

I am so grateful to have such caring people in my life. Thanks.