I have made a declaration this year: between the end of the year holidays I much prefer New Year’s Eve. I didn’t party for years so now that I’m “allowed” and I am free from guilt, it really is a celebration to join in on typical American traditions. Seriously, you don’t realize how much alcohol is involved in the fabric of our culture until you cannot (or will not) drink. Since I’m in that awkward phase of being between “not a kid anymore” and “have yet to plop some younglings out” Christmas has really become less exciting. Plus, the lack of fundage doesn’t exactly allow me to buy everyone the gift I want to give to each person. So, I was stoked about New Year’s Eve and it ended up pretty damn far out.
I must explain some cultural differences between the specific locale of my celebration activities and other more metropolitan areas. Its rural, but farms are all livestock farms – not crops. Everyone knows everyone, there are four cops in town, and the most recognizable franchise in the entire town is a Casey’s General Store. Its in an area where “city folkes” tend to make Deliverance jokes and assume everyone wears mossy oak with their carhart suits and rubber boots. Its not hard to be an elitest when you’re from somewhere a little more progressive.
It’s great though too. You drive down the winding roads and every driver gives you a friendly wave. People don’t HAVE to lock their doors (though my paranoia forces me to do so), everyone and their brother come to help you move and garage sales are oftentimes swap meets. So, we arrive and the host (a guy most people went to school with since the big bang) is cookin meat outside and inside (which is a shop/garage) people are playing fooseball, eating tortilla chips and gathered around a space heater. There were some unfamiliar faces, so I introduced myself to the first person I didn’t know which was met with hesitance. I know this not because this person was quiet or short with her answers (because she was) but because her husband said, “See dear, there are people here you can relate with.” Yeah, good job buster – you just told me I have to prove I’m not redneck unable to read more than the hamburger helper box. She also brought her own wine glass and while that’s understandable, know your crowd bitch. Know-your-crowd.
I tried hard people, I really did. I am not a social butterfly. I do not approach people I do not know, but after the initial interaction I figured the other people I didn’t know also figured we were a bunch of hillbillies squirting out babies, living for reality TV and hitting the occasional Klan meeting after having a few Busch beers. One is wearing heels. She wore heels to a garage party. Faux Pas bitches, faux pas. Ends up she’s a fucking ballerina and her pastie polo wearing geek boyfriend wasn’t quite adding much to any conversation. The other chick was more friendly but it was obvious she kept entertaining those two – apparently she invited the stepford wife and date. Look dudes, I went out of my way to be cool. I tried to relate, but that is just not fun! I had booze people! I had some fucking booze and time to booze it up!
Needless to say, a couple beers later and several jello shots dissolved in my guts and I forgot those people were even hangin out. The initial chick got sloshed and she became a sudden whirlwind of fun, but somewhere between our dude friend stripping for beads and eating a couple dozen little smokies they checked out. I don’t dislike these people – shit man, many of my family members are just like those douches normal people. There’s only so much a drunk girl can do to make friends.
Anyway, my BFF and I are convinced the little smokies are the key to staving off a hang over cause the next day pretty well rocked. We video taped the strip tease and have laughed our asses off days since the event. It was a good time. 2008 wasn’t really eventful in the scheme of my life, but I am hoping 2009 is more like 2008 than years prior.
While you can start over any time in the year, there is something about the start of a new calendar. Plus, you get to drink your nuts off and its for a socially acceptable reason.
