Bear with me...

It's about three more hours till 2007 bestows its presence on us folks down here in New Orleans. I'm taking part of my family's tradition by sitting wondering when those damn kids will stop with their fireworks. Great times indeed.

I say tradition, but for me, it's more of a fallback. When there's nothing else to do, I can count on my family to be there, lounging on the sofa with me. *Sigh*, Good times indeed!

Though don’t think this is a yearly thing. Don't think I'm a shy-stay home with my cat, sipping red wine in my pajamas counting down with who-ever is gonna host the New Year's celebration in Times Square. That is schedule to take place in, let's say, 2035, at the tender age of 55. I'm totally looking forward to the crazy cat lady phase in my life!!

While my future may seem bleak and pathetic to you all, I feel like delving into my past.

Out of my 26 years here on this planet, there are a number of New Year's celebrations that simple won't leave my mind. I can remember the few times my Aunt and Uncle would host these amazing New Year's parties–in the 80's– where they invited every living soul they knew. While the grownups enjoyed the warmth of the fire burning in the fireplace (and in their bellies from the Crown of 7), the kids enjoyed chasing me, the cry baby, around the front yard with sparklers being their choose of weapon.

I can remember the New Year's celebration into the year of 1999. I was at college, standing with friends on the balcony of the on-campus apartments, drinking god knows what. Being the beginning of 1999, you can easily guess what Prince song was blaring from every freaking direction. Yep, "1999."

I can remember 2001, in which I celebrated the New Year with Drew and Stacey, in Slidell, at their friend Emily's house. That was the last New Years Stacey and Drew celebrated as "friends" for only 2 weeks later, Stacey called me, ecstatically happy that she and Drew (the man she's been chasing down since they met in 1998) and told me they were officially "dating". Two weeks later, I got a call with them officially being "boyfriend and girlfriend". Two weeks later, they were engaged. Two weeks later the were married. What a year it was for them!!

I can remember last year and which I spent driving around the city, with CK at the wheel, in the foggiest night you could ever experience. It was a scene from a horror movie in which we couldn't even see the front of the car. As you can imagine, we cursed the mighty gods on their enjoying of canceling 2005 Riverfront fireworks. (That SUUUCKED!!)

But out of all the New Year's celebration's I have ever experienced the best one and most vivid was for 2002. It was amazing. The newly weds came into town and hosted a New Year's party at the bed and breakfast they stayed at in Algiers point

Like I said, all thanks to Stacey and her wonderful husband for the memorable occasion. By the way, the sexy woman sitting down in the blue dress is Stacey.


(Clockwise left, Kristen, Drew, CK/Rob, Stacey)
It was cold and slightly wet from the humid, but it did turn out to be gorgeous night. When the time came to toast to the New Year, every one stood out on the levee, huddled together in our coats, ready to scream and shout with noisemakers in our mouths and champagne in our hands.

This was the first picture of 2002, and while being as blurry as a drunken man's vision, it still holds a certain beauty to it. It is a picture of New Orleans, how can it not be beautiful?

Now for you lovely folks that held on to the bitter end of this post, the objective of this post is simply one thing:

What is your most memorable New Year's celebration?
Why does it stick in your mind and doesn't want to leave? Was it bad or was it simply divine?

This year, ringing in the New Year is boring as hell, but it won't be next year. Call it a gut feeling. I guarantee it's gonna beat 2002.