2004

This is my first official post of 2004 if you don't count the Feminist of the Day.

Last night's celebration was interesting. Yes. Interesting.

I celebrated with my parents who arranged a small gathering.

I arrived early to help them get ready. There was a lot of getting ready to get done. My mother and I cleaned, which is always fun. About 4 we started cooking the food. My mother roasted a turkey. Yum. We made Swedish meatballs, deviled eggs, crudite, haricots vert sauteed in tomatoes. I made my classic stuffed mushrooms. We also heated up those premade hors'd'oeuvres, including pigs in blankets, mini quiches, knishes, yummers. We put out platters of cheeses, including Camembert - the less fattening cousin of Brie (and yes, just a little bit less delicious but delicious all the same).

The party was supposed to start at 7. People started arriving around 7:45. The first to arrive were Alice and Fred, my parents' first friend and neighbors 36 years ago. Next to arrive were the nice family next door. Lilly and Elliot and there very nice children Brandon and Justin. Justin just turned a year old. So, their arrival was coupled with peals of delight from my mother as she snatched young Justin from his mother and started speaking to the baby in French (don't ask). I was taken aback by this, I turned to Lilly and commented that perhaps I should provide my mother with a sonogram of my ovary because of my mother's having come down with baby fever.

It would be natural for my mother to have baby fever as my brother and his wife are expecting my nephew literally any minute. His sonogram is hanging on the refrigerator as if it were just a regular family photo. Anyway, you get the idea. The pressure to produce progeny is prolific.

That was everybody who was expected except my boyfriend who had to work late. I was so happy when he called to say he was waiting at the train station because by that time we had already been an intimate group for three hours or so.

Anyway, we all visited while Brandon, the five year old, ran himself ragged up and down my parents smooth and shiny hardwood floors. There was sliding on the knees. I played with Brandon for quite some time. He's a fun kid. (Yes. more pressure.)

I was happy to have my boyfriend there to kiss at midnight. After champagne and yummy desserts the party broke up and we cleaned and talked until about 2 in the morning.

It probably seems like I'm rambling at this point because I am probably rambling.

I am pretty tired and I want to go to sleep. However, in keeping with the noisy neighbors on my days off theme, my neighbor is listening to the most god awful music and singing along with it.

Did anyone else spend New Year's Eve with their parents? I was so happy to see my folks, but pretty happy to leave when the time came. I'd be interested to hear how other people are getting along with their folks during the holiday season. More disconnected rambling or is this post as disconnected as I think.

There's a good chance this post won't be here longer if upon reflection later today, I decide it's too personal.

Happy 1st day of the new year.