How big a day is New Years?

[DALederle]

Years ago, groan and ache, I noticed that both Halloween and New Years Eve were times of costume dances. People would often have parties or dances with a theme of dress up in a costume. I have not gone out myself, for years now, on New Years Eve. So I wonder if that's still being done?
Would this make it a good time for men to come out in their skirts and dresses for that night?
Of course one of the problems is the number or people who would impersonate at a party such as that. Men dressing as women, rather then just wearing a skirt or dress out for the night.
Does this influnce our choices of what we do that night?
I used to get together with friends almost every News Years Eve. Not a big party, just friends gathering for the night. We ate and drank and toasted the New Year. But over the years our stamina has fallen off and we we all just stay home now.
Truthfully I'm a little afraid to go out right now. I went to a movie (the new Shelock Holmes which I enjoyed) but found myself, once again, having a respiratory event and my wife and a friend had to help me out to the car when it was over. In fact my wife had to drive us home that night. So going out on News Years Eve isn't something I plan of this year again.
But those of you that do go out, how to do plan of celecbrating? Skirted or not?
DALederle

[r1g0r]

i avoid new years parties/events/etc like the goddamn plague.

my dad used to call it "amateur night", due to the INORDINATELY LARGE number of people out drinking that think they are still able to drive.

fortunately, my children have also learned the value of this philosophy and they stay home as well.

so... back to your question:

i am working new years day, so i will be home new years eve and at work new years day. i will be skirted (or dressed, depending on my choices those days) for both days most likely, and absolutely will be for new years day.

[crfriend]

i avoid new years parties/events/etc like the goddamn plague.

my dad used to call it "amateur night", due to the INORDINATELY LARGE number of people out drinking that think they are still able to drive.

It seems to turn out that that's a rather common sentiment ("amateur night")....

Sapphire and I are currently planning on going out for an early evening to hear a couple of our musician friends play, but will be home way before things get really stupid on the highways and byways. All this, of course, depends on what the weather will do to us on Thursday night, and right now it looks fairly nasty -- "wintry mix" ( Devil's brew of sleet, freezing rain, and snow); we may well opt to just stay in and be lumps.

i will be skirted (or dressed, depending on my choices those days) for both days most likely, and absolutely will be for new years day.

I haven't made up my mind just yet. Time will tell -- and the clock, she is a-ticking!

As an aside, I usually peg the start of the new year at 00:00:00 UTC, and have for as long as I can remember. That makes it 19:00 Eastern time which jibes well with my current routine.

[DALederle]

At any rate! Stay home and keep warm tonight!
New Years Eve in Chicago! Temps in the teens and wind chills in the zeros or below. Yummy!
Just the right weather to be out, drunk and confused!
And some of them will be topless too!
I'm surprised each year that there aren't more deaths from exposure on Dec. 31 each year.
Live long and prosper!
LOL
DALederle

[JRMILLER]

We are throwing a murder mystery, the guests arrive at 7PM EST. The theme is Mardi Gras, so anything goes! I am wearing a tux upper, with a red print skirt, sandals, mask and hat. I will post a picture.

Too bad we don't all live closer together -- you all could have come over the dinner and the mystery!

Happy New Year folks!

[crfriend]

Too bad we don't all live closer together -- you all could have come over the dinner and the mystery!

It's a pity we don't because that sounds like it would be a smashing good time!

We have fireworks going off locally somewhere -- which is rather odd for 18:27 EST -- and they're quite audible, but not visible. At least somebody's having fun! (Several years ago there was a truly remarkable New-Year's pyrotechnic display at the golf course that we abut. The price of admission couldn't be beat -- we watched it from the spare bedroom -- and was wholly enjoyable.) Fireworks displays are one of life's little pleasures.

[Since1982]

New Years Eve is a huge costume dance. They get in all kinds of funny suits, get drunk and hop in their cars driving around at top speed pretending they are sober. If they see a (what it used to be called) bubblegum machine flashing away behind them, they try like hell to avoid it because they don't like bubble gum.

Officer: Sir, have you been drinking...?

Celebrant: Yesh...so....ain't that whut we is supposed to be dooin New Years Eve? I mean, pleash, if they dint want us drinkin it, they wudnt sell it to us...right???

Officer: Can you please recite your alphabet backwards?

Celebrant: Of coursh I can...here goes..tebahpla...is yu happy now??

[RichardA]

New Years Eve.....I went to bed at 10.30 not much fun when your on your own

[r1g0r]

well, new years day at work:

black calf-length jumper style dress
grey sweatshirt
black and sparkly tights
black calf-length vinyl platform boots (3.5" heels)

best dressed person at work!

[ChrisM]

It's wonderful to live in a town where we don't have to drive.

I donned a plaid pleated skirt, pantyhose, and black kitten-heeled peep-toe ankle strap shoes. We went down to Artillery Park to listen to the live music and then watched the Fleur de Lis drop and the massive fireworks over the river. A lovely evening.

During the stroll downtown I had several comments made about my attire. ALL - 100% - were positive. They ranged from one or two "nice kilt" or "kilts rock, man!" comments, a couple of "nice skirt" comments, and three or four ladies who said "I love your shoes." I found the latter most interesting, as it was as if the skirt went without mention, it was the shoes that were most worthy of note. (And, to we who wear skirts commonly, that was true!)

Happy New Year to all of you. And if you are ever in New Orleans...say for Mardi Gras for real...give us a shout!

All the best

Chris

[Kris]

We have fireworks going off locally somewhere -- which is rather odd for 18:27 EST -- and they're quite audible, but not visible. At least somebody's having fun! (Several years ago there was a truly remarkable New-Year's pyrotechnic display at the golf course that we abut. The price of admission couldn't be beat -- we watched it from the spare bedroom -- and was wholly enjoyable.) Fireworks displays are one of life's little pleasures.

A local town had two fireworks displays last night, at 9 PM and midnight. That was part of a "First Night" celebration that was expected to draw about 10,000 people.
I also live very near a country club (golf club) and they have a fireworks display every year for the 4th of July. It is great fun.

Kris

[AMM]

For what it's worth, I went away for New Year's with my 2 sons to a Quaker retreat center, a place whose weekend youth programs my sons have participated in many times. We went up Wednesday night and came back this afternoon, so I didn't have to worry about being out on the road while the drunks were out. It was pretty laid back, with lots of activities for the kids, opportunities for the musicians among us to jam and sing, and such. Last night, they did a "Cabaret night" -- a talent & un-talent show that's traditional for youth weekends -- then a big snack at about 22:30, then sort of a "disco night" until past midnight. I'd have liked to have had more of a celebration specifically for midnight, but it wasn't bad. We all said Happy New Year, and then I went to bed, while the younger and hardier kept it up until about 1:30.

I spent the whole time "skirted" -- (long) denim skirt for the drive up and for dinner, then, as the place was pretty hot with 100+ people in one room, I changed into a 30" lightweight skirt for the rest of the evening. The rest of the weekend I was mostly in my 33" green linen/rayon skirt (SkirtDude and SkirtChaser will remember it from my trip to Washington) with a pinkish-red shirt and red socks. One problem is that they keep the place warmer than my apartment, plus the people's body heat warmed it up further, so I was always overdressed. I need to make some medium-length casual skirts....

I got a few questions as to why I was wearing a skirt; sometimes, guys around me would answer for me, saying "it's more comfortable." One or two of the women asked where I got the skirt (the green one), and were suitably impressed when I said I made it. (Little ego-trips!)

[Since1982]

AMM said: One or two of the women asked where I got the skirt (the green one), and were suitably impressed when I said I made it. (Little ego-trips!)

I've been showing my house for sale recently and I've gotten several pleasant remarks about the fully computerized sewing machine on the poker table in the middle of the living room. I've had several women ask if I used it to fix booboos in my clothing, I said I did, but mostly used it to create new skirts that fit me better than store bought ones, which of course opened up the skirt questioning and I've yet to have anything untoward said, by them or their men with them. Mostly just interested conversation and as happened to you, men who said things like "I wish I could wear one, they look very comfortable"..Of course I told them all to "just do it. People around you get used to it very quickly."

[PatJ]

Skip,

You wrote above in part "Officer: Can you please recite your alphabet backwards?" in reference to being pulled over while drinking.

I don't suppose the correct response would be, "Hell, ossifer, I cuddn't do that if I were (Hickup) sober1"

[DALederle]

My wife and I went to bed right after Dick Clark rang in the New Year in New York. Which made it 11p.m. CST, not even midnight here. We're so boring! By choice, of course.
Yesterday, Jan. 1st, 2010, a friend came over and the three of us went out to see "It's Complicated" which turned out to be a really funny movie. It was all about divorce and adult relationships. Nothing dirty is ever shown, at least nothing in my oppinion. But it was really amusing.
Then we came back home for a nice, spiral cut, honey baked ham dinner. Love those spiral cut hams.
It was also a "good breathing" day for me. I was able to walk into the movie theater without help, carry my own bottle of oxygen(I don't go anywhere without oxygen anymore). And walk back out completely on my own. There's no way I describe how important it is for me to be able to walk somehwere unassisted.
My acute bronchitis has seemed to finally gone away after nearly two months. Today, the 2nd is so good that I was finally able to ride of my exercise bike for the first time in six weeks. If I can just keep the bronchitis at bay for serveral weeks I have a good chance to loose some weight and build up my strength again.
So, so far, 2010 is going good and I didn't feel I missed anything New Years Eve!
DALederle

p.s. Made 3/4 of a mile on my bike in ten minutes. That's really good for me!