My glamorous New Year’s Eve


Well, it’s time for my usual wild night of partying…oh, wait. I never do that.

My wife is out at a neighbor’s party, while I’m sitting at home, nursing a painful tendinitis flare-up, and drinking…tea. Sorry, image. I’ll probably just read for a while, and if I’m feeling rambunctious, I might have a wee glass of wine before bed. Or maybe not.

I really can’t get overly excited about rolling over a calendar.

So, what are you fashionable and exciting people doing tonight?

Comments

  1. says

    Having a quiet evening before housemate’s loud and crowded (and anxiety inducing for your truly) Twelfth Night party this weekend. I might even go to bed before the ball drop. Whee exciting.

  2. nancyholst says

    11pm in Chicago. In bed with my kindle…husband with his kindle. Testing with our six children till midnight. Fighting indigestion from too many spicy chicken wings. Happy New Year to all.

  3. michaellatiolais says

    Well, I’m reading Pharyngula with my eldest spawn hanging over my shoulder asking to watch something funny. I think I might grab a glass of merlot.

  4. captainoblivious says

    Happy New Year, Prof. Meyers. Give em hell in 2013.

    Oh and I’m here trying to figure out how Photoshop works. Just got my shiny new software and I am befuddled beyond compare. A couple of glasses of Cheap Red Wine isn’t helping any.

    Happy New Year to all you Pharyngulistas!

  5. Trebuchet says

    Just chillin’ in my hospital bed at the care center where I’m getting rehab for my broken back and leg. I would LOVE a glass or two of cheap red wine!

  6. crowepps says

    Watching a DVD of the Santana’s Vegas performance of his Superstition tour. Not going out, since the roads are slicker than snot. Watching the grandkids play with remote controlled mini-cars. Looking forward to a funny book after they go to bed.

    If the New Year is mostly like this, I’ll be a happy woman.

  7. TGAP Dad says

    Watching Doctor Who with my wife and youngest daughter, and toasting the new year with a bottle of Asti.
    Watching Michigan (hopefully) beat S.Car in the Outback Bowl.
    Go Blue!

  8. says

    I just wandered back into my studio so I could look something up – I’ve been drinking a peppermint schnapps enhanced mug of hot chocolate, in bed, reading Manhood in America by Michael Kimmel, which is utterly fascinating.

    Happy Monkey, PZ.

  9. Ragutis says

    Just watchin old movies on TCM. Popped the cork on a bottle of champagne and now settling in to watch the original Ocean’s 11.

    Hope you feel better PZ, and hope all here stay safe and well. Prost!

  10. chakolate says

    Just waiting for the fireworks to be over so I can go to bed. The cats need cuddling while they’re still going on.

  11. gardengnome says

    Watching HMS Pinafore and trying to ignore what sounds like the battle of the Somme outside. Never could get excited over New Year.

  12. Lofty says

    Went to bed at 11pm with the gentle sounds of doof doof party music from a few streets away to rock me to sleep. Woke up this morning and the laptop figured out the year change all on its own, what a surprise.
    I hope the sound of the US falling off a fiscal cliff doesn’t keep you up.

  13. says

    Spent the evening playing Cranium with my sister, niece, and niece’s boyfriend, drank a glass of sparkling red wine, ate 2 chocolate eclairs made from scratch by me this afternoon, then played Trivial Pursuit with sis when the kids went to his place. When I got back, I caught up on Pharyngula, worked on the progress reporting page for this quarter’s Set It Yourself Reading Challenge on BookCrossing. Now am going to bed. I’m wiped.

  14. Akira MacKenzie says

    I got home from work at 21:00 CST. At leftover beef roast chunks in gravy over red potatoes. Listened to my dad complain about the imminent threat to his firearms collection from Diane Feinstein. Now I’m eating Jalepeno poppers and watching RiffTrax VODs.

    It’s midnight now. the neighbors are shooting off fireworks.

    Happy New Year.

  15. Tapetum, Raddled Harridan says

    Knitting and feeling hung-over, without having had any of the fun of drinking first, due to a lovely case of the flu. Better than it was yesterday, though, when it was fever and chills, and aching joints all over, in addition to all the more cold-like symptoms.

    If I feel as much better tomorrow comparative to today as I do today comparative to yesterday, I should at least be fairly functional. Today I can read and knit (as long as neither is challenging). Yesterday all I could do was huddle and shiver.

    Fortunately we didn’t have any New Year’s plans to spoil. We always stay in, eat snacks, and maybe play a few games. The only thing different this year was that the boys played games with their father and I just spectated.

  16. Akira MacKenzie says

    Our year-and-a-half-old Brittany, Duke is going nuts over the sounds of fireworks.

  17. Nerd of Redhead, Dances OM Trolls says

    Finally got the Redhead to bed. We’ll both be up early tomorrow, me to get used to the normal wake-up time as back to work on Wednesday. The Redhead to breakfast, wash, and dress before the parade starts.

  18. cicely (The Lesser of Two Measles) says

    I don’t know as how anyone, anywhere has ever described me as “fashionable and exciting”…or either “fashionable” or “exciting”.
     
    True to which, I’m at home in my sweats and slippers, “enjoying” either an allergic reaction to something (probably mold of some sort), or the openers on a cold…while The Husband “enjoys” the flu he seems to have caught from Son.
     
    Short version: Bah! Humbug!

  19. cormacolinde says

    Wait, the earth has gone around the sun ANOTHER TIME? I’m so surprised! After 4.5 billion rounds, who’d have thought it.

  20. poose says

    Prepping for the big family get-together tomorrow afternoon, and trying to get some sleep despite a similar problem (can’t decide if it’s Gout or Plantar Faschietis) and loosing sleep over the fireworks and an annoying cat (she’s family, so I have to tolerate her…)

    Happy new year all.. Yeah, it’s a stupid reason to celebrate,, but there ya go. BTW-speaking of almost totally irrelevant anniversaries-here’s one I saw earlier this evening-sorta terrifying, but also kinda cool:

    http://www.slate.com/blogs/bad_astronomy/2012/12/27/cosmic_blast_magnetar_explosion_rocked_earth_on_december_27_2004.html

    YIKES! Kinda makes the notpocalypse look lame. Imagine that on OUR side of the Galaxy!

  21. Seeker of Reason and Amusement and Beer says

    Twilight Zone Marathon (Serling originals, mind you) with my 11-year-old daughter who is quite the story teller but never seen any of these. New eyes on old video…quite fun to watch her figure get engrossed as I did at the same age. :-)

  22. sinned34 says

    My wife is watching Venture Bros. season 4 on Blu-ray while I drunkenly switch back and forth between playing The Binding Of Isaac and Skyrim (plus intermittent surfing of the internet).

    We’re drinking a glorious combination of homemade Oktoberfest beer, Appleton Estates rum, Fireball, and mezcal.

    Happy New Year!

  23. Seeker of Reason and Amusement and Beer says

    Maybe too much wine as well since that last sentence seemed to come from the twilight zone as well…
    previous post sans “figure” and pass the cab and the gouda….

  24. chris says

    We just finished the three course New Year’s dinner: salad, cheese fondue (that son who lives at home does not do) and meat fondue (that daughter that lives at home does not do). I have no idea what son who does not live at home is doing, probably playing Magic Cards, or a rousing bout of Dungeons and Dragons.

    Dear hubby is playing World of Tanks, and I am about to go watch a video. We will finish off bottle of sparkling wine in a about 100 minutes. The dishes might get done tomorrow.

  25. poose says

    chris:

    “salad, cheese fondue (that son who lives at home does not do) ”

    Would that be George Carlin’s famous cheese fondon’t, for those that don’t like cheese fondue?

  26. says

    We took my little sister to see the fireworks and are now sitting at home using the computer / playing games / reading. We’ll probably have some sparkling wine at midnight, but it is only around 9:30 here, so we’ve got some time. Once my little brother is done with his game I might watch a little of the Dr. Who marathon, so long as they don’t play any of the sad episodes.
    I hope you feel better soon, PZ.

  27. StevoR, fallible human being says

    @24. cormacolinde :

    Wait, the earth has gone around the sun ANOTHER TIME? I’m so surprised! After 4.5 billion rounds, who’d have thought it.

    Yeah, you’d think it’d do something different for once wouldn’t you?

  28. xenithrys says

    Here in New Zealand it’s already dinner time on New Year’s day. Enjoying being with family rarely together: sons are in the kitchen making pizza and I’m thinking about opening the champagne we didn’t drink last night (we all went to bed early). Happy 2013 Pharyngulites and Pharynguloids and thanks PZ for the posts and all y’all for the comments.

  29. frog says

    Sitting at home with a head cold. I estimate I have been sick on New Years approximately 40% of the time. This is what I get for making CON my dump stat.

    I watched the ball drop in Times Square (thank you livestreaming internet!), and then called my mom. I just moved into my current house 8 weeks ago, and I was pleasantly surprised to discover my new neighbors do the whole fireworks-and-pot-banging thing. So I stood on my front steps for a little while watching that.

  30. betelgeux says

    Blasting the live album “Rock of Ages” by The Band (it’s become a New Year’s tradition, since it was recorded New Year’s Eve 1971) and drinking Old Fitz on the rocks. I’ve got a bottle of Ardbeg waiting for me once I finish the bourbon (thanks PZ for turning me on to this excellent Islay) and some excellent acid for my day off from work tomorrow. If I get bored (which probably won’t happen) I have this excellent blog here. Not a bad night.

    /relurking

  31. ajb47 says

    There was champagne, because.

    My wife and I host a rather large holiday (truly holiday — theists of > 1 sort and non-theists friends and family) meal, so we were mostly recovering from all the cleaning and cooking (goose – and duck this year, but usually just goose – many sides, 25 adults). There were some car games like Dominion and Citadels. My wife and kids went to bed. Her sister and brother-in-law were here with their almost-toddler this year. We stayed up watching Ryan Seacrest (and that dopey anti-vax woman that I complained about every time she was on the screen but I decided they had the musical guests I preferred to see over the other stations for a countdown) until the ball dropped. I should probably find a way to send a letter about McCarthy to ABC in hopes that they replace her next year. Possible New Year’s Resolution?

  32. Lofty says

    StevoR:

    Yeah, you’d think it’d do something different for once wouldn’t you?

    Well, the planet spins more slowly every year. There’s just so much you can do with leap seconds before we need a new calendar.

  33. says

    I returned from a party where I promised a researcher that *when* I hit it big, I’ll fund his original research into immunology and cancer treatment.

    Now, I am not that far from making it where I can fulfill that drunken promise, but I am unsure that I can live up to it.

    Alcohol has its merits. Then again, I also do this nonsense: http://www.themindisaterriblething.com/

  34. johnfraser1 says

    reading The Litigators by John Grisham. fed the dog some hot dogs and spam that i took home form the new years breakfast at work (i’m a veggie but can’t see imposing it on a carnivore).

  35. says

    We followed our usual practice of seeing a late movie, so that we will actually stay up past midnight. This year it was Les Miserables. It was worth the price of admission just to hear my husband trying to pronounce the title to the cashier. (It sounded like the opposite of “more miserable”.) By the time we got home, our new neighbors had finished their loud party, so it worked out well.

  36. bad Jim says

    New Year’s isn’t that meaningless. Tomorrow night is perihelion! Doesn’t it make you feel warm to know that this is the closest we get to the sun?

  37. Azkyroth, Former Growing Toaster Oven says

    Well, earlier I was walking past the Sports Corner Cafe at around 9:20, about 5 minutes from convincing the people I was with that everywhere in Old Sacramento was going to be charging a cover… O.O

  38. Crip Dyke, MQ, Right Reverend Feminist FuckToy of Death & Her Handmaiden says

    Just now catching my first break since 10:30am EST/7:30amPST. Ms Cripdyke kept me up til 3am when she came down with violent GI tract horribleness just as we were about to go to sleep last night, then 4.5 hours later it was up to feed/walk dog, breakfast the kids, other chores…and run in every 10 minutes to help Ms. Cripdyke.

    That routine changed up when sprog1 came down with same horribleness, and from 3:30pm/12:30pm til now it’s been non-stop caretaking. No time even to give the dog the attention she normally commands. And I’ve got the belly cramps and nausea that presaged this in Ms Cripdyke. Oy.

    Well, I’ve been taking anti-nausea meds prophylacticly for 8 hours now and it’s kept the nausea manageable (didn’t throw up dinner anyway). I have to stay functional at least til Ms Cripdyke recovers. We’ll see how that goes.

    And thus new years was no celebration round here.

  39. Beatrice says

    Crip Dyke,

    That sucks. I’m sorry.


    I watched The Avengers, Doctor Who Christmas Special and read Pharyngula. Had a bottle of beer and ate a lot of cheese&ham pastries. All in all, an enjoyable evening/night. The only unusual and exciting thing I did was that I slept in until 10am this morning.

  40. Menyambal --- son of a son of a bachelor says

    Popcorn and cheese with my sweetie, trouble with my lower digestive, cleaned up after the dog (damn the fireworks), did laundry (damn the dog), picked “Auld Lang Syne” on the ukulele, went outside after midnight and sounded the conch-shell three times.

    One of the family got a New Year’s kiss from a new gender this year, and sounded quite happy. I am happy for them.

  41. azportsider says

    A quiet evening reading The Inner Bird, and early to bed for me. Gotta be out on the dawn patrol in the morning to photograph my FB avatar.

  42. says

    I watched Casino Royal for the first time today. I think it might just be my favourite bond movie, if only for the scene with two sea lions fighting.

    Also, it’s the first movie I’ve seen Orson Welles act in. Previously, I was only familiar with his commercials.

  43. Rodney Nelson says

    I went to bed at 10pm so I could wake up early and come to work. End of the month is a big deal in the accounting world. I’m posting from my office before I start crunching numbers on this computer.

  44. Nick Gotts (formerly KG) says

    Happy New Year!

    Wife and I watched a costume drama, drinking ginger liqueur out of chocolate toasting cups (both the latter a present from brother-and-sister in-law). I stayed up for the fireworks, but my wife didn’t (she never does). Son was out at a late party, as is only right and proper at 17. Texted that he’d be home by 3, but I’ve no idea whether he was – his shoes are present, so presumably he did return at some point!

  45. blindrobin says

    It is mow 5:35. At midnight I was passing a gall stone and scaring the cat. Happy New Year!

  46. says

    I was working, it seems the Air Force does not stop just because some people decide to shoot off some fireworks and drink. I’m not even mad, Doctor Who marathon and a job I enjoy, not a bad deal.

  47. Johnny Au Gratin says

    For the first time since 1999-2000 cusp I wasn’t playing in a band for new year’s. Just read for a while and went to bed a little past midnight. Realized I was out of checks and rent is due, so I resolved to order new ones and spend the next few months writing the wrong year on them.

  48. carlie says

    This year, didn’t care a bit about it being New Year’s. Watched some tv, went to bed at 10:30. We traditionally have a big breakfast on Jan 1, so I’ll be cooking that soon and worrying about my children’s abilities to get up when they have to for school tomorrow.

  49. a_ray_in_dilbert_space says

    Happy New Year, All.

    I was asleep when the new year arrived. The wife and I had a supper of cashew chicken, watched “The Hudsucker Proxy”–a greatly underrated Coen Bros. film, retired for the evening. I read a bit of the memoir of William Tecumseh “No, I’m not crazy–they had me tested” Sherman and went to sleep. All in all, a nice Winter’s eve.

  50. Ogvorbis: useless says

    I had one bottle of barleywine ale.

    And three bottles of cherry coke.

    And one bag of pumpkin seeds.

    And nachos.

    And a chili chocolate bar with pistachios.

    And was in bed by 11:00. Reading Lords and Ladies. And listened to the gunfire and fireworks that went on for an hour between midnight and 1:00am. So much for the cold and wind keeping people inside and quiet.

    And those damn kids were on my lawn again.

    Off to da casino with Wife for some free play. And I have a Drew Estates Java Maduro cigar.

    Remember, kids. If you smoke a cigar first thing in the morning, nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day!

  51. says

    Reading this thread, I see nothing but atheists who don’t value life because they don’t believe in gods. Oh, the meaninglessness. Heh.

    I played diablo3 and finished it, then fell asleep listening to Bart Ehrman on iTunesU. Wish I’d thought of the merlot. Maybe next year..!

    Happy monkey, everyone!

  52. Akira MacKenzie says

    I’m lying in bed. Trying to work up the will get my ass out of bed and get ready for yet another day of depressing, stress-inducing, second-shift work. In the call-center trade, you don’t get usually holidays. You never know when an EBT card recipient will want to call in and angrily demand why their food stamp benefits aren’t available,* so we drudges have to be on hand 24/7 to to get yelled at for a pittance. (Except the managers, they get to have real, 9-to-5 Monday-through-Friday work schedules with holidays off and are paid a living wage, of course.)

    Sigh… New Years used to be fun. One New Year’s Eve, we’d boil up a couple of pounds of shrimp for dinner, and munch chicken-livers-wrapped-in-bacon until midnight. That, or I’d go over to my friends apartment were we have an honest-to-goodness New Year’s bash with food and movies. The next day, Dad would cook up a standing rib roast and we’d feast royally. Now, no one is doing that anymore. No rich food. No parties. For me, it’s just another couple of fucking work days.

    I don’t want to get up. I don’t want to get up ever again.

    *Which is something we can’t answer anyway. our company just manages their cards, not their benefits, but that doesn’t stop them from calling even after we’ve told them so multiple times.

  53. Sunday Afternoon says

    The OH and I saw John Oliver from the Daily Show in San Francisco. We’re trying to remember the names of the opening acts who were extremely good themselves.

  54. Beatrice says

    Akira MacKenzie,

    *hugs*
    Wanna hang out in the Lounge? It’s a bit empty right now, but I’m sure someone fun will appear.

    If you need a bit of venting there’s the new feminism thread. You already have a specimen you can yell at there. (Disregard this suggestion if discussions about (anti)feminism just get you upset)

  55. Nerd of Redhead, Dances OM Trolls says

    Got the Redhead up, washed and dressed just before the behind-the-scenes-of-the-Rose-Parade show started. Then made her traditional New Years Day breakfast of waffles, peaches, and whipped cream, with a side order of smoky links. Coffee and a mimosa to round out the meal.

  56. Beatrice says

    Akira MacKenzie,

    Maybe you can sort of celebrate New Year a couple of days later? I didn’t go anywhere last night, but I’m going to go out for drinks with a friend on Friday. We’ll have a couple of martinis and toast the New Year in, with a bit of a delay, but what the hell – the year has 365 days and it will be only the fourth.

  57. says

    I was celebrating Nova Godina with my husband and his family, until the kiddos got too tired for words. At midnight I was nursing my 5 mo old to sleep and thinking about how awesome it was to have two such awesome kiddos. Happy New Year everyone!

  58. roland says

    Watched RuPaul’s Drag Race, drank champagne, had sex, made ice sculpture in the shape of a puppy, woo!

  59. Akira MacKenzie says

    Beatrice @ 72

    Sadly, my friends and I don’t keep the same schedule anymore.

    For the first half of the year I my work schedule was silly, but I was able to get a schedule where I got Tuesdays (my usual night for miniature wargaming/painting) and Saturdays off and I worked days. Even then, I had some wiggle-room. I could still get in a weekly AD&D game, Sunday after work. But then, the powers-that-be at work decided that our department wasn’t being efficient enough, so they cancelled our annual shift bids (all the other departments got theirs) and stuck us with new schedule based upon company needs and seniority (i.e. the longer you’ve been with the company, the closer you got to work your usual schedule). Since I had only been then for less than a year…

    Now I work Saturdays-to-Wednesdays, and I start anytime between 11 AM and 1 PM and getting off as late as 9:45 PM, and that’s not including the “mandatory overtime” they make us work. Since all my friends work or have evening family obligations on the days I do have off, I literally haven’t actually seen any of them in months!

    I’d quit this pile of shit job if I had another lined up, but thanks to our precious “free market” and our government that coddles it, there are none available that are any better.

  60. Beatrice says

    Akira MacKenzie,

    That sucks. A friend of mine worked in the call centre of a mobile operator, but at least she could make her schedule a month in advance, even if her hours were also all over the place from day to day.

    I hope you’ll manage to get together with your friends soon.

    Most of my friends (I don’t have many to begin with) moved back home after getting a degree because they couldn’t find jobs and pay rent here, so I see them only rarely (once or twice a year for the one living on the other side of the country). I spend most of my free time here. It sometimes feels terribly lonely, but usually chatting with the horde here helps.
    I don’t remember seeing you in The Lounge often, but I promise we can make marginally entertaining company. :)

  61. says

    Was sick this year with the virus that never ends.

    Last night — watched some Doctor Who, played with the cats, logged on to Facebook, and went to bed early.

    Today — making chili and doing laundry (which piled up thanks to holiday guests).

    I’m sort of glad to be back to a normal schedule tomorrow.

  62. tbp1 says

    Went out to the vegan Asian restaurant for noodles, then went home and made cocktails with champagne (one of those little cans that Coppola makes—it’s actually pretty good and one of them makes two cocktails, perfect when it’s just the two of us), Hum, lemon vodka and lime juice.

    Watched Magic Mike, and plugged in the lava lamp. Didn’t make to midnight. We drove all day to get home and were just too tired.

    Ah, the wonders of middle age—it’s a rich, full life.

  63. eyeroll says

    Here we also have colds. But I don’t care…..it’s a beautiful day and I am going out to play with the dogs. Let the snot fling where it may.

  64. texasaggie says

    Pigging out on some really unusual dishes from I have no idea where. They were created mostly by either my dearly beloved or one of her bosom buddies. They’re big into creative cooking.

  65. texasaggie says

    Pigging out on some really unusual dishes from I have no idea where. They were created mostly by either my dearly beloved or one of her bosom buddies. They’re big into creative cooking.

    When we got home we found that one of the dogs had totally and completely destroyed the bathroom from anxiety at the firecrackers going off everywhere. The poor guy was very happy to see us.

  66. says

    i spent some time posting notices in the several web sites i hang around that i’m drifting off for the year.part of my new years resolutions is that there are many projects that are hanging fire because what started out as something to do along with the AM cup of coffee seems to have taken over too many hours.
    much of what i posted over the years was just a repeat and i felt i was getting stale.
    same with sites like this,a great read but who cares,really,what i have to say so i won’t.

  67. says

    I was going to have a wild new years eve here in Kandahar til I realized:
    1.There’s no booze
    2. Regardless of what the calendar claims, it’s still going to be 680 CE in Afghanistan when I wake up.

  68. says

    I went to a street concert in the Imperial Forum in Rome. Pretty lights illuminating ancient ruins, not that bad! There’s a small tiny something to be said for getting out of the house once in a while.