New Years

Most everybody has a favorite holiday. My personal favorite is New Years Eve into New Years Day (yes, I celebrate both as one), for a couple of reasons. First, I like the natural dividing line in the annual cycle of life. There is a sense of rebirth in starting a new year (or at least a new calendar). The hope that the next year will be better than the last. And I love the parties.

I've always considered New Year's parties to be partly personal because New Year's Day is my birthday. I'll tell the story of how I came to be born on January 1st tomorrow, but tonight is my favorite celebration. Having a New Year's birthday guarantees that there will be a party.

For many years, I celebrated at the Grateful Dead's New Year's Eve shows (14 of them), and I wish I still could. Unfortunately, Jerry Garcia doesn't play them anymore. But I have some fantastic memories and bootlegs to remind me of my younger years. Good times!

This year, my celebration will be more low key for two reasons. One, I'm broke, but two, there is a lack of music I want to hear playing tonight. Both my favorite local band are out of town. My local micro brewery has a really annoying hip-hop DJ band playing (I'm lukewarm on hip-hop to begin with, but these guys really get on my nerves), so I wont be staying out late. I'll have a few early beers and then spend the evening with friends.

So, Happy New Year, everybody! Lets hope for a better 2008, the last year of the shrub. Live, laugh, and love. Kiss anybody you reasonably can at midnight. And, above all else, don't drink and drive!