ny2009 08, originally uploaded by spotzilla.

Mom finally posted a few pictures so I can do a quick blurb about bringing in the New Year (if there aren't photos, it didn't happen.)

New Year's Eve was a moderate party at Shawn's house. It was one of the smallest NYE parties I've attended in years but had the bonus of being friendly and comfortable with everyone that was there.
Attendance list: Me, Jack, Shawn, Andy, Kelly, Ryan & Courtney, Ben, Becky & Max, and Mary Ashley.

We rocked out with a few rousing games of Apples to Apples until close to midnight. Then the tv was clicked onto the Dick Clark New Year ball drop -- sadly now with Ryan Seacrest. I think he's from some reality show or game show or something else that doesn't catch my attention on a normal day. And the bands were traditionally bad, and the party goers were dressed strangely and making odd faces (as expected) so it was amusing.

Anyway, while that was airing we went through our tiny arsenal of fireworks comprised mostly sparklers, roman candles, and bottle rockets. Our near-midnight finale was the Saturn Offensive or whatever it was called, this two foot long firework contraption that I expected to be mostly firecrackers but was actually sort of like a giant line of small bottle rockets with extreme noise effects. As Andy declared "We win the neighborhood battle!" some guys down the street stuck their heads out of their garage and said "We have sparklers!" and we all laughed.

As is traditional, champagne (and sparkling grape juice for others) was toasted at the actual stroke of midnight. Then everyone turned into a pumpkins and scampered off to their respective homes. We amused a cop at a drunk check point as he peered in our car and saw the dog happily peering back. And that was NYE.

New Year's Day was fairly sedate as well, at least it was until I got into the kitchen.

I decided I was going to make the Luck Dinner at home for once, and somehow it grew until almost everyone joined us.
Attendance: My family (spottie, knifer1, sleepiekaren, rsayers, lostindeath, and Blake), Jack's family (Dad and Lucie) and our friends: Andy, Shawn, Ben, Becky, and Max. thedauthi was going to come but he was too busy driving to Atlanta, Dallas, and back. I'm not even sure what happened to Abby but I assume she was tired of driving and went to bed :P

I cooked a tasty crock pot full of Black-eyed peas for Luck, the the other prosperity foods: Cornbread, Cabbage, Spinach, and turkey and ham (because I had a lot of it, not because it has a special significance). Mom brought over a different batch of Black-eyed peas, jalapeño cornbread, and a big dish of greens. We used different methods on our peas but they came out sort of similar. I can share the recipe if anyone is curious.

After everyone had seconds (eat as much luck as possible!) the families slowly headed home. Then we watched more Futurama (Mom: "Oh look, the kids are watching cartoons!") and, because it was Thursday, more Louie the Rune Soldier to fill the weekly anime fix. This means we will have a prosperous year of food, friends, and cartoons. Score!

(Also: Got New Years goodies on Animal Crossing, and saw the fireworks on both the wii and ds. Can't get too much fireworks into one night!)