Ours was utterly quiet, although not unpleasant :). Both kids were off doing their own NYE celebration so the house was nice and calm. We ate dinner, chatted, then he went to sleep early and I read for awhile. Boring? Maybe but also a moment to cherish being secure in our lives and with so much for which to be grateful. Actually, our New Year's reminds me of the lyrics to one of my favorite Carly Simon songs, Misfit: There are plenty of late nights If you want to stay up for them You'll just want to find yourself a friend And tie a couple on in a night spot Draw pictures of your soul, win the jackpot Pour tears in your beer It's hip to be miserable when you're young and intellectual In a bit you'll admit you're a misfit Come on home with me We'll turn on the TV About 10 o'clock we'll turn off the light Not every man was born to stay up late at night There are plenty of boats to catch If you notice all the sails in the wind But you better look hard my friend In case you catch a ride on the wrong one In the distance is the one you belong on Oh the water is wide It's hip to be miserable when you're young and intellectual In a bit you'll admit you're a misfit Come on home with me We'll sit under a tree And if you get the itch I'll supply the scratch Not every man was born with a boat to catch It's hip to be miserable when you are young and intellectual In a bit you'll admit you're a misfit A misfit

I'm off to the First Night celebration in Monterey. One of my favorite bands is going to play this year. Don't know how well I'll do with my hearing out in one ear but I'm going anyway. I used to hate traditional News Year Eve celebrations. I'd have to be running a fever to miss First Night. First Nights are held throughout the country. No drunks,cool art and music venues and happy people. If you have one near...GO. Here is a link that might be useful: First Night

Lol, the oliebollen also sound like Jewish sufganiyah, a fried jam filled treat served for Hanukkah. We usually stay at home, off the road on New Year's eve. We will have our Sprites over for the night so that their g'pa can have a small adult gathering next door. We will go over for a little while to enjoy some of his delicious munchies and to let the girls mingle for a bit. They are great in grown up company, and they like G'pa's friends. But they are very happy to stay with us for the night. We'll play games, have a snack, they'll take their shower and get into their new flannels. Their goal is to stay up until midnight, heh heh heh. But by the time we watch a movie, read a chapter of Anne of Green Gables........zzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

We like go to the Metropolitan Opera for New Year's Eve, have dinner there beforehand at their Grand Tier restaurant, coming back for desserts that they time to be ready at intermission. They also have a gala but we don't usually do that; that occurs after the opera. Depending, sometimes we come home after and toast midnight then, sometimes we toast in town with friends, sometimes we stay over. It is pretty much a tradition, since I think NYE is a pretty lame holiday, but we have missed it in years where we were travelling and sometimes if we do not care for the opera that night we do something else. It is very festive though and DH wears his tux (but you see people in everything from luxe to boho at the opera). We took the kids a year or so ago and they loved getting all dressed up and especially trying shaved white truffle over their risotto. They have been exposed to opera their whole lives so they are all used to it (i get that it takes some ...acculturation? ...). My DS is the only true enthusiast among the kids, my other DDs like some of it but not all of it; but then they like the dressing up part!