Happy 2008.

[murdoc]

I fell asleep in a Nyquil induced haze around 11pm and woke up in time to watch The Penguins play The Sabres outside in the snow.

[Signe]

That sounds like more than a hallucination you'd think Nyquil would be capable of inducing. 

[Yegolev]

I was playing Mass Effect alone on the sofa.  I noticed the date on a new save file was 01/01/08 and I smiled a bit.

[stray]

No. I was a little too busy to be asking practical questions like that.

She's like a "friend of a friend of a friend" though, so I might be able to track her down. Just don't think I should even bother after that mess.

Don't be such a pussy, track her down, tell your original friend (girl I hope) that you really liked her and want to hang with her again.  Girls love setting up their guy friends, usually.  Its always regrettable to wait a month claiming its not worth bothering to do anything and then you'll realize you wish you'd at least tried to get with her.

I forgot to mention that she's also from San Diego, and just here for the holidays. Another nail in the coffin. Or massive obstacle. Either/or. I did get ahold of her though...

[sigil]

I spent New years eve doing an exercise of futility.

New years Day was spent cooking dinner.  A power outage fits in there too somehow. Could have been worse, though.

Dinner came out great. So there was that.

[Wershlak]

I tend to stay home for new years since getting shot about 15 years ago. I was the first 911 call of the year according to the EMTs. 

I watched the third Pirates movie and went to bed at 12:15.

[Ookii]

I tend to stay home for new years since getting shot about 15 years ago.

You come out from lurkering and lay that tasty nugget on us and leave again?

Some details please!

[Wershlak]

I tend to stay home for new years since getting shot about 15 years ago.

You come out from lurkering and lay that tasty nugget on us and leave again?

Some details please!

I was drunk, in the wrong place at the wrong time and a fight broke out. I was lucky and got shot in the leg. The bullet just missed the bone and didn't hit a major artery so I am fine. It sure was a buzzkill though!

So on New Years eve instead of getting shitfaced I usually find a couple minutes to reflect about how lucky I am to make it through another year.

[Ookii]

Seems like a hell of a story with just a few more details than you let on  .

Nice to see you came out of it alright, just avoid those places that cash checks, sell liquor and fried chicken all in the same location.

[schild]

Did you just stereotype day-laboring, alcoholic chicken-eaters?

*I* take offense to that. 3 Great tastes that taste great together.

[Wershlak]

Did you just stereotype day-laboring, alcoholic chicken-eaters?

*I* take offense to that. 3 Great tastes that taste great together.

Ironically enough it happened in a house in an upscale golf course community. You never know who will show up to the party though. Particularly if you have free alcohol and fried chicken!

[Signe]

FREE CHICKEN!  WOWSERS!

[Yegolev]

Tanqueray?  Olde English 1800?

[NowhereMan]

I spent the night at a Mexican themed party at a friend of a friend's house (I seem to meet up with this friend's friends every New year, hardly ever see them otherwise). Drank lots of tequila, beer and some very nice Bushmill's 12 year old distillery reserve. They had a large cat that had apparently gotten the cat AIDS that I was warned not to annoy, by midnight much cat taunting was going on but I think it dealt with the situation pretty well. Got face raped by a random 30 year old woman since it seemed rude to hit her until she went away but ended up snuggling with a much cuter girl. Proceeded to wake up about midday and face the task of actually trying to get home, which I got round to about 4 hours later after a good fried breakfast and much lazing about.

All in all I've had worse New Years.

[Sky]

I spent the last 10 minutes of 2007 perplexed that they would have Dick Clark continue to host the New Year's Eve Show in his current state. While I feel bad that he suffered a stroke, his speech impediment and inability to convey emotion makes him hard to watch as a television personality.

Harsh. Last year it was really sad, he fucked up the countdown. This year he looked great. It's a tradition. Go watch Carson the fucking douchebag if you don't like Dick, who has more class than every other person who appeared on every other NYE show. I'm glad Dick is continuing the tradition, the real sad thing will be when he won't anymore and all we have are Carson the wooden douche or Ryan the greasy moron. America dies a little that year.

Anyway. Had a nice night at home with the fiancee and a bottle of Laurent & Perrier. Decided I'm finally old because I don't know who anyone on the NYE shows are.

[Broughden]

I had my best New Years Eve....evah.

1. My employer worked together with an organization called the Wounded Warrior Project to bring wounded soldiers, sailors, marines and airmen from both Bethesda Naval Hospital and Walter Reed here to New York City for a full night on the town, along with their families. In total we brought nearly 100 guys and girls up to NYC. Most of these vets were gravely wounded in Iraq and are amputees. They ranged in rank from Privates up to a Lieutenant Colonel.

2. We arranged free hotel stays for eveyone and picked them up around 3pm for a day of site seeing. We took them first to Madame Tussauds Wax Museum. Then we headed to dinner at a resturaunt opened only to us. All food and booze were on the house. Next we headed to Rockefeller Center for more site seeing and picture taking. Lastly we headed to the center of it all at Time Square, where a private viewing area had been erected for them and their families. They were right at the base of the stages for easy viewing of the musical entertainers and couldnt have been any closer for the ball.

3.  During the festivities Kid Rock, Carrie Underwood, Alex Rodriguez (from the Yankees) and others came by for pictures and to pay their respects to the vets.

4. After it was all over we took them to the Sailor and Soldiers Club here in Manhattan for a private spread and more booze. Then made sure everyone got home safe to their hotels. All in all I was working from noon till 5am the next day and loved every minute of it.

The highlights for me were that my fiance was able to join me at the viewing area in Time Square. Neither of us are originally from NYC and it was our first time at the ball drop and we were together. I kissed her at midnight. We are to be married in April this year.

Secondly, one of the soldiers at the event was a guy I served under at 2nd Ranger Battalion Ft.Lewis, WA nearly 20 years ago!! Starting back in 1989. He and I both left Lewis around 1992 or so for different units elsewhere. Here it is 18 years later and I meet up with him since he was a guest of the program. He lost his hand while serving in Iraq. At the time this guy was one of our assistant team leaders back at Lewis. Someone I really looked up to. A mentor. I was now able to return the favor by giving him a once in a life time night on the town for him and his wife.

I dont think it gets much better than that. It was one hell of a night. I was just glad to be able to share in making some happy memories for the guys and gals who have given too much already for their country.