Auld Lang Syne
It’s a funny New Year’s weekend. Funny, in part, because it’s a day longer than usual. New Year’s is usually a two-day process. Day one, New Year’s Eve, traditionally involves a prime rib dinner with friends and family, then an evening at home with Jenn. We have a couple of New Year’s cocktails, then fight the “battle of the ball drop” – to try to stay awake, sing “Auld Lang Syne”, and text the rest of the family to see who’s still up.
Normal New Year’s Days start with the Rose Bowl Parade, breakfast, a Bloody Mary and preparation to hangout and watch football games. Maybe in the afternoon there’s a moment to take down the Christmas Tree in between touchdowns. Then it’s onto “life” and the long winter stretch from January to the first spring days in March.
But this year is different. It’s the government’s fault. The “Monday Holiday Law” means that as I sit at the keyboard now, January 2nd, it is officially New Year’s Day. The Rose Bowl Parade is now TODAY, Monday January 2nd (according to the Rose Bowl Parade website, the countdown menu shows 2 Hours, 1 Minute and 43 Seconds until the “step off”).
Football-Football-Football
This is all about football. First, the College Football Playoffs decided to play their semi-finals on New Year’s Eve. Michigan played TCU first, then Ohio State played Georgia. Since Jenn is a Michigan fan, and we live in Columbus, Ohio; so we watched both games. We shared the Michigan game with some friends at a local sports bar, with chicken wings, pictures of grandchildren and old coaching stories in between the touchdowns and interceptions. Cheering for Michigan is always dicey in Columbus, but there were a few others thumping tables as the Maize and Blue crossed the goal line and groaning at the “pick-six” interceptions going the other way.
Our original thought was to stay and watch both games. But eight hours of wings and beer on New Year’s Eve would be far too much. At least, too many beers to make it home, safely. So we left at the beginning of the Ohio State game, arriving home to spend the evening tensely following the action. At least, I was tense, Jenn was quietly cheering on Georgia. I guess the ball dropped in Times Square, but it was right about the time that the game-winning Ohio State field goal went too far left. Happy New Year – but, “…There is no joy in Columbus, the Buckeyes have struck out.”
So New Year’s Eve was really what I would normally do on New Year’s Day. Then there was yesterday, January 1st, the “real” New Year’s Day. It’s the “extra” day in this year’s holiday process. All of the college games were pushed to January 2nd, because Sunday is “NFL” day. But my NFL team didn’t play. The Bengals are in the Monday Night matchup, tonight. So no parade, no football I wanted to watch. And all of the decorations are already down, taken in a few frenzied moments on December 29th.
Real New Year’s
So, we found a “West Wing” television marathon, that sucked us in from breakfast to bed. That is, except for the runaway dog over by the airport. Jenn grudgingly joined in the hunt, and we drove over. That was the bad news. The good news: we somehow gained access to the government base next door, DCSC, to help the Base Police with the dog. We arrived just in time: the policemen caught him. Jenn was handed the puppy to take back to the owner; all the fun, smiles and tears, with very little effort. Then it was back home to the “West Wing”, and a New Year’s dinner of grilled pork chops.
So now it’s Monday morning, January 2nd. The Christmas tree is down, the decorations all stacked in the garage. But it’s still “official” New Year’s Day, as far as the world is concerned. Parades, college football games: and then, the Bengals play the Bills. It’s going to be another late night. The NFL has conspired to extend this holiday. Glad I’m retired.
Still an hour before the parade starts. Might be a good morning for Bloody Mary’s.
