So far so Good

Well, that's one down.... and, so far, I am very much liking 2009.

Over-did it on New Year's Eve(NYE)... Absynthe shot in Charlie's was a baaaad idea on top of everything else.. but hey! The third time I woke up today I felt great! (we won't speak of the first two times, if you don't mind! Not a pretty sight..)

It was better than last year at the very least, where I stormed out of the nightclub in a huff, wasn't let back in, and got to sit outside and sulk for the rest of the night - nice!

And this year, due to bad timing on my stomach's part, we went for food across the road from the pub, and thought we'd have it eaten and be back in time for the countdown... but no such luck! I clinked cans of coke with one of my best friends over a delicious pizza - not the original plan, but can you imagine a better way to start off 2009?

New Year's night is almost always a let-down, either because everyone's broke, or forgot to finalise plans because they were so wrapped UP in Christmas, or just through bad luck. Originally we were all gonna go to Dingle, then Tipp, and I'm kind of glad that neither of those plans worked out - better to stay close to home and not waste TOO much money on a much over-hyped holiday. Plans that fall-through: the essense of the spirit of New Year's!

I have to admit, New Year's is probably my favourite holiday. It's usually a disappointment, a mess and a disaster, and that next morning is NEVER too pleasant... but isn't it the perfect "f*** you" to 2008?

Not that I didn't have a great year - all things considered, it was ok! But isn't it nice to shake it off and bid it a crass, alcohol-soaked farewell? Greeting the year '09 with bleary eyes that peer out from a tangled heap of drool/make-up-soaked bedsheets?

Romantic, eh? Poignant, maybe? Haha.. well, I think it's perfect. The perfect, disgusting, truly and uniquely human way to celebrate a new start. Every year starts like every NYE; with all those expectations! (Even when Dingle and ALL our plans fell through, my friends were still hopeful -- ADAMANT they'd find someone to kiss at midnight!)

We can reminisce on NY's day, or ANY day of the year. But on NYE we sing of letting go; "Should auld acquaintance be forgot" It's a celebration of shattered expectations, of excess, recklessness, disregard for consequences, and, most of all, of the ability to always start again.

It's a perfect conclusion to '08, and a helluvan introductory paragraph for '09.

And (compared to how I felt the first and second times I woke up this morning) things can only get better!