New Year's Eve At Home

Tonight my roommate and I will stay home and drink champagne, order Chinese, and finally let our kitties meet face-to-face.

Note: if someone told me during my twenties that one day I would write the sentence above, I'd have immediately jumped off the Brooklyn Bridge.

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I've Been To A Couple Of These...

New Year's Eve Caturday

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year to all my adorable, loyal and loving Dustbunnies. Without you, I'm nothing - and don't think I don't know it!

XOXOXOXO

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New Year's Eve Just Won't Be The Same

A few weeks ago MTV announced they were planning on putting Jersey Shore's Snooki into a plastic hamster ball and dropping her in Times Square on New Year's Eve - which would coincide with an attempt to break the Guinness World Record for group fist-pumping. Seriously.

But the powers-that-be here in NYC came to their senses and put the kibosh on the whole sordid affair - refusing to grant MTV the proper permits. So THAT'S what Mayor Bloomberg has been working on instead of snow removal! Question: Which exact PERMITS does one apply for when one is looking to put a idiot/midget from Jersey into a plastic ball in order to drop her while thousands of people fist-pump in unison?? Someone please get back to me on this.

Preparing for Snooki in Seaside Heights

Anywhore, TMZ is reporting that MTV has relocated the Snooki Habitrail Hamster New Year's Eve Ball to - where else - the Jersey Shore. Because those 12 people still in Seaside Heights, NJ during the winter need SOMETHING to do on New Year's Eve.

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Dropping Stuff On New Year's Eve

Everyone knows about the big ball drop in Times Square on New Year's Eve (above).  But you might not know about all the crap they "drop" on New Year's Eve in the land of my birth ... South Central Pennsylvania.

Most of these PA droppings began after I moved to New York City.  In fact, I can only remember the Strawberry Drop in Harrisburg - an event I always missed because I wasn't about to leave the warmth of "Stallions" (the local gay club) and go outside to watch a piece of fruit going down at midnight. I waited until later for that...

Now every local town seems to drop something to ring in the New Year.  What cracks me up is that for the most part whatever is being dropped is simply hoisted up on a crane and lowered at midnight while people watch.  We are all about 'no-frills' in Pennsyltucky!

Some of these drops make sense.  The strawberry in Harrisburg was dropped from "Strawberry Square", a downtown mall.  York, PA drops a White Rose, because it's known as "The White Rose City".  And Heshey drops a big Hershey Kiss, for obvious reasons...

Some of the dropped items are less obvious.  My hometown of Carlisle boasts a "Mini Indy Car Drop".  I'm assuming this is due to the fact that Carlisle hosts huge annual automobile shows, and because you "Can't have Carlisle without the 'Car'".  And, from what I've read, they drop a mini-Indy car because the local YMCA wasn't using it anymore...

The neighboring town of Mechanicsburg drops a wrench...

Shippensburg drops an anchor...

Red Lion drops a cigar (an homage to Red Lion's connection to the Tobacco industry).  And Elizabethtown drops an M&M because of the M&M/Mars plant in town.  Dillsburg drops a big pickle dressed in formalwear ...

But my favorite is the town of Lebanon.  If you grow up in South Central PA, you know Lebanon as the town where "Lebanon Bologna" (pronounced "LEB-nun Ba-LO-nie") comes from.  So Lebanon drops a big, long, edible, delicious bologna on New Year's Eve.

Do they "drop" anything where YOU live?

What Are Your New Year's Eve Plans?

I will be at home on the couch tonight at midnight with the kitties (pitiful, I know) - something that has become an annual tradition for me.  I grew tired of the crowds and expense of New Year's Eve celebrations at bars long ago - so now I just stay home.

At midnight I'll open one of the windows and listen to the roaring crowds in Times Square (yes, I'm that close) - and then I'll begin 2010.  This past year wasn't the greatest for me - so I'm hoping 2010 will bring all of us good things.

What will YOU be doing tonight?

Tavern On The Green Closes Tonight

A New York City landmark closes its doors tonight.  From NPR:

Tavern on the Green, once America's highest-grossing restaurant, is singing its culinary swan song.

The former sheepfold at the edge of Central Park, now ringed by twinkling lights and fake topiary animals, is preparing for New Year's Eve, when it will serve its last meal. Just three years ago, it was plating more than 700,000 meals annually, bringing in more than $38 million.

But that astronomical sum wasn't enough to keep the landmark restaurant out of bankruptcy court. Its $8 million debt is to be covered at an auction of Baccarat and Waterford chandeliers, Tiffany stained glass, a mural depicting Central Park and other over-the-top decor that has bewitched visitors for decades.

The restaurant may reopen eventually, pending legal battles over the "Tavern on the Green" name and union issues.  Read the entire story HERE.

Add "Eating at Tavern on the Green" to the extremely long list of stuff I never got around to doing.

New Year's Eve Balls

David Lovelace

Rafael Yapur

Which balls would you like to ring in the New Year with?

What Are You Doing Tonight?

I never go out for New Year's Eve anymore - it's way too expensive, crowded, and it's IMPOSSIBLE to find a cab. Years ago I would always go to a huge club and get blotto, but tonight I'll probably just catch up on some blog reading.

What will YOU be doing tonight?