New Year's Eve

Me and Ange share the same attitude to New Year's Eve. We both don't care too much about it. I hate the pressure of the chit-chat that starts, 'So - what're your New Year's plans?' or 'So, what'd you do for New Year's?'. Ok - so I hate most chit-chat.

Anyhow.... we had a BBQ round at her and Marty's flat. It was good. We are all (mostly) well over going into town and standing in queues and paying ridiculous amounts of money and feeling old and making jokes about girls in pulling-outfits (ok - that bit's still fun).

The food was good. Marty almost made potato salad (Ange ended up doing it, as predicted). Ange made fritata and brownies. The brownies were good. Especially heated up. We had several for breakfast the next day. Ant brought his special recipe meat patties (with sun dried tomatoes and other yummy things in them). Marty claimed his rightful spot at the BBQ and cooked everything to satisfaction (with some 'helpful' advice from the onlooking men).

There were games. We played Buzz. I like Buzz! I was unfairly targeted in the pie-throwing and points-stealing rounds, I feel. Cassie was consistently good. As she said, that was the form she should have shown on the TV quiz shows we went on...... If only!

Sing Star was also fun. Me and Cass belted out some rock hits (being better suited to yelling songs than ballads or 'skill-songs') while Dylan and Marty actually sang properly. Dave looked for someone he could beat... and found Ant. Ange did not partake.

And..... there was much posed photo taking by me, Ange and Cass. We love it! And we got some very flattering ones (once the others were filtered out).

Perfect.

At 4am, after the Andrews Family departed, me and Marty did a quick tidy-up of food, rubbish and drinks. The only real carnage was a few spilled drinks (and a lovely wine-like aroma that filled the lounge the next day) and a near-fight (drama!).

And so it is 2008.

I like January. It's when the 'real' holiday starts. December is for rushing around buying presents and seeing family. Late December is for catching up with friends and having BBQs and feeling bloated from over-eating. January is where you finally get to take a breath and have a bit of Me-Time. If you're a teacher, that is. Other people may be heading back to work now. Sucks to be them!

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Ten Things I have Been Doing

1. Yesterday I started looming a scarf. Get in early, I say. This scarf will be ready BEFORE the end of winter. Ange helped me. She is busy crocheting another blanket.

2. I read books. Most have been blogged about already, but Marty also suggested I read the autobiography of Mankind (the wrestler). It's not bad, 30 pages in. I have been 'thoughtfully' included in so many wrestling events of late that I even had a wrestling dream the other night. I have suspicians that Marty whispers things about wrestling in my ear at night while I'm drifting away, trying to convert me subliminally.

3. I went to the Irish Society on Cambridge Tce. A friend of Marty's was having some drinks there (he is the president of the Wellington Celtic Rangers Supporters' Club). It was fun. Cheap drinks, free pool, sing-a-longs, nice folk.

4. Key Lime Pie at Sweet Mother's Kitchen. Enough said.

5. Drinking beer with summery names.

6. BBQing with Kirsten and Richard. That Bastard. He got the winning answer for the boys' team at Trivial Pursuits.

7. Watching DVDs. Kyle, the new flatmate, thoughtfully brought back a whole stack of them he borrowed off his brother. Prozac Nation was good, as was The Best Thief in the World.

8. Getting a little sunburnt. Usually the right side of my body. Most recently both my knees.

9. Wearing jandals. Everywhere.

10. Cursing the crap air flow in my car.