and just like that: 2007

Aah - did anyone notice that the week between Christmas and New Year's just flew by? Woah. It's back from Christmas vacation in Michigan and on into the lab for me, with lots of fun, exciting, and stressful things on my plate at work!

And no snow. There is no snow and it is January. And I am supposed to go on a ski trip in 10 days...! It is a very odd feeling to have no snow at this point in time. I can't say I'm utterly disappointed, however. I just wish it wouldn't rain so much instead.

Rain is what it did on New Year's Eve 2006. After our other comrades all got sick or homebody-ish, my friend Josie and I decided to brave the crowds and chaos of First Night, which meant a trip to downtown. This was before it started raining much, but we did have the foresight to bring umbrellas. I'm afraid this might have been the worst NYE I've ever experienced - not that it was really BAD, but it wasn't really that great. Josie and I wandered around checking out some of the activities and displays that were around, and it seemed like wherever we walked, we cast some sort of dark shadow over the festivities.

Case in point: first stop was PPG Place to watch ice skaters and get our bearings. Then we went into the PPG wintergarden - but no sooner had we stepped inside than a guard began walking around telling everyone the place was closing in 5 minutes. Ugh (and I must note that 5 minutes from that time was not even a really logical time to close - 8:47 or something like that). So we went back outside and found that probably not long after we had passed the skating rink someone had fallen down and now everyone was off the ice and an ambulance had arrived and the EMS workers were tending to the injured skater. ...Um...did we do that? And then it really started to rain.

Nevertheless, Josie and I had a good time together, had some good girl talk, good general talk, and good warm drinks at the food court where Everyone Else was trying to be not in the rain. I learned what First Night is all about and what I should do and not do if I ever decide to attend in the future.

After the rain set in, Josie and I went back to our respectives home and welcomed the new year in a warm, dry place. Warm, dry places are quite the best, I think. Particularly if paired with a good glass of merlot.

(And if you're wondering why "D" and I did nothing for New Year's, that's a good question and I will get back to you on that if I ever find out. Just sayin'.)