new year's eve (m)

The day begins like every other day. I'm behind schedule even before I get out of bed. I awaken and start a laundry so I can start the new year with a clean slate. I pop two dozen chocolate chip cookies in the oven to bake for Sam's hockey team and have a whole grapefruit for breakfast.

Harrison goes to get his haircut and comes home at 11 and says he's not going out with friends for breakfast as planned and could I make him pancakes? Please?

I look at the clock. By the time I am finished with the pancakes, I have just enough time to shower and change and make it to Sam's hockey game. The team is in town and my brothers and brother-in-law and three sets of friends and their families want to see him play. It's very nice of them especially considering it's New Year's Eve.

T and are are supposed to be hosting the team dinner after the game. The nearest restaurant to the rink is a 99 Restaurant and they don't do buffets. I email the menu to Sam and he has the team select their entrees, identifying themselves by name and jersey number as in "Sam-23-chicken, pasta and broccoli."  We do this for 26 people.

The game goes into overtime (of course) and I leave 5 minutes before it's over to call the restaurant and head into the Frog Pond in Boston where H is a featured skater in the show. I drive to V's house to leave my car there and cab it in to Boston just in time.

We stay through the performances and the fireworks. H is on the ice when the fireworks erupt. It is quite a scene.

Afterwards, V and I hop in a cab to go to her house. We can't believe our luck finding a cab given the hordes of people milling about. Five minutes into the cab ride, I figure out why the cab was available....someone had thrown up in there before us. I have my head out the window like someone's golden retriever all the way to V's house.

Once there, we decide to eat dinner. V choses a Todd English restaurant within a short walk of her home. It is half empty. We are amazed to be seated right away.

I look at the salads and decide to throw caution to the wind and get one of their signature pizzas. V and I split a mixed pizza-1/2 mushroom and fontina cheese and 1/2 prosciutto and fig. We each have two glasses of proscecco and bread with olive oil and olives. I have the beet salad with spinach and creamy dressing. Nothing about this meal is Weight Watchers approved.

T comes up from the team dinner which he hosted himself and joins us for dessert. A warm pudding cake. Heaven.

My little oasis of fabulous food, cozy ambiance, great wine and intelligent conversation is interrupted by a phone call from Harrison who asks me to pick up Chinese food for him and his friends on my way home.

After the kids eat, they go out--at 11:15 p.m. I'm exhausted and want to go to bed but can't now that H is out.

I try to stay awake and watch television. I flip from channel to channel with depressing New Year's Eve shows. Can't read my book as my Kindle needs to be re-charged. I call Lyn. She's hosting another movie party and can't talk.

I start to read a new book--the old-fashioned format--and fall asleep. Next thing I know, Lyn calls to wish me a Happy New Year. I look at the clock: 11:57 p.m. I was dead asleep. I pop up and wait until midnight and wish T a Happy New Year and call Lyn back. Harrison texts me to do the same as does Sam.

I'm happy to be surrounded by family and friends.

I wait up for Harrison who arrives home at 1:45 a.m. with several friends who are sleeping over.

At 2 p.m., I am wide awake, contemplating life and the new year.