New Year!

Happy New Year!

Mom and I celebrated the New Year at Times Square (did I tell you already?) anyway it was awesome. Cold too. Cold with a capital "C." I mean I live here. I've adjusted to the cold but standing in it for 3.5 hours (and we were not the early ones) with no refuge but the barrier of people surrounding you - that's cold on another level. But we survived! And although it rained THE ENTIRE TIME, it wasn't so bad. They do a 10 second countdown to each hour starting at 6 p.m. so each hour I'd put on a little more clothing. We were at the front of the barricade at the north side of 51st Street and 7th Avenue. So we couldn't hear any of the entertainment you guys all saw on TV. Luckily this group of 20-something tourist d-bags were right behind us yelling the entire time. What would they yell? Oh stuff like "F*#% Toshiba." (On repeat) Why Toshiba? Because the big TVs in Times Squares are Toshiba TVs. They also liked to shout "I f*&^ing hate America." Why? Oh why not?
Back to the countdown. Midnight came and it was kind of amazing. Everyone counting down together. Blocks and blocks of people who were all out there in the rain and cold for one reason, counting down to a New Year. I've watched it on TV for years - you know how exciting it is with family or friends and pots and pans...well...this was so much better. I'd bet there weren't many New Yorkers in the crowd but the countdown and revelry after was the perfect kind of New York moment that I live for, here. Those moments when everyone's on the same team. When everyone is elated for the exact same reason you are. New York is big. Lots of people with their own schedules and agendas. When you can share a moment with someone/anyone/a crowd of people - wow. So we did it and it was a once in a lifetime experience. And I'll never do it again. (Love you mom.)

Happy New Year :)

p.s. How bout dem Cowboys? ;) Superbowl bound?