But WAIT!

The best is yet to come! (At least, that's my story and I'm sticking to it.) Well, well, ladies & gennulmen, as I write, the official year is 2008. TWO THOUSAND EIGHT! I remember thinking it was so cool to write "1950" on my school papers. And I thought it was really exciting, the whole Y2K thing. (Yes, I know, the new millennium really started in 2001. I like my way better.)

I'm optimistic and have high hopes for some improvements in the new year (hello, Billfold? If you're waiting to come home "after the holidays" that would officially be NOW, in case you're watching.)

We went down to the Museum New Year's Eve, where we volunteered to help out; the Museum hosts a party-hat-making activity as part of the whole downtown family-friendly festivities for New Year's. It was a smashing success, we had lots of folks come through and there were high-schoolers,college kids,and families with little kids. The exhibit floors were open too, and (I cannot tell a lie) I spent a chunk of time showing off the Fur Post to visitors.

After we cleaned up, at 10:00 pm, we went over to the other side of the (beautifully illuminated) Capitol where we joined groups of people, families with toddlers and babies and fellow Madisonians, and at about 10:15 pm enjoyed a very respectable exhibit of fireworks to end the evening. We came home to a somewhat abbreviated New Year's tradition: ordinarily, we make a few tasty tidbits that are not typical fare, like rumaki and pigs-in-blankets, otherwise known as "teeny-weinies in crescent rolls"; smoked oysters, maybe crab-and-cheese puffs. Ever notice, fancy yummies seem to be hyphenated?

But this year we just reheated some leftover BBQ ribs and made our New Year's Eve Drink: 7-Up with grenadine and maraschino cherries. (In my case, NINE maraschino cherries.) At midnight, we toasted the New Year and Mr Dearling went to bed. (I stayed up a while watching TV, as is my wont.) NOTE: these are glasses with the Winged Devil on them, actually special beer glasses for drinking Maudite, a fine Canadian beer with a fantastic Flying Canoe full of voyageurs on the label. We had a bottle once. We liked it. Pretty much.

That was New Year's Eve at the Wigwam of me and Mr Dearling. Pretty much like all other years except not so much good food. NOTE: that's how I've always celebrated, starting when the children were small. Shirly Temples all around, fancy nosh, stayin' home. I don't fear the serious drunks on the road. I fear the amateurs, who don't drink a drop until New Year's and then drink themselves into stupors. 'NOTHER NOTE: I will say, Madison provides free rides in several different ways AND I think all the bars provide free sodas and munchies for Designated Drivers. I haven't heard any ghastly tales of grim accidents and drunk driving, so I'm guessing it may have been successful.

I spent New Year's Day in a semi-vegitative state, sprawling on the couch drinking tea and watching "Law and Order" marathons. All day. Did not knit ONE STITCH, did not READ ONE WORD (other than the text on the tee-vee). DID play with, snuggle, pet, feed, pet and snuggle cats. Total waste of a day, and at my age, that's practically actionable....the number of days I have left on This Earth is finite. (No, I'm not going all maudlin and grim, but that IS true!)

Today, being the Second Day of the First Month of Anno Domini 2008 - I am Going Out, to Barnes & Noble (hold on nellie she's comin' in) to sit and knit with my friend Donna. I am packing up my Rolling Nifty Yarnie Thingie as we speak -- and when I return home, I will complete this post, including some form of Resolutions ( insert raucous laughter here) and a Major Rant regarding cigarette taxes. Watch this space.