new years eve (264/365b)

spent all day getting ready for party! well, not really ... mostly we just hung around and did whatever. we made lots of party food and such, but all in a social no-pressure kind of way.

we tried to use the movie the thief of baghdad as background music, and it was very distracting, everyone wanted to see it, and felix complained "i just HATE this movie!"

matt and i had nerdy teenage alter-egos for each other when we wore glasses.... our names... what were our names? was i gertrude? doreen? maureen? mildred? was he alfred? albert? dilbert? why can't i remember? ... yay, matt reminded me! *giggle, giggle, snort*... Arlo and Mavis.

we played music when we got the urge. rick made unbelievably good paella. i concocted mushroom goulasch, and right after dinner drew left sadly and abruptly. right before midnight another family left too. everyone else stayed for the traditional singing of auld lang syne, and also stayed to watch labeeby's friend rachel and i do a soprano/piano improv on dr.seuss' one fish two fish red fish bluefish.

appropriately enough for midnight on the cusp of a year, it ends:
"today is gone, today was fun, tomorrow is another one. every day from here to there, funny things are everywhere."... i was so impressed she managed to get through the part of the "wump of gump" without breaking down, since the audience was crying.

labeeby and matt playing a very fiery ravel duo

brian organized the whole burning bacardi 151 with sugar and wine.

feuerzangenboule to the sounds of
i've been workin on the railroad

theodore and rick and papa
also the delicious deserts that matt and nina brought.

new years resolutions in thailand

rainer and puk wore the new years resolution hat across facetime. we wrote them all up

James (Matt's son): Next year, don't eat dirt, don't eat the earth
Henry: My new years resolution is to not fight all year
Theodore: Practice at least once a week.
Brian: To go deep
Rasika: To call my parents more
Labeeby: I will speak softly and carry a big stick
Rasika's cousin Umkar: Try to change my job
Rasika's sister: Take more risks in my academic major
Edward: to get my mile time under 5:30
Papa: Resolve to learn enough italian to survive a week in Italy without speaking English.
Peter: To go to England once
Puk (over skype): To sell a script
Nina: To spend more time with *this* family
Rachel: to participate in a full opera production this year
Matt: Play more violin and viola this year
Rick: to be a little less evil
Irma: do all the things that make me happy for at least 5 minutes a day
Rainer (over skype): Learn to write Thai
Jules: to visit one new country this year
Hugh (on facetime): to get enough sleep and eat really tasty food.