new year's eve

I woke up this morning with an ice cream headache, that I did not have the pleasure of earning by eating ice cream. I'll admit, it's probably from going over my drink limit last night, but when your limit is 2 drinks, it's fairly easy to do. (I had 4 rum & pineapples.)

Yesterday I had to work, but I got to give Kaitlyn her bday / xmas present. She seemed to enjoy it, and I enjoyed watching her wear it. When I got home, there was a couch nap to be had. This caused us to leave the house a bit later than we wanted to, but luckily we were only going a block. Not coincidentally, we discovered our local karoke bar exactly a year ago, and because we are suckers for tradition, we went there again.

This year there was a $5 cover. Since we didn't know about it, we didn't plan for it. Jay had 5 dollars in his wallet, but I had used my own $5 for lunch. I don't know why we were each allotted only that amount of money, btw. We got to the door, IDs in hand, and Jay sweet talked the bouncer and ended up paying only one cover, getting me in for free.

There can be great people watching at a bar, especially at a celebration. The best were the 2 couples directly across from us. They were having lots of pre-midnight makeout parties, and it was far more entertaining than any "regular" kissing ever could be. I understand that when you're drunk things can get a little sloppy, but this was ridiculous. Rather than confining the kiss to the lips, the guy had grabbed the girl's head and was literally nomnomnomnoming her whole face. I think there was some unintenional eyeball licking as well. But the chick was into it, so good for her. (I tried getting pictures to show you all, but alas and alack, I had not brought my camera and even though my phone cam is awesome, it's one shortcoming is distance pictures - especially in dark bars. I think Jay and I will have to do a re-enactment so you can see the kissing in all it's glory.)

Next to the makeout party was the pass-out party. They had their moments of lucidity, but it quickly devolved into the chick talking on her cellphone using only the words "fucking bitch" - but not in an angry way, in a drunk chick talking to her friends way - and the guy slowly letting his eyelids droop until they were all the way closed. At first he was swaying back and forth to the music, but soon that stopped and he was just out. I didn't really want any of them driving home, but that guy least at all. When it was time for them to go, a fairly large group of people had to help that guy walk out the door, eyes still closed.

In that group were a few other characters: the bartender who may have had a few himself and was dancing behind the bar all night, generally having a good time. He looked a little like my old boss, who in turn looked like Wolf Blitzer, but I wont hold that against him. There was also the odd pairing of the long haired stoner dude from Dazed & Confused and his buddy, the Jersey guido (complete with gold cross on a chain outside his tight black t-shirt) that sang like Sebastian Bach. There was the guy who got up to sing some Bon Jovi* and his buddy who sang backup for him. It's only fair, I mean every Jovi needs a Sambora, but it was a little ridiculous and therefore hilarious.

Jay got up and did his standard ACDC's "Big Balls," but for some reason the music was especially quiet so it didn't get the reaction it deserved. I think the KJ didn't want to get in trouble with that song because she had been reluctant to play it in the first place. So even though mine may have been louder, I didn't bother doing my Stray Cat Strut. The audience (what was left of it) was pretty much doing their own thing anyways, so not long after that we went home to begin the new year.





* I learned in NYC that no karaoke night is complete without a little Bon Jovi, but there it was always "Livin on a Prayer". Last night Jovi and Sambora sang "Wanted Dead or Alive" (and if you know the song you can imagine the backup vocals very easily).

Also no karaoke night is complete without "Piano Man" by Billy Joel to close out the night in a big group sway, and as soon as I made a comment about it, it happened. It was a good way to prove my point.