Maybe it’s not my weekend… (New Years post)

That’s right; I’m hopping in on the trend. I’m blogging about the New Year. Anyhow, it’s 2013! The world didn’t explode or implode or burn up or whatever it was supposed to do in 2012 and now we’re all still here. So naturally we all went out and celebrated our non-extinction on December 31^st. My mom & step dad’s side of the family has this tradition every year called the Yulee Ball. They put on a party in their small little town of Yulee, Florida and they make their own ball to do a midnight ball drop. There is lots of food and alcohol and music and all the things you expect from a New Year’s Eve party. I missed it back in 2010, instead opting for a solo excursion in Orlando, but more on that later. This year, the Yulee Ball got cancelled. This left me in a bind, as it happened sort of last minute and I had already invited someone out to join me. The beginning of the night involved a lot of driving around and looking for something fun to do at the last minute without spending a ton of money. We took a stroll through Downtown Fernandina, followed by a walk on the beach watching people light off fireworks earlier in the night. Then we opted to drive back into Jacksonville, where we caught the monorail to the Jacksonville Landing and put ourselves in with a massive crowd.

The crowd at the Jacksonville Landing NYE .

We caught dinner, which held us on the balcony level long enough to catch the 4^th quarter of the Cotton Bowl, and to watch the Fireworks at midnight. Afterwards we joined the club scene at Maverick’s (a popular night club inside the Jacksonville Landing) and I was able to showcase my complete lack of dancing ability. Me trying to find rhythm on a dance floor is like Ray Charles with a Where’s Waldo book. We still spent over an hour and a half on the dance floor despite that painful fact, which is all the more impressive considering I didn’t drink a drop all night. We did spend a small amount of time in the VIP area upstairs, which I was surprised to see had stripper poles and curtained off areas with lounge chairs and sofas. I had been to this place a couple of times before and never knew the area existed. After last call, everyone left and the music stopped. We exited back out into the courtyard to head home and I got to witness this:

I think my favorite part is the guy who dances into frame at the 0:58 mark with a ton of enthusiasm, high fives another guy, and skips back out of the video. The large train of people toward the end is pretty entertaining too though. Drunk people on New Year’s day are just so fun and sociable.

I mentioned earlier that I spent my 2010 New Year in Orlando, and as some of you may know, I had a blog in the past prior to this one. This is my blog post from 2010:

New Years Eve was outstanding. Warm weather, bikini tops, palm trees, music playing everywhere you walk. Universal on New Year’s Eve day is reminiscent of a stereotypical spring break in an American Pie style movie. Mellow attitude today, I forgo the roller coasters and decide to catch some of the live shows that have never interested me enough to wait in line for. The long wait in line seems shortened by the spontaneous conversation I’m having with complete strangers about temporary stairs and bent back paper clips. Off for lunch with the new acquaintances. Margaritaville is the perfect fit for the aforementioned mellowness. Cheeseburger in paradise and hurricane made by a very friendly bartender named Jerry. In this fabricated environment it's hard to remember that I’m not REALLY at a beach right now. Hotel. Quick nap. Shower. Now I’m ready for the nighttime portion of this show. Roller coasters are more fun at nighttime. Live music inside of Universal Studios is being played. Didn't catch the name of the band, cover songs are all that is played. Inside the exclusive New Years Eve party I’m greeted with beads and champagne. The strip outside the clubs here is much like Mardi Gras, women trying to earn beads anyway that they can included. Time to eat again and we're informed that Emeril Lagasse himself is responsible for a few of the entrees. One bite and BAM! I understand the hype. Live music in each individual bar, and I can't seem to tear myself away from the Piano bar at Pat O'Briens'. Several of the bars and clubs have their own charm, but it's the Red Coconut where I meet Amanda. Black dress and minimal make-up, Amanda is cute in a Leighton Meester meets Rachel Bilson kinda way. I can't dance, but I ask anyway, liquid courage. Luckily for me, the next song played is a slow one, this I can do. Song ends, older lady approaches. This is Amanda's mom, nice to meet you Carol, and your date. Carol is a lush, Amanda is embarrassed. Witty banter with Carol's date about my intentions with Amanda is made a lot funnier after discovering that he is in fact not Carol's date, but a random guy she met that has no clue that Carol is married. Amanda's embarrassment seems more warranted. Ten minutes until midnight, I’m asked not to move. Amanda escapes momentarily and returns with two glasses of champagne. "For the midnight toast". Midnight strikes, confetti fills the sky, everyone clinks glasses and the couples begin to kiss. I go for it. Midnight kiss: check. 2009 is in the books, box it up and file it under "history".

The first thing that grabs my attention about that post is the writing style. I’m still not sure if I love or hate it. What really grabs my attention is the difference in my life then and my life now. I used to be more carefree, less concerned with tomorrow and more concerned with now. I miss that. I find it interesting that I up and drove to Orlando to spend New Year alone, and I remember the whole trip being so great. 2012 Christopher stressed a lot more, all year. He also wasn’t looking to spend New Year’s Eve alone, but he also wasn’t running away from anything. All of these are stories for another time. The point I am making is that it’s a new year. 2012 saw a lot of traditions broken and I’m determined that in 2013 I’m going to start new traditions.

Edit: if you're wondering why the post is titled "Maybe it's not my weekend..." when the post suggests I had a pretty decent weekend really, you should know that my favorite football teams both ended the season in crappy fashion. Also, I didn't drink a drop on New Year's Eve, and there was no midnight kiss for me this year. But most importantly, the post title is a lyric from an All Time Low song called Weightless. "Maybe it's not my weekend, but it's gonna be my year."