2005

Fireworks by GIMP 2.0Every new year's eve I try to avoid watching the ball drop over Time Square, and every new year's eve, I fail. This year we went to the First Night celebration in Alexandria to check out the local talent. Bands, magicians, folk singers, storytellers, face painters, Zydeco music, dancers, and a sprinkle of free-masonry (the fireworks finale would be held at the Masonic temple). We started off checking out singer/songster Pat Wictor at Union Station, then went to see a Zydeco band and a puppet show at the Masonic temple. Next, we wandered around town to catch some other acts, but we had to give up on the flamenco dancers and Irish jigsters because we couldn't get in the door with the huge crowd already there. Somewhere between venues Sagada falls asleep and cuts short our plans to watch the fireworks at midnight. We head back to the car and drive to a friend's house to spend the rest of 2004. As midnight rolls around, the tv inevitably goes on and the ball above Time Square again has me under its spell. Oh well, maybe next year. As the room breaks into spontaneous reditions of Aude Lang Syne (no one there knew the words, including me.), I think back to all the good and bad stuff that happened last year: making new friends and getting back in touch with old ones, finding long lost relatives just a few miles down the road, awesome bike rides, doing well at my first 12hr and 24hr races (thanks to my teammates!), teaching my kid how to read and solve math problems, and those pesky bees that sent me to the emergency room. All in all it was a good year for me, and with all the stuff going wrong in the world, I'm really thankful for that. Here's to peace in 2005.