Happy New Year 2011

I remember when I was young, I figured out how old I would be in the year 2000, yes, I did higher math back then. And sadly, saw that I would be much too old to have fun on that far away celebration. Now I can't remember the fun quotient of that New Years Eve, but I can say that I had a lot of fun on the 2011 NYE.

It's a good thing I am writing this down for posterity, as the memories are short and dim. Javiar and Susan had a house party, Beth and Dave, brother Scott and son Seth, church people, JJ and Carlie. I wish I had pics to jog my memory, forgot my camera, still tired from not sleeping well and our many long trips. I sleep great one night, badly two nights. I either need more walks on the beach or more booze. I like walks better. So annoying, anyway, great food and friends and perhaps football on the screen. We left about 9:30 and I slept great.

On New Years day I wanted to get some breakfast that someone else would cook and clean up after, and as luck would have it, the rec hall wasn't open for breakfast until 11 am. We jumped in the handy green van and headed for the Island Cafe, with great pancakes and breakfast taquitos. They were closed so we tried Frankie's and got right in. Excellent food, blueberry pancakes, really fresh and tasty scrambled eggs, and lots of friendly people. Then I thought we should stop and see what was going on at the Munoz home.

They had the black eyed peas with ham hocks going and were working on the cabbage. It is a southern tradition to have black eyed peas, corn bread and cabbage for good luck in the new year, and a Gaff tradition to have a black eyed pea cook off on New Years Day.

Smelled great. Paul and I had mimosas and tasted the beans. Yummy. Eventually we went to the IGA and bought fried chicken and beer. Watched football and got to the Gaff. Big crowd and at least 18 entries in the cook off. Susan took second place with her pot of beans, it was excellent.

We met some old friends and new friends and had fun, it was sunny and 60s, with 20 mph winds, not bad really. Went back to the house, watched football, Javiar and Carlie fried the sand bass they had caught with Scott and Seth, it was really good. And we finished off the evening with a short glass of Disaronno, and Wii bowling. Very memorable day, we left for breakfast and never went home. Oh, we did run home for the brownies after the Gaff.