A very happy new year

New Year's Eve was lovely. Our menu didn't turn out quite as we'd planned it -- there was a fire on the grill, and my homemade ice cream was icy and soupy because I'd forgotten to put the barrels in the freezer until that morning -- but no one seemed to care, least of all the Smelmooo and me. It was great to see friends we hadn't seen in too long, and just to have an easy, relatively mellow night.

We half-watched the Raiders-Giants game as we caught up, and we did karaoke at halftime. I take back that "worst-best gift" thing: I had the best time with the karaoke. The Smelmooo kicked it off with a rousing performance of We're Not Gonna Take It, and Leslie and Jamie rocked Summer Nights from the Grease CD. I was so impressed with Barbara's rendition of Baby's Got Back that I was reluctant to take the mike for Bust a Move. Matt, who I already knew can sing because I'm a groupie, sang Everybody's Workin' for the Weekend, and Chris chimed in enough to get points for participation. Seth just refused to participate, although his commentary and the fact that he was drinking his cranberry-and-vodkas out of my giant plastic turquoise cup made it all okay.

I was a little sad seeing Dick Clark so worn, but I was glad he was back. I was not happy to see so much of Mariah and Hillary Duff, for whom I have inexplicable hatred, especially with the new teeth and the weight loss and what not.

But despite dumb annoying Hillary -- and the fact that we missed Jack and Gina, who joined us to ring in 2005 -- it was a great night, and I'm a little sad that there won't be a repeat next year. Matt and Chris will be in Australia, Barbara and Jamie will be in Europe, probably, and Seth and Leslie will be hosting in their fancy new remodeled house that I can't wait to see next week. But Seth promised us the guest room (haha! No take-backs, no matter how many drinks you had!) for next year, and we'll bring the karaoke, and all will be well in the world.

Happy new year, everyone!