New Years Eve (In Technicolor Yawn!)

The night started at Carabbas Italian Grill simply because Kevin wanted it and I wanted to use my gift cards which were good at several locations including Carabbas. But of course, showing up around 720PM on NYE meant a 45 minute wait. So Kev and I went to the bar with the buzzer for a table in hand and ordered a drink. I'm not a skilled bar vulture but Kev has it down PAT. He kept his eyes darting about, all the while maintaining the conversation, and as soon as a group started to get up from a table, he struck! I didn't realize the tables around the bar were all first come, first served... I thought tables were tables and sitting AT the bar was sitting at the bar. I have a lot to learn, obviously.

We sat, we ordered, we had decent service. The food was adequate. It ceratinly wasn't worth the promotion Kev was doing for the place but it WAS food and we needed food, what, with our planned SERIOUS DRINKING!! We ate, we drank a couple of beers and talked. We bullshitted about quite a bit and finally realized it was time to head to Bourbon Street.

I know friends of mine were going all OVER the place for fun and excitement. I have done the Landing thing before. I've been down the RiverWalk. I've gone out to the beaches area. I've done the stay at home and go to a person's party thing, too. Bonfire? Check. Bourbon Street was the first place I wanted to do AGAIN. It fits well with a group since there is a variety to choose from and yet, you won't lose the others. Different music and decent bars. But the key to it all.. the PEOPLE. I LOVE to people watch. I find it fascinating. I also enjoy socializing, believe it or not. I like talking to people when I get into that party mood. And I will talk to just about anyone. Some people look at me funny for striking up a conversation with them (or trying to, anyway) and others enjoy it just as much as I. I'm good either way.

So we of course ended up in Crazyhorse. See, Kev is a late in life country convert. I grew up with country so I can apprecaite it and don't hate it. I like a lot of different types of music and am comfy in any of the bars and would continue to tour them throughout the night. Kev likes him a country bar!! And just like a late in life christian convert, he gets REALLY excited about it. You can see him relax when he enters it compared to the other places. The only one to come close is the 80's bar. Anywho, we find a spot on the rail around the dance floor after getting a couple of beers and we relax to let our dinner settle. Wasn't hard to find a spot since the crowd had only recently started coming in. Hell, Mardi Gras wasn't even open yet! (We also had a kickass parking space, btw.) We get drinks, we talk to the one roaming waitress, we look around at all the lovely ladies and even the not so lovely ones. We watch the line dancing and comment. We watch the two steppers and comment. I check my messages several times to learn who is and isn't coming and when/why.

Then Kevin starts to look a bit... off. Seems dinner ain't sitting too well. He goes off to the restroom and returns, no better. We try a few remedies that usually work to no avail. He gets a water.

Yes, that's right.

Kevin is drinking WATER in a BAR while WILLIAM is drinking beer after beer.

Quick, someone tell me the temperature in hell.

Anywho, he obviously ain't getting better and it's only about 11pm. He is trying to tough it out. I get the call that Jessica is in line and almost to the door so I go to meet up with her since she had never been to Bourbon and it was easier than trying to explain how to find us. Kevin says he'll be fine, even suggested I go get her, so I didn't think anything of it.

While I stand out there waiting, I get a call from an unknown number (shut up, I deleted it months ago and you knew that!!) and it's a voice telling me to turn around. So I do. And the voice says no, keep turning. So I do. No, back the other way. I do and see no one. Finally it tells me "THE BLUE ROOM!" so I head into that and see a shape that looks familiar. Apparently, she didn't realize how DARK it was in there... especially when out in the bright lights of the main hallway. Anywho, Johanna said hey and told me she was ALSO waiting on the rest of her group...a bunch of young uns (one under 21) and we parted so I could get out to the main hall. Jessica said she was to the door so it wouldn't be long. Johanna came out to meet up with her friends and again, we parted ways. I took Jessica back to show her where Kev was.

Kev still looked like crap but after getting a beer for Jess, we talked a bit. I offered to give her the tour and, again, we left Kevin to his own devices. I figured this way he could do whatever he needed to do without worrying about US. When we got back, though, he was clearly in dire straits and ready to leave. He tried to stick out and he's a trooper but even I know that once there is a vomit episode, the night is over. He went ome, safely, and toughed out the rest of the night. I hope he's feeling better and we are supposed to get together for a belated NYE celebration!! So if you're out and about and hear two guys hsouting out "HAPPY NEW YEAR" within the next couple of weeks, please ignore us. Better yet, JOIN IN!!

So it's just me and Jessica hanging out. Well, sort of. See, I had made some new friends. I was having a blast talking to this one woman, Jennifer, and a lesser blast talking with her friends, Julie and Robbie. They were line dancing FOOLS. Even did some decent two steppin!! Sadly, when it comes to organized dancing, I am an amateur but I am willing to learn. Just need a partner willing to show me or learn WITH me. ell, Jessica even went out to do the Electric Slide. I haven;t done that since the first and only time I did it. Remind me someday to tell you THAT tale. I enjoy watching dancing and I enjoy music and I enjoy moving to the music, especially with a partner. But enough about that.

Jess and I decided to check out the other bars again to see what had changed. This was after the midnight balloon drop and everything so some people had left. We went and hung out in the blue room with Jo and her friends. Decent folk: a midget, a young woman in a delusional marriage and another friend with glowing fingernails. Some decent conversation was shared and we even moved over to the 80's room in time for Thriller!! :) Amazingly, the YOUNG ones knew the dance better than those of us who remember when the video premiered on MTV. WTF?!?!? But, alas, Jo had to leave with her friends. Apparently it was passed their bedtime.

Jess and I continued to move about and enjoying the sights. We went back to the country bar so I could talk some more with Jennifer. I tried to get her or her short friend, Julie, to ride the bull but they refused. This did not sit well with me so I asked Robbie to go ride it... even offered to pay. He agreed and I even threw in an extra five ucks to get him a picture of it. After getting so completely wasted that I was amazing myself with the fact that I was coherent and able to move rather well... that's a first. Usually it's the body that goes first for me and my mind is left wondering why I can't walk without swaying. Anywho, I give them the picture and wlak off to go find Jessica again. She had walked off to pay her tab, I think.

We decided to leave when they started kicking everyone out and I realized on the way that I had completely fucked up. I never got Jennifer's phone number!! DAMMIT!! Why do I DO that? So now Jessica has witnessed me missing that one final part at elast twice. Probably more. Still not good at "closing the deal" or whatever they call it.

Damn.

Damn damn.

What makes it worse... on the way to the car... she parked about a half mile away... we PASSED Jennifer and her friends in their car and she said thanks for the bullride. So what do I do? "You're welcome" and turn back to walking to the car. THEN I turn to Jess to point out I was stupid again.

But all in all, I had fun. Would've been better with Kevin along for the ride. Would've been better with a phone number at the end of the evening. Hell, would've been better if a lot of things happened.

But I didn't get sick.

I didn't get in trouble.

I didn't get hurt.

Nor did any of my friends.

I am safe and sound and at home as we 'speak' and will be going to bed shortly to finish my recovery.

We should do this more often.

Who wants to meet up for a drink?