New Year's Eve, Eve...

What started off as a quaint dinner at Quinn's toasting French cabs + Vodka over fluffy pillows of gnocchi laden w/fontina fondue & shredded oxtail while reminiscing about the year that was 2010, ended up with Laura & I traversing downtown toward the NiteLite on 2nd & Lenora.

(Sidenote: We made a brief cameo at the Wild Rose to give hugs to Michelle wherein I got the chance to meet the lovely Jay Hines who was just as wonderful as I had heard.)


Operative word: Seedy.

Miller and co. reserved the karaoke room for our Annual New Year's Eve, Eve gathering. My inhibitions were somewhat lowered due to the heavy hand of their 68 year-old lady bartender who charged $4 for 12 oz. pours of Stoli with a 'splash' of soda. Is this the 50's?! 'Cause I LOVE these prices. Somewhere between the commotion of Smita commandeering the white binder with American music's songlist from the past 40 years & singing back-to-back classics, I gathered up the courage to sign in. "Queue Madonna, Karaoke DJ! I would like to dedicate this dulcet rendition of "Like a Virgin" to my love, Nurse Laura Hug."

Cut to my current hangover. And a very limited ability to carry on intelligent conversation with 10-time Olympic champion Gary Hall, Jr. about tonight's plans. My Engrish, took the day off.

I suppose the moral of this story is that alcohol doesn't care whether you celebrate New Year's the day before, or the day after; while you seek to avoid amateurs who use this occasion to shed the year's shortcomings/achievements by swilling themselves into oblivion. Just remember to be safe, hail a cab and avoid that $10,000 DUI that accompanies the guaranteed headache waiting for you the next morning. As such, that might be one headache that will never go away.

Happy New Year everyone! And may 2011 bring you riches, love and delicious eats.