Happy New Year!

After a two week hiatus, I’m back. The holidays were good and I spent my first Christmas away from my family. It was different, but I actually enjoyed it. I celebrated Jesus’ birthday with a couple friends. We cooked a big meal including prime rib and all the trimmings, drank wine and watched “How the Grinch Stole Christmas.” I changed into my red onesie and went to sleep. The next morning we opened presents, had mimosas and made brunch. It was a simple holiday, one made so much less stressful by not having to travel. I avoided all the planes, trains and automobiles that make getting home for Christmas exhausting. However, I did travel for New Year’s Eve and those few days were both the best and worst of my life.

A large group of friends and I rented a house in Palm Springs to ring in 2006. It was such a fantastic time that we decided to do it again this year. The place had everything we needed to welcome 2007 in style. Pool. Hot tub. Guest House. Fruit trees. Mountain views. What wasn’t provided, we purchased at CostCo: $700 worth of food and booze to sustain our four day odyssey.

Cocktail hour began as everyone trickled in Friday afternoon. Some people were old friends, while others were meeting for the first time. In some cases, faces were finally put to names. We made lasagna, salad and garlic bread for dinner. By the time the plates went into the sink it seemed like we’d been living at the house together for years. The drinking and camaraderie continued long into the night. And to celebrate the wonderful occasion, the last couple awake had sex in the hot tub.

Saturday was the drunkest day for many. Beer flowed early and water sports were the game of choice. There was a rousing tournament of pool volleyball. Burgers and dogs were grilled. The boozing kicked into high gear during the afternoon and evening. Everyone was building up to our annual dinner at Kobe, a Japanese steakhouse. I was pacing myself because I don’t remember much from the previous year’s trip. However, the rest of the group was getting sauced. By the time the cabs dropped us off for our 9:30 reservation, the collective BAC had to be hovering around point 2. Dinner was entertaining to say the least. My girlfriend reenacted a scene from Wedding Crashers. I’ll let you guess which one. We got home around midnight and everyone pretty much called it a day.

New Year’s Eve was set to be the biggest night of all. On top of the liquor, beer and wine, we had 6 bottles of champagne. The food plan was heavy appetizers. We made shrimp, spring rolls, mozzarella sticks, savory tarts, pizza poppers, etc. It was the best combination of shitty food a drunken person could ask for. Competition at the beer pong table was intense. The liquor flowed and midnight seemed to sneak up out of nowhere. We popped the bubbly, counted down and rang in 2007 with a frenzied dance party. I took a half empty bottle of champagne, filled it with red bull & vodka making a giant Absolut Shambles. Coincidentally, that’s the last thing I remember.

January 1, 2007 was one of the worst days of my life. My hangover definitely falls somewhere in my top 3 all-time. The drive back to L.A. from Palm Springs was brutal. We stopped at In & Out burger at the halfway point. The food was amazing, but nothing was going to make me feel better but time. The total drive was only about two hours and I would’ve cried when I made it to my house had there been any water inside me. I choked down some Gatorade and tried not to shake too badly while watching the Rose Bowl. It took two days to fully recover and I still have no desire for alcohol. Regrets: A few. Resolutions: None. Happy Holidays! Here’s to a great 2007.