New Year’s Eve – what are you doing?
And me? Glad you asked.
This year I’m visiting relatives and there’s actually a party tonight.
Staying up till midnight is ordinarily no problem for me, since I’m a night owl and always have been. Actually, even when young, I had somewhat of an aversion to New Year’s Eve. To the idea of a night when you were supposed to have fun or else. A reminder of the speedy passage of time. With alcohol drinking. And the obligatory midnight kiss, which wasn’t a fun moment if you didn’t like your date.
Once or twice I went to Times Square to see the ball go down in person and not just on TV. Curiously, those were some of my better New Year’s Eves. Maybe it was the people I was with those nights. We ate at Tad’s Steaks, just for laughs, but Tad’s wasn’t bad at all.
And six years ago the very last Tad’s in New York City closed down. I had no idea any of them had lasted that long.
So let’s drink to Tad’s:
The cafeteria-style chophouse is known for hawking inexpensive meat-and-potato dinners on red trays — meals that cost little more than $1 each when the first one opened in 1957. A steak lunch today can be had for as little as $9.
At its height, Tad’s had eight New York locations out of 28 nationwide. But come Jan. 5, 2020, the red neon sign in the window advertising “broiled” steaks at 761 Seventh Ave. will go dark — as will the vast grill that played host to smoky “steak shows,” where dozens of cuts could be grilled at once during the thick of lunch hour.
Happy New Year, everyone! I’m very grateful for all of you. Here’s to a wonderful 2026, full of love, joy, and good health!
[NOTE: Much of this appeared in previous posts.]
Blessed 2026 to you too Boss… and to the rest of the gatherers here. Blessed richly… all of you.
So far so good on this side of the world.
Sleeping
Certainly not going anywhere tonight, i am a very early O Dark Thirty riser so staying up is hard.
Hope Neo and everyone has a great New Year Eve
Not going anywhere, not staying up, saying goodbye to our younger daughter, who leaves tomorrow, and saying Happy Birthday to my husband, whose birthday is tomorrow.
Blessings for the new year to all here!
Rarely do I ever stay up for midnight. But, whether if I stay up or not – may Neo and all of her guests have a Happy, and Healthy, New Year!
I have a large group of friends who love live music and dancing. There are several local spots that feature a New Year’s Eve party with band, though they tend to be more expensive tickets.
This year the group has split into two locations for two different bands. One of the newer bands is the best, I think, but has gotten more exposure and more expensive. I’m going with plan B tonight, as one of our members died recently who was crazy for band A. Her sister, & a good friend of mine, just doesn’t want the reminders of partying with her departed family member that would come with band A.
Generally, these things run till 12:30 at least, and then they serve a little breakfast.
Have a wonderful New Year, good people
(very much including esteemed landlord neo!).
M J R
I’ll be up. I don’t sleep much unfortunately. Happy New Year to all!
TommyJay:
Sounds like fun.
Most likely I will sit on the couch and watch TV and cruise the web and exchange a text msg or two with family/ friends.
Maybe do some writing.
Wife and I will watch Forrest Gump. Not a New Years Eve movie but does have one tense scene on New Years Eve. 45 yrs ago we’d be up partying till the wee hours but both will be asleep well before 2026 arrives.
Happy New Years to you all!
Our nextdoor neighbors have friends and family in from out of town, and we in the neighborhood join them for hours of guitar music and crowd singing, 3-part harmony, with a big potluck dinner anchored by gumbo provided by the hosts.
Early dinner out, then pick up number 2 daughter flying in tonight, then bed. As long as the neighbors don’t scare our dogs with fireworks.
HNY to all here.
A happy, blessed and prosperous 2026 to neo and all the neophiles!
Happy New Year, Neo & Neophiles. From 2026 in Slovakia, where Independence Day is celebrated…
1 Jan.
After the Czech & Slovak Velvet Divorce.
I’m visiting my 2 & 8/9s grandkids from doctor son & his doctor wife. She’s due for her third Cesarean delivery around 15.01.2026 and my wife are partly here to help take care of kids during the final weeks & delivery.
Now 02:31 so I’m off to bed.
Fireworks have been made illegal Except for 4 hours or so now. We had a few and saw many small nice displays in the freezing, 20* temp, -5 C.
Hope for all to have a great night & a great year.
Staying in…. Rural living means long drives to commercial establishments, and thus exposing yourself to the bad drivers. NYE is seen as “amateur night”, once a year partyers. Plus, it’s starting to rain, trying to anyway. The over-under on us being awake at midnight has been scratched…
Back in the olden days, working nights on NYE meant sheltering under the freeway overpass at midnight to avoid the return of things launched upward. 🙂
I hope all you younguns have a good time tonight and safe passage to and from.
Happy New Year to all, especially our hostess.
Happy New Years to all y’all!
The chorus is loud and not long: HAPPY NEW YEAR !
Not here, but in Iran, a popular revolt is ongoing.
Four days of protests by an angry and frustrated people — the longest such protest to ever be allowed to spread and continue since 1979.
Where is the government as “Death to [Ali] Khomeini!” cries are heard, as well as insurrectionary “Long Live the King!” Reza Palavi?
One theory is that with Netanyahu’s recent White House visit, Trump’s backing of Israel, and the same’s threat of a soon to come attack, the government is being restrained.
But another theory, from the host of tousi.tv, is more likely. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7jKCxxrv4A
Tousi says Ali Khomeini, the current theocratic leader, has not been seen in public in two weeks. He was scheduled to undergo a procedure at a private hospital.
Tousi reasons that absent an active and potentially deceased leader, the feared Iranian Revolutionary Guard is uncoordinated and irresolute.
Thus, the only deaths seen so far are two, today. And it came in a city away from the capital, Tehran, where a government office was being overrun, and the armed guards apparently shot in self-defense.
Hold my New Years champagne celebration. Perhaps a revolution against the theocratic Islamic regime will succeed at last? Tomorrow or Friday may tell.
Fox News coverage here https://www.foxnews.com/world/iran-shutdown-protests-intensify-amid-leadership-shake-up-deepening-crisis
I’ve watched a couple bowl games and now I am getting sleepy with 1.5 hours to go. I know if I go to lie down, I’ll be asleep in about two minutes.
So, I am checking the favorite sites, then to bed. I am planning to go to the sailing club tomorrow for black eyed peas and cornbread. And watch to see how many people will go out for a sail. The high will be 61 with light winds, so it won’t be too bad.
To everyone – have a Happy and Healthy New Year.
Happy New Year, blog!
I watched the anchor drop on the Sault Ste Marie webcam. It was a rather pretty anchor, with cute sparkly lights.
Well, obviously I am spending part of New Year’s Eve here (still have 1:30 min to go in the Mountain West).
Can’t think of any better on-line company, and we are “too old” to enjoy being out.
My vicarious partying is a live-stream from The Lindy Hop conference in Asheville.
One of our sons has gone the last few years. He started social “ballroom” dancing in college and has kept it up, but particularly likes the Big Band, Swing, and Lindy genres.
I’ve watched a couple of times this week (dancing past midnight every night for a week = these folks are young!).
Haven’t spotted him yet tonight, but “the ball dropped” there about half an hour ago.
The music makes a good background to my blog reading, where I am just catching up on the news after the rush of Christmas.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hweyiEjwlI
All the livestreams can be replayed later.
Happy New Year to all who celebrate. 😉
The midnight fireworks are going off here — it’s officially 2026 in our slice of the time zones.
Been up a hour already, coffee in hand
Happy New Year all
TJ,
The protesters won, now the hard part governing.