ENYFTW

Last night I was chatting to a friend about New Years. Slowly, the people considering Rhythm and Vines are coming out of the woodwork and he was saying he remembered I was fun to party with. I said I was, but usually, me + New Years = fail.

When I thought about it, I could recall all but one of my New Years for the last 10 years, and the one I can't remember I can certainly make an educated guess as to what I was up to. It breaks down like this

1999/2000 - the Millennium New Years. I was sober and in Mt Maunganui with my friends. I had a wicked night and I remember 90% of it, which I'm proud of. At the last minute me and some friends jumped in a car and drove over. We hung out at a mate's batch then went down to Marine Parade for the night. At 2am or so we got back to the car but the battery had died and we'd also lost two of the guys. One turned up as we were getting a jump start and we left the other one in the Mount (he did eventually turned up a day later having hooked up with some random chick for the night). We went back to Rotorua, snuck into our mate's place and broke her out (her parents had made her stay home) and went and watched the 'sunrise' (it was overcast so there really wasn't much of one). It was a great New Years, and probably the closest to 'epic' I've ever had.

2000/2001 - This summer was a pretty flaccid one. I came home from Wellington and really did pretty much nothing. I ended up spending this New Years drinking Export Gold, Coruba and going into town to the Rotorua Mardi Gras with Charis. It didn't suck, but if I hadn't seen one of the photos while I was in Rotorua last month I wouldn't have remembered I'd done it either.

2001/2002 - Worked until 10.30pm, but started drinking at 9 in the office while helping my manager *coughHollycough* close. Was dressed and made up before the last film finished. Didn't even bother cleaning up the projection room as I was expected back the next morning. Went straight into town with my cousin to the Fat Ladies Arms. Was trolleyed on shakers within an hour, and in bed by 12.30am.

2002/2003 - Jo and I, sitting at Coolidge St, watching Fellowship of the Ring on DVD. Highlight of the night: my flatmate coming home with someone twice his age for a quick romp before stumbling back out into the night.

2003/2004 - Sitting at home with a drink, playing online games against my mum.

2004/2005 - This is the one I don't remember but an educated guess says I worked, then went home, had a few drinks and then called Jo-Anne to say Happy New Year.

2005/2006 - Got dragged to a New Year party with some workmates from Woolies. Much drinking, little action.

2006/2007 - Sitting at home in Whangarei with my parents, sipping Baileys and watching Kinky Boots.

2007/2008 - The infamous NY at Bernie's. Getting your party bottled is a foolproof way to ruin a pretty good night.

2008/2009 - Worked security at the motor camp in Mahia. We had a celebration a couple of days later but it was a bit of a fizzer too. My first ever New Years under the Mahia Streetlamp.

What this all comes down to is in 10 years - every year in which I've been free to do whatever I want, I've never actually had a truly epic New Years.

So I've made a pact, it's an epic New Years for the win this summer. It'll be a bit difficult to go wrong really, given I've got a ticket and place to stay sorted for Rhythm and Vines, even if other things fall apart, New Years is pretty much nailed, and it's going to be a good one.