Wednesday 2 January 2013

Happy New Year!

Well, I hope you all rang in the New Year happily. We avoided BBC Scotland and BBC Alba until 11:40 PM when we turned them on "for the Bells." BBC Alba had the better music, but BBC Scotland would have the fireworks at Edinburgh Castle, so at midnight we changed the channel and listened to the fireworks in stereo, as they blew up on the television and outside our window. And, like half the adult population of Scotland (at least), we sang "Auld Lang Syne" along with the telly.

Our Single friends were at parties for Single people. I would have felt a bit left out had not a kindly Single invited us for New Year's Day Lunch. So as it was I was happy just to text New Year's greetings to friends home and abroad and to go to bed.

The next day B.A. and I went to Jan 1 Mass--which in the Old Rite celebrates the Feast of the Circumcision--and then to this delicious lunch, which featured the traditional Scottish dish for New Year's Day, the steak pie. B.A. and I were surrounded by handsome bachelors, which was very agreeable for me, although their jokes occasionally engendered my wish that some of them would hurry up and find wives.

More wives, I felt, would heighten the tone--although I suppose that would depend on the wives. As much as I enjoy Noel Coward and Gilbert and Sullivan over Youtube, I requested both Marlene Dietrich singing "Falling in Love Again" and Rita Hayworth singing "Put the Blame on Mame." Although I don't think anyone could have been morally hurt by Marlene in her ridiculous boxer shorts, I felt a bit guilty on behalf of Rita.

"If that dress were in Britain it would get social security payments," said B.A. "It has no visible means of support."

Here is lovely Rita to scare away the eavesdroppers, lest they watch the whole thing and have to go to confession. It's okay for girls.


1 comment:

Nzie said...

haha I love the "no visible means of support" comment - absolutely hilarious!

Happy New Year to you, too!

This year on New Year's Eve we started a new tradition... we all went out to discount stores and bought up to $5 worth of "gifts" that were mostly ridiculous for a Yankee Swap -- it was very much fun and the best bit was when my brother's fiancee realized that my mom only had her gift to get - and she started with, "First, I'd like to apologize.." It was very very fun and funny. :-)

I also started a tradition last year where we watch a classic Russian/Soviet New Year's romantic comedy (though, being Russian, of course, it had a good bit of bittersweetness to it) - I highly recommend it, ladies - it is quirky but funny, although if you have recently broken up it may not be great for you. It is called The Irony of fate (or Enjoy Your Bath). :-) I put it on after we got home from the evening Mass, where, thankfully, the pastor was the celebrant, and thus we avoided any sort of "bad hippie" homilies. :-)

I guess I get off easy as a mid-20s single because half my siblings aren't even adults yet, and my sister has half a dozen kids, and my brother just got engaged - no one pressures me. I'd like to be seeing someone, but I have a lot to be grateful for. This new year I'm going to recommit to fitness and I'm guessing that will help on the dating front. :-)

~Nzie