MMVI - day one

23:50

I despise homework, even if by doing it it will benefit me down the line. I have an assignment to do tomorrow for my meeting at 11:00 Tuesday morning. So in order to not break my new years resolutions I'll have to buckle down and do it. I should do it early in the day, becasue if I procrastinate I'll not give it the attention it requires.

I also need to tidy up my apartment tomorrow. I think I despise certain housework chores as much as I despise homework. Yet these things need to be done as well.

I could use the excuse that I have a cold & therefore won't do anything. But that attitude won't cut it in 2006.

I need to go to bed soon, so I don't waste the day Monday being tired. What a way to start the new year. G'nite, all.

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17:44

Well, I just got back from my parent's house. It was nice and quiet without V & M there - for the most part. My sister has a little yipping, bolt of energy, pee-machine dog, who is actually very nice when she's quiet.

Very disappointing. The Patriots lost today, 28-26 to the rival Miami Dolphins at home. Although losing is never fun, this game really was unimportant for the Patriots because they are already in the playoffs. Most of the starters and first team players for the Patriots played sparingly, resting for next weekend's playoff game v. Jacksonville. If they had won, they would have been the AFC #3 seed, but now they'll be #4. I'll post more about my take & predictions on the NFL playoffs in the coming week. Hold on to your hats for that one...

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13:30

Greetings from Burlington, Massachusetts! Well, I hope everyone's New Year celebrations have been fun, so far. Mine has been okay. Nothing spectacular, though.

My ex and I had agreed to meet at 11:30, halfway between Nashua (where I live) and North Grafton, Massachusetts - which is where her sister lives and where she brought in the New Year. We met so the kids could spend the bulk of the day with her family.

They always have a family get together at her grandparents house, where the traditional meal is sourbraten & dumplings. This is followed by the ever friendly, semi-hostile men v. women Trivial Pursuit game. I was part of this tradition for 10 years, and is actually the main event that I miss the most about not being married anymore. The meal is always great and the TP game is always exciting. I'll have to find out who won this year.

Sans kids, I'm spending the afternoon here at my parent's house, enjoying their company and partaking of a wonderful steak-tips dinner. Mmmmmmm, steak tips.... and of course we are watching the Patriots game before and after the meal.

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0:02

Staying up until midnight is no big deal for me, I do it every night. V made it long enough but M fell asleep somewhere around 11:15 PM. It was nice to have some company to welcome in the new year.

Some thoughts on Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve, which I've watched faithfully since before I can remember:

Dick Clark needs to retire. Seriously, I've been saying this for years. Ok, so he missed last year's show because of a stroke. He still looks frail and he sounds horrible. More than half of his words were slurred and his countdown to the new year was off at least twice, maybe three times. He's been doing this show for over 30 years and probably should have stayed home this year too.

Mariah Carey looks fat and sounds horrible.

When it's midnight on the east coast, there is still three hours left in the day in California. So why do they have "live" cut ins to people partying out west, like the new year has already arrived, when it really hasn't? Doesn't anyone realize this at ABC? In many other parts of the world it has been 2006 for quite some time.