Flashback Friday

I still have about five or six Christmas posts to come, but tonight I was reminded of something that I wanted to record in our scrapbook.

When Brent and I were dating, we usually had big plans on New Year's Eve. We went downtown for the first ever Peach drop at Underground with special friends. Several years we ate a really nice dinner out, or hung out with friends waiting for the New Year. When we got married and moved to Tuscaloosa, we discovered that there weren't that many options in town for ringing in the New Year. When 1996 turned into 1997, some friends in T-town had a small party we were invited to. I can't remember how we welcomed 1998, but I'm pretty sure it was a futile effort to stay awake on our couch at home. Adding insult to injury was that since we were in the central time zone, we had to watch the Ball in New York drop at 11:00 pm, instead of midnight. They didn't even replay the event at our midnight, so there wasn't anything exciting to watch on tv to keep us awake. A far cry from a few years earlier.

So as 1998 turned into 1999, I decided to take matters into my own hands. We still didn't really have anywhere to go, but I was undeterred. Another year was not going to go out so unnoticed. Brent was heading up a big project at the tire plant and so he had worked all day on New Year's Eve. He came home exhausted and just wanting to relax. I had figured that's how he'd feel, so I was prepared. I had planned some sort of special dinner for the two of us that escapes my memory now. I also can't remember how I got him to build a fire, but we had one and I'm pretty sure I didn't build it.

While he showered, I scurried around and moved a small round table in front of the fireplace. I set it with our fine china, crystal, sterling, candlesticks, and linens. I put on some music, and a velvet dress from a college formal. I knew how tired he was, and had not even planned on asking him to dress up for dinner. He had been in the habit of getting out of the shower after work, and putting on lounging pants and a t-shirt for the evening. When Brent came out of the shower, he walked through the living room and noticed the set up. He didn't say a word about any of it, but disappeared back down the hall. I called him to come eat, and then started bringing our plates out of the kitchen. I was so proud of my little plan for our quiet celebration, and was excited to see his reaction.

Imagine my surprise to walk out of the kitchen and find him seated at the table, in his lounging pants, t-shirt, and a tie! He was trying very hard not to laugh, and I exploded with giggles.

Tonight we are enjoying a late steak dinner, just the two of us. We're back in the living room, eating on our little trays. No one is dressed up, there are no candles, and no soft music is playing. We're watching the Chick-fil-A bowl with half of the Christmas decorations down, and toys in the floor. Lots has changed since 1998. But I'm still ringing it in with my very favorite yahoo. Happy 2011 everyone!