Things we did on New Year's Eve

Well, New Year's Eve is past and now is the time to inquire about how everyone spent this momentous moment.

Here're some experiences from the world over :

1. We invited some young neighbors with children for a sleepover. We watched '101 Dalmations', sang 'Cruella Deville' in chorus, had hot chocolate (for the kids) and champagne (for the adults), aside from plenty of snacks, and then, with Mozart in the background, we just sat on the sitting room carpet and talked. It was a wonderfully warm atmosphere and it's amazing the things you learn from three to seven year olds, not to mention their parents, on New Year's Eve.
- Elderly, Childless Couple

2. I stayed home and reread 'A Christmas Carol', the same book incidentally that I read alone on Christmas Day. And, unless you guys want to feel sorry for me every single day of the year, don't start right now. I don't like people feeling sorry for me unless they're willing to be doing something about it - like inviting me over and listening to the story of my sorry life and all those who made it that way - and none of you folks are that charitable for all the noise you make about being so, are you? And that's why I was home alone bonding with my man Scrooge. Your fault, people.
- Misanthrope

3. My friend took me to a Singles Party, which was so totally COOL I don't think any of us had any inhibitions left about anything by the end of it!
- Partygirl

4. A group of us got together to paint the New Year coming in - we had a great time! - and, no, we did NOT create a bunch of paintings showing a nice, fat baby crawling in!
- Artist

5. We planted a tree at midnight.
- Avid Gardener

6. We went for a swing in the Children's Park and then a slide and all the time we had BEER!
- Teenager

7. The two of us went for a long, star-lit walk, with the dog running just ahead of us. He took my hand and I skipped over a couple of puddles and we laughed about our breaths 'smoking' in the chill.
- Middle-aged lovers

8. Mommy got on top of the table and sang 'Old Long Jeans' (Auld Lang Syne) and everybody cheered and Daddy laughed and said, get down, you witch, you're drunk!
- Very Young Observer

9. Jamie peed at EXACTLY the stroke of twelve!
- Proud eight year old sister of a two year old boy

10. I was grounded - like, you don't need to know what for - and Donnie came and threw stones at my window and I climbed out and shimmied down the pipe and we went to this party where they had a lot of booze and dope and stuff going, and, well, we mingled in.
- Teenager

11. We got engaged!
- Romantic Couple

12. Our group visited the Old People's Home and put up a music performance
- Thoughtful Teens

13. Our new daughter from Rwanda came to us this morning, so we had an extra-special New Year's Eve!
- New Parents of an adopted baby

14. I drank three pitchers of Mimosas, 'cause I'm reforming next year.
- Boozer

15. Daddy made French Toast - he can't cook, but it was New Year, so you had to eat it
- Young Food Critic

16. My Grandparents came over - my mother and Grandma had a tremendous quarrel and they both said they were going to kill themselves - you do what you want, Grandpa said, and he and Daddy went back to playing chess.
- Young, Unemotional Observer

17. We made a bonfire in the back garden - nah, we didn't get to sit around it, Pa was too hell-bent on getting all the rubbish burnt before year end!
- Disgruntled Teenager

18. Why do you want to know what I did?
- Private Person

19. I think New Year is over-rated - same like Santa Claus
- Sophisticated five year old

20. We went to a costume party dressed as Black Bears - unfortunately the car broke down before we got there and so we started to walk the remaining way and then a car drew up alongside and a policeman shouted, stop right there, it's against the law for bears to be walking around like this, and so he arrested us - and took us to the party along with him - ha, ha ha! - he was a friend of ours - what kind of trick ending were you expecting?
- Party Animal