New Year’s Eve, Again

For the second year in a row, we’re watching tv on New Year’s Eve.

Actually, we were at a party for the earlier part of the evening. I hadn’t really processed it, but while the grown-ups talked and ate and drank upstairs, the kids were down in the basement watching the show during the party. As we gathered up coats and dirty dishes, parents asked the kids how the show was going. “It’s really good,” M & J’s friends agreed. “Except when there were these horrible, horrible disco people. I don’t understand why they would have those disco people.” At this point I realized that the rest of my entire family was already outside, loaded into the car. I rushed out.

I slammed the car door shut, “So, I heard the show was good except for the disco?”

M: “That was the Jacksons. They had old stuff because of Dick Clark.”

Aha. The “horrible disco people” were the Jackson 5? Maybe?

M again: “He died this year, didn’t he?”

K: “Yes, he did.”

M: “I knew it! I was arguing with [my friend] about it. I told him he died. That’s why they kept talking about him, because he died in 2012!”

Cute W: “Yeah, it’s sad. Remember last year? He wasn’t looking good.”

K: “And it was especially sad because he always seemed ageless, and then he had a stroke or something and he suddenly seemed so old.”

Cute W: “Old and infirm. Just sad to see. And then he died.”

J: “Well, that’s the circle of life.”

Ah, my little philosopher.

Now the show’s signed off for local news and both girls are deeply concerned that they are going to miss a performance by Taylor Swift. Cute W switched from news to another New Year’s Eve show, and J begged to double check our original channel to ensure we weren’t missing anything (we weren’t). Of course now this channel promises that in four minutes there will be ladies of Vegas modeling sexy club wear. So I don’t think we’ll be lingering long here, either.

50 minutes to go, and it seems entirely possible that all four of us will be asleep before midnight.

Did I say four? I meant five.

Hope you all have a happy, healthy, and fun new year!