New Year's Eve In A Pandemic: Plans & Solace

So I imagine everybody is staying in, or at least not partying, this NYE - what are your plans?

I thought briefly about wandering around the town centre to get spooked by how empty it was but then realised there probably will be some assholes who are out, and I don't want to bump into them. There are a few streaming music events happening but I just haven't got into virtual gigs at all, I'm not sure it'll work for me. So I'm probably just going to have a couple of beers and watch a film and mostly ignore everything.

I haven't partied on NYE in years.

Two of my best friends -- a couple and their two boys -- have formed part of my pod for months. As per tradition, I'll go to their place for a few hours for drinks, dinner, quick countdown, and goodbye. The difference is we'll likely be outside. We all just got tested.

I was going to drive a couple of hours to escape as much light pollution as possible and look at the stars, but it’s going to be cold and I don’t really have appropriate clothing for sitting in 30-degree weather for hours. (Building a fire in whatever field I pulled over in would also be frowned upon.)

I'd love to drive out to a cliff-top and stare at the stars/howl at the sky, that sounds perfect. To be honest, I'd like to do this any day, not specifically for NY, but I've never had my own transportation so it remains a dream.

I'm just hoping my piece-of-shit downstairs neighbors, who hate me as much as I hate them, don't stay up till 3 AM singing along tunelessly to Latin pop ballads. I have no plans myself at present, but my plans may shift to a play-through of the entire Cannibal Corpse discography. We'll see.

DO IT

We're just gonna chill, have a few drinks and listen to music louder than usual. The zoomers downstairs have been surprisingly quiet lately and I highly doubt they'll have people over (technically illegal here anyway).

I’ve never been that invested in having an epic nye, which is lucky because I think I’d often be disappointed if I were; a lot of my favourite ones have either been pleasantly low-key or unexpectedly massive, would never bother with the usual overcrowded bars &c.

That said I usually do something so this one will be strange and prob a bummer. My bubblemates are working late so I will literally be alone in my flat the whole time. I’m just listening to music and finishing my book; there’s a Daniel Kitson show that’s been made available free till tomorrow, might stick that on later if I feel like watching something. In the evening I’ll order takeaway and drink wine and probably be in bed by 10pm (and maybe awoken by fireworks at midnight). One to remember!

I have to tend bar tonight, not looking forward to it. At least we close at 9.

The plan is to zoom early with friends, make pork chops and christmas limas for dinner, and sit in front of a fire. We're unlikely to make it to midnight for a variety of reasons.

plenty of snacks in the kitchen, just poured my second aperol spritz, tunes playing on the TV, it's not great but it'll do

The plan is to zoom early with friends, make pork chops and christmas limas for dinner, and sit in front of a fire. We're unlikely to make it to midnight for a variety of reasons.

― Jimi Buffett (PBKR)

I know I have a morbid brain, but this sounds incredibly ominous to me. Like you're a gas leak warning public information film or something. Stay safe, PBKR!

lol

christmas limas: the silent killer

lol, not a final meal. we're just old and have a bunch of stuff to do on Saturday.

gonna watch the Jazz Butcher/Pat Fish do a livestream, maybe hang on some Zooms, drink, and eat leftover cookies

Went to The Black Cat (DC) last year. Officially I didn't regret it, but was rather quick to leave after the countdown to midnight. I always do appreciate an opportunity to break out my newest evening gown and jewelry collection....

I'll be running to the store shortly for a small dinner, and I've got a couple of movies in mind. Maybe I'll look for a friendly Zoom chat for midnight EST...?

Ought to be one

Home beers, Turkish takeaway, tunes load enough to distract the dog from fireworks but not loud to annoy neighbours. Happy end of 2020 guys!

I'm not doing owt different to usual cos years are just made up bollox. My dog is a badass with fireworks, he just struts about like "nothing to see here and don't interrupt my walk, impertinent uncouth youths letting off air bomb repeaters 20 feet away" - should have called him Clint!

Playing a board game we got given for Christmas (splendor - don't know anything about it but it looks a bit suspect tbh), drinking beer, inflicting James brown on my children

I don't know if there are plans as such, but some sort of cocktail options are being considered. As time goes by my parents' general strategy of celebrating New Year's at Greenwich Mean Time -- aka, 4 in the afternoon in California, where we all live -- has an ineluctable appeal.

I'm not doing owt different to usual cos years are just made up bollox. My dog is a badass with fireworks, he just struts about like "nothing to see here and don't interrupt my walk, impertinent uncouth youths letting off air bomb repeaters 20 feet away" - should have called him Clint!

― calzino, Thursday, 31 December 2020 20:28 (ten minutes ago) bookmarkflaglink

Jealous. Winston is usually great but fireworks and joggers fuck him up. (A jogger tried giving him a booting a good couple months ago, he’s hated every one since)

fucking joggers, what a bunch of wankers!

Ha, that reminds me the other day I was surprised by a jogger running up behind me on a narrow path and moments later watched as she did the same to a dog ahead of us who was less forgiving.

we're dressing up fancy, then settling onto the couch with pizza and cocktails for a godfather marathon. a big step up from our usual plans of bickering about where to go, not going anywhere, then falling asleep before 10.

It's almost 4 pm. Might as well crack open a cold one.

Getting jackshit done is my sole motivator today.

This morning I preemptively celebrated by donating blood. We rarely do much if anything for the New Year Eve, but this year my kids have plans, one hanging with her quarantine buddy, the other hanging on a front porch with her school pod people. My wife and I are going to our friends' backyard to freeze our asses off and eat pizza, in that order. We were there for their Feast of the Seven Fishes last week (the "seven" fishes being shrimp cocktail and oysters). Both literally froze. Tonight I assume we'll be done by 8 or so, with my wife ridiculously committing to picking up the kids at their respective hangs a hair after midnight.

Decided on Fear of Fear as a suitable film for this evening. I've seen it before but the boyfriend hasn't, heh.

fucking joggers, what a bunch of wankers!
― calzino, Thursday, December 31, 2020 8:47 PM (one hour ago) bookmarkflaglink

otm

Changed the sheets, so I can at least leave this shit year feeling fresh. Generally cleaning the flat, preparing dinner stuff, will have a few large cocktails from sunset and maybe an edible in time for the Optimo livestream Hogmanay / TVOD Party:

https://www.mixcloud.com/live/Optimo_Espacio/OptimoHogmanayNYE/

(on now 22:30-01:00 on UK time, replaying at 22:30 US west coast time)

everyone here has now gone to bed / doing games. might go for a drunk jog instead

wanker :p

Bloke in the flat opposite was bellowing along to some "Jeremy Clarkson Drivetime Classics"-type CD earlier, now all is quiet other than the odd muffled detonation echoing across the rooftops of north London. Ta-ra 2020, I have a good feeling about 2021 though*.

*not really

Might watch the new Liam Neeson movie.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUIEOMOxIDo

I'm watching another ep of Alistair Cooke's America before I go out for a midnight walk with the dog cause i'm a sad bastard!

Earlier today I was thinking at least I won’t start the new year hungover, now 2 empty bottles of Malbec are all “you were saying?”

quite relatable tbf!

Cant get drunk on empties mayne

just watching bollocks on YT. Supping ale. munching on crisps and chocs. same as last year really.

Wishing all the best to ye all ilxors!

watched Phantom Thread with a big espresso martini and some turkish delight.
might go to bed in a minute

Heading over to a friend's house for an early distanced indoor thing (a member of each couple is a health care worker who gets tested all the time, and the other member basically doesn't leave the house). Then the possibilities are limitless...Trivial Pursuit, an early bedtime???

Love to all the Joggers and dog walkers! Cheers to the people who reliably won't really care if you're taking drugs in the park

We have unspeakable amounts of booze, so this should be fun.

Happy New Year to the Brits btw. And anyone else who's already made it past the midnight hurdle.

Already posted this in another thread but Charles Dodge nailed it
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYvSfCvXhNM

I'm not doing owt different to usual cos years are just made up bollox.

I absolutely agree with this, am a big proponent of time being an arbitrary piece of bullshit that humans inflict on themselves, and I know 2021 is going to be shit too, but still...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zu3k2PJumfI

Happy new year you ppl! 🍾🥂

Emily otm

Happy New Year to the Brits btw. And anyone else who's already made it past the midnight hurdle.

Right, better set up "Thread connections 2011"

Spending the night at home with my wife as I have every night for the last 9+ months. Ordered fancy pizza, watched an episode of The Great British Bake-Off, and played a game of chess (yes, we are one of the legions who bought a chess set after watching The Queen's Gambit). Now eating ice cream and listening to some tunes with the cat in my lap.

Happy New Year, all.

Happy New Years, folks! My prediction appears to be accurate: definitely not making it to midnight.

Happy new year to all, but esp my B-brook brethren

Happy New Year, everyone! Got triggered by fireworks just outside my trailer, had a long and moving chat with someone on FB, and I'm now slurping down ciders, plotting out my New Year's post on FB, and waiting for the ball to get ready to drop.

lol the world already spent most of 2020 dropping the ball. Happy New Year!

Happy New Year! Hope it won't be a case of out of the frying pan and into the dumpster fire....

So I rewatched After the Thin Man, and my Jimmy Fucking Stewart allergy is worse if anything. I'm particularly bewildered by modern-day film fans who think he was hot.

An hour to midnight where I am, and the idea of drinking out the rest of this year is strangely grim. Hope everyone else is having a better NYE.

Gummy worm binge

happy new year, ILXors! I'm listening to Yagya and staring at the fire.

lol I made a joke about the bangs outside being gunshots, and my wife responded casually from the other room where she's busy doing a puzzle, "very funny, they're just Fourth of July fireworks."

most ppl itt would read Aimless as getting your back up first by snarking at the very idea of your NYE listening

Sorry, I forgot my ilx etiquette, sic.

if there's one thing we never do around here, it's snark at movies, music, or any other form of entertainment for which another ilxor has expressed their approval. By snarking about Alastair Cooke, by extension I attacked calzino's integrity. I don't know how I messed up so badly. mea maxima culpa.

STFU and happy new year

HNY, sleeve

lol

moving on from the obligatory bottle of champagne to Scotch, entertaining the cats, listening to Sinatra, Basie, Ellington, Holiday

2020 is hindsight, happy new year y'all

It's cold. It's raining. And the sirens haven't stopped since eight o' clock.

Good times.

Happy New Year everybody! ILX helps keep me sane (and/or distracted, which is almost as good). I hope everyone has a safe and happy 2021.

Happy New Year all, especially to those west of EST. Good night.

HNY! Some loud fireworks out there right now, seem to be scaring the cats.

Happy New Year everybody! ILX helps keep me sane (and/or distracted, which is almost as good). I hope everyone has a safe and happy 2021.

I love the lot of you. Thanks for indulging me.

indeed

Happy new year, ilx <3

HNY my beloved ilxors

Kicking 2020 out by watching Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (1st time) and Face the Music while people move into the flat above ours - it's been empty since March. Here's to better days ahead, for all of us.

Bogus Journey is important for continuity btw!

Happy New Year to all -- usually out like a light at this point but I'm pushing through things as much as I can watching the New Years Queens thing at this point, basically waiting on Trixie and Katya to hit in about forty minutes. Glad to get this year finally out of the way, seventy minutes to go!

Happy New Year to you fools, each and every one of you. Even though I still kinda feel like I haven’t cracked into being a “real” ilxor yet, many of you have helped keep me slightly more sane during a really trying year - even when we were butting heads in the politics threads. Best wishes for all of you.

Here we are. Bless you all, eat the billionaires.

2021?!! Holy shit I guess we did it. When you were a kid your friend would say “well in the year 2021...” and you’d cut him off and say he was insane but probably feel bad about that now. Wishing you all the best and stay safe.

Xp - thanks sic! I figured it would be, but also that I couldn't stay awake through all 3 based on when we started the first one.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dSyB-OIRtR0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4UbWhtVCBE

Literally moments after midnight my wife noticed the diamond was missing from her engagement ring setting. Bad way to start the new year! Looked all over the house and then more or less gave up, figuring it could be anywhere but that we'd scour the (snow covered) back yard of our friends, fingers crossed. I woke up this morning and recalled she'd spent some time shuttling the kids around, so thought, hmm, maybe it's in the car? Grabbed a coat and flashlight, went out in my jammies and looked in all the car's nooks and crannies, and ... found it! (Also found about five masks). Good way to start the new year! It's a 2021 miracle!

That is awesome Josh. Hopefully a good sign for the year.

omg! a bit of good luck there.

Aw.

We had a very similar thing, found the gem, got it reset.

Makes you feel lucky, dunnit?

I went to bed at about 12:30, pretty tired, and then ... just didn't sleep. Not for any particular reason. Just one of those nights where it didn't happen. I eventually got up around 4:30 and made pistachio bread (which came out underbaked but still pretty good) and cleaned the kitchen. Maybe this will be the year that I free myself from the tyranny of sleep.

oh no, tipsy, that means bad sleep all year if you believe in that sort of thing.

I put on my bar playlist at work last night and it made the shift go much more pleasantly. A few minutes before closing time I hit the last call bell and startled the shit out of everyone, who stopped talking and turned to look at me -- and at that moment Can's "Moonshake" started, very satisfying.

Happy New Year! Spent yesterday evening cleaning my old apartment while listening to Flying Saucer Attack and half-watching mediocre old X-Files episodese. Slightly preferred last year when I got invited to a friend’s rich bf’s house at the last minute and hung out in a hot tub with strangers but this was definitely more productive.

Now that I’ve made it to the other side, I’d like to wish you all a proper happy New Year! Despite what misgivings we may have about this place sometimes, it’s the finest internet community I can think of and I genuinely love you all! <3

Wishing you the very best for 2021 and beyond.

Happy new year everyone!

I'm kinda peripheral and my posting tends to be governed by the vagaries of my job and family life but I read most days and get a huge amount from this place - solace, ludicrous amounts of good music and literature, my opinions are challenged, thought processes. It's a sane quadrant of the internet and I value it hugely. Happy new year to everyone.

I spent 6 hours the day before making posole rojo and served my building/neighbors a rooftop dinner from my slow-cooker!! That goddamned roof has been a sanity-saver and makes it feel almost like the before-times since I never went anywhere anyway.

We wrapped up in blankets to drink wine, froze, took a warm-up break, and came back out for the countdown and screaming. My roommate made a little paper effigy of el año viejo and burned it--a fun tradition I never knew about. We all jumped over it and yelled at 2020.

The posole was well received by people who know better, so I'm taking the win!

I was home by 12:03 p.m. The Lyft vehicle with me in it rounded the corner at midnight.

I'm not at a computer much and feel a bit distanced from ilx lately but thank you all for keeping this place going. Here's to all the real people behind the keyboards, let's have massive faps in 2021.

safer than massive FAPs in 2021, to be sure

Okay fine that was optimistic, it was too depressing to say "in 2022" in the literal "Happy 2021 let's find solace in something" thread.

I like both ideas tbf.

steady

went to a nice little gathering of 4 other people one I'd known since I came to town, an ex of mine , somebody I knew through her and somebody I hadn't met before.
So it was quite nice, an interesting night really, better than staying in again.
Had to walk across town to get there and interesting to see that on a big night be so empty. MOst of the people I saw were around Xi An a Chinese street food place I stopped in along the way. MIssed a bus into town and had to wait ages for another one. THought they might have stopped running early for a while.
Then got on the 2nd bus home in the morning which was really handy.