FELIZ ANO NUEVO!

As NYE approached Monday, I had convinced myself it was OK to stay in and baby this ugly cold I've caught. I was perfectly fine with ringing in the new year, in my pj's, on the couch, with a shot of NyQuil! As I was getting ready for work that night, panic began to sit in with me. What was I thinking? Why on earth did I think it was a good idea to spend NYE alone after my husband just left 3 weeks ago. This was the worst idea I had ever had (OK maybe, not the worst, I did let my my mom perm my bangs when I was little. JUST THE BANGS, that was the worst idea I ever had.).

Look! My forehead grew a fro!

After work I rushed home and grabbed Stella and all our items and jetted over to my friends house. Once I got there we decided that since we had a DD (thanks brad!) we would head over to a house party at our friend Rosa's. One thing I should share with you is that Rosa and her family are from Mexico, and they ring in the new year just a little different than we were accustomed to. I've spent one other time outside of work with Rosa and her family, at her daughter's baptism. She invited myself and some of the other girls from work to the church ceremony, followed by a party at her house. It was a Catholic church and since I was raised Catholic I figured it would be fine, and it was. Until we noticed we were the only white girls in church. And then when mass started we didn't understand a lick of what they were saying. I'm not sure why we didn't think it would be an all Spanish spoken mass, but it was. Awkward... Getting back to new years and some of their traditions. Rosa made a ton of food, she told us it is something they make for big gathering in Mexico like for a wedding. It is amazing. I have dreams about the salsa this lady makes. So so good!

You know how at your NYE gathering you and everyone else counted down out loud the last 10 seconds of 2012? and then you kissed your loved one (I'm jealous of you for that one!), and toasted with champagne? Yeah, we didn't do that. Instead of the last 10 seconds, we counted down the last 12, while shoving a grape in our mouth for every second. Have you ever tried to eat 12 grapes in 12 seconds? I didn't think so. Well let me tell you, it's not easy. The thought behind this is that each grape represents a different wish for 2013. How cool is that? At midnight I still had 7 grapes in my cup and threw out the whole idea of eating like a lady and shoved those things in as if everyone from the movie Matilda was cheering me on, just as they did that fat kid eating the last bits of the chocolate cake! Yeah, you know what I'm talking about (and if you don't you need to watch Matilda ASAP)!

As we went around in a big circle hugging each other I tried to wish everyone a happy new year without spitting grapes all over them. . Lucky for me the new years toast was next and I could wash those grapes down with some champagne. Just kidding, these peeps are from Mexico. So you know what that means? Yup, tequila. Tequila and I have always had a hate/hate relationship, and even after several attempts to pass up on this toast, I lost.. twice. I still hate tequila and will not be adding that to my NYE traditions, however the grapes will definitely make an appearance next year. To end this in true cliche form, I hope you all have the best of luck in 2013.