The two days leading up to - NYEE and NYE - both crazy. The restaurant fills on the 30th - people avoiding the NYE rush, instead creating another. Crazy, and I'm more or less on my own, there's back-up, the owner's wife to bartend and a busser, but - nonetheless, the restaurant is crazy.
NYE, same, but less crazy, less all-at-once and more regulated. And by 9:30 it's done and I'm off on my own little party.
The "Dosed" party, location undisclosed, but I've got the email and all suspicions confirmed. It's great. All the usual suspects, spicy outfits, people you know and people I have yet to meet, everyone is there, from the surprisingly bookish bookseller (on a tear), the lawyer, the librarian, the insurance, the .... customers from the restaurant that night, the night before, one - a 50 something man with what I thought was his daughter (oops) - and - well...spicy, spicy. Everyone in town, basically, a proper "Young Goodman Brown" and a good time is had by all.
I'm starting to know a lot of people, but not (or never) nearly enough. Dancing, dancing, until 2:30; the party's starting to fade and never be the last one there.
New Years Day, wake up, go back to bed, wake up, eat, go back to bed, wake up, go back to bed.
I've made my NYE resolution for 2026. More raves, more MDMA. Life is too short to miss out on these events.