It’s New Year’s Eve and I am sitting at Barnes and Noble. If that’s not pathetic enough for you, as of yesterday I have no plans … and no mans.
Not only are most of my friends in Miami for the Orange Bowl that I had to forgo because of work obligations, but I am suffering from the Carrie Bradshaw syndrome. Meaning, I have a real life “Mr. Big,” which is an unattainable man who is married to his job and only factors you in as a mistress whom he can only love spare time.
So, although I’ve always technically been single, for the past two years my heart has been in a committed half-ass relationship. Having a “Mr. Big” is like being the long-haired princess locked up in a tower waiting around for the love of her life. But fairy tales don’t always have a happy ending do they? Well, I realized I have the aptitude to cut my hair, put on a cute outfit and march my ass out of there.
And by there I am implying the emotionally masochistic situation … and Barnes and Noble because they’re trying to close.
So what is a heartbroken single gal to do for New Years Eve all alone in the Q.C.?
Even when I’m smiling, I can’t grasp the concept of paying a cover inflated five times as that of any given night to be so crowded you risk the chance of developing claustrophobia.
I had friends at Hom — living, playing and now feasting as Hom’s dining room Feast premiered in the New Year. I had some friends going to Firm Events Party at City Tavern, and also at Dilworth Grill, the Cirque de Theatre at the nostalgic Carolina Theatre and The Beautiful Club’s party at Extravaganza.
But, I needed a low-key maintenance atmosphere in case I got alcohol-induced emotions and started crying and I wanted to be around some chill single girls that wouldn’t peer pressure me into kissing the cater waiter at midnight. I just needed to be amongst a plethora of cool people.
So I opted for Rich and Bennett’s New Year’s Bash at Hawthorne’s Pizza.
It was on the outskirts of the clusterfuck that was Uptown and it wasn’t too crowded, it wasn’t too sparse, it was just right. Even Goldilocks would approve.
If the theory rings true that your NYE night is a forecast for the upcoming year, then it’s sunny with clear skies in 2008. I smiled all night long, and I didn’t even drink other than my midnight toast with an orange grapefruit Michelob Light. We’ve come a long way in 2008. My word count’s up, and pictures speak more than words — so just go to lazyday.com.
This article appears in Jan 9-15, 2008.
