Happy New Year!

I can't believe it's almost 2007. I'm not even used to saying 2006 yet. Where is the time going? Wherever it is, it's going way too fast.

Here is a pic of Justin in his new Radio Flyer wagon that he got from Grammy & Grampy. This one is super cool, with two seats w/ straps for J-boo and a friend. He can sit in that thing for at least a half hour as long as you keep taking him on a tour of the downstairs.

Chris took down our tree tonight. It's a little early, but we'll be away for the weekend, so might as well get it over with. I can't believe Christmas is done! Although this year, I don't really have that "post-Christmas" feeling...we've been busy all week and tomorrow we are heading up to Troutville w/ the fam to celebrate NYE. We started doing that about 3 years ago, but last year we didn't make it, since I didn't want to give birth in the woods of the Adirondacks. So it will be nice to get back into the tradition. I believe some of the other "summer" families will be up there as well, and we may do a sort of traveling party on NYE - drinks here, hors d'oeuvres there, etc.

Tonight I went out to dinner with a bunch of women that I go to Curves with. A lot of older women go there, but it's the one gym that I actually enjoy working out at, so I don't mind being one of the "younger" people. I was a little skeptical about going to dinner, since I don't really know any of them very well, plus I'm at least 10-15 years younger than anyone. But if we're being completely honest here, one of the reasons I wanted to go was because I always look like a complete mess at the gym. I'm not one of those women that do their hair and put makeup on and worry about their "gym outfit". My hair is back in a ponytail and may not even look like I used a brush, and I'm usually in something that could pass for pajamas. And since I work my butt off at the gym, I'm usually a sweaty mess by the time I leave. No one there has really ever seen me when I don't look like that. So for purely self-esteem issues, I wanted people to know that I can actually look kind of nice when I make an effort (and I think some of them actually were kind of surprised). And I ended up having a really nice night. A bit too much bad wine (Beringer's White Zin, oof!) One woman who I'll refer to as EH chick is a riot. I called her this before I knew her name, since she is the epitome of what I thought about people in the town where I now live. Now, I was pleasantly surprised after moving here, I really do like it here. This town is 42% Italian (including myself) which is great, we have good restaurants & bakeries, the Knights of Columbus are always sponsoring some sort of carnival or street fair, and Columbus Day is widely celebrated - we even have a huge statue of him in the center of town. But, half of them are mobbed up (excluding myself), or at least act like they are (also excluding myself). I am worried about what kind of hair style my son is going to have when he gets older - most of the kids around here look like they belong on an episode of "Growing Up Gotti". But I'm getting off on a tangent. EH Chick is 47, but I honestly thought when I started there that she was in her 30s. She tried to get me to go out to a local bar with her, and I was tempted. I'm sure this post would have been far more interesting if I had gone with her. But alas, I went home instead. Maybe next time...

So tomorrow evening it is off to upstate NY for the weekend. It will be a nice, low-key NYE, just the way I like it. Whether you are spending the night at home, or trekking into a bar in the city (crazy KJR!), I wish everyone a Happy, Safe, & Healthy New Year!