Hmmm. It was an interesting little party they had for us at the Club.

Fashion statements were interesting. Saw a black cowboy, some guy dressed like a Highlander complete with floor length black duster coat (in the end there can be only one you know), a very loud "poker night" type shirt, a guy in leather pants and a tight T-shirt (i'm not even going to go there), a dude in a suit that was about three sizes too big the coat hung down past his knees, and a few guys sporting baseball caps, one of them BACKWARDS! (to a night party? what the hell?).

I wore black slacks and a white button down dress shirt, no tie. I was going for simple and uncomplicated, which is how I'd like 2004 to go.

My wife wore a stunning pink dress and proceeded to get very drunk and very funny. Her drink of choice : white zinfandel and plenty of fake champagne.

Also saw quite a bit of lesbian groping going on.

The band , which sounded like The Time and was actually quite good, still got on my nerves by constantly imploring the audience to "Praise Jesus". Also asking us to "wave our hands in the air." Hmmm maybe it was The Time after all since I don't think asking an audience to "wave your hands in the air" has been cool for over a decade now.

Was nearly locked into a conversation with a dude who was drunk and incoherent. I just nodded as if I could hear what he was saying.

Noticed that despite much of the audience praising Him, Jesus did not appear and open a bar tab for his worshippers.

ran into a friend and I thanked her for the gift she bought us for christmas(unexpectedly and inexplicably). I have no idea what the gift actually is supposed to be, it looks like a big jar with little miniature wine flutes that fit inside or something. Like a bright multicolored sculpture from hell. But I told her it was beautiful and asked where she found it. She said spiegels so now maybe I can go to their website and figure out what I am supposed to do with this thing.

saw a big fat black man in a diaper.

before the band, was forced to listen to two hours of R and B songs I have never heard, save for two oustanding Outkast tracks.

Was treated to round after round of annoying noisemaking courtesy of drunken aquaintences and the tacky little horns and whirly clicking plastic gizmos that had been passed out.

did not snack on anything nor felt deprived. drank coffee to stay sober.

i actually did not have a bad time. i am not a huge party person and this event is no exception. holidays mean little to me except that i get a day off from work. but any event where my wife gets tipsy and amorous is one I look forward to.

--frog