Celebrating New Years in front of the TV and yelling "Happy New Year" at midnight, just isn't enough for me so this year I went to a party that completely blew away all other New Year's parties I'd ever been to. I want to tell you how great it was.

My friend, Sue me to invited me to her New Year's Eve party. She told me it was going to be a different kind of party than the usual New Year's celebration. In late December everyone is really sick of cold weather, but nobody does anything about it. This year she wanted everyone to come to the party in summer clothes. I thought she was kidding and I reminded her how cold it is in December, I said, but she said I could wear them under a parka if I had to. She also told me to bring a beach blanket, or beach chair, and a beach ball or Frisbee. Lastly she asked for my address so the chartered bus could pick me up at my house on New Year's Eve. I thought she might have completely lost her mind, but I was intrigued.

A few people I knew were already on the bus when it arrived. Everyone had shorts and tank tops or sun dresses under their coats and no one was certain we weren't in for a very cold New Year's or what Sue was planning.

The bus took us to the county fairgrounds and parked near a giant, clear plastic tent! The plastic was all clouded with condensation and we found out why as soon as we got inside. It was warm! Space heaters and heat lamps raised the air temperature so we all could take off our coats and hang around in our summer clothes in the dead of winter!

The lights and heaters were powered by a a generator. There were tables of finger foods: Egg rolls, mini pizzas, chips and dip, pretzels, sliced apples and pears, cubed cheese, a delicious spinich dip and even some sushi. There was sodas, and a delicious fruit punch made with raspberry lemonade, ginger ale and rainbow sherbert as well as Sebastiani wine and Champagne. A bar was set up between the tables of food where guests could get mixed drinks. Sue went around to all the guests thanking them for coming and handing out glow-in-the-dark necklaces.

Since the only tables were those the food was on everyone sat on their beach chairs or on the beach towel they brought and socialized. There was a band playing rock and roll from the 50's and 60's. Of all the songs they played, their renditions of the Beach Boys were the best. It felt great to wear so little clothing in the middle of winter. We tossed beach balls around for a while until a volleyball net was set up. There were lots of volunteers for the teams and the rest of us watched cheering on our friends and took pictures of everyone having fun.

Just minutes before midnight, the lead singer of the band announced outside there would be a fireworks show set to music.

Everyone put their coats back on and brought their beach towels and sat down as The 1812 Overture started playing on the speakers set up. Sue started the countdown and everyone joined in:
"Ten, nine, eight, seven..." fireworks exploded in the sky at the stroke of midnight. It was just like the Fourth of July! The sky was lit by fireworks of every kind. The grand finale was extraordinary! What a terrific way to bring in the New Year!

After the grand finale most of the guests went back inside and danced to the beach music the band played. It was after 2:00 A.M. when I was dropped off by the bus and though my glow-in-the-dark necklace shone brightly, I was fading, but my spirits were still high. I'll always remember Sue's Fourth of July New Year's party.