New Year's Tradition.......

We (meaning mostly me but also Hubby and me) have never adhered to traditional traditions. We don't believe in the whole collards-and-black-eyed-peas thing for New Year's Day, mainly because neither one of us would eat a collard if our lives depended on it, and our black-eyed peas usually come from a can.

Hubby's birthday is on New Year's Day, and it's also a huge day for college football. USUALLY we have our home team to pull for, instead of watching them humiliate themselves on New Year's Eve to a Conference USA team. And that's all I have to say about that.

Therefore our traditional New Year's Day fare is what we call "football food."

Today it was chips and french onion dip, cheese and pepperoni and crackers, bacon and cream cheese crescent rolls, little smokie weenies in barbecue sauce, and a cheese ball that I made my very own self.

That's a lot of food for two people. When I start preparing the food, I have this phantom image of lots of people dropping in to wish Hubby a happy birthday and milling around, watching football and munching. I don't know WHY I have that image, because it has never happened. (Perhaps because we have never invited anyone specifically? Hmmmm..... Possible......)

Hubby's daughter and granddaughter DO drop by sometime on New Year's Day to wish Hubby a happy birthday, but they have typically just come from their aunt's house, where they have just had a huge (more traditional traditional) New Year's Day meal, so they don't help us eat any of the food. 

I hesitate to invite anybody, because all of my family members live at least an hour away, and I never know how people are going to feel on New Year's Day. I know there were several years when I just wanted to stay in bed and hope no one else could remember any more about what I did on New Year's Eve than I did.

I'm so glad those days are over. My total consumption of anything alcoholic last night was a single shot of "Hot Damn" (cinnamon Schnapps.....good stuff) that Hubby gave me to calm my nerves after the football game. Actually I think he was hoping to take my mind off the game so I wouldn't become suicidal.

We managed to stay up late. I think it was 9:00 when we went upstairs. And I'm pretty sure I fell asleep first, during the Chick-Fil-A Bowl (and it still makes me angry that they changed its name from the Peach Bowl). The New Year managed to bring itself in without us, and the neighbors even toned down the fireworks this year. Must be the economy.

The food isn't wasted, though. I usually put it out around lunch time, and we graze all afternoon, right through the time we would normally have dinner. Today I saved what I thought would still be good tomorrow (that does NOT include the crescents, which I'm guessing won't reheat very well, but Libby liked them), and we'll have snacks while we watch pro football. Unless the weather improves from today, in which case Hubby will play golf and I will try to ride my bike. (I did manage a short 10-mile bike ride yesterday before the UGA game kicked off, so December wasn't a total wash.)

I'm almost finished with my 50 Things list. I'll be sharing that with you in the next few days.

Happy New Year!