Well… New Year’s Eve, huh? I can’t say that I really made any particular resolutions, but I’m sure in a few weeks I’ll write out my regular list of goals for 2006, as well as reviewing the ones I made a year ago and seeing how I fared. Anyway.

Today Anastasia and I went and saw Elicia, who’s staying with a friend of hers here in Tampa at the moment. She gave us a nice bottle of sparkling wine for the end of the year and some instructions to Anastasia about making Black Eyed Peas, which is apparently a traditional food to make around here – something that you eat a mouthful of straight after the clock ticks over. I have no idea where that tradition came from and no one could tell me. I’m hoping that the taste won’t have any adverse effect on my opinion of the band.

We then went to Priscillas to pick up some things (food items, more cooking advice, etc. etc.), then to an ATM to get cash for the game tomorrow before heading home. Anastasia made sure she had her peas going nicely and so on while I did some work on my computer. When it was about time, Anastasia got her landlady-neighbour to have the peas and watch over them, then we got all nicely dressed up and went out to dinner, which we had been planning to do.

We went to J. Alexander’s for dinner, remembering to call ahead to cut down our waiting time (they don’t take reservations). The food was excellent – Anastasia had a very nice steak and Dace will be happy to know that I got the ribs. The waiter was spectacularly attentive and very friendly and the kind that I would probably tip in New Zealand as well. Don’t get me started on the whole tipping thing here. I feel like it’s a cultural stupidity and they should just build it into the prices (and wages) and that those that go the extra mile should get a tip. ‘Nuff said.

After out lovely meal we drove back to the house and then visited Anastasia’s landlady. She had her daughter and a friend of hers over for the evening, both of whom were very amiable company for an hour or two while we were there. Anastasia and I then went back home and sat down with each other to chat and see in the New Year. Apparently everyone in Eastern Standard Time (or thereabouts) watches Dick Clark’s Rockin’ Eve in New York City on television for New Year’s, in which a very old man tries to cue younger people with the events, then is off about three seconds as he makes the countdown, despite the counter on the screen and the giant, light-emitting ball that descends to light up a big 2006 sign when the year ticks over. Very weird. One of the younger hosts decided it would be great to stand next to the shimmering, scantily clad Mariah Carey as the year ticked over. Good on him. Anyway, the year ticked over, Anastasia and I kissed and I popped open the sparkling wine (Mum and Dad would both have been very impressed at the calibre of that pop) for some bubbles. Happy New Year!

I have to say that I didn’t really like the Black Eyed Peas.

Well to start today off Anastasia was violently ill. We’re pretty much chalking it up to food poisoning, which is odd since we both had all the same stuff last night, and she didn’t have nearly enough alcohol to make her sick. Ah well, in any case this meant that I got to run around and look after her, which was nice. ^^ I generally fetched things and did things she was going to do and made her watch movies on the couch. I went to another ‘the store’ for a little shop of groceries.

Later on in the day Anastasia was feeling much better having rested and gotten whatever it was out of her system, so naturally she gets all antsy about just sitting down and relaxing. After making sure she was actually feeling better and not just saying that to stop me from doing stuff (the house is how she likes it after all ^^;), she got up and pottered around a little.

Jules came over for dinner (Mojo chicken, black beans and garlic bread) and we sat down together and watched Eurotrip. This was a little annoying because right before we watched it, Anastasia and Jules were quoting and talking about it. I hate that. They did apologise and we got on with the movie. Very funny stuff, if a little predictable in places. I would certainly rate it over Road Trip or the American Pie movies, which are generally the movies lumped into the same… I’d like to say genre, but it’s more just a loose association without any particularly merit-worthy classification. Anyway, it was good to see Jules again as well, and we all sat around chatting afterwards until Jules had to head home, then we went to bed.

Not at the same time, of course. Not yet, anyway. The say started off with Anastasia making some yummy French toast (she has hers with cinnamon when she makes it, which is nice, but odd given I’m used to having them with salt). I spent pretty much the whole day working since, as I mentioned earlier, I had quotas to meet or I didn’t eat next month. As it is I’m think I’m going to be stretching it a little once I’m in Seattle, but I’m sure I’ll manage. I’ve just got to work out how to make a shitload of money. No problem, right? ^^

After working a lot, Anastasia and I went to Carrabas for dinner. Since the waiting list was like an hour, and the take-home was like 20 minutes to half an hour, we opted to order and take it home. Very nice food, I would highly recommend it. After we’d finished dinner we sat down on the couch and watched some television (there wasn’t a lot on) and had a few drinks, which was fun. I can’t say that there were any drunken hilarious incidents like my friends are used to relating to me, but I’m sure I could make one up if I get enough requests for one. However, that means you’d have to post comments and let me know. Otherwise it’ll just have to stand as is. ^^

Well, today I worked a lot. Anastasia didn’t leave the house either, we both just did our own thing around the house. Really since I’ve been relaxing, enjoying seeing Anastasia and all my friends here again and so on over the last few weeks, I haven’t been working as much as would have been a good idea. Also a lot of non-billable hours, preparation, administration, that kind of thing. One of these days I’ll remember to factor that into the time when I bill someone, or I’ll put my rate up to accommodate it, something like that. *shrug* All in all a productive day, and I remembered to take breaks and everything.

Ok, so today I did a little bit of work and I can’t actually remember what else. This is what I remember of today. Jess came over in the evening and I learnt how to make enchiladas! Not too difficult, I think, although I think for the first few times I make them by myself I’d like to have the recipe handy to make sure I’ve got all the ingredients right! ^^ While I wasn’t learning how to make enchiladas, I was helping Jess with more stuff on her computer (it’s fun to be the family/friends tech-support, really…^_~) and then when everyone was sitting down and actually having the enchiladas (yes, I ate a whole tray of six… again) we also watched Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, which I hadn’t seen. I must say I wasn’t particularly inspired to go see it at the movies since I had such a strong attachment to the original and many fond memories from being a kid and watching that. I think that Johnny Depp did a good job, and there were a number of things which I was very impressed with in the new version. I do think that some things from the original were better though, and I’m not sure if I like Johnny Depp or Gene Wilder better as Willy Wonka. They both had very interesting takes on the character, both of which were great performances in their own right. Hm. Something to ponder. Anyway, enchiladas! Wohoo!