Yes, yes I know it's been a long time since I've posted something because many of you keep reminding me. So here we go...
I've been thinking about how to describe my New Years Eve festivities for quite some time now. I hope I can do this justice.
We went to a dance hall in a tiny town called Shelby for New Years Eve. Let's just say Shelby doesn't have a Walmart or grocery store...that's how small it is. Here's a map of what's around Shelby.
As you pull up to this large white building in the middle of nowhere, you see that there isn't really a parking lot, just a grass field to park in. I'm all for that - less concrete in the world is a good thing! By the time we got there at 9 pm, most of the field was already filled with all sorts of pickup trucks, so we knew the party was already hoppin' :)
Obviously this is the place to be because there was a line at the door. Already the amount of cowboy hats, boots, and belt buckles is astonishing. The sign on the door was my favorite - something to the extent of "Please respect that we need to make money to keep this place alive, so please don't bring your own drinks into the hall." Apparently you can indeed bring your own drinks, but it just can't be the exact same drinks that they sell at the "bar." The term "bar" here means the two guys pulling cans out of an igloo cooler for $1.75. Or, if you're a big spender you can get the beer that costs a whooping $2!
That night I was a little disappointed. When we went for the 4th of July, they literally stapled your tickets to your date's shirt! That cracks me up. This time they actually had "official" tickets instead of the raffle type tickets that come in a giant roll. I guess these new tickets were too fancy to just staple to your shirt, so we got to put them in our pockets.
As we walk inside and our eyes adjust to the lighting, we see a 3 person band on the stage playing country music with a good mix of Texas country and Nashville country. There's a giant dance floor in the middle, surrounded by tables and chairs on the 3 sides. Since this has become a tradition for many families in the area, families come early to designate their family's table, which seems to stay the same from year to year. There's some good ole Lutherans in the mix, so you wouldn't want to take someone's spot!
On our way over to our friend's spot, there is quite the array of drink containers on the tables. There are cases of beer, wine bottles, hard liquor sticking out of brown paper bags, and my favorite a bright orange igloo cooler with a pour spout. Awesome. Also on the tables are various Gladware containers filled with assorted cheese, crackers, and processed meats specific to each family.
All ages are welcome to this party. The little ones start off running around, but by 10 or 11 pm they have made their nests in the piles of discarded jackets on the floor by their family's table, and they pass out from too much fun. The older ones are busy playing their handheld electronic games, excited that mom and dad seem not to notice that they've been playing for hours and hours. The pre-teens and teenagers are all dolled up, standing around in their groups of friends. The others alternate between standing around and talking and two stepping.
There's no dress code for this party, but jeans seem to be the norm. The girls are wearing sequins and big necklaces and the boys are wearing wranglers, belt buckles, boots, and pearl snap shirts. There's at least one girl wearing a tight sequin black dress with shiny black stilettos and there's a guy not too far from her wearing wranglers and a white undershirt. Come as you are I guess :)
After that party, we head out to a friend's farm where there is a promise of a huge fire works show. Apparently, an 18 wheeler pulled up to his apartment a month or two ago, and unloaded a pallet of fireworks into his tiny apartment. He proposed to his now fiance last year after a grand display of fireworks, so now that's his niche in the family. He was asked multiple times, so did you spend more on the ring or the fireworks? We still don't know the answer.
We all bundle up in our layers and rainboots and head out to the pond. The guys are already out setting up the fireworks, and the smarter guys and the ladies are on the other side of the pond waiting for the show. It was pretty impressive! I don't know much about fireworks, but I know for sure you can't buy those in Colorado, and I'm not so sure those were legal for amateurs. After 45 minutes and what we thought were about 10 finales, we finally sent the fiance out to tell the guys to stop. Many people had to pee and toes were frozen, despite the fire blazing nearby. The guys wouldn't give up though, and they shot off the last 2 boxes before we all ran back inside. All in all, a great night!
I'll post some pictures from Christmas after I get them on this computer. Check back soon!
