Going Big in '08

My New Year’s Eve began two days early at about 6am when I awoke to the sound of my alarm clock and the anticipation of an impending roadtrip. In the spirit of going big in ’08, we planned the perfect New Year’s Extravaganza complete with wine tasting in Napa and champagne in San Francisco. The goal was to get on the road in our rented Pontiac by 6:30 am so that we’d be in Napa by noon, just in time for the limo to pick us for wine tasting. Needless to say, we were late! Between finding room to fit Lio’s excessive baggage, stopping for coffee and trying to get the navigation system to work we ran about an hour behind schedule. Lucky for us the entertainment was plentiful as we had the “beautiful” scenery to admire, my ipod playing for our singing pleasure, and Lio’s very own rendition of “Valerie” an Amy Winehouse song he swore existed yet no one could recognize.

We met up with Amanda, her crew and the limo at the Charles Kroug winery at around 1pm. After tasting 5 types of wine, I found “the one” and took a bottle of it with us for the road. Outside we hopped in our white limo prepared for the next stop…. Let the drinking begin! We spent the next few hours touring Napa as we got acquainted with the wine, the champagne and each other. At about 6pm we stumbled out of the limo and into Amanda’s mom’s quaint house where we made ourselves right at home by ordering pizza, playing catchphrase and drinking, yes, you guessed it… more wine! By 10pm, I was drunk and exhausted and flirting with Charlie, Amanda's 25 year old cousin, who I convinced myself was 28 and actually turned out to be 23! What a cougar!

The morning after Napa, we all woke up thirsty, hungry and slightly hung over. Amanda and Nate went out to buy us all sandwiches and after eating we were good as new. Eager to get into the city, Claudia and I put our luggage in the car as Lio once again struggled to make room for his 15 bags. Off to San Francisco we went until we realized we were going the wrong way. I told you guys the mountains are north, the beach is south! Thanks to the guidance of Claudia’s laptop, we found our way out of the valley and into the city.
Union Square was cluttered with traffic, people and trolleys. Panicked to get our rental car back before 5pm, we nearly crashed and ran over a pedestrian. “Look out for the guy!” “What guy?” “THAT GUY!!!!” Finally in our room at the Clift, Lio pops open the champagne and we toast to our weekend. Then it’s off to dinner, followed by drinks at the W, followed by drinks at the Clift. Then it’s straight to bed to get some much needed rest!

We woke up the morning of New Year’s Eve with big plans for the day! Our first stop was Fisherman’s Wharf for clam chowder and bloody marys. Afterwards, we headed back to Union Square where we spent the remainder of the afternoon shopping. With all of our new purchases in hand we headed back to the hotel prepared and anxious to ring in the New Year. As soon as we walk into our room, we call room service for ice and champagne flutes and thus the celebration begins. At about 8pm, after getting ready, we decided it’s time for dinner. Nate mentioned a Tai restaurant down the block so dressed to the nines we head out the door and into the crowded streets of San Francisco. The food at the Tai Restaurant was delicious and the two bottles of Charles Kroug Sauvignon Blanc we finished were divine. It was 9pm and we were ready to head back to the Clift but not before stopping at a liquor store for a bottle of vodka we smuggled back into our hotel. From that moment on the night progressed quickly. We made our way upstairs to the VIP room where we ran into our other VIP friends sipping on martinis and scoping out the scene. We drank, we laughed, we danced, we took countless photos of ourselves and before you knew it… it was midnight.

Amongst all the chaos of the New Year, I hardly noticed the absence of a new year’s kiss. Instead, I made my way outside and called my parents as is the true midnight tradition for me. Afterwards, we continued the party inside mingling amongst the crowd and taking advantage of the free drinks in the VIP room. A little after 1am, Claudia, Amanda and I headed upstairs to bed while Lio decided to keep going with Ricca, Mike and Ernesto. From what I hear they bar hoped and wound up crashing a house party. Ahhh.. to be wild and adventurous!

The morning of January 1st, we packed our bags, grabbed breakfast and hauled a cab to the Ontario airport. On our way over we reminisced about our weekend and laughed about cougars, Valerie, fannie packs and the broken zipper of my boot. If our New Year’s weekend extravaganza is any indication as to what to expect in 2008, I can hardly wait to see what develops throughout the year. I’m happy to report that my tide seems to be turning and things are finally starting to go my way! For the first time, in a LONG time, I can see the light at the end of the tunnel!