I can’t remember the last time I had plans for New Year’s Eve.  I get invited to things, but usually they’re pretty large gatherings, and those aren’t very appealing to me.  Tonight is no exception.  So far my plans for the evening are:

• Trip to Home Depot for parts to build two speaker stands for surround speakers in the living room
• Grocery shopping

On the plus side, I won’t be hungover tomorrow!  And already today I’ve added a widget to the blog which shows my most recently played tracks on last.fm, so I’m feeling pretty accomplished.

I think my ideal New Year’s Eve would be playing cards with a small group of friends.  Spades or Pinochle, preferably.  Or Euchre.  I guess that’s kind of my ideal social gathering, regardless of the occasion.  Growing up many of my fondest memories were playing Pinochle with my family.  When I think of having my own family someday, I picture us playing games together.  I’ve often said it is important to have two children so you have enough for card games.

In fact, when I think of how I want to spend time with other people, it is almost always something along those lines.  A small group of friends getting together to watch movies, or play a role-playing game, or get dinner, or whatever.  Or spending an evening at home with a significant other, reading and listening to music.  There are meetup groups for card playing, for example, but it’s not just the card playing that I want — it’s important that it be with people whose company I enjoy.  Not random strangers.  If only I could teach the cats to play cards…