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| Hahahaha! We sure didn’t look very healthy here on New Year’s Eve in 1999. We were both overweight (40 pounds each heavier than we are now), on multiple medications, and looked less healthy than we do today. t goes to show that our way of eating coupled with low stress, happy life can contribute to one’s state of health. |
For many years in our old lives, we hosted New Year’s Eve parties often with a special theme requiring a little preparation for those so inclined. If a guest preferred to come “as is” there was no ribbing, only good cheer that they’d decided to come out on what was often a very cold, below zero degrees F, (-18C) night in Minnesota.
On New Year’s Eve in 1999/2000, when much of the world was terrified something bad was about to occur at the turn of the hands of the clock to midnight, we had our last New Year’s Eve party with a change of the millennium theme.
Tom and I dressed as “bugs,” computer bugs” specifically as shown in this photo when many techies along with the general population worried that computers worldwide would crash. Remember that?
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| Photo of us two months ago today, slimmer, healthier, and happier than ever. Sure, we have a few more wrinkles than 16 years ago ,but who cares when we’re enjoying our lives and good health? |
Sadly, that particular party, the first time ever, was a total bust. The weather was bad in Minnesota, the roads icy and without a doubt, a certain degree of fear left many preferring to stay home. Only six die-hard partygoers attempted the long drive to our home.
We celebrated together, ending the night early so our guests could get home before the weather and the traffic with impaired drivers got any worse. Over the next 11 New Year’s Eves, we didn’t have a big party, instead, getting together with our fabulous neighbors, greatly reducing the risk of getting home on a bad night.
Having left Minnesota before New Year’s Eve 2012, spending it in Scottsdale, Arizona after spending Christmas with family in Henderson/Las Vegas, Nevada, we were busy finishing our preparations to leave the country on our first cruise on January 3, 2013, as mentioned in yesterday’s post.
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| New Year’s Eve 2013 in Marloth Park, South Africa at Jabula Lodge with Piet and Hettie. |
On New Year’s Day, we drove to San Diego to stay with our niece and her husband for two nights while we waited to board the ship at the Port of San Diego.
In these past three years, we’ve made little hoopla of New Year’s Eve except in 2013 when we attended a party at Jabula Lodge in Marloth Park with our new South African friends, Piet and Hettie whom we’d only met on Christmas Day at the same location.
Having never met Piet and Hettie prior to Christmas Day, we shared a table that day when Jabula Lodge became packed and we’d offered to share, making an instant connection with this wonderful couple, hopefully, friends for life.
Last year in 2014, we were still on the Big Island with two weeks remaining until we’d fly to Kauai for four months. Our remaining three family members had traveled the two-hour drive to Kona to swim with the manta rays on New Year’s Eve and stay overnight. Tom and I stayed in settling into a quiet evening as the year wound down.
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| Our friends, Piet and Hettie with whom we spent Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve in 2013. For more photos from that date, please click here. |
There’s no disappointment for us in having another quiet New Year’s Eve. Having the opportunity to spend them each year in different parts of the world provides us with all the excitement we need. Down the road, should social activities ensue, we’ll certainly participate but, in the interim, we’re thoroughly content.
We’ll play a little Gin, enjoy a good meal, and perhaps if the WiFi signal is good enough, download a movie to watch after dinner.
Yesterday, Susan, the property owner, arrived from another of her homes in Argentina with her significant other and stopped by in the late afternoon to say hello. What a delightful woman, who ironically was born in Wisconsin, USA! As a world traveler, a writer, a businesswoman, and an adventurer, it was wonderful to hear her stories of frequent world travel.
They were busy with plans for a few days but surely, we’ll all get together in our remaining time in Pacific Harbour, now down to a mere four days. Sunday, we’ll pack. Monday at 7:45 am our driver arrives to take us to the airport in Nausori for a non-stop flight to Sydney.
We’re ready to begin a New Year, grateful for the New Year of the past, and hopeful for the New Year of the future. May all of our readers have a safe, happy, and healthy New Year!
Photo from one year ago today, December 31, 2014:
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| Late in the day yesterday on December 31st last year, we spotted these whales. The much-anticipated fluke, the tail was the prize. Wonderful! For more details and photos from that date, please click here. |
Happy New Year! Glenn and I think you look younger now than at the turn of the millennium!
Staci, gee…thanks for saying so. We, with a bit of modesty, kind of thought the same thing. It further confirms that maybe a healthy lifestyle is paying off in more ways than we'd ever expected. Actually, we both feel younger now than in that photo. Stress in the hurried and harried lifestyle we had at that time sure was a factor in wearing us down. Thanks for writing and hope you're both having a wonderful New Year's Eve and year to come.
Lots of love to you both,
Jess & Tom