Humbuggery

Bah, Humbug!  

Scrooge's response to Christmas revelry does not seem to have any counterpart referring to the activities surrounding New Year's celebrations.  

I wonder why.  

New Year's is certainly more dangerous - averaging 54 DUI deaths compared to 45 at Christmas and 36 almost any other day of the year.  

You probably spend more on Christmas presents, but the stuff you buy specifically for New Year's - fireworks and booze - are usually gone by midnight, and all you have to show is a headache and (if you're lucky) a couple of burned patches in your lawn.

If I seem even more glum and grouchy than usual, it's because I got up yesterday morning with a very sore throat and had to cancel plans to attend a New Year's celebration with our next-door neighbors.  They don't know this, but I didn't miss it entirely.  At 11:30 last night, I got up, got dressed, grabbed a cigarette and a ginger ale, and watched their fireworks from my back door.  The fireworks were great and you couldn't beat the view, but I could hear them laughing and it was hard being unable to join in.

Oh well, the New Year is here with or without my help, and I sincerely wish the best to you and yours.