Goo Goo G'Joob

Look at that magnificent face!
It is the face of my fine friend, Jen Wood!

I decided, in the spirit of never doing the same thing every New Year's Eve, that I would tag along with Jen and her fine fellow Chris!

Chris' band The Jim Jims were playing a show and because I'd never seen them before and rumor had it they were the kind of music I like (post punk-ish), we took to the streets for a house party off Colfax.

Chris & Jen...total cuties!

This house party was packed to the gills with strangers. So to ease any awkward vibes...I promptly began swilling one of the bottles of champagne I brought with me.
This was both a good and bad idea.

First, good - because it tasted great and promoted the spirit of the evening.
Bad - because I was wearing the most gorgeous and treacherous pair of wooden wedge clogs ever!
I'm all about adventure!

The Kissing Party played first...and they were 'aight.
I guess I liked them back in the 90's when they were called Velocity Girl, but that's just me!

The Jim Jims and The Kissing Party belong to a music collective called Hot Congress and they do all kinds of music related stuff that promotes each other!
And I'm all about community spirit, promoting your friends, and making amazing art and music!

If you see a Hot Congress doing something in Denver...go check it out!

Phallic light saber.


There was a DJ spinning in a weird little attic spot...

And people milled around talking and drinking and celebrating!
Rightfully so - it's a party!

Ladyfriend extraordinaire - Jen Wood!

The lady...
Mmm, Rodarte tights just for the occasion!

This guy, whether full of irony or not, was sporting the most enchanting blue leather jacket with wolf eyes air brushed on the back.
I was mesmerized.
He was wearing a turtleneck so I have a hard time believing he was a hipster, but what do I know!?

Click on these pictures - they're religious.

Next up: The Jim Jims!

Prepped, primed, ready...

Jen and I camped out right in front with our bags on the floor...each of them overflowing with bottles of champagne!

This is a picture of Chris. He accidentally split his lip on the microphone...and coincidentally, while playing Rock Band I smacked myself in the face with a guitar.
Rockin' is dangerous business.

Jen and I were excited to see the gentleman get to playing!

And play they did...


Sweater? Sweater.

They're great! Right up my alley!

I love the drummer's arms in this pic.

It started to get a little rowdy...the floor bowed...and the clock approached ever closer to midnight.

So, Jen & I bailed for the back of the party for a quick escape!

Yep, that's what a house party looks like.
I know, I'd forgotten too.

We met the cutest boys that let us photograph their cool crumpled cup necklaces...

and then let us photograph them!
Aren't they the sweetest!

House parties are funny things.
You're in someone's house. You get to observe their things and get insight on their lives.


I like it.

It's sort of like riding your bike through quiet neighborhoods in the summer when the streets smell of clean laundry and you can peep into windows as you roll by and see people living their lives.

This might be a bit more intimate.

But not as intimate as this conversation...I heard the clean shaven dude say to the bearded dude, "Does my breath smell like vomit?".

Ha! Happy New Year!

We slipped out pretty quickly after The Jim Jims' set.

Jen and I waited for Chris to pull the car around.
And then headed over to their house to drink more champagne and ring in the new year together...Just the three of us!
Ha!

The countdown was anti-climactic, as it usually is...

But we shook things up by committing ourselves to hours upon hours of Rock Band.

Chris was all about the drums...

And Jen and I split up guitar intermittently, but mostly...I sang...
And pretty terribly, I might add.

Jen rocked it with one boot and she made it look so good!


When I wasn't singing...I was cuddling with Winston...


and RZA!

Later, after I'd filled myself to an unhealthy degree with persecco and laid on a dog bed with RZA on the floor...
Jen and Chris forced me up and at 'em for a pork explosion over at Steuben's!

Jen, the sweet human being that she is, walked straight up to the bartender that would be serving us and surprised him with a New Year's gift.
He was shocked - he hadn't expected such a kind gesture!
That Jen, she's great!

The menu was ALL pork...they'd been roasting pigs all day and we got to dig in and reap the benefits!

I had the Cuban breakfast!

While we waited, we pretended like we were scratching...Look at Chris' form...he's totally got one hand on the fader, yo!

When breakfast arrived, I made an audible "WOO".
I needed something in my belly!

We pigged out.
It was so damn good!

The habanero sauce was so hot that I might have sneezed and my eyes might have gotten a little drippy...
But that's how I like it!

It's weird...we amp ourselves up all year for a party that usually is a let down. We plan and plot and expect so much to happen on New Years and if it does we forget about all those years when it didn't.

Happily, I can say that I have some new friends that are funny and wonderful and are able to tolerate me...and for that, I am thankful in this new year.

And when I wrap it all up next year, I'd like to think that these new friends will be old ones!