Glamoor

 When I woke up that morning, I could barely get out of bed.  By the end of the day, I knew the reason I was put on this Earth had nothing to do with dry martinis.  It all started in November of 2019 before the world turned upside down.

Growing up watching so many black and white films like “The Thin Man” and “The Women” prodded me into an exaggerated appreciation for stemware.  The allure of the nightclub with its smoky ambience and Jean-Louis gowns persuaded me that drinking and dancing with a handsome well-dressed man would be enchanting.  Such naivete!

When some friends suggested the Swan Club for a New Year’s Eve party, instead of thinking “but I don’t like going out on New Year’s Eve,” my first thought was “what will I wear?”  Then I had to convince my husband, also known as “the NO man,” that we should go out this one time since we were entering a new decade.  By some bizarre twist of fate, he replied “why not?”  

Well, as promised, the location, Roslyn Harbor, was lovely.  The country club look and feel of the place was very appealing as cars pulled up via a circular driveway so valets could park them and allow patrons to make a grand entrance.  Coats checked and champagne flutes in hand, we were ushered into the “Cocktail Room” where hors d'oeuvres came gliding by and spirits began soaring high.  If we’d made our swift retreat after this, the high point of the evening, it would have been ideal in the black-and-white-movie sense of the word.

Alas it came time for us to dine in the main ballroom where tables had been set with centerpieces the size of palm trees that made conversation with anyone but the person sitting right beside you impossible.  My hopes of romance on the dancefloor were horribly dashed as jungle drums beat incessantly as if signaling war.  Most of the well-dressed men were busy with their smartphones, presumably watching sports, while their female counterparts used their handy devices to snap the dreaded “selves accompanied by elves.”

Now I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that the best way to celebrate New Year’s Eve is at home knowing you’ll never again wake up with a hangover on New Year’s Day.  This year isn’t over yet.  Let’s not rush it.  Let’s savor all the lessons learned because as Mama always used to tell me: “Yvonne Darling, we live and we learn.”      

 

This year I’m planning a wonderful meal at home on both New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.  Thanking God for more blessings than I can count is essential.  A glass of ruby red with the meal and a bubbly toast because it’s traditional will could be just the thing.  So bring it in and bring it on because The Best is Yet to Come!

 

Yvonne A.

Dec 2020