since being in sf, at least

• dec 2010 for 2011 - i was lucky to score some tickets to an actual NYE party that aaron happened to be DJing at, and with steve aoki as a headliner. i got kim and suz as my pluses, and bradley, his girlfriend stacy, nate, tauri, t's girlfriend annE, rachel, stephanie, and pantea all joined in the madness. we ended up taking a limo to the party at fort mason when we couldn't score two taxis for the group, and muni was being slow. the party itself had two dancefloors, open bar, and one coat check, which ended up proving heinous in retrieving belongings at the end of the night. memorable moments included me hating on a guy who was standing in line with us for the bathoom (he sung katy perry to me), people climbing on some faux golden gate bridge and almost dying, kim commandeering a random guy's jacket to wear, my camera seeing the most use out of all the time i've ever owned it, photobooth time with kim, going on a whisky hunt when one bar ran out, and feeling smug when i realized i planned properly by bringing an umbrella and sensible coat for the journey home. i left a little early and zach picked me up, thus cutting my anxiety about trying to get home halfway across the city in half. we got jack-in-the-box back on the island and i ended up being a little too hungover to hang out with angela the next day. suz, the crew, and i had family dinner at naan'n'curry new year's day night, and i worked at leisure at cat club sorely tired but having fun. i wore a shimmery purple CK dress. i kissed all my friends, zach, and frawnk.
• dec 2009 for 2010 - i did some record shopping either in the day at amoeba with kyle, and then went downtown to ross to see if i could score a NYE dress. when i got home, i discovered my wallet was missing, and jennifer and abby were already on their way to the apex for pregame. after much tears and finding out that someone spent $200 at safeway mere minutes after i discovered the theft, the girls helped booze me up and gave me money for the night. i celebrated with kim, suz, kyle, nate, rachel, lacey, pantea, beavis, justin, and other members of the group at yancy's. nate played the "have you met jenz?" game and subsequently i spent some unplanned time in a bar closet. i also did a tequila shot for the first time since my 21st birthday incident with patron and lived to tell the tale. jennifer, abby and i went to post-festivities brunch the next day at sparky's and we rehashed stories from the previous night. i wore a white satin halter dress with black polka dots. i kissed some rando guy and all my friends at yancy's.
• dec 2008 for 2009 - kristin and i decided we wanted to be in a different country for nye, so we went to london! we stayed with andy. the loose plan was to see the fireworks in south bank, of which i'd touched base with my ex john about meeting up at. we decided to get to SB early at 9, but it was near freezing and we didn't want to stay out on the bridge til show time, even though we had a thermos ready of vodka and juice. we went to a firehouse-theme bar nearby and then another one across the street to have a drink at each. by the time we went back to the bridge, it was closed, so we followed a bunch of people to break through barricades! sadly and funny enough, we didn't even hear the countdown, found out it was midnight when we checked our watches, and viewed the actual fireworks as a reflection off the side of the IMAX building. because the tube was free and running all night, we went back to that second bar, wherein we met some french guys + girl and two brothers from turkey i think? we all were a great group in buying each other drinks, trading stories, sharing where we were from, and then everyone made out with everyone (me included). it was this night andy and i started to act like a couple and made out like every 15 minutes, especially next to this wardrobe thing that was near us. we had a really intimate heart-to-heart before leaving the bar about his mom, who had just had heart surgery. he, K, and i got fish and chips after, which K then promptly spilled on the floor in the tube station and we ate the tops of them. then on the tube back home we met one of the dudes from "x factor" and made friends with some nice indian girls. there was a guy who was sitting next to me who pissed all over himself while passed out. we tried to wake him up but were unsuccessful. 40 minutes later we were successful, and then he got his head stuck in the tube doors when trying to exit. andy made us some delicious snacks when we got home around 5 am, and K went to bed "early." he and i stayed up to watch "the dark knight," and it was the only time during the trip he let me cuddle with him and played with my hair. when it hit 8 am it was midnight in california, so i called my parents to wish them a happy nye. they asked me about the riots in some parts of london they'd seen on the news, which weren't in the locations we had been to that night. i think i then slept until like 3 in the afternoon the next day. i never did connect with john that night. i wore a black dress with the carved bust + bow, and tights. i kissed andy, kristin, and the random guys in that group.
• dec 2007 for 2008 - i literally didn't know where i was going to be at 8:30 pm. on new year's eve i went to san jose to see the dinosaur show, followed with burritos with elias and being 12 again with wendy at christmas in the park. i took the caltrain back to san francisco and called danielle to go to the mezzanine concert with moving units, blaqk audio, and junior boys guest DJing. we got beers and had a glass of champagne at midnight. we got very, very intoxicated, and danced with wayne in his white suit. i ended up talking to my brandon on the phone; he was at a party down the street. danielle held my hand as we walked to pinecrest and talked about old loves. i threw up outside the diner and didn't even eat my waffle. we miraculousy scored a cab and she took me home, where i burned the top of my right foot on my space heater, waking up to a huge boil on my foot i had to pop later, but i remember waking up with a smile. i wore a black lace babydoll tank with beige underlining and black leggings with flats. the song at midnight was "we are your friends" by simian mobile disco. i kissed (in order) danielle, wayne, aaron, brandon (leisure), and omar (platonically on the cheek).
• dec 2006 for 2007 - jeremy and i went to the disco 2007 at mezzanine, saw the last half of scissors for lefty and decided to leave during shiny toy guns; i was bummed to miss blonde redhead but we decided the year should be ushered in via friends. charlie's party was still going on so we raced over to the outer richmond from downtown and made it to his living room with eight seconds left on the countdown (thank god the front door was open!). regina was having trouble in the relationship front and nick and melissa were at home, so we ended up all drinking together at 1 a.m. instead. i got home after a trip to sparky's and ended up having a lengthy conversation with jay until 8 a.m. about us and him smoking and drinking so much in our kitchen while we talked my throat hurt the next morning. this was the first night he confessed to me he was also fooling around with his best friend's girlfriend, and while he and i weren't serious, i remember feeling such a sense of anger. i wore a gray dress with black swirl flowers. i kissed charlie.
• dec 2005 for 2006 - my first nye being 21. i remember freaking out about buying a little black dress for the occasion. we had pizza at the whipple house before departing to the venue. we went to the disco 2007 show at mezzanine with lovemakers, every move a picture (we missed), and stellastarr. brandon met kevin for the first time and was overprotective of me due to previous flirting events (not my initiative). veronica and ted left early i think because v wasn't feeling well. b discovered drink tickets in the midnight balloons that dropped and sparked everyone at mezzanine to grab as many balloons as possible for the free tickets. the song at midnight was madonna's "hung up." there was a picture on the popscene website of b and i hugging before midnight. the next day, after crashing at his, we had chili and had a very chill afternoon. i wore a black dress with a polka dot mesh overlaying the silky base. i kissed brandon.
• dec 2004 for 2005 - we were having a nye party at luna lounge when it was open, so i went to help set up the club with decorations but couldn't stay because i wasn't legal. madelia did soundcheck. i waited for brandon to come over from the haight house and he was toasted on red wine. we went to the hole in the wall bar (true name!), a gay bar, around the corner with sean, griff, and sean's girlfriend at the time and got utterly wasted. b and i made out a couple times in the bar, on the street, in an alley, and drinking the rest of that wine. we went to the party club i.d. was sponsoring illegally in a warehouse a block away from the main sfpd branch. we got wasted and waited for my friend jenn and her nyc visitor to get in, who wanted to make out with b, and i got super jealous and hid in the smoking room until me and him reconciled. the song at midnight was gwen stefani's "what you waiting for." it was also the first time i saw someone do coke in plain front of me. it took us forever to get back to state afterwards and i think we went to bed around 4:30 a.m. i wore a black tube dress with flowy material at the bottom, and a dark blue pinstripe skirt underneath. i kissed brandon.
• dec 2003 for 2004 - i was an RA and on duty until 5 p.m. alli was in town and she picked me up to have new year's dinner from state with dominique, steph, and a bunch of people at max's opera cafe. we snuck away afterwards to attend her friend joshua's party in the castro; they totally met on friendster. we stuck around and canoodled before going to stuart's party in daly city. this is when i was still madly in love with him and it was awkward between us to talk about any feelings. i remember matt running in the street to greet us while we were still in the car, dressed in a kilt. we counted down and i remember feeling like i both wasted my time and spent my time well while standing there. there were a lot of people i didn't know being there, but it was when jose was still in town. the night ended early and i ended up going home with a tear-stained face because i was in emotional overdrive. alli took me back to state. i remember wearing a dress, but i can't remember which one. i kissed stuart.
• dec 2002 for 2003 - it was my first year in college and i actually went back to my hometown to go to church with my parents, as my mom converted (a born-again) and this was the usual thing for her now. i remember sneaking out at midnight and calling all my new university friends. i also remember vowing not wanting to repeat the experience for myself every again - a dry nye is not for me, especially in a place of worship, but i see the appeal.
• when i was a kid - we used to watch whatever nye programs were on TV and eat chinese food. i think my parents went out a few times when i was younger, but from at least fourth grade until high school, this was tradition. i remember feeling so heartbroken when we started going to church instead because i felt the legacy was getting broken.