Expectation vs. Reality

Here it is, folks: 2025. “New Year, new me!”

Sorry, but that’s not my style. I’ll continue to keep doing the same things the same way, until one fortunate day, I’ll have an epiphany (or I’ll get absolutely fed up with myself).

Whichever comes first.

A perfect example of that, is the events that took place on New Years Eve. I was so excited; the idea of partying and having a blast and just cutting loose.

Sign me up!

The usual.

Most of the time, we go to the in-laws house and spend the night having fun by playing cards, blurt out slurred, incoherent drunken rants, dance and sing loudly and poorly, and eating, of course.

But this year was different. We had been invited to not just one, but TWO parties!

Sound the alarms!

The first one was a few hours away and we like to bring in the new year with our kiddo, so we decided not to go to that one.

The other one, though, was just out of town. The same town we were going to be in anyway.

YES! People want to hang out with us!

The plan was to go to the in-laws for food and to chill for a bit, then go to the party and hang out for a few hours, then come back and party all night. Pretty straight forward.

The days leading up to New Year’s Eve, I grew increasingly excited.

I finished my dress that I had been working so that I could wear that to the party.

I did something I hadn’t done in over a decade and got my nails done.

Still not used to them.

Then it was here: New Years Eve. Of course I still had to work a full day, so I was up at 5:30am, but I swore up and down to myself that I was going to stick it out, and stay up past midnight. “I’m gonna do it!”

I’m usually in bed by 9pm.

Work was work, and when it was finally time to leave, I sped home and quickly did a few chores and began to get ready:

• Full blown girl shower. If you know, you know.
• Moisturizing routine.
• Get dressed.
• Accessorize.
• Hair.
• Make up.
• Finish packing overnight bag.
• Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate.

Somehow my husband was ready before I was, even though he got home after I did.

Weird.

We stopped to get the essentials – beer – then head over to the in-laws.

BTW – my SIL and her husband had come over to the in laws house the night before, and he had been drinking since noon. By the time we got there, he had quite the snootful.

Day drinking for the win!

We chatted for a bit and ate some food. I cracked open a beer – or rather, my husband did for me because my nails don’t allow me that privilege.

Girl problems.

Then it was time – PARTY!!

Expectation

We had never been invited prior to this, so I was pretty excited. All day I had been day dreaming about what it would be like:

• Strobe lights spinning around in the room with dancing music blaring in the speakers.
• Drunken partiers dancing around the middle of the open floor just spilling their cups on each other.
• In another room, bar games galore. Darts, beer pong, corn hole, pool table, the works.
• A hot tub filled to the brim with drunk people.

I was prepared to cut loose. Not like crazy crazy, but more than usual.

Reality

We pulled in the drive and saw five other cars there.

Huh, I wonder where everyone’s at.

We go into the building where the party was and:

• Extremely well lit. No strobe lights. 🙁
• A bit too quiet for what I was expecting.
• Playing country music – not the “Lets drink and dance in the corn field” type but more of the “I love you and you’re my everything” slow dance kind.
• Drunken partiers playing corn hole.
• Scattered throughout the place were snacks, card games, board games, cornhole, and beer pong.
• The hot tub was used more for leaning than hot-tubbing.

Was I going to let that stop me?

Hell no!

I was there for a great time, damnit, and a great time I was going to have.

We started off with a game of darts. I won, btw.

We chatted with others for awhile then played a game of beer pong. That went on for way too long.

That last shot is a bit of a bitch to land.

We didn’t stay too long, and headed back to the in-laws. We got back and everyone had fallen asleep! Was I going to let that stop me?

Hell no!

I put my comfy clothes on, set up my spot for the night and cuddled my kiddo. Passed right out. It was 10:30pm.

Oh well, there’s always next year.