January 1, 2006

New Year's Day

COLUMBIA, S.C. -- I believe in coincidences. So, when I rolled over to reach the iPod close to my bed for some slumber tunes this evening, I picked, for whatever reason, U2. The random shuffle selected "New Year's Day" from the album War of all the U2 albums and songs.

(Needless to say, I could go on about that for the remainder of this young year. I won't, though, and leave that rant for another time.)

Here I sit, New Year's Day not even two hours old in South Carolina, thinking of all the places I've been for this day over the last 36 years.

On January 1st of the following years, I was in...

  • 1970 -- A newborn in Chicago.

  • 1971 -- Still in Chicago.

  • 1972-1974 -- You guessed it...still in Chicago.

  • 1975 -- First New Year in South Florida.

  • 1976-1989 -- I'd left South Florida with my family to travel, but we always spent New Year's Eve in Florida.

  • 1990 -- Norwich, Conn., spending time with my sister, and then brother-in-law.

  • 1991 -- Persian Gulf on the USS Bunker Hill during my first deployment. It was the only time I'd be underway for New Year's Day.

  • 1992 -- Subic Bay, Republic of the Philippines, back from my first deployment.

  • 1993 -- Perth, Western Australia, on my second deployment on the homeward leg of the trip. After Perth we stopped in Sydney. Yes, it is all that it's cracked up to be.

  • 1994 -- Honolulu, Hawaii, back from my second sub trip.

  • 1995 -- Honolulu, Hawaii, back from my third deployment to the Persian Gulf. It would mark the first time I'd been in the same place two years running since I'd joined the Navy.

  • 1996 -- Tallahassee, Fla.

  • 1997 -- New Orleans, La., covering the Sugar Bowl (Florida v. Florida State)

  • 1998 -- New Orleans again, on Bourbon Street, again in town for the Sugar Bowl (Florida State v. Ohio State)

  • 1999 -- Gainesville, Fla., before driving down to Orlando to shoot the Citrus Bowl (Michigan v. Arkansas)

  • 2000 -- Aventura, Fla., with my mom, sister, niece and nephews waiting for the lights to go out.

  • 2001 -- Jacksonville, Fla., in town for the Gator Bowl (Clemson v. Va. Tech)

  • 2002 -- Boise, Idaho, in town for the Humanitarian Bowl (Clemson v. La. Tech). Not very humanitarian, in my humble opinion, to force people to be that far north for a bowl game.

  • 2003 -- Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., just after the Tangerine Bowl (Clemson v. Texas Tech), with Chip, Jason, Jen, Melissa and (gulp) Erin.

  • 2004 -- Atlanta, Ga., for Peach Bowl (Clemson v. Tennessee)

  • 2005 -- Columbia, S.C. No bowl game this year. Damn football teams had to get into a fight and nix that whole plan.

  • 2006 -- Columbia, S.C., after the Champs Sports Bowl (Clemson v. Colorado) in Orlando. Marked only the third time I'd been in the same place twice since I'd joined the Navy.

    • There you have it. Where I'd rung in the past 36 New Years. Not one of them have I made any kind of resolution other than resolving never to make New Year's resolutions. They just seem pointless to me because they'll always end up getting broken. It's the only resolution I've ever kept.

    Where were you on New Year's Day?

    - Rich

    frustration n (frus tray shun) - 1. the state of being frustrated, 2. a deep chronic sense or state of insecurity and dissatisfaction arising from unresolved problems or unfulfilled needs

    Recently

    Infrequent Posting and Loss of Right to Illegal Search and Siezure
    Two Cents
    United Airlines Sucks (redux) - updated
    College World Series -- The End
    College World Series -- When do I go home?

    The Archive