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01.05.00
New year's was interesting. Here in Oregon, we're nearly the last ones to cross the date line. Hawaii and Alaska come after us. So all day long, we got to watch the new year (NOT the new millenium... that's next year and it got really old hearing EVERY news station report on "the millennium") advance over other parts of the world. The massive parties in Russia, the huge fireworks in France, the festivities in Britain. Then we saw the party start in Times Square in New York. HUGE parties everywhere! Well, Portland was having a party, too. In Pioneer Square. The city blocked of fifteen blocks surrounding it, and had limited access points guarded (sort of) by cops. I was just going to have a small party with some friends and get pretty drunk. But everyone else wanted to go to the Square. So we went, and it was REALLY lame. Everyone was bored, there was cheering (on que), and most of the people were just trying to see themselves on the massive TV screen across the street. The lame radio presenters sucked, and when they put on a documentary about famous historians on the big TV, we decided to leave. Once we got home, it was cooler, because people kept showing up, and everyone was having fun. The fireworks were going off behind the clouds, so all we could see was the entire sky lighting up red and green. Christmas was cool, too. We went back to Annie's home for about a week and hung out with her family. Dave and some of his friends set up a small computer network in the basement, so we got to spend some time playing good multiplayer games. We spent Christmas eve with her family. They're self-described pagans, and Annie brought me along to their yearly ritual, which was cool. It was very low-key. They lit some candles, and Annie's grandmother read out of a book about the origins of the holidays, and then they went around the room and everyone said something. It was really cool. The next morning, we did a rushed presents-opening with her family, and then ran to the train station to come back to Portland, where my mom and dad picked us up and drove us to Eugene, where my grandparents are, and we did my big family gathering. It was kinda strange, because normally we go around and everyone opens presents one by one, and then we eat, but this year PopPop was eager to get it overwith because his football team was doing well for the first time ever. I felt really happy about the gifts I gave this year. Most years I don't have enough money to do cool things, but this year I tried to find something really cool for everyone, and I think I succeeded in finding a really good gift for everyone. The only bad thing is that Annie and I made cool homemade cards for everyone, and then I forgot to give them to anyone, and I didn't wrap half the presents. So even though I got perfect gifts for most people, I felt kinda bad about it anyway. Oh well. Hmmm... I've already written a ton, so I'm going to stop for now, but I'll try to write more later about some ideas I've had recently. :)
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