So I had to work New Years Eve, but the family came into the city and we met up to go to the fireworks on the river. I don't know what had changed this year, but there seemed to be less of a focus on family activities. More stuff catering to the young and single.

Now I'm not that ancient, but I'm not that interested in DJ's playing the same sampled beats over and over, or rave dance parties. Actually the dance party was pretty pathetic - not a very large group of people for the space it was held in, and mostly a few adults trying to get their children to gyrate, with little success. I can't understand why they only elected to show one movie this year. Usually they'll have a bunch, and the one they did show, Princess Bride, seemed to have a reasonable turnout. Whoever's idea it was to have a Guitar Hero/Mario Kart tournament should probably be given a sharp smack across the forehead. How many people can play the games at once? Not many - leaving the rest of us to watch?? Ooh exciting stuff!

We filled in some of the time with a swim in the lagoon (with about 2000 other people), and waited for the fireworks. Fortunately they were still having the early showing, followed by the midnight bang up. We decided to stay for the early one, and took off for home about 9. The fireworks were as usual pretty good, although I had a feeling they'd been scaled down from previous years. I guess they hadn't escaped the economic downturn - perhaps that explained the lack of interesting activities this year also - all done on a shoestring. The only thing that kinda rankled me about the fireworks - they intercut the music with clips from the news during the year. Why the hell do we want to be reminded of all the horrible things that happened? Heath Ledgers death, skyrocketing petrol prices, wars, and then the final WTF - Obama being elected to president. Hey i agree it's great he's in, and the shaven monkey is finally on the way out, but what's it got to do with Australia? Last time I checked, Oz isn't a State of America yet. The whole thing was strange and surreal.

So yeah, home and tucked up in bed before midnight. Some strange movie playing on SBS, and the wife and children passed out. The dogs snoring on my pillow, behind my head. That was New Years... Not the worst I've ever had, but it's not such a big deal in my mind. We're still here, and life goes on. Here's hoping good things happen for everyone in 2009.