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Dumpster gatherings, small parties, honeymoon rituals (!) will ring in 2000 in Cache Valley
By Melissa J. Bloyer
"I go to Vegas every year. This year I don't even want to know what is going to happen," Ashby said, "I'm a crazy person, but not that crazy." So what will Ashby be doing to ring in the new year-new century-new millennium? "I am going to stay home and have a few friends over. We will probably have a few drinks. Just have fun at home," says Ashby. In fact, many people around Cache Valley are choosing to stay home. All but one hotel in the valley is booked and most restaurants that take reservations still have open spots. Some people have been planning for years for the millennium. A lot of people say they are tired of hearing about it. "I get the feeling that people are going to be disappointed when nothing disastrous or exciting happens," says Joel Weston. Weston, who is a manager at Chili's restaurant, says he will be ringing in the New Year with his wife's family. "They have some crazy rituals," says Weston, "like gathering around the television to watch a ball drop and eating dip." At Chili's though, Weston says the restaurant will be busy no matter what. "Even if people are opting to stay home, they have to eat. I think our take out section will be extremely busy." And speaking of eating, what foods does a person eat to bring in the New Year? "It's not what I'm going to eat, it's what I'm going to drink," says Ashby. "That's another reason why I'm staying home. It will be a safer place to drink." Ahn Tu Tran, a student at Utah State University and a manger at Hastings Book, Music and Video, said she is staying home because she does not want to be around crazy people. "I heard on the news there were going to be a lot of mass suicides and stuff like that. I just don't want to be a part of it," Tran said. Tran said she wants nothing more than to be with her boyfriend and a few other friends. She says it would make New Year's Eve more memorable than going to a party. In fact, a recent survey done by Time magazine states that 72 percent of American's feel the way Tran, Weston and Ashby do. They just want to stay home. So what can a person do to make New Year's Eve at home memorable? Meagan Smith, a student at Utah State University who will be spending New Year's Eve with her family in South Carolina, suggested inviting people to come to your house dressed in the styles of their favorite decade of the 1900s. "People can wear disco clothes and bring disco music, or wear poodle skirts and watch Grease," says Smith, "I am planning to dress as a flapper girl from the 1920s. I know how to do the Charleston so I will show it off." Another idea Smith's family has is to have a Y2K meltdown party. "We thought of everyone bringing candles and freeze-dried food. We could watch end-of-the-world movies like Armageddon," said Smith, "but then we thought that it would be more fun to have people dress up." Laura Larsen, a mother of four, said her family plans to have a "throw it away" night. "We are going to get rid of all the sentimental junk of the last century to make room for the sentimental junk of the new century," said Larsen. Larsen said she and a few other families in their neighborhood are going to be at the Dumpster in the Smith's parking lot at midnight. "It will be a good way to say goodbye to the old and welcome in the new," said Larsen. Rachel Randle, newlywed, has made different plans. "My husband and I are going to have a romantic New Year's Eve, just the two of us." Randle mentioned bubble baths and champagne and said at the stroke of midnight they will do whatever comes naturally, whatever that means. New Year's Eve can be a very personal celebration. One idea mentioned, by a person who wished to remain anonymous, is to have a quiet, personal night. Make a list of regrets and burn them at midnight, then make a list of things you want to see happen, or things you want to accomplish in the New Year. But what are people doing who are not staying home? Summer Putman says her and her husband are going to the Times Square Center Street Celebration in New York City. "There will be entertainment and a ball drop," says Putman. "There are supposed to be street heaters so it won't be to cold. It should be fun!" "I am going to be at work," says Elizabeth Erikson, who is a server at Chili's. "We have to close at 10:30 because of the Y2K bug, but we will probably still be there cleaning at midnight. Sounds like fun, huh?" And speaking of Y2K, some people can't wait to log onto their computers at the stroke of midnight. "It will be interesting to see what happens," says Trent Gillespie, who touts himself as a computer nerd. "It will be kind of a let down if everything is running fine. Nobody interviewed for this story seemed to be worried about Y2K. Nobody mentioned plans to spend the night in a bomb shelter. "No way!" says Ashby, "and just because I'm staying home does not
mean I'm not going to have fun either! We are going to party!" |
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