On New Years Day my family has a silly tradition. We all go out to the mall and buy calendars at half price. It got started as a joke when DH and I were first married and over the years has become part of our holiday celebrations. This year I bought myself the knitting pattern a day calendar ahead of time. I really wanted it and was afraid there wouldn't be any left by the time New Years rolled around. DD was took issue with this and has not let me live it down. Just now as I opened it and got it set up she called me a traitor. In years past I'd often get a wall calendar and a desk calendar, but this year I don't think I'll get the second calendar. Since we got a new computer a few months back and set it up in our living room I am no longer in our home office enough to justify hanging one up in there (that's where I typically hung them in the past). But if I see an especially good one I might buy it anyway and find a place for it later.

Our New Year's Eve get together was a good one. This year instead of buying a giant hero we got a meat platter. I think it worked better than the hero and we will probably do this again. We don't really drink much on New Year's Eve. A couple of glasses of wine or beer is our speed. We also had a shrimp platter and various hot appetizers courtesy of the local warehouse store. I baked chocolate cookies and brownies (DS wanted to bake and I had no problem indulging him) and our friends brought a carrot cake. I have enough food to last for days. But our philosophy about party food is that you can't have too much. (or as our friends put it "God forbid the army should show up and go away hungry")

Speaking of the Army, DS got a call a few days ago from an Army recruiter. I quietly told the woman that DS had Autism and was not a candidate. She apologized for the call and got off the phone quickly. We had a call from the Marines some months ago too. I guess they got his name from the school district. I don't like the idea of these people calling the kids at home and trying to recruit them. Seems a bit invasive.