Happy New Year (god I'm tired)

01:01:2003
So that's it for 2002
And It hasn't been a bad one for me. I spent the last 3 hours or so of it at a party at -----s and -----e's. Ended up doing half a DJ stint with ----g. He had about 70 records and 50 cds, I had 4 discs full of mp3s. We alternated tracks which made the music a bit schizophrenic.
Got to bed at about 3.45 am. Got up again at 7 to give --m breakfast, then ---y. Drank 2 cups of coffee and am now in that kind of high-strung false-awakeness state where you're just holding out against a crash which you know is coming. ----i is asleep, ready to take over when I hit the floor.
Lots of videos for the kids. Need to be left alone right now. I think they sense this and are pretty much looking after eachother.
Funny thing happened at midnight last night. We all trooped outside to watch the fireworks and waltz to the 'Blue Danube' which is the tradition here. Several people brought their dogs to the party which also seems to be a tradition. One of them was a very highly strung Dalmation which got totally spooked by all the bangers and fireworks. We saw it in the corner of the yard, whimpering and shaking in a puddle of its own piss, its owner hugging it and trying to calm the wretched animal down.
They just about got it calm when I somewhat carelessly (Ok I was high) let off a string of bangers that were a lot louder than I expected them to be. The bloody animal freaked out again and its owners (two blonde Austrians whom I had never met) looked around like they wanted to kill whoever had done it. I legged it indoors before any shit started.
Most of the people I talked to said it was the dog's owners fault as it's routine procedure here to drug the dog up on new year's eve.
Anyway, great party. I did the voodo cigarette trick on my co-dj ----g. He said I was a devious bastard. Trying to remember now whether I was being a tit most of the night. On the whole I don't think so, though I'm not the best one to judge. Cycled home with ----i. Actually not a bad way to get home on new years eve. The blast of freezing air and shot of oxygen seemed to clear my head a bit and am actually feeling OK this morning aside from the tiredness.
One other thing to report. ----s and -----e had a pretty strict rule on how no one was allowed upstairs without taking off their shoes. This happens a lot on Austria (and Germany, come to that). They make you take off your shoes when you come to someone's house or flat. Now normally I wouldn't object too much to this except that my feet always get so bloody freezing I get into a bad mood and start resenting my host in their own house. I don't voice my feelings because it would be impolite. Respect the house rules and all that...
I whinged about this to --a, and the bloody floodgates opened. Turns out this shoe removal business has been one of her pet hates for years. The two of us were actually pretty glad to find someone to air our grievences to. ----i respects and understands the shoe thing which is a mystery to me as she's always the first to complain about cold feet.
An illustration of how deep your average Austrian's respect for unsullied floors is: -----s and -----e's daughter ---a appeared at the top of their spiral staircase at about 2am. She was crying and looked pretty distressed (she's 2.5 years old). Like the good parents they are, -----s and -----e ran up the stairs to comfort the sobbing child, but -get this- not before they had removed their shoes as she was in the 'sock zone' or whatever you want to call it.
I think that says something about the complex web of loyalties and priorities contained within your typical Austrian.

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