Flying into Denver, I was greeted with a brisk temperature of about 14 degrees. Easily some of the coldest weather I had ever experienced up until that point, I was treated to a weekend low of about -3 degrees, before wind chill - something that simply can't be described until you experience it for yourself by shoveling a driveway
or playing a little beer pong in it.
Not the best idea, no. But it's certainly something to say that I (was dumb enough and actually) played a round of beer pong in sub-zero weather. I mean, it's goin' right under that whole Master's degree thing on my resume. Plus, it's always fun to try and tempt hypothermia and a trip to the hospital, right? Right?
Luckily, the crew and I were able to keep fairly warm the entire weekend by visiting breweries
and trying our hand at a deadly round of punchbowl roulette (okay, maybe two)
The chips weren't an actual ingredient in the punch (a delicious side, no doubt), but everything else you see there was combined to make a punch that absolutely worked - Sailor Jerry's Rum, Mount Gay Rum, Orange Mango Juice, Sparkling Raspberry, Midori, Bulleit Bourbon, Southern Comfort, Georgia Moon Corn Whiskey (read: moonshine out of a jar), a bag of white wine, some lemon-lime concentrate, plus a couple of Keystones and some other stuff I'm sure I forgot. Oh yeah, like that 5 hour energy shot. Since there were five of us, we figured we'd be good with an hour of energy a piece...makes total sense. Washed down with a game of "roos is roos" it was a pretty unbeatable combination - especially since this was New Year's DAY. The night after the actual party. Which let's me know that I'm getting ahead of myself...
For New Year's Eve, we actually decided to class it up a bit - as much as my friends and I are actually capable. We ended up buying tickets for an event called the White Rose Gala, which was something my buddy recommended, and seemed like a decent party we'd be able to turn out. And, as a matter of fact, it was.
We were definitely holding that dance floor hostage. Even with the fire dancers and weird stilt people they had, I'm pretty sure we were the most watched group - by guests and security alike.
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Being that we aren't completely moronic 20-somethings, we made sure to get rooms reserved for the night - not only for the convenience of not having to drive, get a cab, or other form of transportation, but also for the proximity to the party. Ensuring that we'd be able to slip off easily to replenish our drinks on the cheap, was a must. Although the party downstairs kept it goin', and as fun as it was gettin' nutty to an 80s cover band with a bunch of middle-aged folks, some of the best parts of the night seemed to go down in/around the room - at least that's what the photos tell me:
I have no idea what's going on here, but I like it. There were honestly so many ridiculous moments throughout the night (and weekend), it'd take another 30 photos and a case of carpal tunnel for me to get it all on the blog.
All in all, the entire weekend was an absolute blast. From meeting awesome new people in the airports and on my flights, to creating amazing new memories with some of my oldest (and newest) friends, I can't think of a better way to have rung in the New Year - when this group of us gets together, there is little else we need.
Well, except for maybe this guy:
No, he's not pointing to the roof. What we realized much later on, was that he had single handedly knocked our socks off with what will live on for the coming year as a symbol for 2011. Get it? Yeah, it took us a minute too. If you see me this year (and wanna make my week), shoot me one of these. I guarantee I'll shoot you a smile in return.
Happy 2011 everyone. Live it up. If the Mayans were right, we've only got 2 years left. Make 'em count.
This is inspirational, at worst. And no Dookie Britches! Now THAT'S a successful New Year's!
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