Countdown

Watching the ball drop in Times Square is another one of the New York things I've always wanted to experience. My dream was to wear the year glasses, see the lights and all the people, feel the confetti fall in my hair...and know that all the world was watching! Months ago Jackie and Ansley made plans to come visit for New Year's Eve, and I informed both of them I fully intended for us to be standing in Times Square to ring in the new year, and they both excitedly agreed.

As the weeks passed, Ansley was the first to waver, "Rebecca, we're going to die! It's going to be so cold!" To which I replied, "No, no, no! We can do it! It's once in a lifetime - we have to do it!"

But as mid-December approached, I was the next to waver as I was constantly met with less than approving remarks from New York friends when they heard of my plans. I either got a roll of the eyes and a "you've got to be kidding" or a look of shock and disgust and a "you must be crazy!" I became familiar with people saying, "better rope yourselves together", "wear some diapers" and my personal favorite, "I don't like to be in places where I can be stabbed to death yet not fall down."

Jackie was the only one sticking to her guns...with two pairs of ski pants, hand and body warmers, and about fifty layers ready to keep warm!

A week or so before New Year's, I was ready to make other plans to go to a party, but thankfully while I was home for Christmas, I got some Southern sense knocked into me. Everyone in Alabama thought Times Square sounded like the MOST fun, and of course I should plan to be there to experience it.

Jackie, Rebecca and Ansley all poofed warm and ready for Times Square! Here we are on my balcony with the lights of Chrysler Building and Empire State Building in the distance.

We made our way down 7th Avenue toward Times Square, but we didn't get very far due to our late arrival...big plans to get out there by 4 PM - 6 PM at the latest - turned into 8 PM. After several cattle calls through police barriers (one time we did think we were going to be crushed by the stampede!) we finally worked our way to 7th Avenue and 51st Street. It was by no means Times Square, but at least we could see the ball...or at least what we thought was the ball!

Okay, get out a magnifying glass! The ball is the slightly pink little speck above the vertical row of signs. Seriously!

The view of the ball zoomed in a bit...no, it's not the glowing yellow (that's a street light!) It's the pinkish dot above the orange bar.

Hard to tell in the picture, but we would soon be let through the barrier in front of us to enter yet another barrier across the street to move further down 7th Avenue. Literally, corraled like cattle.

When I realized there was no way we were going to be anywhere near the confetti that blasts from the buildings around Times Square, we made our own confetti to help my dream come true!

All in all, it was a wonderful experience I would recommend to anyone. If you're planning to conquer Times Square in the future, let me offer the following tips:

10. Take advantage of a mild day and get out there early so you can actually be IN Times Square.

9. Be smart and don't drink many fluids after 2 PM on New Year's Eve.
8. Get to know the people standing around you - we met people from Amsterdam, Germany, Russia, Norway...all here to be in Times Square for New Year's!
7. Do NOT bring chairs...what's the big guy gonna do with a little pink folding chair?!

6. Bring snacks for your group - and enough to share with the new friends next to you who will be complaining of hunger, too.

5. Come with the right frame of mind to be pushed, squeezed and roped in for hours on end.

4. Think of some fun games to pass the time - rock, paper, scissors only works for a very short time.

3. Wear all the funny hats, glasses, and glow sticks you can get your hands on.

2. Turn around after the ball drops and look up 7th Avenue toward Central Park for beautiful fireworks!

1. Don't get too caught up watching the countdown screen just below the ball. I did not miss one number during the 60-second countdown...but I didn't see even one second of the ball in motion!! Oh well, there's always next year!

Ansley and I after the ball had dropped, and Jackie diligent on documenting everything!

"2008" in lights above the Toshiba sign.