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I spent New Year's Eve, my second least favorite holiday, babysitting my newborn nephew. His parents had a wedding to go to and I was pleased to be spending more time with the newest addition in my life. Sadly though, it would be the first time in five or so years that my best friend and I didn't spend New Year's together. The things we do for our family!

While driving up to New England, I had plenty of time to think about the things I would not be buying in a few days and I was filled with the irrational need to use my favorite coupons at the grocery store as soon as I arrived at my sisters. She had other plans though and thought this preoccupation of mine was weird.

I had planned on going to the grocery store once my sister and her husband left, but my nephew and I took a three hour nap on the sofa and ended up not braving the few snowflakes and harried last minute grocery shoppers. I don't think the baby was upset by this at all.

After putting him to bed, I wistfully looked at the "Buy One Get One Free" hair dye, "Save $1 on your Salad Dressing" and other random, soon to expire coupons, before I threw them away. I don't know what came over me. Cutting coupons on Sunday afternoon is a ritual for me, but this was bizarre, even by my own admission!

With the baby in bed and a few hours of 2006 left, I felt listless waiting for the New Year and all it's shinny promises. 2006 had been an incredibly difficult year for me and I was more than ready for it to be over. Even with this looming boycott, I felt more optimistic about the freshness of the future year than I usually do.

I was very surprised when Luke called me an hour early to wish me a Happy New Year. I was still steamed that we were apart though, so I wasn't terribly pleasant when I answered the phone. We made a few jokes about it being our last chance to buy things made in China, and Luke pointed out that he had an extra hour to shop his heart out if he wanted to. Neither of us bought anything though, and I was too preoccupied trying to figure out how to turn on my sister's t.v. to realize that 2007 had arrived. I hoped the frustration I was feeling during the "out with the old, in with the new" wouldn't be the dominate theme in 2007.

We talked about random things and welcomed in the New Year in the Midwest with less frustration on my part because I finally managed to turn the t.v. on, and snarky as it may be, I was less angry at being apart once I realized that Luke was ringing in the holiday by partying with cats in our t.v. free apartment.

Around three a.m East Coast time, we got off the phone. The "Made in China Boycott" was officially underway. So far, nothing felt any different, a feeling which I didn't think would last very long.