Happiness 2 U

Went to Cape Town's V&A Waterfront last night. Normally Mrs M and I would have done the sane thing and stayed at home, but we wanted to give Miss L some fun. So 9pm we headed out. A classmate of Miss L's from Johannesburg was down in Cape Town too, so we invited him along. Yes, he was guy, so effectively it was Miss L's "first date" (although accompanied).

The Waterfront was swarming, but we found a little private jetty which was gently rocking with the swells and watched the 12 o'clock fireworks display from there. Awesome! Psychadelic orgasims of fire splattering across the night sky. (only thing I didn't like was the effect it had on the seagulls - 1000s of the critters squawking in the sky; flapping their wings in pandemonial panic).

Then we got jammed in traffic for 3 hours. Three! But Miss L and her beau loved it, sitting in the backseat, giggling, listening to rap and showing off for the cars on either side. Got home just after 3 am. It will probably be a night Miss L will always remember.

For me, it was the first night I've seen the New Year in stone cold sober since I was 13. And I loved it. No cigarettes, no alcohol, no dope. So much more experience. And what a fkng great experience not to be moping in hangover land on 1 January.

Been listening to classical music today (headphones on as classical, in Miss L's books, is totally uncool). Loving Tchaikovsky at the mo. And I got to thinking that (re: yesterday's post), with the year ahead focused on OUTput, rather than INput, music will be one of the few remaining inputs. But there's a difference. Reading (the chief Input I'm dropping) is totally left brained. Linear, analytical processes. Music, on the other hand, is a right brain input - the creative, Yin side of the equation. And that's a side that I've traditionally neglected. So it's a damn good thing.

Feeling really happy today. Unusual for so little sleep. Not so much excited, but a deep contentment. Although I can't deny that I'm anticipating 2006 with a fresh eagerness. Hope you guys are too.