What a wonderful way to ring in the New Year! Gourmet cheese and crackers straight from the Minnesota branch of the Girlfriends…yummy frozen margaritas, courtesy of Jose Cuervo and the Magic Bullet… and a double-decker of See’s candies that you had to play Peek-a-Boo Guess-Who with, since there was no blueprint of the ingredients.

It was Twila’s birthday on the 31^st and November heralded a new jump-off point for me, so the Girlfriends decided to go on retreat to a mineral spa just north of Santa Fe. The mineral pools at Ojo Caliente are world-famous. In fact, Ojo Caliente is the only place in the world where 4 different geo-thermal pools can be found in the same place. They include Iron, Soda, Arsenic and mud.

After a little brouhaha about our rooms, we finally retired to the Hill House (they called it a “modular house” … we called it a double-wide. You say tomato.. I say tomatoe). I had the first massage of the group and it was with a delightful woman named Storm. She elbowed and fore-armed my erector muscles until they finally released. From there I had Alex for a deluxe facial. It was heaven! I fell asleep every time she laid the herb-soaked hot towels on my face. I WILL be trying that at home!

From there I soaked in the iron pool, on to the soda pool and finally to arsenic at a comfy 98 degrees. What a way to relax!

We opened presents and ate snacks and drank margaritas. And we were all ready to go to bed before midnight. But we had to see Dick Clark! So we talked to keep ourselves awake. Was it heart-wrenching to see Dick Clark, still dealing with the affects of the stroke? Yes. But then, it really became uplifting. Because it was courageous. Here was a man who certainly didn’t need the money or the exposure, but Rockin’ New Year’s Eve was his baby. And I do believe he was proud of the progress he had made since the stroke. And BRAVO for him for being such a wonderful role model to imply by his appearance… no matter what your disability (for indeed, a stroke is a disability).. don’t let it stop you from doing what you love! And isn’t that what we should be portraying on TV, in the movies, in magazines… instead of too-skinny women, outrageously expensive clothes and pop figures who have no reason to be a part of our culture except they have good PR people? (yes, I’m talking about you, Paris).

So BRAVO Dick Clark!!

And as for those who think Mariah Carey looked a little “chunky” on the show…. let me cash your reality check. You’re part of the reason that people have problems with their self-images. You’re the reason Hollywood is portraying skeletal women as “normal.” Mariah looked just fine, albeit too under-dressed. My problem with Mariah was how she kept “working it” as if her whole identity was tied up in her sexuality. Thank you MTV, VH1 and BET.

Twila and I saw Brokeback Mountain in Santa Fe on the way home. (Because it was never going to come here.) Wow. WOWOW is all I can say. Incredible acting. Luscious cinematography. And a well-told story. Heath Ledger captured the quiet and closed-lipped cowboy to perfection. Jake G (because I can’t spell his last name) exuded his torment without chewing the scenery. It would be a tough call to say who was the better actor. I can’t remember a movie I felt was better crafted. And oh, that Randy Quaid! Just a look and he says it all!

So it was a wonderful end to the old year and start of the new. I am sure this year will be full of abundance and change. And I anxiously look forward to that.

May your New Year be the start of something big!

And here’s a quick tip for you:

Keep in mind that toilet seat covers in restrooms are meant to disintegrate when they get wet. Consequently, when you step out of somewhere wet… oh, let’s say a mineral pool or something… and you use one of those toilet seat covers… they’re going to disintegrate. In places from which you will have trouble removing all the little dissolved and semi-dissolved pieces.

In simple language… dry your butt before you go.

Love and kisses….

P