An Elegant New Year

Two years ago was traumatic, last year was mellow, so this year I wanted to have an elegant New Year’s Eve out. For the afternoon my friend Jona invited me to tea at the RitzCarlton. Of course we opted for the “Royal Tea”, complete with Champagne. We had a wonderful time catching up while seated in front of the fireplace and listening to the harpist reciting holiday melodies. Once I found out that Jona had wanted to originally do this with her mom, who had unfortunately passed away earlier in the year I was honoured that she felt me worthy to fill her place. Jona went on to get a massage at the spa, but I had to dash home to get ready for an evening at the San Francisco Symphony, gown, hair and all. My friend Romel and his patrons Dixie Lee and Stanley Mahy, who have been attending the New Year’sGala for the last thirty years straight, had invited me. They looked marvellous, Dixie Lee in a lavender silk and black velvet gown and Stanley in tails complete with white gloves and top hat. I hope that I will be that much fun as they are when I am in my seventies and eighties. They are always seated in the same box on the very front right. What a perfect spot to listen to the Symphony and Michael Feinstein perform old favourites from the likes of Gershwin, Kern and Berlin. I did not know that Michael Feinstein was that funny, nor that most great Christmas songs were written by Jewish composers. You always learn something new......

We also had some minor “celebrity” moments when countless people came upto our box wondering who we were while Dixie Lee and Stanley greeted their friends and fans, or when Joe Vasquez of the CBS morning news asked us what we thought of Gavin Newsom’s engagement. Thank God for Romel’s eloquent reply because I honestly was at a loss for words. I just smiled and raised my glass; that always seems to work.

After the performance Champagne and desserts were served in the lobby. Poor Romel who did not have time for dinner expected some savouries, as advertised and also served in the past, but there were none to be had. Not the best option for a diabetic! But he hung in there eating some fruit and still dancing with Dixie Lee and me until 1:00am on the sound stage, which had been converted into a dance floor. At midnight balloons fell from the ceiling and a young man right in front of us proposed to his girlfriend. She said yes, and judging from the ring already on her left ring finger she had no idea. Otherwise I would assume she would have kept that finger empty and ready. They made a really cute couple, and when the band played “The Way YouLook Tonight” I dedicated the song to them, and off to the stage they went fortheir first dance as a newly engaged couple.

Someday when I'm awfully low

When the world is cold

I feel a glow just thinking of you

And the way you look tonight.

Oh, but you're lovely with your smile so warm

And your cheek sosoft

There is nothing forme to love you

And the way you look tonight

With each word your tenderness grows

Tearing my fear apart

And that laugh that wrinkles your nose

touches my foolish heart

Lovely, never ever change

Keep that breathless charm

Won't you please arrange it?

'Cause I love you

Just the way youlook tonight...

I thought it was fitting. So the New Year started with a little romance, although not for me, I was happy nevertheless. Romel, always the romantic, thought it was a good omen since he had just wished me love and romance in the New Year. So we shall see….

Then I got a call from Romel in the morning telling me that he turned on the TV when he got up, and right then and there we both were closing the news segment about Gavin Newsom’s and Jennifer Siebel’s engagement. Not a bad start for 2008.