Tonight we will ring in 2018 at home in McLean, Virginia with my in-laws from North Carolina. New Year’s eve is also my wedding anniversary. Twenty years ago, Leslie and I decided to walk across the street in Old Town Alexandria and get married. Since we dated for eight years, I count the anniversary as our 28th while Leslie insists on counting this year as our 20th anniversary. We will toast our anniversary and the New Year (as we did 20 years ago) with a bottle of Schramsburg Cremant.
This year will ring in without one tradition . . . and it is an improvement. I have previously complained about the unfunny and often raunchy performance of Kathy Griffin on CNN. After Griffin’s disgusting image of a beheaded Donald Trump and then her bizarre press conference with Lisa Bloom, Griffin has been dumped by Anderson Cooper and CNN. She has posted a rather bizarre videotape which again blames everyone but herself and says that no one has ever faced the type of blacklisting that she is now facing:
I expect that much of the problem in finding work as a comedian is the distinct absence of anything funny in these videotapes — or Griffin’s continued controversies with neighbors and others.
I have previously admitted that I have a low tolerance for raunchy sex skits and jokes on New Year’s Eve shows. I can be viewed as a bit prudish on such issues (my Midwestern roots no doubt) but many kids stay up to watch the ball drop in New York. I have previously had to turn off CNN because my kids were watching with me.
Tonight will set some records for cold and I will happily (as usual) remain in my toasty warm house with the family. Tomorrow we will be making our traditional soup for New Year’s and I will post our annual “State of the Blog” column. Until then, have a fun and safe (and warm) New Year’s Eve!