Bringing in the New Year with a pop...pop...pop

Yes, I am a party pooper, but this year I wasn't planning to do the big New Year's Eve celebration. I figured I already had a great six months in Houston checking out what's going on around town that a relaxing night at home sounded wonderful.

In fact, I even had my night planned with my crackers and fancy cheese (the kind you only buy during the holidays), champagne in a can (it's not Taittinger which is my favorite, but not bad), and a couple of rental movies. Heaven.

But if you happened to have been at the Hyatt last night, you might have seen me. Yup...instead of hanging out at home, I decided to paint the paint the town red - well gold, as that was what I wearing (see the picture to the left. That gray band is my camera which I tossed over my shoulder for the shot).

I figure I can eat cheese any day, but how often can I ring in the New Year in style? Besides, I really couldn't resist going after so many people told how fabulous the party at the Hyatt is year after year. Plus, after I learned that the hotel had been throwing the New Year party for 34 years and that over 2,000 people would be there, I definitely had to go.

I didn't want to miss out on the ultimate New Year's bash.

And how could it not be? It was - count them - three floors of party space. Not three rooms, but the entire floor. Each floor had a band or DJ and a whole of people dressed in everything from jeans to gowns. But it didn't matter what they were wearing. The one thing they all had in common was the goal to party like it was 1999 ...um ...I mean 2009 (although they did play that Prince song).

The bartenders were also busy all night popping champagne like it was only beverage on earth. But hey, it's New Year's Eve and if you ever need to excuse to indulge in the bubbly, this is the night to do it. The only thing that they didn't have was food, but if I was smart, I would have reserved dinner at Shula's beforehand.

However, I wasn't there for the champagne or the music. I was there for the balloons. The 50,000 free falling balloons. They drop them all from a net at the stroke of midnight from the 33rd floor of the hotel. And let me just say that they were gorgeous in all their multi-colored splendor.

I didn't think I'd be so amazed over a bunch of balloons, but they were so mesmerizing you almost wanted them to fall for even longer. I tried to take a video, but it's not the same. You just have to be there to experience it.