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Ever spend New Year's Eve in a strange place?
Happy New Year DKOS. I hope everyone is back home and safe now. Some New Year's Eves go better than others no doubt. The most unusual one I can recall ever spending was in Venezuela.
I met a person vacationing here from Venezuela. We began a correspondence. Months later I visited Venezuela. The plan was for us to spend New Year's Eve together. That plan didn't work out, or rather it did in an unintended way.
I arrived in Venezuela the day before New Year's Eve. I met my friend and we went out to dinner together. First we had to go to a car rental agency as an elaborate drive was planned for passing the next day in a different city. At the car rental agency an elderly man who was dressed very shabbily attempted to open the door for us. My friend contempuously brushed off the man's attempt. I gave the man some money. As soon as we were inside the car my friend harangued me for, "encouraging those type of people to steal from their betters." I thought to myself, "who is this person? This isn't the sweet and sympathetic person I've been getting to know for months."
I was initially told that Chavez was turning the country into this flag.
Dinner proved difficult to enjoy. The table we got "wasn't very good." The waiter "wasn't very smart." The other customers "weren't dressed very nicely." As we were driving away my friend gave me back the tip I had left on the table. I then got an unsolicited earful on how the morals of the country were being subverted by the "Communist" Chavez who was "giving too much away" to the lazy and uneducated.
I was done. I didn't know much about Hugo Chavez at the time, but had nonetheless been told that I was a Chavista. There then followed a very awkward goodnight scene where I felt it was obvious that I was no longer interested in pursuing any type of relationship. The next morning I returned the rental car and began to realize that I had 36 hours left to spend alone in a city where I knew no one. Suddenly there was a loud knock on the door.
"What happened to you?" was angrily demanded of me as soon as I opened the door. The one-sided conversation degraded quickly from there. I sat mostly in silence during the 30 minute lecture that followed. Not one question was asked of me. When it was over I got up and locked the door. Then I exhaled. I wasn't quite sure what had just happened, but I was quite sure I wasn't going to be marrying into Venezuela's upper class or partying with them on New Year's Eve. My plans had fallen through. I was alone in a country where the only person I knew hated me with a passion, but I was free. Under the circumstances, that was a good trade-off.
"Where do you want to go?" the taxi driver outside asked me.
"Follow that car."
"Which car?"
"I don't much care which car. I don't feel like waiting in my room to see if a ghost returns. Drive anywhere. If you got errands to run, I'll go with you."
Almost every other Venezuelan I met who talked
potitics felt the countryw as moving in this direction....
Heh, he took me up on the offer. The rest of that day, and most of the next, I rode shotgun in a Venezuelan taxi cab. The driver told other customers that I was training to be a driver. That is the ones that were
sober enough to communicate with, or weren't
entertaining their clients in the back seat. I ate dinner at the driver's house that night. His family was estatic over Hugo Chavez. They were renters, and saw Chavez as their only hope of ever getting a house. The next day I had four (yeah, four) meals with different passengers I had met. Only one was noticably hungover.
I returned to Venezuela two months later to visit friends I made during those taxi rides. I went back again four more times. If not for my son, I would've re-settled there. I guess that was some kind of a New Year's Eve hangover....
What about you? Ever spend New Year's Eve in an unusual environment? Can you even recall any past New Year's Eves? Do you even recall them the next day?
Latest Updates on Kossack Regional Meet-Up News Below the New Day sunrise cloud
:: COMMUNITY BUILDING UPDATES ::
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Let's build communities!
Every region needs a meatspace community like SFKossacks.
We take care of each other in real life.
I urge YOU to take the lead and organize one in your region.
Please tell us about it if you do and we're here for advice.
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THINK GLOBALLY, ACT LOCALLY
>>>Instructions on HOW TO FORM A NEW DAILY KOS GROUP
NEW GROUPS IN THE PROCESS OF ORGANIZING:
Send a Kosmail to the organizers and ask for an invitation to the group.
• Northern Indiana Area: Kosmail Tim Delaney
• Long Island: Kosmail grannycarol
• Northern Michigan: Kosmail JillS
• Nebraska: Kosmail Nebraska68847Dem
• Westburbia Chicago Kossacks: Kosmail Majordomo
• Caprock Kossacks (Panhandle/Caprock/Lubbock/Amarillo area) : Kosmail shesaid
• West Texas Kossacks (including Big Bend Region and El Paso) : Kosmail Yo Bubba
• Las Vegas Kossacks: Kosmail miracle11
• Vermont Kossacks: Kosmail 4Freedom
Note to the above new leaders: Feel free to leave a comment any day reminding readers about your new group. Also, tell us about your progress in gathering members. Kosmail me when you've chosen a good name for your group and have created a the group. Then I'll move you to the NEW GROUPS LIST. When you've planned a date for your first event I'll make a banner for you to highlight your event in our diaries and your diaries.
These are the groups that have started since * NEW DAY * began. Please Kosmail navajo if you have started a group before that.
NEW GROUPS LIST:
• California Central Valley Kossacks - Formed: Jul 29, 2012, Organizer: tgypsy
• New England Kossacks - Formed: Aug 6, 2012, Organizers:
Clytemnestra for Lower New England (Conneticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island)
nhox42 for Upper New England (Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont)
• Houston Area Kossacks - Formed: Aug 7, 2012, Organizer: Chrislove
• Kossacks in India - Formed: Aug 14, 2012, Organizer: chandu
• CenTex Kossacks - Formed: Sep 9, 2012, Organizer: papa monzano
• Central Ohio Kossacks - Formed: Sep 26, 2012, Organizer: VetGrl
• Kansas City Kossacks - Formed Oct 15, 2012, Organizer: [Founder stepped down]
• Phoenix Kossacks - Formed Oct 16, 2012, Organizer: arizonablue
• Chicago Kossacks - Formed: Oct 31, 2012, Organizer: figbash
• Koscadia the Pacific Northwest coast from Northern California to Alaska
- Formed Oct 17, 2012, Oganizer: Horace Boothroyd III based in Portland, OR
• Boston Kossacks - Formed: Nov 7, 2012, Organizer: GreyHawk
• Motor City Kossacks South East Michigan (Detroit) Area - Formed: Nov 10, 2012, Organizer: peregrine kate
• Pittsburgh Area Kossacks - Formed: Nov 12, 2012, Organizer: dweb8231
• Salt Lake City Kossacks - Formed: Nov 17, 2012, Organizer: War on Error
• Twin Cities Kossacks - Formed: Nov 17, 2012, Organizer: imonlylurking
• Dallas Kossacks North Texas - Formed: Nov 21, 2012, Admins: Catte Nappe and dalfireplug. Please contact them to join the group. An Event Organizer needed.
• The Southern California Inland Empire Kossacks - Formed: Dec 3, 2012, Organizer: SoCaliana
• Los Angeles Kossacks - Formed: Dec 17, 2012, Organizer: Dave in Northridge
• Northeast Ohio Kossacks - Formed: Jan 16, 2013, Organizer: GenXangster
• Kansas & Missouri Kossacks - Formed: Jan 17, 2013, Organizer: tmservo433
• I-77 Carolina Kossacks who live from Columbia, SC to north of Winston-Salem, NC. - Formed: Jan 30, 2013, Organizers: gulfgal98 and eeff
• Indianapolis Kossacks - Formed: Feb 6, 2013, Organizer: CityLightsLover
• Southwest Ohio Kossacks - Formed: May 10, 2013, Organizer: Dr Erich Bloodaxe RN
• Northern Arizona Kossacks - Formed: Jul 5, 2013, Organizer: Sam Sara
• Mexican Kossacks - Formed: Apr 14, 2013, Organizer: roberb7
• New York Hudson Valley Kossacks - Formed: Oct 27, 2012, Organizer: boran2
• North Carolina Triangle Kosmopolitans - Formed: Aug 2, 2013, Organizer: highacidity
• Silicon Valley Kossacks - Formed: Oct 31, 2013, Organizer: Glen The Plumber
• Seattle and Puget Sound Kossacks - Formed: Dec 17, 2013, Organizer: EagleOfFreedom
ESTABLISHED GROUPS LIST: (List will grow as we discover them)
• SFKossacks Founded by navajo, Formed: May 2, 2005
• Maryland Kos Founded by timmyc, Formed: Feb 23, 2011. Contact: JamieG from Md for a group invite.
• New York City Founded by Eddie C - Contact the group organizer for meet-up events: sidnora
• Baja Arizona Kossacks, Event Organizer: Azazello
• Three Star Kossacks Tennessee, Founded by maryKK, Formed: Apr 8, 2011
• Nashville KosKats, Founded by ZenTrainer Formed: Jan 30, 2012
• Virginia Kos Founded by JamieG from Md, Formed: May 3, 2011
• Kos Georgia Founded by pat208, Formed: Feb 13, 2011
• Colorado COmmunity Founded by Leftcandid, Formed: Feb 13, 2011
• New Mexico Kossaks Founded by claude
• Philly Kos Founded by mconvente Formed: Aug 29, 2011
• DKos Florida Founded by ThirstyGator, Formed: Feb 14, 2011, Currently organizing: Kosmail Vetwife to be included in next event.
• Oklahoma Roundup Founded by BigOkie, Formed: Feb 13, 2011, Currently organizing: Kosmail peacearena to be included.
• DKos Asheville Founded by davehouck, Formed: Feb 13, 2011 - Organizing Assist by: randallt
• San Diego Kossacks Founded by La Gitane, Formed: Nov 18, 2011
• Massachusetts Kosmopolitans Founded by mem from somerville, Formed: Feb 13, 2011
:: Events Currently on the Books for Kossacks ::
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Saturday, January 4th
Motor City Kossacks Meet-up
TIME: Noon
LOCATION: Sweetwater Tavern
400 East Congress Street • Detroit
ORGANIZER: Send peregrine kate a kosmail to attend.
RSVPs:
1. peregrine kate
2. Brainwrap
3. BFSkinner
4. sydneyluv
5.
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Maybees:
mideedah
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Latest diary: Motor City Kossacks! TWO Meetups Planned: Sa 1/4, lunch, Detroit; Th 1/9, dinner, Ann Arbor
Thursday, January 9th
Motor City Kossacks Meet with NN14 Staff: Raven Brooks, Mary Rickles and Nolan Treadway
TIME: 6:30 PM
LOCATION: TBD
[Address] • Detroit
ORGANIZER: Send peregrine kate a kosmail to attend.
RSVPs:
1. peregrine kate
2.
3.
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Maybees: |
Latest diary: Motor City Kossacks! TWO Meetups Planned: Sa 1/4, lunch, Detroit; Th 1/9, dinner, Ann Arbor
Saturday, January 11th
Houston Kossacks Meet-up
TIME: 1:00 PM
LOCATION: Barry's Pizza
6003 Richmond Avenue • Houston
ORGANIZER: Send Chrislove a kosmail to attend.
RSVPs:
1. Chrislove
2. nomandates
3. Bree Davis
4. cosette
5. mister mustardhead
6. TDDVandy
7. Mary
8. Alan
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Maybees:
Mr. cosette
Libby Shaw
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Latest diary: [Waiting for linked diary]
Sunday, January 12th
NYC Kossacks Meet-up
TIME: Noon
LOCATION: Spitzer's Corner
101 Rivington Street (Ludlow) • NYC
Meet in the back room. This venue is wheelchair accessible.
ORGANIZER: Send sidnora a kosmail to attend.
RSVPs:
1. sidnora
2. blue jersey mom
3. rubyr
4. kathny
5. joanbrooker
6. oxfdblue
7. mattc129
8. Bethesda1921
9. No Exit
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Maybees:
mconvente
Ian Reifowitz
gchaucer2
Laura Clawson
Rosalie907
andgarden
wader
isabelle hayes
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Latest diary: Coming In From The Cold: January 12, A NYC Meetup!
Saturday, January 25th
Asheville Kossacks Meet-up
TIME: 1:00 PM
LOCATION: The Cantina
10 Biltmore Plaza • Asheville
ORGANIZER: Send randallt a kosmail to attend.
RSVPs:
1. randallt
2. davehouck
3. Gordon20024
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Maybees: |
Latest diary: [Waiting for linked diary]
Sunday, January 26th
SFKossacks Welcome matching mole to San Francisco!
TIME: TBD, daytime car trip to the Delta for birding with lineatus
LOCATION: Grizzly Island Wildlife Area
2548 Grizzly Island Road • Suisun City
lineatus will have a spotting scope and a few spare pairs of binoculars, so novices can have something to use.
ORGANIZER: Send lineatus a kosmail to attend.
RSVPs:
1. lineatus
2. matching mole
3. navajo
4. tgypsy
5. kimoconnor
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Maybees: |
TIME: TBD, evening event for city folk and to celebrate dharmasyd's and kimoconnor's birthdays!
LOCATION: TBD
[Address] • [City]
ORGANIZER: Send lineatus a kosmail to attend.
RSVPs:
1. lineatus
2. matching mole
3. navajo
4. dharmasyd
5. side pocket
6. norm
7. kimoconnor
8. Glen The Plumber
9. remembrance
10. TLO
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Maybees: |
Latest diary: Dawn Chorus: Preview of Coming Attractions
Date Moving to January 2014
Connecticut Kossacks Meet-up!
TIME: TBD
LOCATION: The Shamrock Pub & Grill
210 Meadow St. • Waterbury
The Shamrock is a short walk from the MTA Metro North Station. If anyone wants to take Amtrak, thankgodforairamerica can pick you up in Meriden and drive you to the event.
ORGANIZER: Send thankgodforairamerica a kosmail to attend.
RSVPs:
1. thankgodforairamerica
2. gchaucer2
3.
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Maybees:
annieli
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Latest diary: [Waiting for linked diary]
Send navajo a kosmail if you post a diary about an event so we can update our round-up.
Okay. Floor's open.
Tell us what you are doing on this NEW DAY?