Where, oh where have loud, keyboard-infused Saturday nights gone?

New Year's Eve wasn't ever really "my" holiday. I don't get all crazy, I'm not that excited. It's fun, but I'm more of a Christmas and birthday girl. Forgive me that I'm not really THAT pumped about going out this weekend.

Don't get me wrong. We'll go out and a good time will be had. Maybe it's because the holidays are about over, or because I've been here for about two and a half months and things aren't "new" anymore, or maybe it's just because I just woke up. (Hey, it's my vacation day. I'll do what I want), but I really would rather be in Ohio on New Years. But I can't be, so I'm a bit bummed. I'll get over it. I'll be Wisconsin's biggest fan again on Monday.

But I know the bars in Ohio, and I miss them. Bars such as Mutz in Ohio just don't have counterparts here. There is no Bijou. There is no Underground or Headliners. This isn't a plea for spam e-mails about local happenings, or for hate emails from bar owners. Nope. Just a girl who wishes she could be in Toledo for a second. I don't want to live there. Just spend a few hours there.

The Underground is this bar/small venue (underneath the Bijou, incidentally) that (usually) good, local or semi-famous bands go to play. I saw OK Go, Rediscover, We Are the Fury and The Sun there. Not big bands. But three of them are signed. The other is just hot. See 'em all for $5. Wow. But I digress.

Headliners is a bit bigger. I saw some kid almost break his neck stagediving there. It's a good place. Not because of the stagediver ... but ... uh ...

The point is, New Years isn't my favorite holiday. It's neat, but it's no Christmas. The couple bars I've been to here aren't my favorite bars on planet earth. I don't dance around yet. I don't see people I know there yet. Notice the "yets." I like Oshkosh. I'm hoping that "like" applies to my Saturday nights soon.

I'm just in that comparing phase.

When I was in the Netherlands (I'm beginning to feel like an old person when I use that phrase), the program coordinators told us the "This is cool" phase lasted a few months, then the "In my country, it's like this ..." phase kicked in, followed by the "I love it here, I think I'll stay forever" phase. I'm not making this up. I think I'm in the second phase.

In January, I'll be going home, perhaps for my birthday. We are the Fury and Rediscover are playing Headliners. If I go, I'll probably get my fill, see someone I don't miss, and get homesick for Oshkosh. That's just the kind of girl I am. Fickle. That's the word of the week.