The year’s party has come and gone. It’s been at my house for eight years, and coincides with Lights in the Heights which is put on by the Woodland Heights neighborhood, which is half a block from me.

We had an estimated 400 people at the peak, and perhaps 600 people throughout the night. Bubba Coltrane & the Train Wrecks (Bob, Ed, and Mike) played again, after taking last year off and adding a great new guitarist to the lineup (Kenny). After providing the music last year, DJ Larry returned and filled the spaces before and after the band.

For the third year in a row, no police came to complain. This is attributed to 1) the Lights in the Heights is getting considerably larger. We used to be the only large rowdy party. We still likely go the latest, but we’re not too loud after 1am; 2) most of the neighborhood is currently empty with houses under construction, the other neighbors are used to it (and many are at the party). Also, cooler weather means no one is sleeping with their windows open.

Once again we had some fabulous flaming art cars parked in the front of the house. Also a sizable early contingent of roller derby girls, and some in for the long haul. Quite a few friends made it in from Austin and at least one from Dallas. We had a crew of party supporters buy an extra keg of beer for the party. Props to the NTN Crew!

The five kegs of beer ran out about 12:15, there was a small surge about 2pm from some industry folks, at 2pm there were about a dozen people, and somewhere after 4:30 the thing finally wound down. I was up again at 10:30 beginning the cleaning, and spent 5 hours at it. Conn spent about as much, and that got it about 80% cleaned up (but with about twice as much more time that needs to be put in – that last 20% of cleaning is the most laborious.

Only two vomiting incidents (that I had to somehow deal with) and one broken window (very likely accidental from the Star Chair. Three people slept over, two of which called in advance and reserved a spot. The following items remained that didn’t begin here: a cell phone, a plaid woman’s jacket (belonging to “Emily S.”), a small trendy women’s jacket, a suitcase, a back pack (with 2 full beers), an elf hat with ears, a pink pirate hat/beannie, a pink helmet, a wrist guard, a baby bottle containing water, a gray cloth glove.

Personal party gifts from friends: some nice tequila, an insulated longhorn mug, and St. Arnold Devine Reserve #2. Thanks (you know who you are).

We also have a few minutes of walk-through of the party from Rob Zipp: