With the hearty holidays behind us, the locals of Aspen are left with tales of decadence and, hopefully, extra cash for a vacation in May. Who said this wasn’t a funny place to call home?
 
Whether you’re part of the 1 percent or the 47 percent shouldn’t matter a whole lot, if you’re keeping in line with Aspen tradition. By living in this little web we will all breathe the same air and enjoy the same perks sooner or later — shared entrances be damned.
 
I realize New Year’s Eve is so one week ago, but when gifted a VIP ticket to a show that costs more than some mortgages, you go, and you share your experience.
 
I like Cee Lo well enough and figured the show would be a good one, what with him being a Grammy winner and all. Besides, its not every day a mountain gal gets to don the sparkly clothing that her mountain man bought for her — “Until next year sparkly dress!”
 
I also wore the fur coat Grandma gave to me, which I generally bust out for gag purposes only. However, I was actually pleased with my decision to wear it on New Year’s Eve due to the single-digit temperature. Plus, I had a hunch Cee Lo would approve.
 
I went with a few friends and there we were, the most ordinary of folk juxtaposed to very important people for a very important night. I recognized nearly no one. Caddy Day at the pool was mine and I intended to make the most excellent swan dive and rock the party. Why wouldn’t I?
 
Little did I know I’d be attending an evening at the Kennedy Center Honors. Golf claps all around! As it turns out, if you’re spending beaucoup bucks for entertainment on New Year’s Eve in Aspen, having fun isn’t actually necessary. But being there, yes, being there was the important thing. 
 
I’m being too harsh. Only one half of the audience was sedated and maybe it was just the Botox. I looked around and didn’t see a ton of smiles or other animated forms of expression. Perhaps that was too much to ask from a face full of filler. Let’s just say the crowd was as reserved as the seating.
 
There are times in life when I can barely contain my excitement. I entered the Belly Up as such and danced to the DJ like it was my 21st birthday. I felt feral though. Perhaps the VIPs of the world are really good at containing their excitement. Maybe that’s what sets us apart. I felt like Cousin Eddie at Walmart and Clark was buying.
 
Did I mention that there were children there? You’d better have one amazing, straight-A, community-serving prodigy who’s just discovered the cure for cancer if you’re going to drop $875 on them for an event past their bedtime. 
 
A cast, x-rays, orthopedic shoes, perhaps even a plane ticket, all fall under large childhood expenses, but a concert? I remember when my older brother and I would split a Tombstone pizza, watch a break dancing movie and call it a fun New Year’s Eve. But alas, I am not in Indiana anymore, am I Toto?
 
My favorite people-observing highlight was seeing a child and her father napping in the VIP section. You heard me. Why I didn’t take a picture captioned, “this is what $875 looks like while sleeping,” is beyond me. Someone get that kid a Red Bull!
 
If the kid was snoozing due to her late night in the lab breaking through on the cure, then I guess I’ll let it slide.
 
When Cee Lo covered Journey I thought, “I have arrived ... to the whitest place on the planet.” The crowd enjoyed it just as much as they enjoyed his cover of David Bowie, but not nearly as much as his “F-you song” that they recalled hearing on their Sirius radio.
 
I actually wanted to pull the band aside and explain, “This isn’t what a show normally looks like. We have fun here I promise!”
 
I had a great time, but I write this because I was absolutely, 100 percent fascinated by the crowd. We all put our pants on one leg at a time, right? So when did not having fun at a concert become the thing to do? Was it just about getting the most exclusive ticket in town? Because I scored one, and humbly played my part as “enthusiastic dancing girl.” 
 
It made me wonder, but not to the point of moving downvalley and angrily venting about “those people in Aspen.” Not yet anyway. 
 
I’m guessing that the majority of patrons were not from Aspen. Despite our flaws and dwindling crusty exterior, people who enjoy life here still know how to boogie. If given the opportunity to go see a Grammy winner who has traveled to this two-horse town to entertain you, stand up and live out loud. Life’s too short not to. 

Beth would like to wish her sister a happy birthday today! Share your thoughts at bethabrandon@hotmail.com.