What are you doing New Year's, New Year's Eve?

Whatever you're doing, I hope you're having a lovely time doing it and that 2011 brings nothing but good things to you.

And what am I doing on New Year's Eve? I'm going to spend a quiet evening at home watching DVDs and doing the prep work needed to make hoppin' John tomorrow. I flew into Albany in the midst of the snowstorm on Sunday night, went back to work on Monday morning, worked furiously all week, and really feel the need for a little quiet time.

New York State is one of the twenty-six states experiencing a gubernatorial transition in the wake of November's elections, and in New York governor's take office on New Year's Day. Most governors have opted to take a private oath of office at midnight and a public oath of office at noon.* However, Governor-Elect Andrew M. Cuomo will take the private oath of office at around 10:30 this evening so that his children and other young guests at tonight's Executive Mansion dinner will be able to witness it. He won't be the first New York governor to do so.

Charles D. Breitel, Chief Justice of the New York State Court of Appeals, issues the oath of office to Governor Hugh L. Carey, 31 December 2010, 10:30 PM. Carey, a widower, took the oath at 10:30 so that his twelve children could witness the ceremony before bedtime. New York (State). Governor. Public information photographs, 1910-1992. Series 13703-82, Box 3, No. 8152_012. Image courtesy of the New York State Archives.

*Actually, both oaths are less-than-essential: the official mechanism for taking office is the signing of a notarized document that will be kept on file by the New York State Secretary of State. Governor-Elect Cuomo probably signed such a document, which will go into effect at the stroke of midnight, earlier today.