Houston-area retailers celebrate sales of food, liquor on New Year's Eve.

Houston Chronicle Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News

Jan. 1--Jimmy Remedies and his roommate, Jeremy Ackerman, were ready for action as they braved the masses at the H-E-B store at Fountainview and Westheimer on Friday.

Here was their shopping list: 30 avocados (for homemade guacamole), 10 bags of chips (to dip with), six packs of Velveeta cheese, six cans of Rotel, 25 pounds of fajita meat, soft drinks, mixers and a family-size package of paper towels. They planned to pick up their keg of beer elsewhere.

The Houston bartenders were preparing for a New Year's Day football-watching bash at their house, where more than 20 people were expected …