The High Life (w/ cheese, olives, wine, and pears)

The Scout and I rented a $250 room (!!!!) at the Nicollet Island Inn for New Year's Eve (which had comfor-rest sleep number king-size bed, but no terry-cloth robes dammit) within walking distance of Kikugawa sushi restaurant, where we met Mark Dalton to discuss future entrepeneurial (I don't care if i spelled that wrong - I have not a bit of French in me) endeavors regarding fish. Then the three of us were able to walk from Japanese to Polish (Nye's Polanaise Room) to ring in the New Year (where Mark lost a leg-wrestling challenge to some woman stranger). Anyway .... it was the retreat we needed. Most fun New Year's ever, I think. And also a precursor to the honeymoon that we haven't taken yet ..... Mmmmmmmm.