The highlight of the evening was when we opened this bubbly Japanese soda. When you open it a small glass marble decends and it sort of bubbles out all over the place...then it tastes like watery-sweet carbonated chemicals.

The Holidays 2004 - A couple of weeks that went by in a blur: eating, drinking, guests ,trips...lot's of fun, but I'm glad it's over.

Christmas Eve - We spent Christmas Eve at the Hilltop. Here's jordan with some of the staff.

...and here she is posing with the Hilltop Christmas Tree.

Chistmas Day. We had a nice, casual dinner at our house. Here's our pretty, pretty Christmas Tree.

Nick is easy to shop for: french wine...like a 2000 Bordeaux...always works. Munther got it right.

...then Jordan came in and immediately grabbed a piece of rare roast beef and ate with her hands. Isn't that disgusting? So much for our elegant holiday gathering.

Col and Dad...drinking coffee in the parlor.

Dad wore a festive Christmas tie. Jordan drank too much egg nog...

Merry Christmas...I'm pretending to offer this gift to someone but I actually intend to keep it. It's a box of Belgian Chocolate and I bought it for... ME.

Another shot of our beautiful tree.

The day after Christmas Emma and Fotis came in from Athens. On Tuesday we took a tour of lower Manhattan Here Emma (she's the cute gal we call Manou) stands under a Dubuffet sculpture in the financial district.

Here's the top of the NYSE Christmas tree surrounded by buildings, some of them streamlined and modern others gothic and old fashioned. The dichotomy of NY architecture.

Emma and Fotis in front of the New York Stock Exchange

A shooting star in lower Manhattan.

We stopped for cocktails at Balthazar, a fave "French Bistro-like" haunt of ours in SoHo.

Fred is french so he fits right in here.

Here I am with Emma. We're sipping champagne cocktails at zee bar...we're totally tres chic, aren't we?

When we got back to Danbury. Everything we set up (by Nick) for a dinner of Sayoudeiah. Fish with rice and a special sesame seed sauce.

Here's Fred on the phone after dinner in the front parlor...probably telling someone about his new lazer tag game.

On the 31st we went up to Foxwoods. We arrived in the early afternoon, the day was beautiful. That night there was a New Year's eve party.

This living statue greeted us at the entrance to the ballroom.

Dad and daughter get ready to ring in the New Year.

It's 2005...Officially posted on the screen. Everyone's cheering. Hope this year is happy, healthy ...and... financially fruitful too... please.

The next day we drove up to Boston. On Sunday we walked all over town, from the Back Bay to the Warf. Here's Emma riding a duck in the public garden. Not a very smart thing to do...but she couldn't resist.

Fotis took this elegant shot of a decorated door on Beacon Hill

Help!!! these civil war soldiers are attacking me. I encountered them atop Beacon Hill.

I got on Mr. Donkey so SHE had to get on Mr. Donkey. Why does she always copy me? Anyway, he liked me better.

It seems Emma has adopted these three abandoned children. She looks happy, they look pathetic.

...and this guy is going to explain the Boston Tea Party to Emma. Right.

A mythical unicorn stands proudly atop the Old State House. He doesn't care that it's the oldest building in Boston.

Colorful cookies at a stall in Quincy Market.

I love this clock and the building that it's attached to ...Always have, always will.

Eventually we got down to the wharf and The New England Aquarium. It's an extraordinary place, we spent the entire afternoon there.

By far the coolest creatures there were the sea dragons...at least to my mind. I heart sea dragons.

Later, walking back across town on that frosty evening Emma and I discovered a vintage jaguar. We both want it.

As we walked back through town we came upon this colorful tree. Stuck to the side of a building. It works though.

This lovely neon (and you know I love neon) announced Steinway and Sons pianos.

After such a long walk on such a cold day, a couple of glasses of port at Cigar Masters. Too perfect.

Emma and Fotis enjoying the warmth and coziness.

For cigar afficianados like Nick, this sign says it all. It was hanging in the ladies room.

Santa and snowman lollies for sale at the mall...what would the holidays be without them.

Emma admires an elegant white on white gingerbread house on display at the mall.

This whimsical little cottage is more like what we used to make.

Just across from the Hotel is a huge Borders. Emma headed straight for True Crime. It's her preferred literary genre...I wonder why? (Manou, I'm afraid you might have a serial killer gene).

The next day, before heading back down to Danbury, we stopped in Cambridge.

The Harvard campus is home to many historic buildings.

Just before leaving we rubbed John Havard's well rubbed shoe for good luck in 2005!

Wednesday, December 15, 2004 - Beyond the Sea, at Foxwoods.

Kevin Spacey was promoting his new movie about the life of Bobby Darin with a concert at Foxwoods. We decided to check it out.

On a frosty Wednesday afternoon we took the limo up to the casino. I was really excited cause I'm a huge fan of Bobby Darin's music, and Kevin Spacey is one of my favorite actors...Nick just likes to play poker and smoke cigars, so he was happy too.

On the way we stopped... in the middle of nowhere...at this charming little auberge perched on a rushing stream ... cause I had to use the ladies...that after drinking 3 glasses of Pouligny Montrachet en route.

We got to Foxwoods in the late afternoon. I took this photo of the cute cresant moon from the window of our room... it wasn't even dark yet.