We had a lovely New Year's Eve. Philip and I had a terrific dinner at Maison Akira, a French-Japanese fusion restaurant in Old Town Pasadena. My five-course fixed-price meal included a green asparagus flan, miso-marinated sea bass and a Kobe Steak in a Marchand du Vin sauce. The elegant room, which features plush draperies and fireplaces, was filled with balloons and streamers, and the staff was warm and welcoming. We thought parking in Old Pasadena might be a problem, with all of the yokels camping out on the streets for days in anticipation of the Rose Parade passing by on New Year's Day. It was a white-trash carnival all right, with ice coolers, bonfires and air mattresses on the sidewalk for miles:

There was even someone blowing a tuba every 90 seconds. I felt sorry for the apartment dwellers directly above. Later at home, Barry and Dudley came by and we watched Anderson Cooper and Kathy Griffin in Times Square while consuming some killer punch I made (champagne, Grand Marnier, cognac, orange juice, lemon juice and triple sec). New Year's Day I made a meal consisting of Chipotle-Orange Pulled Pork sandwiches, homemade black beans, and homemade cole slaw. Was fun until the kitchen sink backed up and we had to call Mr. Rooter to come out to snake the drain pipe. Mr. Rooter said he couldn't get the access cap to the drain off, and it would cost us $2500 to replace the pipes under the kitchen. Philip told Mr. Rooter that he was crazy and to hit the road - we got a plumber out today that got the cap off and the drain cleared for $80. Sure hope 2009 is a good year for us all.