The knock-outs in the center are Frédérique and Melinda, of course. The lucky guys on the ends are Laurent and me. Just think what two incredibly attractive women like this COULD be doing on New Year’s Eve in France if they put their minds to it… Instead, when this photo was taken they were about to have dinner with us. What might they be thinking? Is this the best we can do? Earlier I posted about 20 years of marriage. Now it’s about a New Year’s Eve dinner with attractive women in France. Am I blessed or what?

So, yes, we had dinner at a very fashionable French restaurant in Nantes called “Le 1” that was chosen by Frédérique and Laurent. To get a sense of how hip this place is, check out their website. The meal was 4 courses over 4 hours, paired with wines selected by Laurent. How many of you got to have a real live Frenchmen not only pair wines for your New Year’s Eve dinner (and 20th anniversary), but sit with you and translate the menu?! What fun we had, complete with a very goofy ringing in of the new year that involved shooting little balls at each other (and the other patrons) through things I can best describe as pea shooters on steroids. After doing that, we even took to the dance floor and boogied (yes, I used the word boogied) to “Girls Just Want to Have Fun.”

After dinner we went to the house of Laurent (yes, another Laurent) and Sandrine, where we sat chatting until about 4am. Frédérique continues to promise me that she is laughing with me and not at me. I’m not so sure, especially after writing out on a piece of paper what sound Americans say a rooster makes. Cock a doodle doo, right?