We have always enjoyed making a big deal out of NYE. In Chicago we spent NYE with a couple and took turns coming up with clever things to do.

One year it was a train ride to Milwaukee and a murder mystery was performed on the trained and solved at dinner in Milwaukee. We all dressed in period 1930's clothes.

One of my favorites was a Russian nightclub. It was 10 - 12 courses of fish - vodka - Russian dancers...really wild. Way over the top and we were just about the only non-Russian or Polish speakers in the place.

One year was at a historic hotel in Milwaukee (something about NYE and Milwaukee!) where we crashed a formal German society mardi gras dance that was also taking place in the hotel.

Things are more sedate here in SoCal. Last year we went to a beachfront hotel in Laguna Beach which was lovely. Dined and slept with the sound of the crashing waves (we came to understand why they provided ear plugs in the rooms!) This year we will go to a party with four other couples at a country club.