New Year's Eve 2009 got rolling about 2pm when M&I and Peter Budnikas rolled the A/Bus over to our Coachmen performance venue, the Wmsburg UMC, at about 2pm as the biting winds whipped and temps fell from the mid-50's to the mid-30's. The other band we were swapping sets with, Thunder Creek, arrived in their full-on band bus (previously owned by country group Sawyer Brown) and, since were going to mooch off their sound system, we helped them unload. They had the whole nine yards -- CD sales table manned by wives, logo'd black jackets, and a big sound system with two center-point mikes, one for vocals and a lower one for instruments, that cost $3000. What could go wrong??

After sound checks we repaired to the A/Bus for some of M's yummy appetizers and then headed in for our kickoff show at 5pm. As last year, the place was more than full about 4:50 so we started playing as it went to a modest-overflow crowd. The high-falutin' mikes began squealing and cutting in and out and eventually their sound guy just replaced them with two conventional mikes, one of which, we later discovered, wasn't really working until the next set.

But the first went well anyway and the crowd was warm and responsive. One woman told Peter she'd come down from Delaware just to see us and was going to attend all three shows. Later another couple told me they'd come over from Lynchburg to see us. At each show I asked for a show of hands and about half were hearing us for the first time, and about 2/3 were from beyond the Burg.

Between sets we'd run out thru the cold to the cozy confines of the A/Bus, festooned with a picture of the group propped up against an inside window, for relaxation, food and drink. M served up lasagna, ham on biscuits, fruit salad, and a host of munchies. Tim Seaman, the guy we played with at the Grand Illumination, dropped by with his wife to give us our checks for that performance and we loaded them up with food as well.

Brother Dwight & Robin rolled in just in time for the second set at 7pm. We called D up on stage to do the conga drum for a song in the last two sets and the crowd enjoyed that. Stocked up as I was on bananas and Gatorade and naproxin, I managed to avoid hand cramps, albeit barely. I think our last show was our best, which is the way you like to have it, and the crowds were most generous in their responses.

I stayed around awhile to watch about half of Thunder Creek's last show and then headed on home to rejoin my crowd. The New Year came in as I carried a few things off the A/Bus. We got out some sparkling wine and toasted the New Year and hit the hay -- hard.

For New Year's Day, we agreed we wanted to see the new Ron Howard film "Frost-Nixon" and I suggested an A/Bus trip over to the Newport News Maritime Museum for a look at the Monitor exhibits. That proved to be an excellent choice; the museum was supurb and we abandoned thoughts of hitting the 4:15pm movie back in New Town so as to take more of it in. I want to go back for a more extended look, and I'm not normally a Museum Person. A stunning collection of meticulously-carved wooden ship models was a highlight. The ironclad history was fascinating and they also had an excellent TITANIC display.

We hit the Bonefish Grill in New Town for a very nice dinner and then saw the movie, which was very good and does a little to restore my faith in Opie and his work. Somewhat to my surprise, Nixon was portrayed in a realistic and nuanced fashion and it was an interesting film. I give it 4 of 5 stars. You want more? Go to RewAllen.com.

Afterwards, with everyone but the DriverDroid sipping wine, we rolled up to WalMart for coffee and cinnamon buns for the morning and then came on home. Wide-ranging discussions consumed the whole day and we all agreed it had been Most Pleasant start to 2009.

Along the way I spoke briefly with Caroline, who was arriving at their group's condo on the ski slopes in Boseman, MT as a goodly snow was falling. Their group of 17 was split between two shiny new Infinity QX56 mega-SUVs. She was Pumped.

Meanwhilst, Jennifer & Mike Mitchell drew the black bean, reporting from Ohio that their house walls were full of hot water escaping thru an apparently-burst pipe up in their attic. A long and un-fun night lay ahead for them.

At Greystone the walls are dry and the grandfather clock is striking midnight so 2009 is officially a day old. Time to shut 'er down and call it a night.