If on the last shoot I was the babysitter, it seems that this time around I am the chauffeur. It’s not a complaint – my ScriptLinc is on backorder, so all I can really do is sit around and type notes into the MacBook. So, on the last day of 2008, I spent the hours between 9pm and 4am with my ass planted in the driver’s seat of our rented Sienna van, driving the team from place to place and listening to the on-camera action through headphones. Let me share the splendor with you.

5pm: Head north on I-29 from Fargo to Grand Forks. Icy roads. Bleh.

6:30pm – Arrive at hotel. Yay! Unload van! Sweet relief!

6:40pm – Pusser has aneurysm after discovering his credit card has been put on hold. Frantic, profanity-spattered call to AMEX, which I avoid by chain-smoking.

7pm – Crew call comes and goes. Champagne is in minifridge, chilling.

8pm – Solo mission to 816 2nd ave to pick up J, Robin’s date.

8:20 – there absolutely is not an 816 2nd ave.

8:23 – there’s only an 814 and an 824. Fucking hell.

8:45 – Address correction made – commence knocking on random doors of apartment complex, searching for J.

9:02 – J is found! Much Rejoicing!

9:45 – first slate of KHW #7! Hooray!

9:46 – take two.

9:47 – take three.

9:51 – wash, rinse, repeat.

10:45 – take sixteen. WILL THIS NEVER END. WTF, AAAH.

11:20 – end scene! off to film at the bars! New year’s eve! hey, horray!

11:55 – stealth Sony handycam makes it past the bouncer, and we are in!! Buckethead monitors through headphones outside. I sit in the van and compose text messages.

12 – HAPPY NEW YEAR!! //crackle crackle// HAPPY //crackle// YEAR!! Our signal to the mixer appears to be less than stellar.

12:05 – send texts, update facebook and twitter. sit in van. turn up heat.

1am – Off to Denny’s, where handycam is once again called into active duty.

1:25 – Buckethead and I mow down greasy takeout in the parking lot. Gross and awesome at the same time.

2:30 – Robin and J part ways, cameras rolling.

2:45 – at intersection of Demers and South Washington, filming bright LED “Happy New Year” billboard. Feet are wet. Sob.

3:02 – somewhere on 32nd street, filming a giant tractor festooned with Christmas lights. Sometimes, life is strange.

3:20 – parked in a snowdrift, type log notes as the boys grab shots of our hotel.

4am – back in the room. remove champagne from minifridge. pop and pour. happy 2009. Wee!

I mean, I guess it’s technically the second day of 2009 now, so I’m a little behind. but whatever, I didn’t go to sleep until 6:30am. And then I drove the crew van back to Fargo in a weird drifting white-out that made my eyes spin. And then we cruised around for a few hours looking for more New Year’s signs, but all we found was a bunch of pink flamingos in the snow.

48 hours in, I have to say that 2009 is shaping up to be pretty bizarre.