New Year’s Eve (Times Square): Freezing with Lionel Richie

Lionel Richie just completed his set and Kellie Pickler is hanging on to the iron barriers the police spent all afternoon setting up. The temperature, with wind chill, is around 5 degrees. Ryan Seacrest, in his earmuffs, looks better than Luke Russert and Carson Daley in hats.

Some time ago the daughter (and friends) took off for Madison Square Garden to hear “My Morning Jacket” play. I took her to hear them on a bill with Dave Matthews, Ben Harper & the Innocent Criminals, Jurassic5, and Neil Young during a MoveOn.org concert for Kerry lo those many years ago (Ames, Iowa). She saw them at Bonaroo. The friends from school traveled here by bus and train to hear them again and decided that freezing outside in the cold was less desirable than going to a concert at Madison Square Garden, so they are gone, having fun, we hope.

Before they left, via subway and bus, she delivered 2009 glasses ($6 a pair) purchased from vendor’s around Times Square.

We are fortunate because 7th Avenue, the street shut down for the festivities, with stages and the ball, itself, at the end near the DoubleTree Guest Quarters, will allow us outside the door to watch the ball drop soon, without our having to become penned cattle for the entire 8 hours of waiting that some have endured.

Here are a few shots of the night.