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3 p.m. Austin Shakespeare Festival’s “Celebrate” at Austin Ventures Theater (Butler Dance Education Center)
5 p.m. Asleep at the Wheel Quartet during Armadillo Christmas Bazaar at the Austin Convention Center
Dec. 22
6 p.m. First of several gatherings at Cissi’s Wine Bar
Dec. 23
6:30 p.m. Ballet Austin’s “The Nutcracker” at the Long Center.
I’m dressing up in Mother Ginger drag for the performance that night. Only problem: The ballet now forbids outside props. So I’ll have to cook up some schtick for a mirror, lipstick, powder puff, comb and handkerchief — which come attached to the enormous costume. Kinda hard to make that work for my profession — and it must fill 3 and 1/2 minutes! Starting to get nervous. Come see me humiliate myself.
Looking like a French winemakers guild taking a meeting at Chez Nous: Kip, Robert, me, Nick, Antonio and Dale.
It’s been a lot of food, drink and love along the way. Sean and Loren moved away to upstate New York. Then Dale joined Antonio at Texas A&M in College Station. In between those shattering losses, we added Nick Shumway and Robert Mayott to the Boys. They hosted the giant Project Transitions dinner last year at their West End home.
After months of inaction, the Spice Boys are back on track. We shared an exquisite dinner at Chez Nous — nothing fancy, but all tasty — last night. And we planned ahead for four Spice Boys events in the coming months, one of course in College Station. An invitation might just be in the offing.
Allen Y. Chen, Emily Weerts
Adi Anand, Kristin Bigott
Austinist chose the Palm Door for its holiday party. Staff, freelancers and friends bubbled with enthusiasm for the long, reverberant wood building on Waller Creek. The former lumberyard, former costume warehouse, former midscale restaurant (City Grille) and former punk/metal club (Redrum) is now a special events center, best known for hosting the Perez Hilton party during SXSW 2008.
Garrett Johnston, Kevin Schneider
To a one, the young Austinist contributors were gracious — even loquacious — with their Stateman/austin360.com photo-snapping counterpart. Across from the long bar, a music station was set up for “indie karaoke.” Probably best I left before that started … although later in the evening, I stumbled upon ever more karaoke.
Matt Dewitt, Stephanie Noone
Lahoma Dade, Angie Gatewood
It’s a handsome spot, feeling a bit wider, roomier than J. Black’s next door. (Probably the same dimensions of The Ranch, which sits above it.) Dark wood and clean lines give it a touch of class. A large bar — but not fully stocked, where was the Knob’s Creek and Woodford Reserve? — was well tended as a DJ expertly spun a mix of holiday and retro tunes.
Evelina Solis, Shelton Green
Then I noticed the patrons. They were handing out fliers on subjects like generational faith leadership and human trafficking. I got to know some of these pleasant activists, identified as part of All Called and 
Shawn Swain, Emily Tillerson
Brian Franzman, Andrea Dunn, Elvis T
It tickled me to watch groups huddled around ales and fried snacks trying to noodle out the answers. Two groups got a perfect score on this set of questions.