Happy Thanksgiving, Everybody

November 23-29, 2006

Happy Thanksgiving. Hope your long weekend is full of things that you can genuinely be thankful about. I'll be preparing T'day dinner today for my mom, her caregiver and my brother who lost his wife this summer. My mom doesn't even know it's Thanksgiving, but she'll enjoy the attention and the sense of occasion. My brother seemed way too happy to be spending the day with me, his least favorite sister, so that tells me he's desperate for some company and for someone to cook him a meal. And my mom's caregiver has to work on Thanksgiving Day, so she's pleased that someone else is doing the cooking for a change.

Sometimes I'm struck by how little it takes to touch someone's life in a positive way, if we'd just take the time to do it. My mother's life sucks, my brother's life sucks, and the caregiver's job sucks (even though she's extremely good at it, and we consider ourselves blessed to have her). My life pretty much rocks, pretty much most of the time; so I figure that, cosmically speaking, I've got the easy part -- all I have to do is throw a ham in the oven and smash some yams and I've made three people happy (five if you count Mr. Ben and me). For a little while, at least. It feels kinda good and lends some meaning to the day.

I hope you find meaning in your day, too. It's hard to remember sometimes that it's about more than overeating. And I hope you dance off all the excess every single night of the long weekend.

Thursday, Nov 23

Wayne Hancock
Continental Club / 1315 S. Congress; 441-2444
This has become an annual 'dance yer stuffin' off' event and as good a way to spend the evening as you can find.

Chaparral
Broken Spoke / 3201 S. Lamar; 442-6189

DJd Swing Dance
The Fed / 24th at San Gabriel / 9 pm
Another wonderful opportunity for atoning for your gastronomic excess.

Jim Stringer's AM Band
Ginny’s Little Longhorn / 5434 Burnet Road; 458-1813; 9 pm
You're invited to come 'dance off the turkey and wiggle your giblets.'

Two Hoots and a Holler
Ego’s / 510 S. Congress; 474-7091 / 11 pm

Friday, Nov 24

Acme Song Company
Central Market / 4001 N. Lamar; 206-1000 / 6:30 pm (family)

Combo Mahalo
Continental Club / 1315 S. Congress; 441-2444

Cerronato
El Sol y La Luna / 1224 S. Congress, 444-7770 / 7:30 pm


Saturday, Nov 25

Albert and Gage
Central Market / 4001 N. Lamar; 206-1000 / 6:30 pm (family)

Asleep at the Wheel
Paramount Theatre / 713 Congress, 472-5411
Somehow, there needs to be room to dance when you go hear a band like this, but what the hey.


Saturday and Sunday, Nov 25 & 26

Victorian Christmas
6th Street / 11 am? (family)
I know this is an annual event, and I know it's happening this weekend, and I know there's lots of shopping, activities for kids, live music and dance, and food on sticks. But I'm having a hard time finding details online (which is where I do most of my looking). I suggest you just stop in and have some fun. The weather should be perfect.


Sunday, Nov 26

Heybale!
Continental Club / 1315 S. Congress; 441-2444 / 10 pm; $6


Monday, Nov 27

Paris 49
Continental Club /1315 S. Congress;441-2444 / 6:30 pm

Bayou Cajun Band
Evangeline Cafe / 8106 Brodie Lane; 282-2586 / 6:30 pm (family)


Tuesday, Nov 28

Marc Devine & Denia Ridley
Reed's Jazz Club / 9901 Cap of TX Hwy; 342-7977 / 6:30 pm

Erik Hokkanen's Laboratory
Flipnotics / 1601 Barton Springs; 322-9750 / 8:00 pm

UT Choral Arts Society
Bass Concert Hall / Bass Concert Hall / 8 pm; $17
I've been on a choral music kick lately, so this sounds good. The 'theme' of the concert is 'Music for English Cathedrals'. Can you dig it?

Bach Cantata
Blanton Museum / MLK at Speedway / noon
And speaking of choral music, there's a free (with admission) concert in my favorite atrium of my favorite museum.

Wednesday, Nov 29

Cella Blue
Broken Spoke / 3201 S. Lamar; 442-6189

DJd Milonga
COPA / 217 Congress Ave. / Austin, TX / 479-5002 / 10 pm
This typically Thursday event happens on a Wednesday this week. Come early (9 pm) for a tango lesson and then stick around to dance.


ROAD TRIPS

Coupland, TX
Saturday, Nov 25
Two Tons of Steel
Coupland Dance Hall / Downtown Coupland


COMING SOON

Saturday & Sunday, Dec 9 & 10
Mundi/Capitol City Men's Chorus
Central Christian Church / 1110 Guadalupe / 8 pm (Sat); 4 pm (Sun); $15 (family)
Did I mention that I've been on a choral music kick lately? And I'm always on a Mundi kick. So what could be better than combining the two?

See ya on the dance floor,

chris