With the hours ticking away in this Old Year, time is of the essence.

The only state liquor store open today in Tacoma is at 2627 N. Pearl St., near Safeway.

It's open until 5 p.m.

That is all.

I'm no stranger to nostalgia – ask my loved ones about my penchant for talk of cupcakes and ponies (with a side of French existentialism, mais oui) – and the end of a year provides more excuse to indulge than one could hope for.

So before popping any corks or Auld Lang Syne-ing your pals, head over to The New York Times and read the obit for one Ms. Evelyn Ortner, a woman who saw the potential of a gritty New York City burrough. Here's a taste:

Ortner wasn’t a real estate agent or a developer. She simply wanted to live someplace beautiful and culturally alive, surrounded by people who felt the same way. After moving to the neighborhood of Park Slope when she was 39, drawn there by the splendor of the architecture, she saw potential everywhere: in the park, the museum, the library. “She was proud of Brooklyn when no one else was,” says Alan Fishman, chairman of the board of the Brooklyn Academy of Music and the Brooklyn Navy Yards. “She saw the assets more clearly than anyone else, at a time when the liabilities were overwhelming the assets.”

She wooed suburbanites with fine dinners at her brownstone, kept a little notebook of who's who, employed historical preservation laws to save the places she loved. "The Mother of Brooklyn," the Times dubs her.

So today, while savoring a cup at my neighborhood coffee shop (two guesses which one), I let my nostalgia steep with my coffee beans and look back on my two-and-a-half years in this city that's become my home.

Because after all, aren't we all stewards of this Grit City, lucky enough to see its beauty for its flaws?

Here's to 2007, friends. What shall we do with it?

My parents are en route from Spokane for a visit this weekend. I imagine they're nosing their way over the serpentine Snoqualmie Pass right about now, Dad cursing some downshifting semitruck, Mom working her way through the morning paper (hi, Mom!).

They're a generally hale and amenable duo, but it's always nice to treat them. I was able to snag reservations at Primo Grill (hi, pumpkin ravioli!) for New Year's.

But can anybody recommend other sights to see or treats you keep in your hip pocket for when the folks come?

I'm not one to make resolutions (as I'm not the most resolute person on the planet), but I have found myself making some changes for the better with 2007 approaching: I've been training my dog to do good stuff, donating old clothes and throwing out old stuff, deleting deadbeats from my cell phone, AIM and MySpace accounts ... oh, and I'm doing a half-marathon this weekend. Excuse me, this three-day weekend!

These, I think, are all reasons to celebrate. But, you see, I long ago gave up on doing fancy-shmancy things on New Year's. Kelly suggests having a drink at Tempest and then doing some low-key baking at home.

So ... What are you doing? What should I do? Help. (I have an excuse: I've never New Years'd here before.)

If you didn't make it up to Seattle to see Shortbus, here's your chance: It's coming to The Grand Cinema this Friday and Saturday, at 11 p.m.!

I hear that if it does well, it'll stick around for a bit longer.

I won't write much about it because, well, I can't. But let's just say it's a good movie (if you're not easily shocked by s-e-x).

Also, it made me cry. And I don't cry at the drop of a hat. (Stop laughing. I gave up the bi-weekly crying jags weeks ago.)

Before you leave your family's house tonight, do yourself a favor and raid their closets. Dig deep into the trenches and think big, wooly, ball of wrong. The uglier the better. The more obnoxious and obscene the closer you are to the best night of the year.

Perhaps tonight will be the best night of your life.

How could you forgive yourself if you didn't attend Déjà Vu's "Wear In Your Ugly Sweater You Got For Christmas and Get Free Admission" night? (Yea, we think they blew it on the title too).

And in case you've "forgotten" where the strip club is: 8920 S. Tacoma Way.

With a little group effort, I thought maybe we could patch together a uniquely Tacoma Christmas story over the next few days. I'll start it out, then you add the next parts. Ready? Begin.

'Twas the weekend before Christmas
and all through Tacoma
Not a creature was stirring
not even the aroma

(And just to keep us rolling, I'll borrow the next verse from this year's Beautiful Angle holiday poster)

The shelters are crowded
with the holiday strays,
While most of the muggers
seem jolly these days

(now it's your turn ...)

Sometime around 4 p.m. last Friday, a sinus infection walloped me – hitchhiked into my nose with its little knapsack of woe to set up camp for a week. My white blood cells were reduced to quivering blobs.

Me and Sescie.

Some people swear by Emergen-C or zinc lozenges or other such nonsense. But the best cure I know is complaining and cats. A lot of the former, and snuggling with the latter.

I'm on Day 7 of this plan, and so far my friends are tired of me and my cat has learned to fetch. (She's brilliant.)

So I turn to you, Tacoma. What witches' brew should I be slurping? What tea or tincture? What makes you feel better when you're laid low?

If you're like me and one of your favorite holiday activities is driving around and marveling at how Clark Griswold-ish others can be, I think you'll enjoy this selection from our regional holiday lights map.

2000+ computer controlled Christmas lights synchronized to music. Tune to 95.3 FM to hear the music. House is actually on 10405 Barry Bridges St, but I'm on the corner of 104th and Barry Bridges St, maps just don't have our street yet.

My favorite part is how the "Noel" sign beats to the rhythm of the music. I find it very inspiring. NO-EL ... NO-EL ... NO-EL!!

I haven’t heard of a better way to shop than with an alcoholic drink in your hand. If you try this on your own, like at the mall, you'll probably get kicked out, and you might even be deported.

Here are some of the shops and galleries that will be going out of their way tonight to make sure you are full of holiday spirit(s).

=> Read more!

I think we're suffering from a collective case of Pre-Holiday Traumatic Stress Disorder.

I'm so stricken with it, I've only managed to start my Christmas shopping today. And I'm headed to Eastern Oregon to visit my family tonight.

Lucky for you (if you're staying in Tacoma), you have some sweet options for getting out of the house (and shopping) tomorrow, which just so happens to be Third Thursday (Art Walk!). If that doesn't float your boat, head to stores like Junior Bizarre and Sanford & Son for Night on the Town action.

Where has this month gone?

The local blogs have been buzzing about the Tacoma City Marathon, which will make its debut May 13, also known as Mother's Day. I know this because I had to call last week for permission to skip out on the annual brunch.

It looks like Exit133 blogger Derek is thinking about the marathon, and ThriceAllAmerican blogger Jamie is down for a 10k or half. Not to be outdone, we're throwing our hats in the bloggers-can-do-more-than-type ring, too: Kearsley and I are training for the marathon and methinks Ms. Davenport will do at least the 10k.

Cole, Laura ... ?

Registration is 60 bucks right now, but jumps to 70 on January 1.

Here's the catch: I just called South Sound Running to see if they had a training group for the marathon. Nope... and the person I talked to raised a red flag: The organizers might not have the funding to pull it off.

Paul Morrison, the co-director, says there's no doubt the race will occur, but final approval from the city is pending. He also said this marathon, like every marathon, will be raising dough until the day the race starts.

I'm not sure what to believe. Does anyone know more about this? Wild speculation welcome.

My mental power has been out for the past few days, but I think it's starting to return. Something about the cold weather makes me want to huddle under a heavy blanket, which doesn't provide much writing fodder.

I did watch "White Christmas" for the first time, and as much as I hate musicals, I was pleasantly hilariated by Tacoma-born Bing Crosby's drag performance, which seems ahead of its time for 1954.

Just keep these few bits in mind as you watch:

• Crosby supposedly earned the nickname "Binge" Crosby at Gonzaga for his drinking exploits.
• Wikipedia says Crosby's pot smoking influenced his easy-going style in films.
• Bing's dance partner in the number, Danny Kaye, was rumored to have had a 10-year affair with Lawrence Olivier. (Not that you would ever expect that from his glowing performance in this scene. He's just a good actor.)

Enjoy ...

It's pouring, which to me means: Soup!

Upon visiting Metropolitan Market's Web site to get a phone number and inquire on the day's varieties,** I found this happy man.

I hope you think of him next time you do your shopping.

That is all.

**Tomato-basil, broccoli-cheddar, chili, chicken noodle, potato-leek, cream of carrot.

My co-worker, Jonathan Smith, sent me an excerpt from the journo-geek Web site Poynter Online.

Here's an exerpt of the exerpt:

The Washington Post follows up on the cupcake controversy I told you about when school started this year ...

Why on earth does this little four-ounce treat -- a 19th-century accident of history that was created when a baker poured leftover cake batter into cups -- carry such heavy emotional weight? When Texas tried to ban cupcakes in schools last year, the furor was so deafening that legislators passed the "Safe Cupcake Amendment (http://www.tsfsa.org/doc.asp?id=643) " to protect the right of parents to tote cupcakes to school. After the vote, one lawmaker remarked, "We didn't realize how important cupcakes were."

Damn straight. Anyway, now on to the other thing I'm in love with: Java Jive. From loyal (you are loyal, right?) reader Dave L.:

Not that I’m there a lot, mind you (in fact, I wasn’t there when this happened), but Saturday, probably while the bands they had were there, someone made off with the Java Jive’s karaoke machine. An APB has been issued. (Not really – I don’t even know if they filed a report. Bird said he has never called the police on anyone, and won’t start now). The closet musician in me says one less karaoke machine is a good thing. But this is really a bad thing for the Jive and the people there. And Walter.

...If you notice an old karaoke machine on ebay n the Tacoma area, please let the Jive know.

Thieves! Here's more, just because I like it:

I learned about the theft Sunday night, when Bartender Dave called me and said “come on down; it’s been a weird night.”

As of this morning, the machine is still missing, and there are none on eBay locally. Java Jive has found a single-track karaoke machine, but, as Dave put it, that means "the host can't queue up sequential performers and grab a smoke."

Note: I corrected that last line, which originally said, "the hose can't queue up..." Awesome. And it was brougt to my attention while I was reading this. Go figure.

So about that Eye Full afterparty Saturday night at Tempest on the Hilltop.

Ze high-lights:

• Unflappable co-owner/bartender deciphering my request for a "Dakota cocktail" as indeed the Tempest's famous concoction of puckery fresh juice and rum, the Nevada cocktail.
• Mistress of ceremonies Lisa, still clad in feathers and face paint, snuggled up with T-town's warehouse-dwelling hip.
• Unofficial master of ceremonies Teddy Haggarty installed at the bar, sketch pad in hand.
• No fewer than three offers of a ride home, and I had *a* drink. Must be the N. Sullivan-applied five pounds of eye makeup. (Gee, thanks, Nik)

Anyone else in attendance?

You might have seen the e-mails circulating in the past few weeks: A black-and-white of a mysterious woman with the words "Eye Full," an RSVP number and not much else.

My friend Lisa clued me in to this a couple months ago but I was sworn to secrecy: Eye Full was an art party put on by some of the city's best and brightest female artists, from dancers to painters to designers.

They kept it quiet because they wanted a fairly intimate affair -- the type of event where nude women (that's a plural) could walk around without being bothered.

I got in by virtue of being a member of the press (not because I'm artistic) and attempted to take some pictures. Unfortunately, I proved to myself (yet again) that I should stick with my day job... so, for pictures, I'd go here.

More details to come ... and maybe we can get Kelly to tell us about the scene at Tempest after the event. Pleeeeease, Kelly.

She probably doesn't have this: A combined bottle opener and toenail clipper, complete with a handsome Tacoma, Washington, design on the front.

Perfect for the relative on your list who needs to drink and groom – at the same time.

I found mine for $2.99 in the tourism aisle at Fred Meyer at South 19th and Stevens. Click on the picture and prepare to be impressed by the fine detailing and craftsmanship.

Update: Ed's Diner reports that Masa is taking a break for some fine tuning. I called the restaurant at 11:45 a.m. Friday and asked when it would reopen, and was told possibly by Monday.

Erik Hanberg also writes about how his reservations for Saturday were canceled.

Professional food expert Ed Murrieta shares his first impressions of Masa today over at Ed's Diner.

For what it's worth, my untrained tastebuds enjoyed the smoked pork tacos and a Pacifico. I'd go back.

Some things that stood out at the bar:

• Most expensive margarita: $38
• Least expensive margarita: $7
• Foie gras nachos: $18
• Happy hour taco: $2 (from 3 to 6 p.m., Mondays through Fridays)
• Number of tequilas: 72
• How bartenders reach the top shelf: Wobbly aluminum ladder
• Condition of tile floors when they get wet: Slippery

It's the holidays, so maybe you need something to spend your money on. I dunno. Work with me here.

To be honest, after gamboling n' loping through a handful of Web pages and a listserv, I needed an excuse to share these two finds.

Ceramic chocolates. Um, gee. Are they fair trade?

For sale at the Sixth Avenue Art Gallery in Tacoma.

Duvet with built-in apron. For all those times you get out your hibachi stove and really go to town with brunch. (Buy it here, if you must.)

Mr. Paul Sand reports that downtown Tacoma got a whiff of propane for several hours yesterday after someone cracked open a big jug of the stuff.

No one was hurt and, in fact, it helped at least one student.

... Liz Johnson, a UWT junior, was thankful for the distraction of the gas odor. She said she was in the university’s Cherry Parkes building getting ready to deliver her portion of a group presentation ... Everyone left the building, much to the relief of Johnson, who dislikes public speaking.

Tacoma returned to its regularly scheduled scent today.

As if you didn't already have enough to do this weekend, the Hilltop Artists in Residence program is having its annual Holiday Glass Sale at Jason Lee Middle School. Support the little Chihuligans and acquire a vase or bowl at one-tenth the price of museum pieces. You're friends and family will never know the difference. Seriously. You can tell them Dale made it. That's what I do.

Get there early Saturday morning to get your place in line, or cough up a $100 donation to attend the VIP event Friday so you can get first pick of the artwork, then sleep in Saturday.

Annual VIP Event
6 to 8 p.m. Friday
Friends who have made a $100 or more donation in 2006 (sales of glass are not included) are invited to attend this private party to purchase glass art prior to the general public sale on Saturday.
If you would like to attend, please send your $100+ donation today!

Holiday Glass Sale
9 to noon Saturday
Starting at 7 a.m. you are invited to pick up a numbered ticket and then enjoy coffee or breakfast in the neighborhood before you return by 9 a.m. Guests will be admitted in the order they first arrived. We highly recommend arriving early to pick up a ticket as this sale has become VERY popular!

For more information, call Rachel Morton at 253-571-7692.

Masa, the newest nightspot on Sixth Avenue, plans to swing open its heavy steel door today.

Here are a few highlights from when I wandered around inside:

Outdoor bar: This might not make much sense now, but it will be genius during Tacoma's three sunny days. The upstairs bar opens to an outdoor patio area, so you won't even have to go inside to order. In the right weather, it could feel like Mexico, but without the annoying vendors hassling you to buy their trinkets.

24-hour food: If you’re too drunk to navigate the Taco Bell drive-through (which closes at 2 a.m. anyway), stumble diagonally across the street to the padded vinyl booths at Masa’s taqueria, off to the side of the restaurant's main dining area. It will be open 24 hours on Fridays and Saturdays.

Eco-friendly: Just like tequila and limes are renewable resources, so is the bar on which they are served. The jade-looking top is made of compressed sunflower husks. The sides are made from cork. (Impress your date by dropping that science between body shots. You can thank me later.)

Here's some background from Ed's Diner.

Whimsical animals made of colorful blinking lights are OK if you care about things like safety, but wouldn't children and adults alike rather make a holiday tradition of a giant straw goat that accidentally catches fire every year?

Here's an idea, courtesy of our friends in Sweden, about how we can take the annual display at Point Defiance to another level:

STOCKHOLM, Sweden (AP) – For 40 years it has been torched, vandalized, had its legs cut off and even been run over by a car.
But officials in the Swedish city of Gavle are guaranteeing that this year’s giant straw Christmas goat – the victim of Sweden’s most violent yule tradition – will survive unscathed.
The 43-foot-high goat – a centuries-old yule symbol that preceded Santa Claus as the bringer of gifts to Swedish homes – has been burned down 22 times since it was first set up in Gavle’s square on Dec. 3, 1966.
But for its 40th anniversary Sunday, officials think they have finally outsmarted the resourceful vandals by dousing the battered ram with flame-resistant chemicals normally used on airplanes.
“It is impossible to burn it to the ground this year, although you might be able to singe its paws,” said Anna Ostman.

Check out the Christmas Goat's 24-hour Web cam. (Let me know if you see flames!)

And here are some Christmas Goat highlights, from the BBC, just to prove how fun this would be for Tacoma:

1966: The first goat is burned down - beginning the tradition.
1970: It is set on fire six hours after being erected.
1971: Tired of arson, the project is abandoned. Schoolchildren build a miniature. It is smashed to pieces.
1976: A car crashes into the goat.
1979: The goat is burned down before it is finished.
1987: The goat is treated with fire-proofing - but still goes up in smoke.
2005: Vandals dressed as Santa Claus and the Gingerbread Man fired flaming arrows at the goat, reducing it to a steel skeleton.

Anybody know if they sell these at Ikea?

Why doesn't this happen when it snows here?

Tis the season of tough decisions.

My heady list of choices:

Inaugural Dungeons and Dragons session or last ballet class? Friend's going away/birthday dinner or Menomena show? Crazy sister's holiday/27th birthday party in Portland or Beautiful Angle benefit at Black Water Cafe?

My holiday wish for you is that you don't have to choose between your list of enticements and this benefit:

Next Friday, Dec. 8 at 7 p.m., guerilla artists extraordinaire Beautiful Angle and Black Water present a fundraiser for the therapeutic art room at Nativity House, a Tacoma drop-in shelter. They're hoping to raise $2,500, and are also accepting art supply donations. The first 50 people to show up with a donation get a commemorative Beautiful Angle poster. Live music, food and "a bunch of lovingly created letterpress posters" at bargain prices.

As for me, my allegiances are with my (Irish) twin. But Santa will make it up to me with some posters in my stocking.