Frequent Stops

Our agenda last night took us to Congress Avenue on a night of drizzle. Nevertheless, our spirits were raised by the lights, by Ballet Austin's production of "The Nutcracker" with snow on the audience, by visiting with friends and by, well, spirits. We started at a law office Christmas party overlooking the Capitol building. The office is decorated with a lot of amazing art and some neat decorations for Christmas. Everyone makes the scene from artists to famous waiters to judges and other pols. Lawyers, of course, but also people recently laid off from Dell, ad men, bankers, art patrons and dilettantes. We got there at the beginning of the party, ate and drank and visited and then walked to the Paramount. "The Nutcracker" deserves a bigger venue and an orchestra but the production was wonderful. At intermission partners were invited to step into the State Theater lobby. One side was being used for children wrangling (all those party kids, mice, soldiers, angels, bon-bons, etc.) but patrons toasted with champagne on the other side while eating cookies.

As we left downtown (we'd been parked near Colorado which is one-way south), FFP pulled onto Congress and while we waited behind the car shown here (enlarge and notice the 'frequent stops' bumper sticker??) I shot a picture of the Capitol looming in the mist with its big tree at 11th Street.

We are now officially in a Christmas mood here in Austin.