SOMEONE I MET LAST NIGHT

First, let me note that I think I'm finished posting Santarchy pictures here. There are lots of other good ones, though, that you can see at http://bit.ly/2Q1w1YA

The family went to Union Station last night for the Polar Express train ride for kids and a buffet dinner dinner inside the grand hall of the hotel that occupies the headhouse. I don't walk too fast these days and, while lagging behind the family, this young man and I struck up a conversation. He noticed, as everyone does, the two camera bodies and lens bag hanging off me. His name was Jesse and he asked me to take his picture. No problem, of course, and I just emailed it to him. A little strange and dramatic with a very wide angle lens and the Station's lighting,          

WHEN YOU'RE SMILING

The whole world smiles with you.  Alcohol can promote good cheer, depression or raging anger. It was pretty much all the first one at Santarchy.

Big family event tonight although there might not be pictures until Saturday.

STAY THIRSTY MY FRIENDS, STAY THIRSTY

More from Santarchy. The trio in the first picture have a marked WTF? expression to me, fake Santas boggling at fake Santas. Despite the Russian-ish outfit, the man in the second reminds me a lot of those Dos Equis beer ads about "the most interesting man in the world." His closing words were always "stay thirsty, my friends, stay thirsty." You had to in order to keep drinking beer for the number of hours these people did.        

ECUMENICAL COUNCIL

You don't have to be Christian to go to a Christmas party (or all day bar crawl). Turn your colors to blue and white, wear menorah sunglasses and Happy Hanukah! And I daresay that some of the revelers were, um, unchurched. That's Lohr Barclay, our organizer and leader, on the right.        

MISTLETOE

There is a tradition at this time of year of hanging a sprig of mistletoe from the ceiling or a doorway (although I haven't a clue about where to go to find some). If a couple passes under it they are supposed to kiss. It's not likely that the bars visited by the Santarchy crew went to the trouble to put some up but a little encouragement from the photographer worked just as well.