BRING ON THE WEEKEND >>>

That nip in the air doesn't dampen the excitement: the weekend is upon us.

The fact it's dark by 3:30 p.m. doesn't diminish the possibilities: if you're a Monday-through-Friday, nine-to-fiver you've got two days of freedom starring you straight in the face.

Add all this together and you have the inevitable: it's time for another installment of The Prefunk - a weekend primer for you and your liver, with a picture of a alcoholic household pet thrown in for good measure.

Enjoy.

Empty Bowls @ Life Center Campus

Saturday, Nov. 13

The aforementioned nip in the air is no joke. Anyone as addicted to cigarette breaks as me knows this to be true. The season for sweaters and long underwear is practically here, and with the coldness comes necessity - you're going to have to stay warm. Hidden flasks full of bottom shelf vodka or Canadian whiskey are great for this.

But, truth is, soup is even better. The bonus is if your boss finds soup on you it wont result in your termination or inpatient rehab (unless it's some really fucking good soup).

Not only does the emergence of fall and the coming of winter mean it's time to bundle up, it means the holidays are also in the house - and, perhaps sadly, more than ever people will feel like being charitable.

Ignoring an obvious conversation about why folks are so much more willing to be charitable around the holidays, and how unfortunate this is the rest of the year, Saturday marks a fine opportunity to accomplish almost everything previously mentioned (except the secret drinking) all in one stop.

Stay warm. Eat soup. Do good.

Empty Bowls, from 1-4 p.m. at the Life Center Campus on Union Avenue in Tacoma Saturday, has it all.

Every year the Empty Bowls event - which raises money for the Emergency Food Network - combines local artists and local chefs for one of the tastiest and most handcrafted get-togethers of the year. Local artists design and sell handmade bowls of all kinds (this year starting at $10-$15), and local chefs offer some of the most delicious soups known to man (with every bowl purchased) - all the while raising money for an organization that's valiant objective, as explained on its website, is "... so no person goes hungry."

More background on the event and the organization behind it:

"100% of all proceeds from the event benefit Emergency Food Network. EFN is a local organization that distributes food to 65 food banks and hot meal sites in Pierce County. In 2009, EFN distributed 13.7 million pounds of food in Pierce County. For every $10 donated, EFN distributes $12 worth of food."

Go on. Get out and support a good cause.

PREFUNK: Well, now, this was too easy ...

You know what makes looking at handcrafted art and eating stuff (even soup) way more exciting?

Emptying a few bowls - that's what.

You know what I mean.

Go forth, munch, slurp, stare blankly at pretty tableware - and do it all for a good cause.