THURSDAY, DEC.12 2012 >>>

1. Legend has it that sake, the Japanese wine made from fermented rice, was originally called kuchikami no sake, which means "chewing in the mouth sake." An entire village would gather to chew up nuts, rice and other tasty grains and then spit the result into a tub, where the enzymes in the saliva would ferment the liquid for several days - or so the story goes. Fortunately, today's sake is made with more sanitary procedures. Sake doesn't get any tastier than what's on the shelves at TWOKOI Japanese Restaurant. And our mouths are full of saliva when we think about drinking a different sake a day for 12 days in a row, which we will do at TWOKOI through Christmas Eve. During its "12 Days of Sake," you will receive 30 percent off the bottle.

2. After work and dinner, and while your better half gets the kids to bed, why not get some holiday shopping out of the way at Tacoma's Antique Row? Thursdays, now through Christmas, the 70 merchants that make up Antique Row offer free parking after 6 p.m. and have extended hours until 8 p.m. So pick up the perfect book for your niece, grab an original framed local art piece for your mom, or find that great shabby chic nightstand for yourself.

3. Tacoma's Blue Mouse Theatre kicks the holiday season off in style at 6 p.m. a visit from Sanata followed by the classic, It's a Wonderful Life. Patrons are asked to donate food and/or cash to FISH Food Bank of Pierce County. If the sight of friends bringing money to bankrupt George Bailey doesn't move you to give, you're worse than crusty old Mr. Potter.

4. For years, trumpeter Rich Wetzel and his big band has been popping up in local bars and restaurants, introducing folks to jazz of years gone by, as well as a few current numbers. The one constant is his big blowout holiday shows where he expands his band to 30 musicians and plays music from A Stan Kenton Christmas. This year expect more mellophones at the 7:30 p.m. show at Tacoma Community College. Tickets are $10-$15.

5. Ladies and gents, tonight at The Royal Lounge, before your very eyes, is a lineup of epic proportions.  Free Whiskey, Smoke, Subversive Minds, Kyle Miller, Puget and "maybe" a guest performance by "somebody else" will hit the stage at 9 p.m. That "somebody else" may or may not have just gotten home from touring with Mackelmore and Ryan Lewis. That "somebody else" may or may not be Olympia-based bad ass, Xperience (XP).

LINK: Thursday, Dec. 13 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area