MONDAY, NOV. 4 2013 >>>

1. Thanks to the ingenious marketing minds behind fine retail establishments everywhere, the holiday season has now commenced. But while many lament the loss of, say, fall, others look at the bright side: a longer holiday season means more time to chug eggnog and nosh on matzo balls, and even more excuses to go out on random weeknights, such as a Monday. With Tacoma School of the Arts moving into the second floor, and the addition of commercial and retail businesses, restaurants and pop-up boutiques and galleries, the conversion of the old downtown Tacoma post office into an urban village has sparked its surrounding businesses to unite as the Old Post Office District. Today, the merchants of the downtown Tacoma district will unveil holiday collections such as gift ideas, holiday décor and cheer.

2. Jim Oliver is a fine art photographer, known for capturing natural and urban landscapes in a variety of photographic styles. His work has been in more than 50 exhibitions since 2007. His latest solo show - a photographic survey of the experience of Solitude with the counterpoint of Blues - opens today at the Tahoma Center Gallery. Take a gander from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

3. The Bears take on the Packers tonight for Monday Night Football. OK, that's fine and dandy. Rock The Dock Pub and Grill hosts a MNF party with food and drink specials, progressive free football board, door prizes, and a chance to wine two tickets to the Colorado/UW game at Husky Stadium Nov. 9. Now we're talking.

4. The University of Puget Sound's Living Art Series hits the road with an artist discussion at 7 p.m. in King's Books. The conversation will be led by Mita Mahato, associate professor of English at University of Puget Sound. Mahato makes comic books using collage and is working on a longer narrative about end-of-life care and its subsequent grief and pain. On one side of Mahato will be Scott Kolbo, associate professor of art at Seattle Pacific University, who creates drawings, prints, and video projections that feature reoccurring characters and fragmentary narratives. On the other side will be Randy Bolton, a printmaker, who teaches at the Cranbrook Academy of Art in Michigan.

5. It's Monday, which means The New Frontier Lounge's jazz jam will explore straight ahead, funk and space beginning at 8 p.m.

LINK: Monday, Nov. 4 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area