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Want to ditch the ugly sweater and be cool this holiday — take in some smooth jazz carols

Get on your trumpet to proclaim the gift of music, while at a holiday party:
— How many holiday carols do you know? At The Bungalow Inn in Lakeland, Jeff Carver, a versatile musical performer and educator, will play smooth jazz with a trumpet and mix in Christmas music for two early evening hours while you dine on a full menu. The offering is on Thursdays, Dec. 15 and 22, from 5-7 p.m.
— You know the typical Christmas routine when you buy one present, such as a gift certificate, and then get something for yourself in the process? Dick’s Bar and Grill has a version of that as when you buy certain house T-shirts for a mere $10, you get a token to be used on a drink. The items can be seen in a display case along the north wall. Noticably missing, considering the time of year that it is, are the silver flasks that had been shown on the bottom featuring golfing llamas, the house mascot, wearing sweaters and swinging away with a club (but not the holiday-ish ugly kind).
— This other idea for a present, as in more than one free drink, has been “spotted.” At the Village Inn in North Hudson, you can get a 96-ounce hopper of New Glarus Spotted Cow for $24. Or, if holiday shopping has left you short of cash, you can do the Mich Golden Light option for $20.
— If you go to the Smilin’ Moose on this or virtually any other weekend, you can see two entertaining things that don’t have to do with the band. (Which this Friday is Smokescreen). There is that ever-popular game where patrons try to pound a nail into a log, (don’t try this if you’ve just had one of their ladle shots), and also the impromptu dance contests where somebody breakdances in the middle of a circle of admirers (one of those shots might bolster your courage and allow you to get lower than the rest).

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