All Over Albany

The week ahead

Here are a few things to keep in mind, look forward to, or keep busy with this week, from storytelling, to basketball, to the shortest daylight, to Jimmy Stewart, to holidays...

Weather

Here's the paraphrased forecast:

Monday: Partly sunny. Highs in the low 40s.

Tuesday: Sunny, colder. Highs in the upper 30s.

Wednesday: Chance of snow/sleet/the ever popular freezing rain. Highs in the mid 40s. Watch the temps.

Thursday: Chance of rain. Highs in the upper 40s.

Friday: Chance of snow. Highs in the upper 30s.

Weekend: Maybe some sun. Highs in the mid 30s.

Still not all that wintry.

Storytelling and poetry

The Front Parlor Storytelling series will be in Albany at the Olde English Pub Monday night. The theme this time around: "The Great Outdoors." 7 pm

The Nitty Gritty Poetry Slam is back at Valentine's Tuesday night. Sign up starts at 7 pm, slam at 8 pm - $5 / $3 students

Hanukkah

The Jewish holiday starts begins at sunset Tuesday and runs through sunset on December 28. The holiday commemorates the re-dedication of the temple in Jerusalem in 165 BCE, and a miracle in which a supply of oil only large enough to burn for one night last for eight -- thus the eight nights of Hanukkah. Another tradition that comes out of the miracle of the oil: Hanukkah foods often includes things that are fried (and delicious) -- jelly-filled donuts and latkes. More Hanukkah fun: spinning the dreidel.

The daylight gets longer

The winter solstice is Thursday (technically 12:30 am here in the Eastern time zone). It's the official first day of winter, and the the day with the shortest daylight. The upside: the daylight starts getting longer again after that.

It's a Wonderful Life

The Palace's movie series is showing the classic Christmas It's a Wonderful Life Friday night. Sure, you've probably it before (or, at least, parts of it between commercial breaks) -- but it's fun to see it on the big screen in an old theater. 7 pm - $5 adults / $3 kids

A spoonful of sugar The Palace also has a screening of Mary Poppins coming up -- a family matinee at 3 pm on Boxing Day (you know, the day after Christmas).

More Nutcracker

If you haven't quite gotten your fill of The Nutcracker for this year, Proctors is showing a performance by the renowned Bolshoi Ballet on its giant screen, Friday and 12/26. 4:30 pm and 7 pm each day - $15 adults / $10 kids

Sporting

Siena basketball
The Siena men's basketball team takes on Princeton at the TU Center Thursday night. Tip time is 7 pm. Saints forward O.D. Anosike is averaging 12.1 rebounds/game -- making him 3rd in the nation for rebounding average (if he could only learn to shoot free throws...).

UAlbany basketball
The UAlbany men's basketball team faces Dartmouth at home Friday. Tip time is 2 pm. Gerardo Suero keeps tearing it up -- he's averaging 21 points/game, which places him the top 15 nationally scoring average.

Albany Devils
The Devils drop the puck with Binghamton Wednesday night at the TU Center at 7 pm.

Christmas

It's Sunday. You knew that.

Music

Thursday: Kenny Rogers at Proctors
He'll be playing Christmas songs, and his some of his old hits. 8 pm - $20 and up

Thursday: Everett Bradley's "Holidelic" at Helsinki Hudson
"Holiday booty shaking." 8 pm - $15 ahead / $18 day of

Friday: Pony in the Pancake at Valentine's
Their annual Christmas show. Also on the bill: Neversink, Jim Flynn, Kevin Prockup. 8 pm - $5

Friday: Jewmongous at Caffe Lena
"Unkosher" comedy music. "Not appropriate for kids unless you're training them to be sailors." He's also he guy who co-wrote the theme song for the Where in the World is Carmen San Diego? TV show. 8 pm - $18 ahead / $20 at the door

To-do list

1. Finish your holiday shopping. It's now or never. Here are a bunch of local ideas that for the most part don't involve going anywhere near the mall.

2. Spend time with your friends and family. It's the best gift.

These are a just a few things for this week. Know of something people should be looking forward to this week? Please share!

screenshot via Wikipedia