Just Because

 Just do it

1. Blanton Opening – January (Go West! Exhibit opens Jan 14)
2. AMOA Opening - ?
3. Wine & Food Festival – La Dolce Vita October
4. Opera – Turandot - April
5. Broadway Across America – Wicked - January
6. UT football game - November
7. Symphony – December (Handel’s Messiah or Christmas Sing-Along)
8. Ballet – Romeo & Juliet - May
9. Paramount Theater show or movie - Summer
10. Volunteer for Thanksgiving or Christmas
11. Texas Advocacy Project Volunteer (Handbags for Hope?)
12. SXSW - March
13. Austin Film Festival - October

The biggest section of my list is titled, "Just Do It."  These items really are just showing up for an event or activity.  I have had a love of art for many, many years, so it isn't surprising that the list below is heavy on art or creative expression in many ways.  I plan on going to an opening at the University of Texas Blanton museum in January, and Austin Museum of Art opening to be determined and plan on at least one broadway, ballet, opera and symphony performance next year.  We are lucky in Austin because it is one of only a few cities in the United States that has a ballet, opera and symphony all in the city.  I have already bought my Wicked tickets and will be taking Nicole to see it.  As I mentioned previously, this will be my 4th time to see it and Nicole's second.  I splurged on really good seats saying that it will be the last time I see it, but I am not guaranteeing that.

I have been to La Dolce Vita before to help support the AMOA.  It is an awesome event held at Laguna Gloria Art Museum each year and I still remember the first time I attended, even though I don't recall how I fell asleep on my couch afterwards and didn't move until the next morning, sleeping through the night in my clothes...must have been the wine!  

Two Austin events that draw many people to Austin are SXSW and Austin Film Festival.  I have been to the music portion of SXSW several times and got away from attending due to the crowds.  This coming year, I really want to do all three parts including the interactive, movies and music.  As for the Austin Film Festival, they play some really unusual films and I think I would like to go to some of the events that are held around the city.  In a similar theme, the Paramount Theater has a summer movie series annually and they play all kinds of movies including Hitchcock and older Hollywood movies that you normally can't see on the big screen.

I added two volunteer projects to the list, HEB's Thanksgiving of Sharing and the Texas Advocacy Project's Handbags for Hope.  I have never done either of these events and they are causes that I want to support including feeding the homeless and helping women from abusive situations.

Last but not least, I will be going to at least one UT home game.  I am a Longhorn fan and try to get to one home game each year.  As I mentioned before, I am not into crowds all that much and like watching games from the comfort of my home, but it is good to do things outside our comfort level from time to time.