But that was not the merriest holiday sight we saw.

On 21st, driving from Noe back to the Mission, over a few crests of the hill, we saw a large group of people milling about in the street, doubleparking, and the like. Turns out they were there to see the Christmas House.

This house didn’t just sport a few twinkling icicle lights in its windows. No, it was a full-on evocation of the North Pole, with a huge Christmas Tree, oversized presents including a Sponge Bob-esque and Hello Kitty-like couple that mesmerized several small children.

And Santa was even there, asking children what they wanted for Christmas.

Lest you think I was on the way home from a holiday party during which I ingested too much festive eggnogg, I snapped the below photo for you.

Happy Chrismukkah!

Since I am thus sufficiently imbued with the holiday spirit, I’m compelled to share my musical “must do” list with you:

• Tuesday, Dec. 7: go see the Dears and the Robbers on High Street at Cafe du Nord. The Robbers on High Street put on a great show when they opened for Elefant at GAMH in August, so be sure to get there early.
• Thursday, Dec. 9: You can get your holiday shopping done while listening to live music and having your photo taken while sitting on a Bad Santa’s knee at the semiannual Rock n’ Shop.
• Sunday, Dec. 11: Get online early (yes, almost 4 months early) to buy your tickets for the only SF appearance of the newly-reformed Slint. That’s right, thanks to the enthusiastic response to the announcement of their reforming and curating the UK edition of All Tomorrow’s Parties, they’re doing a small reunion tour.

Rather than lamenting the loss of another great SF theater, why not get involved with the SF neighborhood theater effort, or just make an effort to go out and see indie and foreign films on the big screen? Yeah, you can wait for them to come out on Netflix, but even with a great projector setup at home, it’s not the same as sitting in an audience full of movie lovers. And instead of heading out to a mega plex, why not go see a blockbuster at the Coronet — it *is* the biggest screen in SF after all.

So, keep an eye on what these neighborhood theaters are playing, and help save us from a megaplex-only future:

• The 4 Star
• The Balboa
• The Bridge
• The Castro
• The Clay
• The Coronet
• The Lumiere
• The Metro
• The Red Vic
• The Roxie
• The Vogue

Thank you to Gary Meyer of the Balboa Theater for reminding me (via a recent newsletter) of the moviegoer’s part in the plight of the local theater.

If election return avoidance is more up your alley, take that voting stub on over to the Balboa Theater for a free movie pass.

P.S. Today is the deadline for registering to vote. Check out today’s SF Chronicle article on voting requirements and places to register.

• Over in the Mission, Otsu, a store devoted to stylish vegan clothing, shoes and accessories, is throwing a party (FREE, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.) to celebrate their second birthday and the release of a new eco-friendly datebook. Get there early for treats from The Bakery Box, makers of an amazing vegan chocolate cake that’s better than most of the full-fat chocolate cake I’ve had at local bakeries.
• Across town, the 540 Club in the Inner Richmond is the setting for a Matt Gonzalez-organized party (FREE admission but you have to buy your own beverages, 7:00-10:00 p.m.) in support of re-electing district 1 supervisor Jake McGoldrick. The evening’s festivities include the excellent beer and music you’d expect from this neighborhood bar, plus an appearance by Jello Biafra.
• And in Oakland, Bitch magazine is celebrating the release of their latest issue, Fake, with an evening of women-friendly music (9:00 onward) at the Mile High Club. This event is a fundraiser for the magazine, with a requested $10-$20 donation.