Your Weekend Agenda

As the holidays approach, many of you will find your itineraries starting to fill. My advice: ask people to keep their parties on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday nights. Try to keep your weekends free for more enjoyable pursuits. Why let December be ruined by a bunch of awkward social (or even worse, family) gatherings? If, however, you find a party absolutely unavoidable, remember that the booze at those things is free, and you can probably sneak out early enough that it can serve as college-style pregaming.

Friday: Fresh off their domination of the local competition in winning the Mayor's Cup, the PC Friars hockey team will take on likely patsy Union on Friday night at 7:00. You could watch it on Cox 3, but watching hockey on TV is like listening to a friend talk about a vacation: about 1,000 times worse than being there yourself. So get to Schneider Arena on Huxley Street, pony up your $5, and enjoy some of the best college hockey action in the country.

Saturday: I don't know about you, but to me nothing puts me in a festive mood like observing marine mammals. The summer might be for whale watching, but the winter is all about seals, which you can see thanks to Save the Bay by taking an observational cruise out of Newport. The boat leaves Bowen's Ferry Landing at 11:00 on Saturday (and noon on Sunday, if you prefer) and the cost is $20.

If you would rather stay off the water, go to Benefit Street at 3:00 to stroll the street, hear local high school carolers, and see the historic houses all decked out. At 4:30, the festivities will head downtown, where there will be free carriage rides and the City Hall Christmas Tree lighting.

If all that hasn't worn you out, head over to Firehouse 13 for a live music three way, starting at 9:00. The Cold War, Six Star General, and Hope Anchor will all play, for a miniscule $5 cover. Firehouse 13 is on Central Street in Providence.

Sunday: You know you've been craving a bit of theater, and you probably want to avoid Trinity Rep a this time of the year. So check out the closing performance of Perishable Theater's Wild Porcelain a funky-sounding comedy put on by the Workhorse troupe. And by funky, I mean the main character craps dishes, the play is performed in three different languages (one of which is Dutch...instant comedy!) and there appears to be an Indian headress prominently involved.The show starts at 2:00, and tickets are $10-$12