On Saturdays thru the end of December, North Hills will host a greenery market. Garlands, wreaths, and decorations will all be available from 11am to 3pm each Saturday. (The market is most likely to be held in the commons).

Automatic Vaudeville returns with its Christmas comedy, The Santaland Diaries by David Sedaris, for one weekend only. This year, Automatic Vaudeville has been fortunate enough to partner with one of the Triangle’s leading producers of Christmas cheer, Theatre In The Park. The production will run December 11-14, 2008 at the Ira David Wood III Pullen Park Theatre. 

The Santaland Diaries, originally an essay in David Sedaris’ “Holidays on Ice” collection, was adapted into a one-man piece by Joe Mantello (Angels in America, Wicked). It tells the tale of Sedaris’ brief stint working as an elf at Macy’s “SantaLand” attraction in New York City. The play chronicles the holiday season and is filled with charged, politically incorrect, irreverent commentaries of fellow elves, Santa’s true colors, and the raucous adults and children who come to sit on St. Nick’s lap. 

Automatic Vaudeville presents The Santaland Diaries for a third time, having mounted the show in 2005 and 2006 previously. The show teams directors Maggie Rasnick, actor Jesse R. Gephart, and stage manager Laura Jernigan. 

Tickets are for $15 Adults and $10 for Students/Seniors/TIP Season Subscribers. Advance tickets will be available online soon at Theatre In The Park’s website. Reservations can also be made by calling 919-831-6058.  Seating is general admission.

SuperShuttle will soon make a new home at RDU. The shared-ride service will begin with 15 Blue Vans and build the system as growth demands. SuperShuttle provides customers with a less expensive option than traditional forms of transportation to and from the airport by sharing a ride with other customers in close proximity. Its GPS mapping system allows SuperShuttle to be an extremely efficient shared ride service in the country serving over 28 airports nationwide.

Friday and Saturday only! Ruth’s Chris at North Hills is offering a free Petit Filet or New York Strip with the purchase of another entree. The restaurant serves dinner from 5pm to 11pm.

The News & Observer had a quick article on Wednesday revealing that the Johnson Automotive Badger is making a comeback! The furry car salesman featured in Johnson’s ads last year won the hearts of Triangle residents, striking a funny bone with every strident wiggle-wiggle and sexist remark. The ad blitz, however, was called off in the winter and ever since, the badger has only appeared in Johnson’s radio campaign.

This week, though, the badger ads will make their way back to the airwaves. The local ads are the product of Richmond’s Martin Agency. The company is best known for its Geico ads featuring the gecko and the cavemen. However millions of hits on YouTube prove that this ad campaign is reaching beyond this market.

Additionally, the dealership’s locations will soon begin selling wiggling, talking, stuffed badgers for just $18. They can also be ordered by calling (919) 877-1999.

“Kids Eat Free” night is a wonderful thing…for roughly half of the people out there. Which restaurants have you seen with a free-for-children night? Here are a few to get the list started:

• Yoho Asian Bistro: Monday night
• Moe’s: Tuesday night (used to be Monday)
• Globe Restaurant: Monday (with $5 wine pours for parents).

In each water bill the City of Raleigh inserts a good memo (.pdf) regarding curbside garbage and recycling pickup. While it’s easy to toss this info aside, some around Raleigh seem to be getting tripped up on a few items. The memo states:

• Garbage cans should be a few inches from the curb, not in the street. They should be at least 5 feet from mailboxes, utility poles, parked cars, or other obstructions. Finally, carts need to be retrieved before 7pm on the night of one’s collection day.
• The following items should be collected in green recycling bins, not garbage: metal food cans, glass food and beverage containers, aluminum beverage cans, newspapers and all inserts, plastic bottles, white paper (including opened junk mail), milk cartons, cereal boxes, aluminum foil, and some cardboard
• Unless you enjoy bees, roaches, and rodents, rinse glass, aluminum, and plastic containers before putting them in the recycling bin.

The City of Raleigh has begun its first round of seasonal leaf collections. The first round will end by Christmas Day, and the second pass will begin January 5

• Leaves (only, no limbs) should be raked to within 6-8 feet of the curb.
• Crews have passed the North Hills area, and seem to be moving clockwise around the city. The weekly-updated map (.pdf) shows what areas are next.

“Vanities: A New Musical“, the new Broadway musical featuring Raleigh native Lauren Kennedy, will open on February 26 at the Lyceum Theater (map it) in NYC. Previews of the production will begin on February 2.

The musical features music and lyrics by David Kirshenbaum and chronicles the lives of three friends from the 1960s to the 1980s. The show also stars Sarah Stiles and Anneliese van der Pol.

The Junior Woman’s Club of Raleigh presents its first ‘Jingle Mingle’ on Sunday, December 7, 2008, 5:00pm-9:00pm at Red Room, 510 Glenwood Avenue, Raleigh. The event features a special JWC Jolly Holly Cocktail and GOLO tournaments, and 20% of all food and beverage sales will benefit the Junior Woman’s Club of Raleigh and Wake Teen.