1. It's not too late to go see The Fantastic Mr. Fox . It's enjoyable in the way Wes Anderson films always are—the endearing neuroses of his characters, the regular cast (especially Owen Wilson), and, most of all, the near-obsessive attention to the details of design.

Anderson doesn't abandon any of these trademarks for this, an animated movie about the neuroses of burrowing mammals—and it works better than in any of Anderson's movies since The Royal Tenenbaums .

Still showing at the Majestic Bay, Columbia City Cinema, Meridian 16, and Metro Cinemas.

2. One government expenditure you might not know about—according to the city, this year Seattle City Light purchased 86 visual art pieces, including sculptures, paintings, video and installation art, and photography.

The city mandates that one percent of the budget of all eligible construction projects go toward purchasing art—and this year, City Light bought these 86 pieces, which totaled about $116,789 all together.

Most of that collection is currently displayed in city offices, but about a third of it is currently on display in the gallery of the Municipal Tower downtown. (The next and last third will go on display starting in January.)

From what I've seen, it's good. It's hard to find links to all the individual artists (and anyway, there are 17 in this exhibition), (its helpful to scroll through this) but I'm convinced by the clouds made of riveted steel and plastic, and the floating monorail hanging over a Godzilla on strings, that the collection is a little more interesting than your average office space watercolor.

The gallery is open from now til Dec. 31, Monday through Friday only, at the Seattle Municipal Tower (700 Fifth Avenue). Free.

3. Eating out on Christmas is apparently something you do if you have a lot of money—it's classy stuff. There's a traditional Christmas Eve dinner at the Artisanal Brasserie & Wine Bar, a cheese-centric fine dining restaurant that opened in September—that dinner is $58.

At the Union (whose web site brags that their head chef "conducts his culinary orchestra nightly") there's a "spectacular five-course Christmas Eve feast"—and that's $100.

Most cheaper places won't be open on Christmas. But for those who have to eat out, I would suggest heading to the 5 Point Cafe—they have a $20 ham & yams dinner and a $25 prime rib dinner. I can't speak to their food, but you're eating out on Christmas--why not hang out at a dive bar?

415 Cedar St. (at 4th Ave.) (206) 448-9993

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