O, the merry! O, the madness!

The masses converged at The Eastland Park hotel last night for some Merry Madness shopping. The lobby was packed to the gills with anxious shoppers waiting in line for a wine glass (what better to put complimentary wine in?) or biding their time in the lobby bar (what better way to keep warm?).

And while the line was admittedly long - and there was no doubt a bit of frustration when the signature "Merry Madness" wine glasses ran out - the mood was still more merry than mad.

But no group represented the holiday spirit more obviously than these ladies, whose accoutrements speak for themselves. Forget beer goggles. Classy ladies don wine eyes.

See all the pics from last night's Merry Madness

And the stellar attendance at the hotel poured over into the streets of Portland's downtown, where many local businesses stayed open until 10 pm to welcome the holiday shoppers.

While the shopping and holiday revelry went on, a friend and I popped into the SOAP (Sustainable Organization Advocacy Partners) offices on Fore Street. The folks there, along with Reverb and Good Focus, were getting all eggnoggy and festive on the third floor.

And what would "festive" be without a bicycle-powered drink mixer (it's hard to see, but there's a blender attached to the back of the bike). I missed the Greendrinks event that SOAP hosted back in August so it was my first time seeing the drink-cycle.

And as Merry Madness came to a close, and the contented shoppers meandered back to their cars (or rooms at the Eastland), a few friends and I headed to Dogfish Bar & Grille to enjoy a little Pete Miller acoustic.

The chill from outside was circumvented by a warm bar, local music and jovial crowd.

And with the Christmas wreaths all over and the snow-coated scene out the window, I couldn't help but get overrun with good cheer. It happens. And I liked it so much I kept a little for today, too.

Not that I had forgotten, but it was one of those nights that reminds you why fell for Portland in the first place.

[FYI, you can catch Tri-Mainer Pete Miller at Slainte on Jan 2nd]