If you enjoy ingesting massive quantities of food, you will enjoy Elevation Burger's first eating competition. The competition will involve eating their Vertigo Burger, a ten-patty burger made of organic, grass-fed beef along with aged cheddar. On top of that, each contestant must also down a basket of Elevation Burger's olive-oil fried French fries. The first person to finish the behemoth meal will receive free Elevation Burgers for a year (up to two burgers a week).

The contest will take place on December 3 and 7 p.m. at Elevation Burger (9828 Great Hills Trail). To enter, email your name, age and contact info to ebarboretum@gmail.com and you will receive confirmation of their entry via email.

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It may not feel too chilly outside yet, but December is almost here. Regardless of whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, or Kwanzaa, the month is full of holiday cheer in Austin. Be sure to check out my December events calendar to find out about all the exciting things happening in Austin.

Some of December's highlights include "The Nutcracker" performed by the Austin Ballet, which is the longest-running Nutcracker performance in Texas. As always, there will be plenty live music in Austin, ranging from KISS at the Erwin Center to many holiday-themed performances, such as Handel's "Messiah" by the Austin Symphony. You can watch the Zilker Tree Lighting Ceremony, attend a holiday party for dogs at the Driskill, and go shopping at Keep Austin Bizarre. The possibilities are nearly endless!

What December events in Austin are you most excited about?

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The Domain is mixed-use facility in North Austin that features an outdoor shopping mall, apartments, and restaurants. Its first phase has been open for several years, and its second phase is currently under expansion in what is the largest ongoing retail construction in the city.

According to the Statesman, the new section of The Domain will feature 600,000 square feet of apartments, a luxury movie theater, several small retailers, and a Dillard's department store (the first new one in Austin in over 10 years). Most of the existing Domain retailers are luxury and designer shops, but the new stores will be more affordable options, such as Payless Shoes and Bath and Body Works. The movie theater will be like a fancy Alamo Drafthouse, with reclining chairs in small theaters and the ability to order food and drinks (tickets will be $20 a pop, according to the Statesman).

A Dick's Sporting Goods store recently opened in the new section of The Domain. Dillard's is set to open in Feb. of 2010, and there will also be a Westin Hotel opening in the new section of The Domain in the spring of 2010.

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Austin is yet again at the top of a list for cities performing well in a crummy economy. The Milken Institute recently released a report of the cities that performed best at creating and sustaining jobs in 2009. Texas metro areas took three of the top 10 spots.

The Austin-Round Rock metro was ranked No. 4 last year, but came in at No. 1. This year. The Killeen-Temple-Fort Hood area rose from 13th place to second. The Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown metro went from up from 16th to 5th place this year.

The Milken Institute says regional economic factors were major influencers, and the industries with most stability were technology, alternative energy, and the oil and gas industry.

Austin's strong tech industry is what boosted it to first place. It is also the first time a metro has been ranked No. 1 twice on this index (we were No. 1 in 2000). According to the Institute, "Another factor helping Texas metros move up in the rankings is that state's favorable business climate and its ability to attract jobs and corporations away from higher-cost states."

The index was calculated based on employment and salary growth both in the short term and long term. Additionally, they measured technology output growth "because of technology's crucial role in creating good jobs and driving regional economies."