February 07 , 2007

Greetings:

YAM, the trendsetter boutique, located inside Instituto Allende, has entered the VIP Club. Yam specializes in fine jewelry, lots of silver products with a super selection of William Spratling designed pieces. Card member Negro Caballero and his design team show their own pieces plus, almost all the time they have a guest artist or designer showing the latest in clothing and jewelry. Yam will offer 10% discount when paying cash to VIP Club members. Don't forget St. Valentine's Day!

VIP Club member, Pamela Wilbanks wants to remind members about the Dima art show taking place this Friday, February 9, at Casa Michoacana on Calzada de la Aurora #23, beginning at 6 p.m. with cocktails being served. Dima Karabchievsky has a webpage if anyone might like to view his work, http://www.karabchievsky.com/ Plus Antonio Rodriguez dance Flamenco at 7 p.m .

Card member Gene Fisher and his group want VIP members to know about IDEAS, located 1000 Conspiracion, Salida a Queretaro, just before the Dr. Mora glorieta. It's a large building or bodega, if you will, with lots of parking, that sells furniture, home improvements, designer kitchens, windows, thermal windows building products and more. this Saturday, February 10, Gene and his partners will be selling donated furniture, household goods and clothing as a benefit to help the SPA. VIP Club Members may take 10% off marked prices. There will be food and BBQ provided by the Texas Longhorn Restaurant, hot dogs, plus baked goods. VIP club members get free coffee and sodas, plus there will be live entertainment. IDEAS desires to work closer with Your Club and they tell us in the near future there will be some super discounts available to Club Members. For additional information e-mail Gene at rehsif13@yahoo.com or call 120-4244

Kris Rudolph, who operates VIP Club participating restaurant Buen Café, on the corner of Jesus and Cuadrante, is having a trunk sale, Sunday, February 1, 11 a.m. - 4 p.m., that will feature arts and crafts from around the world, with carpets, pillows, decorative items, jewelry, textiles and a new selection of Guatemalan huipils. BTW: Kris has published a book "Savoring San Miguel," showcasing 35 of San Miguel's restaurants that includes delicious recipes from the chefs and owners of some of San Miguel's finest restaurants. The book is for sale at Buen Café.

The Lions Club International of San Miguel is heading over to Veracruz for "Carnival" from Feb. 13th - 18th with overnight stops in Jalapa & Puebla - all 5-star hotels - double occupancy $330 USD & single for $495 USD or peso equivalent - please call Jean Schickel at 152-0934 or email her: jeanandpeter@prodigy.net.mx to sign up or to obtain more information!

Club member Darla Nordstrom of Darla's, on Recreo and Correo, is throwing a sunset, pre-building bash on her property out in the campo from 4-6 p.m. on Saturday, February 17. Darla, and her husband James, want to show off their plans about there new castle's construction and will have a guest speaker, Pedro Urquiza, a Harvard graduate, architect and builder who will speak about deluxe construction in Mexico. Bring your own bottle and those who bring a dish will be eligible for a $250US, gift certificate at Darla's store that will be a door prize, For directions and more call Darla at 152-4290.

Speaking of trips, there's been great response to the VIP Club-Berlin trip to Havana, Cuba, from February 28-March 5. There is still room and time to sign up. For all the info, visit http://www.viajessanmiguel.com/

Club member Ross Macdonald, of the San Miguel Health & Fitness Center, a VIP Club participating establishment on Sterling Dickinson in the Pueblito Shopping Center. Ross is looking into a group health insurance plan. Ross is working with Dr. David Warner, Dean of the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas to see if they can develop a program to bring USA Medicare to Americans living in Mexico. Ross and his fitness center are considering having VIP Club members align themselves with the program as part of the group. Before Ross can take this any further he desires that we put out feelers to see if there is any interest from his gym and VIP Club members. Contact Ross at the gym, 154-8395, or e-mail him at savinglives@yahoo.com so to fill out a questioner so to see if there is interest for such a program here in San Miguel.

Also Ross wants all to know that there will be changes at the gym and vitamin store. There will be some moving around and Ross is putting in a circuit Training Program, supervised for men and women, separately, in the aerobics room with special equipment. Also, Melissa Noble is opening a spa at Ross's location moving from the Aldea Hotel. Services will include: massages, facials, finger and toe nails care, skin care and other TLC soft touches including a steam room.

Long time card member and great friend, Arthur Silvers, has embarked for a new life in Malibu, California. We all will miss that great smile from a guy who has always been a solid cat. For those of you who didn't get a chance to say goodbye you can e-mail Arthur at: arthursilvers@yahoo.com  Adios, Arthur!

Want to know who is giving off what to members of Your Club? Go to http://www.vipsanmiguel.com/

Welcome to Year of the Fire Pig, February 18, 2007.

Thank you for your continuous and loyal support.

Your San Miguel VIP Club

February 01 , 2007

Greetings:

It's adios to Flor, Berlin's and everybody's favorite bartender, because this Thursday night is Flor's swan song at Berlin and her final night. Flor and David are going to carve out a new life together in Nashville, Tennessee, them both leaving later in the month. Some might remember Flor when she bar tended at Petite. We will surely miss her, yet since she is a San Miguel gal, she will be back from time to time to see her family. Come out to say goodbye, Thursday night, February 1. Plus at 11pm., for you stay outs, a couple of the town's older and more decrepit dudes are going to celebrate their birthdays. Good luck, Flor, only the best for you, Baby.

BBQ Bob's, on Salida de Ceylaya, is throwing a Super bowl blast beginning at 3pm, Sunday, February, 4. $120 pesos gets you full buffet, before or during the game. There will be door prizes, raffle tickets and $15 peso beers. Call Guadalupe for reservations: 152-8983. You might be wondering . . . great Offenses win games, great Defenses win championships. . . Bears!

Club Members Bill and Heidi LeVasseur who operate Casa de la Cuesta B&B are opening a Mask Museum at their location. To celebrate the inauguration of "La Otra Cara de Mexico," (The Other Face of Mexico) the LeVasseurs will host a series of receptions on six consecutive evenings beginning Sunday, February 4. Only 50 people can attend this event at a time and it's by invitation only. The LeVasseur's have graciously extended an opportunity to give an invitation to all VIP Club members. Over the years Bill and Heidi have accumulated over 400 masks during their travels across Mexico. This eclectic collection represents most major fiestas and cultural days of importance in the lives of Mexicans nationwide and those of the indigenous peoples. Some are actually pre-Hispanic, some vintage and some not so old. They believe none were ever produced for commercial purposes. The LeVasseur's now would like to share their discoveries with their B&B guests and the people of San Miguel by adding the museum as a wing to their establishment. For more information or to get an invitation for one of the evenings, e-mail Bill or Heidi at info@casadelacuesta.com or call at 154-4324.

Our friends and VIP Club participating restaurant, Vista Real, at the Vista Real Hotel are presenting a feast, "Festival de Vino y Paella!" Proceeds will go to Centro De Crecimiento AC. There will be ten diferent paellas to sample with many famous wines, cheeses and hams from La Esmeralda & La Barcelonesa. Cognac, Mescal, Belvedere Vodka, draft beer and more, plus desserts supplied by Petit Four. With items donated by the purveyors. It's all you can eat with live entertainment on both Saturday and Sunday, February 24 & 25, from 1pm until, who knows? Cost is $600 pesos per person, reservations and tickets are a must. Call Laura at Vista Real, 152-3996.

Otto Sirgo, who operates VIP Club participating restaurant, La Toscana, on Hernandez Macias & Umaran, and who, may we add, is an acclaimed TV and Movie actor here in Mexico. Otto wants the membership to know La Toscana has added some new dishes to their menu. Soups: Onion, Garlic, Florentines (vegetables & pasta), and Straciatella (Chicken, spinach and Parmesan cheese). Risottos: Green; made with spinach sauce and mushrooms and a Black; made from squid ink and octopus meat. Chicken Marsala has been added as has a new fish dish in lemon and butter sauce. Beef: Pizziola Tenderloin, covered with Napolitan sauce and sauteed Cambray onions. Otto would like diners to try his great mushrooms with olive oil garlic and Chile de Arbol.

Congrats to our distinguished VIP Club Member, W.D. Snodgrass, our town's Pulitzer Prize winning poet, whose most recent book "Not for Specialists: New and Selected Poems," has been nominated and is a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award in poetry. The winner will be announced March 8. Way to go, "D!" Good luck!

An encore rerun of A.R. Gurney's comical and sentimental stage-play "Love Letters" runs for 13 performances in February. David Hunter and Billie Bremer star. The play will be directed by Kirsten Dehner and produced by Alan Jordan. It will be held at Villa Jacaranda Hotel, Thursday through Sunday, February: 8-9-10-11, Wednesday through Sunday, February 14-15-16-17-18 and February 22-23-24-25. Last summer's performances were knocked out with Bilie and David's poignant readings touching the hearts of anyone who has bee separated from a love over most of a lifetime. For reservations for either the show by itself or the dinner show call 154-0352, for online reservations http://www.loveletters-sma.com/ Tickets will be on sale this weekend at Instituto's Arts and Crafts Fair.

Harry's New Orleans Cafe and Bar has announced this year's Mardi Gras's king and queen. VIP Club member, Larry Zafer, has been crowned His Majesty and Maria Sanchez, of local singing fame, will reign over festivities as queen the week leading up to Fat Tuesday, February 20. Look for lots of goings on at Harry's the upcoming month.

There has been much interest shown by members about the Havana, Cuba trip sponsored by the VIP Club and Berlin, February 28-March 5. A good potion of the trip is all-inclusive. There will be a special performance by prominent members of the Buena Vista Social Club. To see all the details visit: http://www.viajessanmiguel.com/

Congrats to the many VIP club members who supported the Great Chili Cook Off. It was considered by most as a roaring success!

Don't forget to see all the new and old news at Your Club's webpage http://www.vipsanmiguel.com/

Welcome back Arden O'Rourke.

Thank you for your continuous and loyal support.

Your San Miguel VIP Club