Book Club for October

Thursday, October 27, 7:30 PM

Host: Bill

Location: 2001 Royalwood Dr., Arlington, 76006

Call for directions: (817) 718-2424

Letters to Montgomery Clift: A Novel (by Noel Alumit) This occasionally radiant coming-of-age tale crams human rights violations, the cultural and emotional turmoil of immigrant life, self-mutilation, family ties, abortion, coming out and the ubiquitous search for self all into a brisk, sometimes jarring read. In the midst of the atrocities of the Marcos regime in the Philippines in 1970s, eight-year-old Bong Bong Luwad is smuggled to Los Angeles, where he stays with his abusive, alcoholic Auntie Yuna, who writes "letters to God and dead relatives." Each chapter begins with missives to the eponymous dead movie star who catches Bong's imagination, filling in for his missing parents and rousing his burgeoning sexuality. Bounced around the foster care system after Auntie Yuna goes to the liquor store and never returns, Bong ends up with a well-to-do foster family, the Filipino Arangans, who are picture-perfect on the outside, but harbor their own mysteries, disillusionments and shames, one of which drives Bong away from them. He finds a confidante in their rebellious daughter, Amada, and a range of opportunities provided by their wealth, but he connects with Amnesty International and holds on to the hope that his parents are still alive. The obsessive letters are a rather clumsy expository device and the ending is less than credible, but Alumit's debut is affecting enough to suggest that when he hits his stride, he will be a writer to reckon with. Forecast: Though unlikely to find a large mainstream audience, this should strike a chord with gay and/or Filipino readers.

Get the book. (Books available at Barnes & Noble or Amazon.com)

1. Read it.
2. Sign-in on the comments for this blog entry so we know how much dessert to get.
3. Come share dessert, as well as your thoughts and insights on the book.

 All are welcome. So that we know how much dessert to have ready, please add your NAME and EMAIL to the comment section for this event. [If you are having trouble leaving a comment, please email dfwteddy1955@yahoo.com and I will add your "reservation. The comment program is erratic lately, and I'm trying to get info from Blogger to fix it.]

See you there!

It's All About Cruising!

Thursday, October 20, 6:00-7:00

Hosts: Bill & Andy

2001 Royalwood Dr., Arlington, 76006

Call for directions: (817) 718-2424

CRUISE INFORMATION

WITH THE CRUISE PLANNER

Join us for a 7-night cruise aboard the Carnival Spirit sailing from Seattle, WA, on Tuesday, June 12, 2012. (Itinerary, Ship Features, Excursions) Cost, which includes r/t airfare to Seattle, is approximately $1300-$1875 pp/dbl occ depending on your cabin preference.

If you are interested in joining us on this cruise (or at least finding out more about it), please join for pizza as we meet with the cruise planner to get all of the trip details. An initial deposit of approximately $125 will reserve your cabin space and airline ticket; a payment plan for the remainder will be available.

So we can plan for the pizza and the number of information packets to prepare for this informational meeting, please email James or Bill by October 19th.

October Breakfast Gathering

Sunday, October 9, 9:00 AM

Rise & Shine

1815 W Pioneer Pkwy, Arlington

PH: (817) 277-3201

“Just plain great!!! I love me a hole in the wall in the land of the bland chain restaurant and this, to my surprise, met the criteria. Food was excellent, service was excellent and prices were incredibly reasonable. Thankfully the other reviews were spot on - hence the reason I tried the restaurant in the first place.” – Steve K.

Please leave your FIRST NAME and EMAIL ADDRESS in the comment section for this posting so we know how many tables to pull together and we can look for you. [If you are having trouble leaving a comment, please email dfwteddy1955@yahoo.com and I will add your "reservation. The comment program is erratic lately, and I'm trying to get info from Blogger to fix it.]

I look forward to seeing you there!

October Hump-day Happy Hour

Wednesday, October 5, 6:00-8:00 PM

Grease Monkey

200 N Mesquite, Arlington

PH: (817) 366-4776

The Grease Monkey Burger Shop and Social Club team has a goal to change the Arlington Restaurant / Bar experience. “The Monkey” combines hearty burgers, wicked libations, serious music and a party deck destined to be the place to be seen on a beautiful Texas day. We are excited to be part of a new Downtown Arlington REVIVAL focused on bringing the people back to where Arlington Business and Arlington Cool were born. So please UTA students, faculty and staff, local businesses and families, sports junkies, barflies, music addicts, foodies and of course our out of town guests, come join us on this ride. We promise to make the experience unique and memorable. Let’s all meet at “The Monkey”!

Come early - stay later - just plan to be there! Sign the comment section for this entry (including your email address) so we can be on the look-out for you.