G.R.i.D. (Get Rich in Dallas)

My church, Cathedral of Hope has their Miracle Project which I’m afraid would be better for you to find out about it here than have me explain. But, they are having some fun stuff coming up. Well, not sure if the first one is theirs but it came in the same notice as their definite event.

Tonight sounds like total fun:

“The Wizard of Oz” Sing-a-Long - May 12, 6-9 p.m.

Another great movie sing-a-long is planned this May. Bring the whole family … and Toto too! Come dressed as your favorite character from the movie and get discounted tickets. Follow the Yellow Brick Road to the CoH Fellowship Hall for food, fun and a great family night out. Tickets are available at the event for $10 with costume and $15 without costume.

I’ve been to a Sound of Music sing-along and they can be fun. But these are definitely NOT for cinema sticklers (like me, actually)  where even people who talk through the commercials before the previews will be annoying. It’s not just singing along to the songs, it’s camping it up all throughout the movie. It will probably be the one time you see white people not afraid to talk to the movie. But if you’re up for complete silliness and camp and even unnerviing sing-along divas, I’d have to recommend. 

Then, they invite you to dinner on Tuesday night. Check this out:

Cantina Laredo Supports the 37th Anniversary Miracle Project - May 15, 5-10 p.m.

The Irving Circle Miracle Team invites you to dinner Tuesday, May 15 at Cantina Laredo, 165 Inwood Village in Dallas. It’s simple; all you and your friends have to do is come and eat dinner. No extra charges. No tickets to buy. Just enjoy dinner and fun with friends while supporting the Miracle Project.

When 100 people identifying themselves as supporters of the Miracle Project show up for dinner that night, Cantina Laredo will donate 10 percent of entire restaurant sales for the evening. Please arrive between 5 and 10 p.m. and make sure to let the hostess know you are there for the Cathedral of Hope’s Peace Chapel fundraiser. Large parties should call ahead (214-350-5227) with a number for your table.

Don’t forget: we need 100 people through the door. So please come and join us while we raise some cash … so we can pour some concrete!

Now I gotta find my lion costume.  

Local author probably on the verge of huge superstardom, Will Clarke has an offer for you. The other day on myspace, he offered 50 signed copies of his debut novel, Lord Vishnu’s Love Handles. For free. The give away was a big hit naturally and so now, he’s gonna offer 50 more due to arrive this weekend. I wouldn’t be surprised if they have already been claimed but if you’re so inclined, and trust me, you should be, all he asks is this:

Shoot me your mailing address (or even a friend’s mailing address) at willclarke13@mac.com, and I’ll help you kick-off the summer with a FREE signed FIRST EDITION. Please one book per person. First come first serve. While supplies last.

No telling what that signed copy will return in ten years on eBay. But me? I’m keeping mine forever ’cause Will and I are total BFF’s. After transcribing an interview of him into this (intern duty), I had the pleasure of meeting him for real at Half Price Books after his chair massage and ran into him here and well, there you have it. Ever since, we’ve been like THIS.

Seriously, he is this amazingly genuine and humble guy who’s well spoken and just gracious about all his good fortune. He’s definitely one of those guys you want to succeed. And he’s doing it.

Last Friday night, I made my way out to the Nodding Dog in Bishop Arts. At a mere 7 p.m., that area was hoppin’ and providing way too much trouble in finding a parking. I was stunned because I figured it would be too early for things to be rolling. Nodding Dog is not a bad place. It’s charming, dark but never really struck my fancy like I hoped it would. Maybe I’m a corporate sellout to the Starbucks syndrome.

I was there for an interview which was quite enjoyable. Almost ten, we finished up and I started making my way back to the east Dallas hood. My friend calls with the offer of going to Kaliente, the Hispanic gay club. Admittedly I cringed at first and gave him an on the fence answer. Besides, I was major hungry. Getting back closer to home I had a major craving for sushi and ended up at Nandina, off lower Greenville.

My first time there, I dug the place. But when we walked in that night, it was abounding with low-rent peeps. Old ladies in glitter shimmery clothes and chicks in nothing-left-to-the-imagination skirts, who REALLY shouldn’t have been wearing them. Trust me. Not to mention their gentlemen dates dressed in whatever this decades version of Chess King is. But I was starving and this was open.

Sushi was ok, beer was good but I just felt icky soon after and have decided not to go back. There’s some kind of weird creepy energy there that I can’t put my finger on and thereupon, will not venture back. Although, considering that they may be the only place I can snag raw fish at 3am gives them a slight check in the plus column. Or I could just rip open a tuna pack and dig in.

By this time it’s 11:30 and my friend be all calling wondering where I am because I decided to say ’si’ to Kaliente. So I finished up and decided to make my way to Maple @ Wycliff. Now, this is an OK area bordering on the sketchy side. It doesn’t bother me but my nightlife entertainment rarely takes me into such unknown territories. At my friend’s recommendation (I still don’t know why), I parked three dangerous blocks away in a well-lit shopping center. Walking past appropriately sketchy cantinas and street walkers, I come to the front door finding a line of people waiting to get in. It perked me up thinking, dang…this must be the place to be. After an awkward Spanglish conversation with the door man and being scanned by a wand, I walked through the narrow patio into a large darkness of hopping Tejano music, swirling dancefloor lights and a crowd packed from end to end but still with ample room to walk.

I was like DAYUMMMMMMM!

After finding my cohort, I think we were somewhat stupefied that there was this whole happening fun scene on the outskirts. It was a mix of gay men, lesbian women, some straight couples and a sprinkling of non-Latinos. Finally, I wasn’t the minority…although I have been blamed for being a coconut. Sigh. The place was fun and genuine. The Hot Chico and Chica contest where people got up to strip was so gay late 80s but it was goofy and endearing and silly. You couldn’t help but get into it. We did.

Just don’t get comfortable on the dancefloor.

My only beef with the place was the DJ who had apparent ADD. After spinning some Tejano, he goes for the top 40 Spanish/English dance set. He started with blast from past Whitney Houston which got more people on the floor and I swear 20 seconds later he mixed out of it. Every song for about the next hour was good popular dance stuff but by the time you made it to the floor, it was already gone. Fire that guy!