As if that was not enough the Number Four Chefs Greg and Glenroy prepared a delicious special menu for the occasion available along with the regular menu.

Throughout the evening people were served samples of Real Gusto’s new tequilas they are promoting across Mexico by very nice representatives.

The food as usual was amazing and I particularly can recommend the Steak Frites, the Seafood Green Curry and the Roasted Tomato Soup with reduced basil oil. We were a group of 10 and everyone ordered something different and everyone was happy.

There was dancing and table were removed to make more room for those wishing to dance to the toe-tapping music of The Tall Boys.

The reason I am writing about last evening, aside from the fact that it was another one of Kim’s exciting events, is that the restaurant both upstairs and downstairs where filled to the rafters with very happy people having a wonderful time.

To me this is, yet, another sign that things are, in fact, getting better in our beautiful village in the sun – Ajijic.

Often restaurants and stores are not experiencing the custom they would like but last night certainly put paid to that.

Also Le Nueva Posada at # 9 Donato Guerra (376) 766-1444 in Ajijic has been enjoying a full hotel and increased numbers in the dining room and garden. La Nueva Posada is open 7 days a week.

Number Four is located at #4 Donato Guerra (376)766-1360. They are open Thursday and Friday from 6:00 pm and Saturday and Sunday from 2:00 pm. You can also visit their website at: www.restaurantnumberfour.com

Buen Provecho!

It was held in the beautiful gardens of the Hotel Real Chapala in lower La Floresta and it was quite an event. I would go so far as to say it was the best attended and most successful dinner/dance that we have attended lakeside.

The dress was, of course, Hollywood, and many people took full advantage of this opportunity to dress in a very exciting and flamboyant style. There were many “Marilyn Monroes” and even a “Rhett Butler” and “Gloria Swanson”. Some of the men were resplendent in tuxedos and the woman equally decked out in exotic gowns and bling to rival Snoop Dogg.

We were offered delicious canapés on arrival and Monica and Mike Molloy were on hand to handle the wine requirements.

Before dinner there was a silent auction with literally hundreds of items ranging from green fees at Santa Anita Golf Course to several original paintings including one from Judy Eager of La Nueva Posada.

Dinner was a buffet in two locations and tables were called out in an orderly fashion so the lines were not too long. There was a great assortment of vegetables such as green peas, carrots, cauliflower in a delicate cream sauce and broccoli. Three kinds of potatoes were offered along with roast turkey, arrechera, gravy and cranberry sauce and lasagna. Everything was very carefully prepared and delicious.

After dinner and several bottles of wine to loosen the tongue and purse strings the live auction was held and it was a huge success as about 12 or 13 very interesting items were auctioned off. These items included gourmet dinners prepared in your home to exotic getaways. I am sure both of these well- coordinated and professionally run silent and live auctions brought in a great deal of money for the ninos.

The dessert table was filled with many different kinds of cakes and flans and all the desserts were fabulous.

There were a few words by the President of Ninos Incapacitados, our friend, David McNiven and also Kari Higgins was acknowledged for all of her hard work throughout the year. David or Joyce McNiven can be reached at 766-2201 and Kari Higgins can be reached at 766-3651.

I recommend that you visit their web site at: www.programaninos.org to find out more about this outstanding and very necessary charity and also to find out how to donate.

I also recommend you make sure you attend next year’s gala dinner/dance. It was indeed a spectacular evening.

Hope to see you next year!

There is going to be a delicious dinner, fabulous live and silent auctions, dancing to Noe and the Classics and some entertaining surprises.

The tickets are $450.00 pesos and can be purchased until March 13th from 10:00 am to 12:30 pm at the Lake Chapala Society on 16th of Septiembre in downtown Ajijic, Lake Chapala.

Tables of 10 can be reserved or seats at an open table by contacting Sue Williams at (376) 766-0487 and the dress, of course, is Hollywood. So break out your boas ladies and your white dinner jackets gentlemen and come and have some glitzy Hollywood fun.

My husband and I have attended this event for many years and it is the event of the season for a very good cause.

We have always enjoyed the varying themes, good food and catching up with Ajijic’s elite.

Weather permitting the Dinner Dance will be held in the expansive garden area of the Hotel
Real de Chapala which is right on beautiful Lake Chapala.

Excellent wines are available and it has always been a very tasteful and enjoyable event in a lovely setting

The service is very good and people are very well looked after.

This year will be added fun with live and silent auctions and some secret surprises.

So get your tickets right way (they are going fast) and join us for this event of fine dining and camaraderie in this delightful garden environment.

We can only hope is does not pour rain as it did on our son’s wedding but I am sure if that does happen we will be cozily accommodated indoors as we were at the lovely candlelit dining room of La Nueva Posada.

The good news is that Café Adelita is up and running after renovations and is flourishing. Café Adelita is perhaps more casual dining but the food is very good and meticulously prepared by Chef Shea.

The other attraction of Café Adelita is the live music Thursday through Sunday.

Bryan James plays Thursday, The Regrets with Jason Taylor play Friday, the Lucky Dogs play Saturday and the Blue Jay Slims play Sunday. All groups are great for dancing so put on your dancing shoes because you will want to dance.

For more information about the different groups and the extensive menu you can visit their web site at: www.cafeadelita.com

Reservations are advised and you can make them by calling (376) 766-0097 or on their website. They also have a Facebook page with daily updates.

Tuesday the excellent ribs are half price with home-cut fries and cole slaw.

Wednesday is Seafood with lobster, crab cakes and other delicacies.

Thursday 2 x 1 margaritas are offered.

Friday Chef Shea presents his succulent menu choices.

Sunday is Blues BBQ day.

The hours for Café Adelita are Tuesday – Saturday 5:00 pm – 11:00 pm
Sunday 12 noon – 9:00 pm
Mondays they are closed.

You will appreciate the atmosphere of good food and good times and the wonderfully friendly and efficient staff. There is also a pool table for your enjoyment.

Café Adelita is located in San Antonio Tlayacapan beside the church. You take the street going down towards the lake beside Mail Boxes Etc. and turn right at the church then turn left at the first street and you are there.

San Antonio Tlayacapan is just east of Ajijic, Lake Chapala.

We came home to a black house and two howling dogs.

Someone had driven into one of the hydro poles on the service road two blocks below our street and it caused a power surge which knocked out 2 TVs, 1 DVD player, the clock on our stove and our Leaf Frog device which allows us to change Star Choice channels in our bedroom.

We went to bed early as we did not expect power to be returned anytime soon as it was Sunday night. Just as we were dozing off power was restored but, of course, our shows were over.

Thanks to www.youtube.com I was able to see Adele’s award winning performance of “Rolling in the Deep” and her emotional acceptance speech and there will be an encore presentation of “Downton Abbey” Saturday, February 18th, 2012.

As we love to watch TV in bed I knew I had to do something fast to restore all of our electronics that we lost during the power outage and surge. We do have surge protectors in the living room and den but not in the bedroom.

Fortunately, Michael Merryman had “friended” me on Facebook and I sent him an urgent message. We have known Michael Merryman since we moved to Ajijic in 1994 and have used his company’s services for years as well as recommending him to our clients with confidence. In fact, the only phone number my husband knows by memory is Michael’s.

Since we got Star Choice we have not needed Michael as often so I was thrilled when I contacted him he responded to me right away.

I did check out new TVs at Walmart and they do have some excellent brand names at very good prices but I wanted to see if my TV could be fixed first. Michael’s people came the same day to pick up the TV and helped move the TV from the den into the bedroom as a stopgap measure. It is now returned and working fine for a very reasonable price. We have a new surge protector for the bedroom and a new remote for Star Choice (Shaw Direct) and our Leap Frog is also being repaired.

All of this was painless and once again the service we got from Michael and Ajijic Electronics was superb. They do Satellite TV, Broadband, Home Theater Installations and Satellite Radio. They are located on Las Flores #2 in Ajijic and their phone # is (376) 766-1117.

Give them a call – we continue to highly recommend them.

This is an event that everybody seems happy to participate in was originally started by the late Morley Eager of La Nueva Posada 35 years ago.

There is a new addition to the Chili Cook Off this year and that is the Best Lakeside Margarita Contest which will be held on Friday, February 10th from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm. Ten restaurants are competing in this contest among them #FOUR Restaurant and Adelita’s of San Antonio. Also on Friday is the Salsa Tasting Competition with both professional and home cooks competing. There is a $200.00 entrance fee for the Margarita Contest and you can apply by going to their website: www.mexicanchilicookoff.com

There is also going to be a Duck Race sponsored by the Cruz Rojo in the large pools on the grounds and the first place winner will win a 32’ flat screen TV.

There will be many booths selling everything from clothes and jewelry to food, drinks and arts and crafts. The full schedule for each of the three days will be posted soon on their web site.

On Saturday, February 11th the home cooks compete for the People’s Choice Award in Chili and on Sunday the restaurants compete for the coveted first place prize.

All proceeds of the Chili Cook Off go to local charities.

Volunteers are needs to sell tickets at the gate, control traffic within the grounds, to sell raffle tickets during the cook off and to help handle the ticket money. To volunteer contact: donandjim@hotmail.com

This annual event is a lot of fun for the whole family and there is entertainment for all ages.
Plan to attend to support our very worthwhile local charities.

See you there!

Motion Picture Awards:

Best Picture Drama – The Descendants
Best Picture Musical or Comedy – The Artist
Best Performance by an Actress Drama – Meryl Streep “Iron Lady”
Best Performance by an Actor Drama – George Clooney “The Descendants”
Best Performance by an Actress Musical or Comedy – Michelle Williams “My Week With Marilyn”
Best Performance by an Actor Musical or Comedy – Jean Dujardin “The Artist”
Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role – Christopher Plummer “Beginners” (A nice Canadian boy.)
Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role – Octavia Spencer “The Help”
Best Director – Martin Scorsese “Hugo”
Best Animated Film – The Adventures of Tintin
Best Foreign Language Film – A Separation
Best Screenplay – Midnight in Paris
Best Original Score – The Artist

Primetime Television Awards:

Best Television Series Drama – Homeland
Bet Performance by an Actor in TV Series Drama – Kelsey Grammar “Boss”
Best Performance by an Actress in TV Series Drama – Clair Danes “Homeland”
Best TV Series Musical or Comedy – Modern Family
Best Performance by an Actor in TV Series Musical or Comedy – Matt LeBlanc “Episodes”
Best Performance by an Actress in TV Series Musical or Comedy – Laura Dern “Enlightened”
Best Mini Series or Motion Picture made for TV – Downton Abbey (A favrorite of ours.)
Best Performance by an Actor in a Mini Series or Motion Picture – Idris Elba “Luther”
Best Performance by an Actress in a Mini Series or Motion Picture – Kate Winslet “Mildred Pierce”
Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Mini Series or Motion Picture – Peter Dinkage “Game of Thones”
Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Mini Series or Motion Picture – Jessica Lange “American Horror Story”

Cecil B. deMille Award Recipient was Morgan Freeman and the award was presented to him by Sydney Poitier and Helen Mirren.

One of Ricky’s funnier lines was the Golden Globe Awards were to the Oscars what Kim Kardashian is to Kate Middleton. Be that as it may it still gives us a pretty good idea of who is likely to win an Oscar. Stay tuned in as award season get into full swing.

Last year we did happen upon a program on PBS (388 on Star Choice) which we both enjoyed very much. We were sad when the announced the season finale and delighted when Season 2 of Downton Abbey began January 8th, 2012. Other episodes are to be aired January 15th, 22nd, 29th, February 5th, 12th and 19th.

We happily curled up in bed on Sunday night to watch the 2 hour Season Opener and enjoyed every minute of it uninterrupted by commercials.

Downton Abbey is a wonderful story about a rich family, the Crawley’s of Yorkshire, England and their extensive staff. For those who may remember Upstairs, Downstairs, this is a similar story line but with a wonderful cast, magnificent scenery, costumes and a spectacular country house Downton Abbey.

Robert Crawley, Earl of Grantham and his wife Cora have three daughters and no son. At that time only a male heir could inherit so a cousin, Matthew Crawley, is being groomed for the post which will put the family out of their home when the present Earl, Robert, dies.

Season 2 opens 2 years after Season 1 and it is the Fall of 1916 and England is at war. Things are changing with the Crawley family and with the staff and will subsequently never be the same. The lines between the classes are blurring and there are many wonderful subplots taking place as a result.

Two of the daughters Isobel and Sybil take on jobs as a driver on a neighboring farm and nurse which, of course, is unheard of but, as I mentioned, the war is changing everyone’s role.

There is intrigue above and below stairs and every storyline is fascinating.

Maggie Smith plays the dowager Countess of Grantham and Elizabeth McGovern plays Cora Countess of Grantham.

You will also find many other wonderful English actors who you will recognize from Coronation Street, Lark Rise to Candleford etc.

This wonderful miniseries has won six Primetime Emmys for Outstanding Miniseries or Movie, Outstanding Writing – Julian Fellowes, Outstanding Supporting Actress, Maggie Smith for Violet, Dowager Countess of Grantham, Outstanding Cinematography, David Katznelson DFF, Outstanding Costumes – Susannah Buxton and Outstanding Direction – Brian Percival.

At the end of Episode 1 it is being discussed that Downton Abbey may be pressed into service as a convalescent hospital.

We highly recommend this miniseries. It is a wonderful illustration of kinder, gentler times and a pleasure to watch.

We also have local cable. Prior to Star Choice we had always been very professionally looked after by Ajijic Electronics S.A. de C.V. Ajijic Electronics is located at Las Flores #2-A in Ajijic and the telephone # is 766-1117 and 766-3371. The emails are: satelites2002@prodigy.net.mx or ajijicelectronics@yahoo.com

The partners Michael Merryman and Mario Jiminez and they have been servicing lakeside for 18 years.

They offer sales and service of components and complete satellite, TV Systems and Interphones. Their office hours are from 9:00 am to 2:00 p ad 3:30 pm to 5:00 pm Monday to Friday. Also now at lakeside Ajijic Electronics offer Shaw Direct Internet via Satellite, Dish Network, Vonage Internet Phone Service, Terraneo and bticino Interphone Systems.

We have been happily dealing with Mike and Mario right up until the time we got Star Choice and needed them once again today.

Our Star Choice Remote, for some reason, was stuck on Pay Per View and the guide would show nothing else even though you could access the different channels when you tried to go to the guide (a fabulous feature of Star Choice by the way) it went right to PPV and would show nothing else.

Now, in our house, we have become dependent on the remote guide and when it was not working we were not happy. Our first instinct was to unplug and re plug in the system which did not work. Then we tried thumbing through the guide to see if we could find a solution and then I suggested we go to “options” and see what was offered up.

We did manage to change the remote from All PPV to All Programs twice but then the guide went immediately back to All PPV. My husband then suggested we call Star Choice who boast they provide a 24/7 service to users. We called on Skype and were told we were looking at a 45 minute wait. An hour later my husband came to bed with no answer to our call and no solution to our faulty remote.

Naturally, I knew the fixing of the remote would fall into my hands this morning. I played with the remote for a few minutes, rebooted and then put another Skype call into Star Choice and was again advised I was looking at a 45-50 minute wait. I went about my morning chores and then decided to call my old friends at Ajijic Electronics. First I messaged Michael Merryman on Facebook which is how I do most of my communicating now and then I called the office and got Mario.

I asked him if he could help me and sure enough he knew exactly what to do. We had been on the right track last night going to “options” on the remote and trying to change it from All PPV to All Programs but where we had made our error was in not “saving” our new selection. I did as Mario advised and it was fixed in a heartbeat.

I then hung up the phone and was thankful that our almost two hours on hold cost nothing due to using our Skype account.

The moral of the story is, once again, the folks at Ajijic Electronics solved our problem quickly and efficiently proving that there is, indeed, no place like home.

We recommend confidently Ajijic Electronics to friends and clients for all television and phone needs. They will look after you as they have looked after us for so many years.

The complex will be named Lake Chapala Hotel and Casino Resort and is located on eight hectares of land just to the east and slightly above Chula Vista Norte. It will be set in the heart of a fifty hectare spread called Tierra Salada, also now undergoing development as a residential subdivision.

It will be the first of its kind in Mexico and is costing approximately $40,000.00 dollars is designed to appeal to the high-en clientele from Guadalajara.

The blueprints show a casino with 50,000 square feet of floor space to be outfitted with 3,000 slot machines and 24 gambling tables for blackjack, poker, roulette, craps and bingo (bingo?) plus three five-story towers to accommodate 300 hotel rooms and 30 suites.

The facility is also being designed to house an entertainment show room with theater seating for 3,000 spectators, spa and swimming pools, a sky bar nightclub disco built on top of the hotel, three gourmet restaurants and a food court adjacent to the casino.

This project will generate 1,000 temporary jobs during conception and 500 full-time employees once it goes into full operation. The new “full blown Las Vegas-style” hotel and casino complex is touted to be eco-friendly and is being built in close harmony with the natural setting, with an internal system for sewage treatment, and grey water recycling as well as application of solar energy.

It is interesting that in this economic climate in the US the Palacio Development Group from Arizona has chosen lakeside to build this huge project. Obviously, these business people believe that Mexico’s economy is, indeed, on the rise.

This, of course, is going to affect our lifestyle here in Ajijica, Lake Chapala but not necessarily in a bad way. More people with money coming to lakeside means more income for the small business owners, more interest in local real estate and more awareness in general of our village in the sun.

No paradise stays hidden forever (just ask Puerto Vallarta) and this project certainly appears to be going forward so we all might be better served by adopting a “glass half full” attitude.

I, for one, am adopting the attitude that progress is good for everyone. However, there will be more traffic and if you have a gambler at home you might want to hide your credit cards. After all it will be much easier to take a ride up the Libramiento Bypass than to get on a plane to Vegas.