Tallahassee Area Mensa - Calendar of Events
Wednesday, December 18, 6:30 p.m., PIG*SIG - Monthly Dinner. We will gather at Wharf Casual Seafood, located at 4036 Lagniappe Way,
Ste #3, Tallahassee, 850-668-1966. For those who have never been there, they are in the strip between Costco and Mahan Drive. They have tables
we can group together so we can eat together. On the off chance that they are too busy to accommodate us, we have set Applebee's, right next door,
as a backup location. You can find the Wharf's website and menu here: https://www.wharfcasualseafood.com/.
Please let me know if you plan to attend and how many people will be in your party so we can ensure we have a table big enough to seat our group.
Hope you can join us!
Happy Birthday to our December Birthday People!
Brian Dunworth 12/19
Terry Studebaker 12/28
William Shipley 12/29
Happy December Mensaversary!!
Logan Runion 2 years
Brian Dunworth 4 years
Anna Burnley 15 years
Brence Sell 15 years
Past Events
The dinner at Ruby Tuesday did not go as planned. When I arrived, I was informed that they were short staffed and could not handle any parties larger than 4. I assured her we could be patient and at least some of us would likely just get the salad bar, but she was unmoved. So as others arrived, we considered our options and decided to return to Glory Days, it is close by, and they have never disappointed us. I stayed to let other attendees know of the change in venue and then we all moved down to Glory Days where we had a congenial crowd and delicious food. After last year's disappointment and this year's flat-out refusal to serve us, I fear Ruby Tuesday may be off our dinner rotation! I'm glad we were able to salvage such a pleasant evening!
The dinner at The Edison was very well attended and we got to meet a member for the first time! He has been a member for a while, but this was his first opportunity to come to a dinner. He and his wife joined a nice group, and we had the pleasure of sitting in the upstairs dining room - a place we had not been before. I am so curious what that room was used for in the original incarnation of that building! As always, the food was great, the service was attentive, and several people left with to-go boxes to enjoy later. A truly lovely evening with Mensa friends!
The dinner at Outback Steakhouse was very well attended and we got to see some members we had not seen in a while! It was a good crowd and the food was plentiful. Several Bloomin' Onions made their way around the table, and we brought home the leftovers of the one I had for my dinner. We reheated it in the air fryer the next day and it was not bad, but not as good as fresh at the restaurant. The conversations were wide and varied from cataract surgeries to mapping scenic Florida drives to heart surgery to setting up online tools for restaurants. It was a marvelous evening!
The dinner at Carrabba's Italian Grill was a lovely evening. They were running a special where you could buy a second meal to go and anything that cost the same or less than the meal you ordered would only be $10. Such a deal! A few people at the table took advantage of it and wound up with leftovers from their dinner and another entire meal for later. The conversation was wide and varied and entertaining, ranging from the adventures on our last trip to cataract surgeries to Hurricane Debby. We have a delightful group to spend a dinner with!
I was not able to attend the dinner at The Driftwood, but I hope those who did attend had a lovely time and delicious food!
The PIG*SIG at Azu Lucy Ho's generated a nice crowd including a couple of perspective members, Erin, an local optometrist, and her fiancée Bryan. We were seated at the big round table, and we shared appetizers and enjoyed a delicious feast and marvelous conversation. My friend Fox had just died that afternoon having lost her battle with cancer, so I was in a bit of shock. But being in the company of such wonderful loving friends was very comforting.
The PIG*SIG at Willie Jewell's brought us a congenial group and delicious food. Ray and I regaled people with tales of our travels, and we heard about the bad storms the city endured in April and of course the tornadoes that came through in May were also discussed. Most of us in attendance were spared horrible damage, but we all knew people and places that were not so lucky.
I am told the PIG*SIG at Olive Garden was well attended and the attendees had a fun evening. I heard there was some confusion with the checks and who owed what, but I am sure it was all resolved in the end.
The PIG*SIG at Persis Indian Grill was well attended and delicious! My Ray had been stressing about the risk of food so spicy he would not be able to eat it, but he went with a mild spice level and loved his meal! I had a mild spice shrimp in a cream sauce that was fabulous! The Indian bread was also delicious. In fact, it seemed everyone was quite happy with their food and their selected spicy level. I appreciate that they are willing to accommodate the different tolerance levels of their diners. And the robot waiters are always entertaining. The blinking eyes completely crack me up.
The PIG*SIG at 4 Rivers Smokehouse found a nice gathering of people. There was a brief ExComm meeting before we enjoyed dinner. The food was very tasty and there was a wide enough variety of choices that I believe everyone left satisfied. Some even left with take-home boxes to enjoy for a later meal. A very nice evening with friends!
The PIG*SIG at Blaze Pizza turned out to be a small group because so many of us couldn't make it! I and a few others were sick, a couple of other people were traveling, but three determined souls braved the chilly evening and met up for pizza. I am told it was a nice evening, albeit a smaller group than we have been enjoying. I hope to try their pizza at some future date as I have heard very good things about them!
The PIG*SIG at Glory Days Grill turned into a big group! We wound up having more people than I expected, but fortunately the restaurant was not too
busy and could accommodate us with an extra table and more chairs. Our server was delightful and very attentive, the food was plentiful, reasonably priced,
and quite tasty. Several people left with to-go boxes. The conversation was wide ranging and entertaining and even with televisions all around us providing
visual entertainment, it was not too loud, and we could hear each other to converse. The consensus was that we will return here again.
The PIG*SIG at Ruby Tuesday was shaping up to be a large crowd, but then our numbers dwindled. Whether due to prior commitments or the weather, several
people who had planned to come wound up not coming. My thanks to the ones who let me know in advance they would not be there. For the 6 of us who gathered,
it was a very nice evening and a delicious meal.
The walk at the Heritage Trails Park brought us a perfect day weather-wise. We made a full circle around the lake enjoying the covered bridge over the
railroad tracks and the land bridge across the lake. There were several people fishing as well as many other people out walking and enjoying the beautiful
day. That park is truly beautiful, and I always enjoy going there.
The PIG*SIG at The Edison brought us a good turnout and a delicious meal. The evening cooled pretty quickly, and I thought they might turn on
one of the heaters, but they didn't. Fortunately, while it was cool, it was not painfully so. Overall it was a lovely and enjoyable evening.
Due to a vicious kidney infection, I missed the walk at Maclay Gardens. It was a beautiful day for it too, so I was doubly sorry to miss it. I was
told three people showed up and wandered through the gardens and around the house and it was a nice walk for them. Wish I had been up to going.
The PIG*SIG at China First was a real treat. Their buffet is still an impressive array of food, and I don't think anyone
walked out hungry. There were some changes from the last time I was there - no crab legs, but they have added sushi and a
variety of deserts. The conversation was fascinating and fun. For those who had thought they were going to make it and then
couldn't be there, you were missed!
The PIG*SIG at San Miguel brought us a lovely evening and a happy group of attendees, including a new-to-our-group member
who was able to join us for the first time. The conversation was wide and varied and entertaining. The food was the usual
delicious fare we have come to expect from San Miguel. These dinners really are a treat and a great way to meet the group.
The PIG*SIG at Seineyard was well attended and delicious! There had been some trepidation expressed that with the
place being for sale, the quality of the food might be slipping, but we did not find that to be the case. The food was
delicious, and the service was great. The building was recently damaged by someone who had hit the gas by mistake when
they intended to hit the brake, but the hole was boarded up and everything was fine. I will be interested to see who buys
the place and if it continues to be a restaurant. That place has a lot of history and I, for one, will be sorry to see it go.
I was unable to attend the PIG*SIG at Gordo's. My apologies for the incorrect address that was published, the address was pulled from the Internet,
but apparently the restaurant had moved and some of the old location addresses are still floating around out there. As I am not familiar with the place
(and was sorry to miss the chance to discover it), I didn't realize the address was wrong. My apologies. But, happily, in spite of the editorial error
and what I am told was a terrible storm, several people gathered and had a lovely time together. I am sorry to have missed it! I think we will have to
return to this location so the person who suggested it and I can join the group for a meal as both of us had to miss it in June.
The Leon Sinks walk was lovely. By the end of the loop, the mugginess and bugs were picking up, but it was SO nice to walk around there again after the years of it being closed. One of my favorite spots had been altered - the boardwalk and platforms over the water had been taken down. But there were huge piles of lumber nearby, so I am hoping it will be rebuilt. They still have a picture of that area on the website with the now-gone boardwalk.
The Wakulla Springs boat ride was beautiful. It is not common for us to go in the afternoon and it was very different - there were a LOT of animals out where we could see them taking advantage of the sunshine. We also saw several manatees, which is always a treat. A nice meal in the Lodge rounded out the evening.
I was unable to attend the Olive Garden dinner, but I am told it was well attended and the conversation and food were both great!
Three of us met at downtown to enjoy the LeMoyne Art Festival. The variation of artwork was substantial and ran the spectrum from breath-taking to not-my-cup-of-tea. But of course that is very subjective and no doubt there are others who loved things that didn't speak to me. I thoroughly enjoyed the perspective paintings that a group of painters were doing on the road surface.
We had a good turnout for the dinner at Osaka. The chef was probably the least animated one I've seen, but the food was delicious as always and watching the preparation was fun.
Three of us met at the Tallahassee Museum and enjoyed seeing the dingos. They have a tan one and a dark one, the tan one lives in desert/sandy areas, the dark one lives in forested areas. They look very much like shepherds I have known. We walked the trails and enjoyed the lovely day and had a delicious lunch at the café there. Very nice event!
We had a good turnout for the Persis Indian Grill and the servings were generous enough that several people had meals for later. I deeply appreciated their heat range so I could go with the baby setting and not singe my mouth. Others, far braver than I, went up to 4 on the spices! It was a delicious meal!
We had a terrific gathering for the Mel Brooks Young Frankenstein movie event. The popcorn
flowed freely and the threatened rain held off so no one had to deal with rain on arrival or departure.
These movies are such great fun and the laughs in anticipation of the jokes are almost as much fun as
when the jokes actually happen.
Dinner at the Sweet Pea Cafe was really delicious. They had enough variety we all found something
appealing and each of us enjoyed what we got. The fact that it is a vegan restaurant next door to a
meat market also afforded us a great deal of humor.
The ExComm meeting at Village Inn was fine and we were able to get events planned for the next
few months.
The movie Blazing Saddles was perfectly wonderful and just as funny as it was all those years ago.
We knew it so well there was much anticipatory laughter in advance of the jokes completions. We also
watched the deleted scenes so we could see how the bean-eating scene was presented on television to
protect the tender sensibilities of the viewing audience, the additional ways Bart tried to beat Mongo,
and more of Lilli von Schtupp's quick change talents. Purely delightful!
The PIG*SIG at the China Super Buffet was a fun evening. We shared the room with a large group of
boy scouts. The food was widely varied and plentiful. The group sang a rousing Happy Birthday to Robin
in honor of her just-passed borthday.
The ExComm meeting was held at Doug Klotter's house and the issue of how to align with editorship with
the requirements of the by-laws was discussed. Departure was delayed by a huge storm, but the issues were
all resolved
The gathering at the Florida Museum was very enjoyable, we got to enjoy a brand new piece of chairsaw art
out front that was not there the last time we were there. We wandered through all of the rooms and were interested
to see some things we ourselves own on display in the new exhibit about Florida's more history. We enjoyed a light lunch
afterwards at the cafe outside the museum's exit doors. The food was surprisingly good!!
The first Mel Brooks movie, Twelve Chairs, was great fun and laugh-out-loud funny. Once we got
over how young (and skinny!!!) everyone was, we settled in to some serious laugh time. Funny movie!
The PIG*SIG at Sakura was great fun. The food was delicious, we had a large enough group that we
got one of the "private" rooms. The conversation was wide and varied and there was lots of laughter.
Our thanks to Carl Hayes for suggesting we return here, it was great!
The walk through Maclay Gardens was lovely. While the majority of the blooms had already faded,
and the house was closed for the season, it was still a lovely day and the gardens were lush and
peaceful. The highlight was sitting in the shelter by the water and enjoying the breeze over the
water and watching the wildlife do their thing.
The final Matrix movie was enjoyed, and discussed, and generally agreed to be the weakest link in
the chain. Having never seen any but the first one, I'm glad to have no experienced them all. Our
thanks to Doug for making his collection available to the group to enjoy!
The LeMoyne Art Festival was a beautiful day, I think it was better attended than I have ever seen
it. There was some really beautiful things to see (and buy, if one were so inclined) and the weather
was perfectly lovely.
The PIG*SIG at Sahara found a small group of us. The food was as good as always and the Lebanese
sweet tea was excellent. Conversation mostly centered around the ExComm meeting and what had
transpired there.
The ExComm meeting was held in the company of our RVC Thomas Thomas. In addition to the usual
business, there was discussion about our group having a Facebook page, the potential for some
by-laws revisions to bring things into alignment with current National requirements, and the issue
of the anonymous editor - which runs counter to our by-laws. This is an issue the ExComm will
need to address.
At the request of one of the members, we watched the Animatrix shorts this month instead
of the third installment. In some ways that made sense since all of the shorts they include
take place prior to the 3rd installment of the series. They were great fun!
The PIG*SIG at Red Robin was so well attended we had to add tables to our group more
than once. It was a great turnout and a fun evening with delicious food.
The group outing to the Escape Room was great fun! I wouldn't be surprised if we wound
up doing this again.
The trip to the Tallahassee Museum was a lovely day, that was also a special event there
at the museum, so they had lots of extra things going on. The red river hogs were fascinating
creatures and the ant castings were amazing!
The second Matrix movie event was fun. As is typical with a middle movie of a trilogy, it
ended on a cliff hanger. We all agreed it did not measure up to the original, but it was
entertaining and we enjoyed the afternoon and each other's company.
The PIG*SIG at Little Italy was well attended and the food was as good as always. These
dinners are always such a delight and the conversation and laughter is always most welcome.
The outing to LeMoyne was a surprise on many levels for us, it was a first time for all of
us and we were all pleased that Tallahassee has such a unique venue for local artists. Art is
subjective, so our reactions were mixed. We spent time sitting in the sculpture garden and
enjoying how peaceful it was.
The first gathering for The Matrix was great fun. There was a new popcorn to enjoy and an old
movie to delight in. We had a great time!
The PIG*SIG at Pizza Hut was well attended and an enjoyable evening. The food was plentiful and
the conversation was very entertaining.
The gathering at McClay was impacted by the very chilly temperatures of the day. But the two
people who attended layered themselves well and said they had a nice time.
The PIG*SIG at Longhorn was a lesson in patience. We had to wait an hour for a table for 6, then
had to wait a considerable amount of time for the food, which made for a very late dinner. Given the
number of tables that were sitting empty and witing to be cleared so others could come in and have
their meal was evidence that the place has a problem. The food was good, but I doubt we'll be returning
anytime soon.
The last of the Lord of the Rings trilogy was a lovely Christmasy event. We enjoyed special
treats along with the movie, which fortunately ended well.
The Festival of Lights was great fun! The weather was ideal, not too hot and not too cold,
and the clouds that looked like they held rain opted out of dropping their contents on us. We
got to watch candy canes being made, got free samples, heard a variety of bands, saw a variety
of vendors, enjoyed some surprisingly delicious festival food, and watched the parade (after the
last of the Jingle Bell runners/walkers/strollers finally cleared the road). Great time!
The November PIG*SIG at Ruby Tuesdays was well attended and we had the additional pleasure of
meeting a new member. The food was great, as always, and it was a lovely evening.
The outing to St. Marks Wildlife Refuge could ont have been a more beautiful day and lovely time.
We gathered near the lighthouse and strolled along the beach until we ran out of dry land. We saw
countless fiddler crabs, jumping fish, pelicans, and a wide variety of shore and wading birds in great
numbers. There was also still an abundance of butterflies migrating through. It was a beautiful day with
a lovely walk and fabulous company.
The second gathering of the Fellowship of the Ring trilogy was a fun blend of movie and
Halloween. Some of us were sporting costumes, there were extra treats available in honor of the
holiday, and we had a grand time!
I was unable to attend the PIG*SIG at Cinco de Mayo due to a bout of the flu. But I am told it was
well attended and folks had a good time. I was sorry to miss it, but not sorry to spare everyone the
joys of that awful virus.
The Challenger Movie event was WONDERFUL!! We watched two IMAX movies, both in 3D, A Beautiful Planet
and Museum Alive. We had private showings for both films, which added to the fun. From the
unexpected song cue in the candy section of the gift shop, to the great snacks at the concession, to
the fun employees, to the films themselves, it was a terrific outing!
The Fellowship of Rings provided the expected drama. One of our numbers had never seen the
movies OR read the books! (*gasp*) We went through lots of popcorn, had lots of laughs, and
left our players in precarious predicaments! Including one of our attendees whose car decided
not to start. His problem was easily resolved. I hope our players' are all resolved as painlessly!
Attendance at the Seineyard PIG*SIG was great and, as has been the case whenever we visit, the
food was delicious. It is definitely worth the short drive.
Attendance was lower for the final installation of The Hobbit movies due to people traveling for
the eclipse. But those of us that were there enjoyed plentiful popcorn, a lot of laughs, and the
good time these events have come to promise.
The PIG*SIG at the Olive Garden was well attended and the food was delicious and the conversation
was wide and varied.
The trip to the Marianna Caverns happened on a lovely morning, a bit on the humid side, but not
unbearably hot. Some of us enjoyed a hike on one of the trails, then we enjoyed a tour comprised solely
of our group. I think the tour guide had as much fun as we did! After the cave tour, 9 of us gathered
for lunch at a restaurant near the caves. The food was great, but the method of food delivery was one
of the more unusual we had ever seen.
The second of The Hobbit movies was an enjoyable afternoon. In addition to the popcorn,
we got to enjoy cookies. Smaug was as impressive as ever. Big dragon!
Our visit to Vertigo Burgers took place on the kids eat free night, so it was a bit crowded
inside. We gathered at an outside table that was mostly in the shade and it wasn't unbearable.
The food was good and having the gluten free options was appreciated. We got to enjoy the
company of a member that has not been able to attend much, and it was wonderful seeing her!
The first of The Hobbit movies was great fun. One of the attendees had never
seen it before, which made it even more fun to rediscover it with a newbie. Such a visual
feast!!
The Fusion Grill turned out to be an astonishing amount of food from which to choose!
A large group of us gathered around a long table and we enjoyed a wide variety of foods.
It was a great evening!
The Wakulla Springs trip was well attended and a resounding success. Several members
have suggested making it an annual event. It is such a beautiful place1
The PIG*SIG at Riccardo's was well attended and the food was very good. Parking
was a bit of a challenge. The conversation was exceptionally fun and provided, for
me at least, a much needed break from the stress of daily life.
The final Bond event did not disappoint. To commemorate the event, we had some
special treats to eat and reveled in the final 2 installments of the Bond run. It
was very enjoyable. We will resume in June with The Hobbit. This has really been
a fun monthly event!
Dinner at The Sahara was well attended. It was our first time at their new location,
which appears to improve both the parking and the amount of seating. The Lebanese sweet
tea was as delicious as ever and a good time was had by all.
The tour of the new Grove Museum was very nice! We had a group of 5 of us and we
wandered through each story of the house, all over the grounds, checked out the on-site
cemetary the family has, and learned a lot about the various figures that have lived in
the spot. It was a fascinating trip into the history of both Tallahassee and Florida.
The ExComm meeting was held at the Village Inn and the group reviewed the business
before the board, made plans for upcoming events, enjoyed some delicious food, and in
general had a fun and productive meeting. Look for the minutes elsewhere on the site.
The Bond movie event brought us the first two with Daniel Craig, and they really are a
continuation of each other with the second one picking up pretty much where the first one
left off. So for one of our members who had not seen the first one, but had seen the second,
the second one made a lot more sense with seeing the back story. We are down to the final two
and then on to something new!
The meal at Jason's Deli was well attended and we all got to enjoy a blinding and beautiful
sun in the western sky. The food portions are generous enough that more than once of us had
a meal for the next day!
The trip to the Junion Museum was delightful and the Asian small clawed otters were
great fun. We got to see them eating crabs, sleeping, playing in the water, and generally
doing what otters do. We also arrived at the farm house in time for cookies fresh out of
the oven, they were delicious!! It was a lovely day.
The Bond movie night finished out the last of the series before the "reboot" to the
Daniel Craig movies. To round out the older movies, we watched the original Casino Royale
with David Niven. I am looking forward to the Daniel Craig movies!!
The PIG*SIG at the Seineyard was well attended and delicious. We wound up with
more people than the table was prepared to accommodate! Bring on the extra chairs!!
The Bond movies was again an enjoyable afternoon of delightful silliness. We
are winding down to the reboot of the series. Several of us noticed how the "feel"
of the movies changed after Cubby's death. This has been an interesting excursion.
The ExComm managed to soldier on in spite of illness keeping people home on that
blustery and eventually tornado-filled weekend. But the business of the day was
accomplished in short order and we all got home safely.
The PIG*SIG at China First was well attended and very enjoyable. The conversation
was as free-flowing as the food and we had a lovely evening.
The PIG*SIG at Pepper's was so well attended we had to add extra tables. The food was
generous to the point of many of us needing take home boxes. In spite of several at the
table in various stages of recovery from colds, it was a lovely evening.
The walk at MacClay Gardens brought us a brisk day, perfect for the event. The maple trees
were putting on a beautiful show and the place was all decked out for the holidays. It was
lovely.
The PIG*SIG at Ruby Tuesdays was well attended and we had the distinct pleasure
of meeting a new member to our group.
The Bond double feature was the predictable good time, although the general
consensus was that Never Say Never Again was worst of the movies seen
thus far. It was interesting seeing Timothy Dalton's interpretation of the role
after seeing the prior 3 actors do the role.
The walk at the Lake Lafayette Heritage Trail Park was nothing short of fabulous!
The weather was perfect, the wildlife was abundant, and we were treated to a train
going by under us as we walked over the covered bridge! It was absolutely delightful
and I look forward to going again!
The ExComm meeting was held at the new Village Inn location on Park Avenue. On the downside, it was
a game day and the place was packed and unbelievably loud! On the upside, we had a productive meeting
and there was lots of good information to share.
The Bond double feature provided the predictable laughs and the campy silliness the movies present.
Christopher Walken's villain was great fun.
The PIG*SIG at Genghis Grill was another very well attended event that required several tables be
aligned to accommodate the number of people there. The conversation was fun, the food was delicious,
and the variety of dishes (given that everyone gets to make their own) was impressive.
The National Testing Day was well represented locally with so many people coming in for the test we
held two different sessions in one day!
The Tallahassee Car Museum event brought us a beautiful day and we took a liesurely stroll around
the facility. There are more cars, pianos, dolls, knives, and all manner of other things than can easily
be seen and appreciated in a couple of hours.
The PIG*SIG at Olive Garden found a group of 12 of us setting up around numerous tables all put together.
We got to welcome a delightful new member and saw the return of some members we haven't seen very often
recently. It was a marvelous evening and the conversation and laughter was plentiful. A truly exceptional
dinner out.
The fifth installment of the Bond event was well attended and great fun! We set a new record for popcorn
made and consumed and the movies were as entertaining and silly as we remembered - several of us saw them
when they were originally released in the theater.
The tour of the Goodwood Museum and Gardens was a lovely outing! The weather was very nice for touring
the grounds and looking into the various nooks and crannies of the various gardens. As the weather warmed
we headed up to the main house where we were the only members of the 11:00 tour. This resulted in our getting
a long tour, lots of extra attention, and many questions answered. We even got to meet the resident cat
who lives on the grounds. All in all, a lovely time!
The fourth installment of the Bond Double Feature found us watching the lowest grossing film, followed
by the one many people think is the best - and Roger Moore says was his favorite of the ones he did. A study
in contrast.
The August PIG*SIG was held at the Red Robin, and the food was plentiful and delicious. It is far more
than just a burger place, and everyone in attendance seemed pleased with the food as well as the company
and conversation.
The August outing to the Old Capital Museum was a great time! We could not have asked for better weather
and the museum itself was filled with fascinating things to look at and read. The man at the front desk told
us a variety of fun facts to know and tell and it was a a really enjoyable outing. Afterwards we decided to
have lunch at Crispers, making the outing even more fun!
A small crowd gathered for the Bond Double Feature, and it was a wonderful time! There were enough
seats for all and we went through multiple bowls of popcorn (alternating white corn and yellow corn for taste
comparison), and enjoyed chocolate chip cookies that one attendee brought (a great way to get others to
consume the high calorie treats you bought for yourself and later regret!! They were delicious!!). The
two movies sparked lots of fun comments and laughter, this has quickly become one of my favorite events and
is a really entertaining way to spend a Saturday!
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