November 27 – Sunday

12n    Cafe Discussion: What is your story? The concept of “your personal story” is gaining traction in recent years. What are your thoughts about that idea? Have you created/formalized your personal story? Have you had an opportunity to use it (in a job interview, introducing yourself before a presentation, etc.)? There is also the statement that “everybody is the hero of their own story”. See December 4. (RSE Su)

7p    Channing Club is a wide-ranging discussion group which has been meeting, in one form or another, for over half a century. There are no assigned topics; we discuss whatever is on participants’ minds. Our meetings are currently on Zoom. Join the Zoom meeting: us02web.zoom.us/j/6912937135?pwd=WVlpMEs1SCs0c1FoZk5seUhoREVaZz09. Meeting ID: 691 293 7135. Password: berkeley. Hosted by Kevin Langdon, kevinlangdon86/a/t/yahoo.com. PC (RSE 4 Su)

28 – Monday

6p    Online Board Games. See December 10.

December 1 – Thursday

7p    LGBT+ SIG. Join fellow LGBT+ Mensans for relaxed conversation at Gary’s cute Victorian in San Francisco. Contact Gary Pedler with any questions at (415) 690-5731 or pedler/a/t/sbcglobal.net. Masks optional. Vaccinated only, please. PC, NMPCW, LCR, NS (RSE 1 Th)

3 – Saturday

6p    Start the Month Right. At Elna and Adrian Tymes’ home, 2375 Adele Ave. (off Thompson Ave. and Central Expwy.), Mountain View 94043. Come celebrate the 42nd year and longest running monthly social event in all of American Mensa (at Elna’s home every month since 1981)! Potluck dinner, unstructured socializing, games, and talk. We provide the main dish; you bring salad, bread, or dessert to share and YOB. $1 donation requested. No reservations needed. Info (650) 969-6650. Guests of Mensans must be accompanied by the member. Masks optional. PC, SO, WBC, WCD, C/D (RSE 1 Sat)

4 – Sunday

12n    Cafe Discussion: Thinking Styles. Linear vs. non-linear? Big-picture vs. detailed? Black & white vs. grey zones? Putting yourself first vs. keeping your audience in mind? Cafe Discussions are lively, interesting, and you always come away with something to think about in the week to come. Drop in and stay for as long as you like. This is a Zoom event. The login details are listed on Meetup. Hosted by James Monschke. PC (RSE Su)

4p    Albany Hill Hike. Join us for a one-hour scenic and historic hike up and around Albany Hill. The trail is steep in spots, but the views are expansive. Special bonus: We have scheduled the Sather Tower Solar Beacon to shine directly upon us as we arrive at the top of the hill. Meet under Pacific East Mall Jumbotron just behind the bus stop on the east side of Pierce St. between Central Ave. in El Cerrito and Washington Ave. in Albany. Free parking is available in the mall lot, which is seven tenths of a mile from the El Cerrito Plaza BART station. Please contact Roberta Maguire to make sure she is in town at robertamaguire/a/t/hotmail.com or (510) 292-6370. PC, ACW, NMPCW, NS, WCI, NXM (RSE 1 Su)

6 – Tuesday

5:30p    Tuesday Tipplers will meet at San Rafael Joe’s, 931 4th St., San Rafael 94901, at 5:30p for drinks in the bar and then move on to dinner in the dining room after an hour or so. Park on the street or in the city garage behind the restaurant. If you have questions e-mail Carole at caroleptaylor/a/t/gmail.com or call (415) 472-1207. PC (RSE 1 Tu)

    Intelligencer Deadline. Deadline for calendar events, advertising, members’ free ads, and all other content. See above for information on submitting events. PC (RSE Tu after 1 Sa)

8 – Thursday

11:45a    South Bay Lunch. Meet at Scrambl’z, 5055 Almaden Expressway, San Jose 95118 (near Hwys. 85 & 87), (408) 269-2900. Voted one of the best breakfast restaurants around. Extensive menu online at www.scramblzalmaden.com. Sandra Anderson, (408) 997-3187. PC, NMPCW, WCE (RSE 2,4 Th)

12n    Thursday Munchers meets on the second Thursday from now on. Rising up from the old Ethnic Dinner, a lunch group in Marin dedicated to trying different restaurants. This month we will visit Left Bank, 507 Magnolia Ave., Larkspur 94939, (415) 927-3331, www.leftbank.com. RSVP by Monday, December 5, to Elizabeth Calaway at (415) 456-9220 or elizterrycalaway/a/t/aol.com. PC (RSE 2 Th)

9 – Friday

6:30p    Palo Alto Dining goes Italian at with family-style comfort food. Join us this month for friendly Italian dining at Buca di Beppo, 643 Emerson St., 94301 (between Forest Ave. and Hamilton Ave.). Good food and good conversation. Vaccinated people only. To reserve, contact Susan at (650) 714-4972 or Susan.Heimlich/a/t/gmail.com by Wednesday, December 7. Ask for Susan, and please bring cash. For last minute changes, call/text cell phone (650) 714-4972. PC, NMPCW

10 – Saturday

2p    Big Ideas Reading Group (NOTE ONE-TIME CHANGE OF TIME): Useful Delusions: The Power and Paradox of the Self-Deceiving Brain by Shankar Vedantam and Bill Mesler. On Zoom. Self-deception does terrible harm to us, to our communities, and to the planet. But if it is so bad for us, why is it ubiquitous? The authors argue that, paradoxically, self-deception can also play a vital role in our success and well-being. Filled with powerful personal stories and drawing on new insights in psychology, neuroscience, and philosophy, Useful Delusions offers a fascinating tour of what it really means to be human. For January 14 on Zoom: Being You, A New Science of Consciousness by Anil Seth. We have a list of books read at www.bigideasreadinggroup.com/BIRG2.html. For questions and invitations to our Zoom meetings please contact Chris Boyd at snoboyd/a/t/sbcglobal.net. PC, NMPCW, NXM (RSE 2 Sa)

6p    Online Board Games. Come explore some board games that can be played on the Web. If you’re new, please create a (free) account at boardgamearena.com and follow the setup instructions. We’ll meet online with Zoom to establish voice contact, and then we’ll decide on a game to try out. RSVP on the Meetup calendar if possible, otherwise contact Karl Heuer at puzzles/a/t/sfmensa.org or (650) 648-3594. PC, NMPCW, ACW

6:30p    Lighted Boat Parade. Discovery Bay has an imaginative parade of lighted boats. It starts at 5:30p and should sail by our dock about 7p. Come join us on our deck for some appetizers. If you want to watch from outside, bring a warm jacket. Call Judy Unger for questions at (714) 356-4873. PC, D, NS, WBC

11 – Sunday

12n    Cafe Discussion: Fitting-in vs. Belonging. Distinguishing “fitting in” vs. “belonging” (vs. “being on the outside”)? How do you know when you “fit in” or “belong”, or when you don’t? How important is it (to you) to “fit in” or “belong” (i.e., being a part of something)? See December 4. (RSE Su)

12 – Monday

4p    San Francisco Pub Get-Together. Stop by after work or, if you don’t work downtown, just come anyway. All Mensans and their guests are welcome, provided that they are at least 21, at Patriot House in 2 Embarcadero Center (Sacramento St. between Front St. and Davis St.), SF 94111. Take the inside escalator to the 2nd floor, turn right twice, and then follow the sign to the stairs to the 3rd floor. The restaurant’s entrance is near the top of those stairs on the 3rd floor. Look for the Mensa logo on our table or ask one of the waitresses to find us. Starting at 4p, but arrive when you can and leave when you’re ready. We will be there for several hours. They have a Happy Hour from 4p until 6p, with the kitchen closing at 9p and the bar closing at 10p. RSVP preferred on Mensa’s Meetup site at www.meetup.com/SFMensa, less preferred by e-mail to Barry Krasner at bwkbwk/a/t/pacbell.net. If you find that you can’t come after RSVPing “Yes”, please change your RSVP to “No” before the event takes place. PC, NC, NS, NMPCW (RSE 2 M)

13 – Tuesday

6:45p    Puzzled Pint. (NOTE: If Game Control has not chosen a pub, this will instead be a virtual event on Zoom. Contact Karl as below for instructions on how to connect.) Who likes PUZZLES? The kind where part of the game is to figure out what you need to be doing in the first place? Want to do it as part of a team, so you can bounce ideas off each other, and let someone else do the parts that you find uninteresting? This is a monthly event held in the Bay Area (and simultaneously elsewhere in the world), at a convenient pub where we might order food and drink before or during the game. RSVP to Karl Heuer at puzzles/a/t/sfmensa.org or (650) 648-3594 (voice or text) to reserve your spot and learn the address; it’s almost always either Sunnyvale or Mountain View, near Central Expressway. PC, NMPCW, NS, NXM (RSE 2 Tu)

17 – Saturday

5p    SFRM Holiday Party. Come join us at SFRM’s annual bash to start your holiday celebrations. This event will be held in the fabulous Diamond Heights neighborhood overlooking the gorgeous San Francisco skyline. Please bring your favorite hors d’oeuvres for our finger-food potluck and help us celebrate the season with drinks and plenty of good company. Mensans and an adult family member or close friend are welcome. As capacity is limited to 50, RSVPs are REQUIRED and we are limiting the number of guests to +1 per member. RSVP via Meetup at www.meetup.com/sfmensa/events/288957475/ or by e-mailing Katie at tiggr0272/a/t/hotmail.com. Please indicate which potluck item(s) you plan to bring to help us manage the menu variety and let me know if you can help with setup before the party or cleanup afterwards. The address will be sent to attendees the week prior to the event. Please contact Katie if you have any questions. PC, NS, WCE

7p    Teton Tea. Teton Tea Parties are folk-singing parties going back to the 1950s. We welcome both traditional folk singing and singer/songwriters. Our meetings are currently on Zoom. Join the Zoom meeting: us02web.zoom.us/j/6912937135?pwd=WVlpMEs1SCs0c1FoZk5seUhoREVaZz09. Meeting ID: 691 293 7135. Password: berkeley. Hosted by Kevin Langdon, kevinlangdon86/a/t/yahoo.com. PC (RSE 3 Sa)

18 – Sunday

12n    Cafe Discussion: Bucket List. What are your thoughts about creating a Bucket List? Are New Year’s Resolutions related to a Bucket List? Are your Bucket List items realistic and achievable “life goals”? Have you checked anything off your list? See December 4. (RSE Su)

19 – Monday

6p    Online Board Games. See December 10.

21 – Wednesday

5:30p    Re-BORG. Berkeley-Oakland Restaurant Group is reborn and revived in honor of the incomparable Cathy Roha, who initiated this event and hosted it for many years. Assimilate delicious food and interesting conversation at a good restaurant somewhere in the central East Bay. Bring cash, your vaccination card, and a mask. Limited seating. E-mail or call ahead for location up to a week ahead. RSVP by 3p on Tuesday, December 20. Roberta Maguire, robertamaguire/a/t/hotmail.com, (510) 292-6370. PC, NS, NMPCW, ACW (RSE 3 W)

22 – Thursday

11:45a    South Bay Lunch. See December 8. (RSE 2,4 Th)

23 – Friday

6:30p    Virtual Happy Hour. Mix up your favorite beverage. Bring out some happy-hour munchies and join us for a virtual relaxing time. RSVP on Meetup for the Zoom Link. Hosted by Judy Unger, junger2040/a/t/gmail.com. PC (RSE 4 F)

25 – Sunday

    Cafe Discussion is cancelled this week. See December 4. (RSE Su)

    Channing Club is cancelled for December. We’ll return in January. PC (RSE 4 Su)

2023 January 5 – Thursday

7p    LGBT+ SIG. See December 1. (RSE 1 Th)

7 – Saturday

6p    Start The Month Right. See December 3. (RSE 1 Sat)