What's Happening in October

All activities in Omaha unless otherwise noted.  To sponsor an activity and have it listed on these pages, send the name of the activity, its date, time, location, and a few descriptive sentences regarding the event to The Brainiac Calendar Editor no later than the 2nd Friday of the month preceding the publication month. Include a phone number.  E-mail to mwooge@cox.net or send in legible written or typed form to Mark Wooge, 1016 N. 47th Ave, #7, Omaha, NE 68132.

Tuesday, October 13th, 5pm, Trivia Night SIG at Buffalo Wild Wings Bar & Grill, 205 No. 76th St. (between Cass & Dodge St., by Toys R Us). We are having one fixed night per month for NTN Trivia. If you want to meet on an additional night, e-mail or call other Ms on an ad hoc basis. Come and enjoy some highs (and lows) as your particular knowledge areas are probed (or not). For more information, contact Karen Kozak (see back cover).

Wednesday, October 14, the Eat Your Heart Out SIG will meet at the Eagle’s Nest, 525 Miller St., Surprise, Nebraska. We’re returning to the site of the first Eat Your Heart Out. Surprise is a sweet little town tucked away in the back roads near David City. One of the their specialties is deep-fried pickles, one of life’s greatest pleasures. Or so I hear. From Lincoln: Follow Hwy 34 to Seward. Go north on Hwy 15 about 12.5 miles. Turn west on County Road 280 (two miles north of the Ulysses turnoff). Surprise is roughly 11 miles west and the Eagle’s Nest will be on your left once you hit Miller Street. From Omaha: Take L St. west – it will become Hwy 92. Follow 92 until you are about a half-mile past Rising City. Turn south on Road D, which becomes Miller Street once you are in Surprise.

Thursday, October 15th, 6pm, NWIM Ex-Comm Meeting at Starbuck's, 8734 Pacific Street in the Countryside Village shopping center. For more information, contact Mike Nolan at 558-0400, MNolan2230@aol.com.

Saturday, October 17, National Mensa Testing Day. Karen writes:

USE YOUR HEAD *

  (*) USE YOUR HEAD is the theme of the 2009 (National) Mensa Testing Day, [MTD] on Saturday, October 17, 2009. I'll bet your parents, teachers and first bosses were always telling you to "Use Your Head!" Now, you have a unique opportunity to Use Your Head and participate in a nation-wide membership recruitment & testing event [check out the national publicity in many of your favorite magazines & blogs.] Our local chapter of American Mensa, ltd., Nebraska - Western Iowa Mensa, is offering two test sites, again, this year but with a difference: In keeping with the 21st Century Electronic Age, now, Mensa offers the option of pre-paying online. Visit wwww.us.mensa.org/testingvoucher. When you visit our new, improved testing site, be sure to download your voucher, which you will take with you to one of our two testing sites (both on Saturday, October 17, 2009).

  Test Site 1 will be at Abrahams Library, 5111 N. 90th Street (90th & Fort Sts.) - meeting room, Omaha, NE. The testing room is just inside the lobby, to the right, and your proctor will be Karen Kozak, M.A. Registration time: 2:15 pm, testing: 2:30 - 4:00. There will be plenty of free parking, with handicapped access in the library parking lot. If you do not prefer to pre-pay online, then reservations are required for this test site. To reserve a place, send a check for $40, made out to American Mensa, Ltd., to Karen Kozak, Proctor Coordinator, 558 S. 87th Cir, Omaha, NE 68114-4220. For further info, contact her at (402) 397-3173; or online at katyakozak@cox.net. Directions, if lost, or last-minute emergencies only, please call her cell at (402) 708-9403.

  Test Site 2 will be at Pilgrim Lutheran Church, Room #107, 2311 Fairview Rd., Bellevue, NE. Your proctor will be Dr. Astrid I. Ferony, Ph.D. Registration: 12:30 pm, testing 1:00 - 3:00 pm. If you do not prefer to pre-pay online, then walk-ins only are acceptable. You should bring a check for $40, made out to American Mensa, Ltd.; or a major credit card [Master Charge or VISA.] For directions, on 10/17, after 12 noon, ONLY: call (402) 708-1984.

  NOTE: All test-takers must be at least 14 years old; written, parental permission needed if 14-17 years old. Younger applicants should inquire about using previous test scores as prior evidence Mensa accepts results in the upper two percentiles on over 200+ exams; see www.us.mensa.org for a partial list of acceptable tests.

  USE YOUR HEAD on Saturday, October 17, 2009 - Take the Mensa Exam -- and qualify to join American Mensa, ltd., now with 57,000+ members; our local group, Nebraska - Western-Iowa Mensa, has 180 members from a fascinating variety of backgrounds, interests, careers and educational levels. For our demographic size area, NWIM won the "GOTYA" award in 2008, for spirit, membership retention and a variety of local activities.

  Photo ID required at all test sessions. Questions? Ideas? Concerns? Contact Karen Kozak, Proctor (& MTD) Coordinator at (402) 397-3173; or online at katyakozak@cox.net.

  P.S. - If you are already a member of NWIM and know of a serious, prospective candidate for the Mensa Exam on MTD, please contact Karen Kozak, for a $5 off business card/coupon. Thanks for making this the best Mensa Testing Day, Ever! - KK

Saturday, October 17th, 7pm – DineOut SIG meets at Spezia Italian Restaurant, 3125 So. 72nd St. Join us to celebrate Fall at this casually elegant, intimate spot, boasting a tasty, varied menu. A delectable meal can be enjoyed here in a range of $18-30 per person. Appetizers ($7-11) include Antipasti and delicious roasted flatbreads (try the Hot Artichoke Crab dip, or the Napoli bread - mmmm). House specialty dinners ($13-34) include a delectable array of fish, chicken, beef, veal and lamb (all come with mashed or roasted potatoes or pasta, and-or seared veggies. A la carte house, spinach or Caesar dinner salads, $4.) For fish lovers, customer favorites include Asagio Crusted Walleye, Grilled Atlantic Salmon (with capellini), and Grilled Tuna Loin (with penne and baby spinach). The Eggplant Parmagiana (with capellini) is also very good. If you’re fond of chicken, try the delectable Gnocchi Alla Polla (chicken with Cremini mushrooms and spinach over Gorgonzola cream), or marinated chicken breast (with capellini and sautéed zucchini). The duckling (with wild mushrooms and an orange sauce) is reputedly wonderful. And the Lamb Sirloin (with grilled portabelloes) is memorably good. Beef choices include a spicy Hunter’s Porkchop (with crimini mushrooms and sautéed spinach), a New York Strip or Top Sirloin, and wood-grilled tenderloin with herbed hollandaise. Pasta dinners ($15-21) include seafood or chicken over varied pasta: Try the Atlantic Salmon Ala Rosa over farfelle, or the Seafood Fra Diavlo (shrimp, scallops, mussels and lobster over capellini) or Acadian Linguni (topped with spiced chicken and Cajun cream sauce -Mmm). There’s also simple, delicious, broiled cheese ravioli or spaghetti. Meal-sized salads ($10-15) include very good Mediterranean Chicken, wood-grilled chicken, salmon and Caesar. After dinner, desserts ($3-6), include ice cream and spumoni, sundaes, layered mousse, tiramisu, lemon-filled cake, and Apple Gallette (with ice cream and caramel). Domestic and imported beer. Extensive wine list (wine by the glass or bottle). Checks, Visa, MasterCard, Discover and Amex accepted. Come solo. Spouses and significant others always welcome, too. Meet in the bar area if you’re on time, or ask the host where the Sears-Mensa party is seated. Possible continued merry-making or something else fun after dinner for those interested. Please reserve your spot by Friday, October 16th, by contacting Suzanne at 402-933-1785 or e-mail sue.sears@cox.net Directions: Spezia is located just south of the Interstate, on the south side of 72nd St. (near Grover), 1 blk South of the Super 8 motel, and 2-3 blocks north of Holiday Inn Central). Hope to see you there!

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