PlainsPeaking
Vol. 28, Issue 7 http://www.plainsandpeaks.us.mensa.org/ August 2012 LocSec News by Sandy Halby Hello, Plains & Peaksters! I hope you all this year – grass and aspens have invaded or museum visit, let me know and we’ll get came through the Waldo Canyon Fire with and I really must clear it all out. Ah, well, it scheduled in our calendar. no damages – what an unbelievable if not this year, next! event! Al and I were talking just a few That’s about all for now … as always, huge weeks ago about having a dinner at the We’ve got a full calendar in August, too – thanks and kudos to Betsy, our Editor and Flying W Ranch this fall, but that’s not lost of Mensa ac vi es scheduled. Try to Windy, our Webmistress! Thanks also to going to happen – at least for now. We join in if you can – we’ve got a couple of Connor, who “cooks the books” for us; may have to wait a couple of years un l Give In To Beer Pressure events, as well as Jenny, our Second VP; Sean, our Gi ed they get rebuilt before we can enjoy their a Mix & Mingle, Kimball’s’ movie Children’s Coordinator; and Al, past Pres Western music and hospitality again! a ernoon, and ExComm mee ng and and all-around good guy! dinner. Al’s scheduled Ul mate Saturday As I type this up, most of the fire is out, Supper at Tucanos – a really unique dining Hope to see you soon at a Mensa event! but they are repor ng a few “hot spots” experience – you simply can’t go wrong that are expected to burn out over the with skewered meat, poultry and seafood next few days. As hot and dry as it and an all-you-can-eat salad bar. -Sandy con nues to be in this area – I hope and pray we don’t have another fire start up. Many fun things coming up for our group in September and October, too. We’re Rent-A-Mike and I have been busy, busy, planning a Mini-RG in September up in In This Issue busy. Between driving out to the 2012 Cripple Creek – it was so much fun last “End of Time” Annual Gathering in Reno year, we had to do it again! So, we moved (by way of Mesa Verde, Four Corners, the Royal Gorge train trip to October. RV-7 Highlights………..…..…..…...…2 North Rim of the Grand Canyon, Zion There’s more about the Mini-RG in this Na onal Park, Las Vegas and Sco y’s newsle er and there’ll be details about Plains and Peaks Officers…...…....2 Castle in Death Valley) and beekeeping the Royal Gorge train trip in September (Pikes Peak Beekeepers has an exhibit at newsle er. Mini-RG...... 3 the El Paso Fair in Calhan) – and work and dogs – we’ve not had a moment to spare! Remember, if you have a line on a good Plains and Peaks Pla er...... 3 My poor rose garden has really suffered guest speaker or want to set up an event August Birthdays...... 3
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What’s Up In Our Region by Peggy Pannke-Smith
[email protected] Please send your announcements Regional Vice Chair and photos of Region 7 happenings to: [email protected] Heartland Region 7 http://www.region7.us.mensa.org/ I’d love to hear from you!
AWARDS IN RENO! Plains and Peaks Mensa Officers Photo of our Region 7 Meet & Greet! Congratulations to all Sandy Halby (LocSec/President) our prize-winning Region 7 groups, including among others, 6066 Del Rey Dr, COS 80918 NEBRASKA-WESTERN IOWA which won a very impressive 719-528-5483 Proli ic Owl plaque received by Dave Keller and NORTH [email protected] DAKOTA MENSA winning another Group of The Year Award (GOTYA) in the small group category received by Erin Jennifer Browning (2nd Vice Pres. for Membership) Kof ler. 2034 Devon St, COS 80909 719-591-0189 WE HAVE A FACEBOOK PAGE! [email protected] Log onto your Facebook page and search for “Mensa Region Connor Baker (Treasurer) 7” to share ideas, events, etc. PO Box 514 or just click on http://www.facebook.com/groups/ Florissant, CO 80816 HeartlandMensaRegion7. New members every week so far! (719) 646-2660 We’re sharing photos and more. [email protected]
WELCOME NEW OFFICERS Sean McCormick (Gifted Children’s Coordinator) MICHAEL BALLOU, Local Membership Of icer for Denver 4220 Ruby Dr. COS 80918-5058 Mensa 719-651-6706 JOHN PFEIFFER, Ombudsman for Boulder/Front Range [email protected] Mensa CHRIS WADE, Web Contact for Boulder/Front Range Mensa Betsy Ogan (PlainsPeaking Editor) 1061 Hummingbird Ct, COS 80921 719-481-1199 We now have 204 of icers in Region 7! [email protected]
NATIONAL MENSA NEEDS YOU! Windy Haddad (Webmaster) In a separate email, I’m sending all the Editors & Local 1465 Stella Dr. COS 80921 Secretaries the Candidate Information Form (CIF) for 719-201-4743 running for of ice in National Mensa and becoming a [email protected] member of the American Mensa Board of Directors, starting July 2013. DEADLINE IS AUGUST 15, 2012 for submitting Al Ackerson (Past President) your CIF. Positions available are: Chair, First Vice Chair, 5102 Galley Road, #430AW, COS 80915 Second Vice Chair, Treasurer, Secretary and Regional Vice 719-465-3747 Chair for Region 7. Please contact me right away if you [email protected] would like to make a difference in our multi-million dollar organization. We Need You!! Vol. 28, Issue 7 Page 3
Museum, the Victor Lowell Thomas Museum, or Victor's Gold Camp Ag Mini RG at Cripple Creek and Mining Museum. It's me to start thinking about our annual (well, sort of annual) Mini- If museums aren't your thing, go see the Mollie Kathleen Gold Mine, or RG in Cripple Creek! This year we're venturing to the other side of Pikes hand around Stallion's Arcade, Pizzeria, and Mini Golf Course! Peak on September 21-23 and enjoying a weekend at “The Creek.” Lots to do in Cripple Creek and if we have half as much fun as we did last And there's always gambling! Hope to see all of you at Cripple Creek. year, it will be twice as much fun as most of us can stand!
Al Ackerson will be se ng this up and making reserva ons for the Plains and Peaks Pla er group. If you make a reserva on and change your mind, and we can't cancel it, you will s ll be liable for the cost. Al needs to know what you E-mail and Electronic Newsle er want to do by September 7th, so send your informa on to If you’re receiving this via “snail mail,” PLEASE consider changing your [email protected]. preferences to electronic newsle er and correspondence. It’s easy! Either go to the American Mensa web-site or contact American Mensa Here’s the schedule of events: to change your preferences! Friday, Sept 21st, a er 1 pm: Check in at the Double Eagle Hotel and Casino, or make your own arrangements at any number of hotels in Join Plains & Peaks Mensa on Facebook! Cripple Creek. Rates at the Double Eagle are $99.95 for a standard See photos of recent ac vi es and mee ngs and get to know some of room, $119.95 for a king-sized bed. The hotel offers discounts for senior your fellow Mensans via this popular social site! It’s a “closed” group so ci zens and military. If you want to stay at the Double Eagle, let Al know you have to ask to join. Search FB for “Plains & Peaks Mensa.” what type of room you want and how many will be in your party. Bowling Team Friday, Sept 21st, at 8 pm: Dinner in Winfield's Steakhouse in the Double If you’d be interested forming a Mensa bowling team for the Sunday Eagle Hotel. Winfield's also offers a sma ering of chicken and fish morning bowling league star ng this fall, let Sandy know! dishes. Let Al know how many will be a ending. Get Published! Saturday, Sept 22, 1 pm: The Thin Air Theater Company at the Bu e If you’d like to contribute to the PlainsPeaking newsle er, submit your Theater performs "Greater Tuna," the hilarious story of Texas' third- ar cle, poem, photo, puzzle, whatever to Betsy at [email protected] . smallest town, where the Lion's Club is too liberal and Patsy Cline never dies. The eclec c band of ci zens that make up this town are portrayed If you have an announcement or news item, please forward it to by only two performers, making this sa re of life in rural America even PlainsPeaking Editor Betsy Ogan ([email protected]) for inclusion in more deligh ul as they depict the men, women, children--even animals PlainsPeaking! And, don’t forget, you can adver se your business in of Tuna, Texas. Tickets are $9.50, $13.50, and $15.50 (the nearer the PlainsPeaking. The current rates are: business card size $6, quarter stage, the more expensive). Let Al know how many ckets you want. page $10, half page $25 and full page $50.
Saturday, Sept 22, 7 pm: "A Tribute to the Mamas and Papas" at the August Birthdays historic Gold Bar Room Theater in the Imperial Hotel. Tickets are $15 for the show, or $25 if you want dinner, which is fe uccini alfredo; chicken Alexander D Dowds August 4 parmesan; spaghe with marinara, arrabbiata, or meat sauce; or meat Dr William J Riley August 4 or cheese ravioli. Let Al know your preferences. Keith Wear August 7 Alvin Lee King IV August 8 Event op ons that you don't need to tell Al about: Virginia L Leininger August 11 The 2-Mile High Club's Aspen Tour, Sept 22-23: The annual free aspen William H Luden III August 12 tour event will begin at the Cripple Creek District Museum. Come see Gary Mohr MD August 17 the beau ful fall colors as Colorado showcases the World's Greatest David Fincher August 18 Gold Camp! Tours are offered on a first come, first served basis - Connor Baker August 21 reserva ons will not be accepted. Levi R Knox August 21 RC Timm August 21 The Mt. Pisgah Speaks Cemetery Tour, Sept 22: History, and the ghosts Kenneth G Orr August 23 from the past, come to life during the annual "Mt. Pisgah Speaks Kathie Schmidt August 23 Cemetery Tour". The Gold Camp Victorian Society, dedicated to the Andrew P Barilla August 26 preserva on of the history of Cripple Creek, hosts this unique tour, Larry G Christenson August 30 complete with character reenactments at different loca ons through the Cemetery. The tours, which leave from the District Museum, start at NOTE: If your birthday isn’t here, it’s probably because that informa on 9:30 am and leave every half hour un l 2 pm. is marked “non-releasable” on our rosters. To check your personal informa on release status, please contact American Mensa (1-800-66- Other things to do whenever you want include riding the Cripple Creek MENSA) or go to www.us.mensa.org and under Member Resources, & Victory Narrow Gauge Railroad; visi ng the Cripple Creek District select the PDQ sec on. Museum, the Cripple Creek Jail Museum, the Old Homestead House Page 4 PlainsPeaking
2012 “END OF TIME” ANNUAL GATHERING IN RENO by Sandy Halby I think I could turn into an “AG Junkie.” The 2012 “End of named Demi, was very comfortable with all our ques ons Time” Annual Gathering in Reno was four days of non- – nothing was off limits to ask – although she could not stop seminars, fun, dinners, gambling, fun, gamboling, discuss money, she talked about everything else! entertainment, games, and fun! Did I men on FUN? A er we got back to Mike and I actually got to Reno a couple of days in the hotel and got advance of the AG – and spent one day touring the Lake registered for the Tahoe area and another just learning the layout of the AG, I went through hotels and casinos. At first, I thought it may be difficult to the program in great get around between the three hotels, but once I picked detail, highligh ng out a few landmarks in the casinos and knew which way programs and trying to turn to go to certain areas, it wasn’t too hard to find to decide what to my way. a end when conflicts inevitably Mike and I had signed up for one of the op onal tours – occurred. (Editor’s which actually took place before the official AG note: I did this prior registra on started on the 4th of July. Mid-morning on the to the AG by going to 4th, Mike and I piled into one of three buses and headed my-AG.com and out to the famous Mustang Ranch, about 20 minutes syncing it with my from Reno. Can you imagine three buses of Mensans calendar on my arriving en masse at the Mustang Ranch? The en re smartphone) group split up between the Mustang Ranch and the Main Hospitality Pepsi machine Wildhorse Ranch – which are adjacent to each other – and then we broke up into even smaller groups as some One of the first programs I went to was “What It Takes to of the “girls” took us through the en re premises, Run a Brothel in Storey County” – with guest speaker including some of the suites and living areas. Our “guide,” Madam Susan Aus n of the Mustang Ranch! Hearing her
Region 7 Meet & Greet Vol. 28, Issue 7 Page 5 story first hand and about the business challenges she has faced and con nues to face was very interes ng, to say the least! What a lady!
Immediately a er that was a Region 7 Meet and Greet – and I’m very proud that Plains & Peaks Mensa was the overwhelming majority of the Region 7 folks there! Yea!! Some other programs I a ended over the course of the four days were (with my comments in brackets):
• Calcula ng the Probability of Human Survival [We’re doomed.] • So, You Want to be A Cruise Ship Speaker [It’s ain’t easy breaking into the biz.] • How to Protect Yourself Against the Police [Don’t say a word.] • That Wonderful Year for Movies: 1939 [It was Between the programs, mee ng people in Hospitality and magic.] the Hells Ms Suite, and ge ng together with Plains & • Morning Medical Qi Gong with Dr. Howard Chen Peaks folks at least once a day at a bar or restaurant in [Dr. Chen won Mr. Mensa 2012.] the hotel complex – my days at the AG were full and • Dothraki Conlangers: A Look Inside Language exhaus ng. It was almost a relief to get back into the car Crea on [Fascina ng!] to drive from Reno back to Colorado Springs (with an • Schemes, Scams & Flimflams [They wouldn’t be overnight stop in Salt Lake City)! there if they didn’t work some of the me.] • Medical Improvisa on During the End of Time Next year – the AG is “Culture in Cowtown” – in Fort [What to have in an emergency kit.] Worth, Texas and the year a er that – Boston! For more • My Vaca on to North Korea [Complete with info about the 2013 AG – visit www.ag.us.mensa.org. photos – at least those he got to keep.] • Apocalyp c Vision, Transforma on Engines and the Evolu on of Burning Man [Great program – with a fantas c video.] • History and Taste of Chocolate [Need I say more?] Page 6 PlainsPeaking
August Events Friday, August 3rd, 5 pm: Give Into Beer Tuesday, August 14th, 7:30 pm: Trivial Pursuits. Advance No ce: Thursday, September 6th, Pressure! Join us for the August “Give In To We’re playing Showdown, a 6-stage trivia 6:30 pm: ExComm Mee ng and Dinner. Please Beer Pressure” at Pikes Peak Brewing, 1756 contest featuring a wide variety of topics at join us for a short ExComm mee ng and dinner Lake Woodmoor Drive in Monument. Check it TGIF’s, 7061 Commerce Center Drive (I-25 and at Fox and Hound Pub & Grill, 3101 New out at www.pikespeakbrewing.com . We’ll Woodman). Plus we’re drinking some adult Center Point (which is east of the Cinemark hoist a few, commiserate about our tough beverages (if you want to) and noshing on Theaters on Powers/Carefree). Visit week at work and generally have a good me! some pre y good food. The game starts at 8, www.foxandhound.com for a look at the (Note – we’ll be visi ng different but if you want a game player you probably menu. All Mensa members and guests are establishments each month for this event – so should get there earlier. invited to this event. Please meet in the bar at if you’ve heard of a good brew-pub or happy 6:30 and we’ll grab a table. hour bar in the local area, please let Vera know Sunday, August 19th, 3pm: Jack Quinn’s Irish at 864-430-0126 or [email protected] .) Sessiun. Let’s meet up at Jack Quinn’s and Advance No ce: Friday, September 7th, 5 pm: enjoy the tradi onal Irish music featured Give Into Beer Pressure! Join us for the Saturday, August 4th, 11 am: Special Give In To during their Sunday Sessiun (Irish Jam Session) September “Give In To Beer Pressure” at Bristol Beer Pressure. Join us for this special GITBP at before heading around the corner to Kimball’s Brewing, 1647 South Tejon Street. We’ll hoist a the Cra Lager & Small Batch Fes val in for the movie. Jack Quinn’s is at 21 South few, commiserate about our tough week at Manitou Springs. This event, which features Tejon. work and generally have a good me! (Note – brews from all over the US, runs from 11am - we’ll be visi ng different establishments each 8pm, but you can purchase ckets for either Sunday, August 19th, 4:30 pm: Kimball’s Peak month for this event – so if you’ve heard of a morning or a ernoon sessions (or all day!). Three Movie! Join some of your fellow good brew-pub or happy hour bar in the local There will be beer, music, beer, food, Mensans at Kimball’s, which is a downtown area, please let Vera know. Vera can be entertainment, and more beer!! For details, (Pikes Peak and Tejon) first run movie theater reached at 864-430-0126 or see www.cra lagerfes val.com and let Vera showing “the very best of current independent [email protected] .) know you’ll be there at 864-430-0126 or and foreign films.” The plan is to meet at 4:30, [email protected] . have a drink in Kimball’s full service bar, select Advance No ce: September 21-23 Mini-RG In a movie to a end together, and then September at Cripple Creek! It's me to start Monday, August 6th, 8 pm: RSVP for Ex-Comm a erwards, have another drink and/or dinner thinking about our annual (well, sort of annual) Mee ng and Dinner. Call Sandy if you’ll be and discuss the movie. We’ll be taking a Mini-RG in Cripple Creek! This year we're there! Phone 528-5483 or e-mail chance on what Kimball’s is showing on this venturing to the other side of Pikes Peak on [email protected] date - but you never know! Could be the best September 21-23 and enjoying a weekend at movie you’ve ever seen!! “The Creek.” Lots to do in Cripple Creek and if Wednesday, August 8th, 6:30 pm: ExComm we have half as much fun as we did last year, it Mee ng and Dinner. Please join us for a short Wednesday, August 22nd, 8pm: RSVP for will be twice as much fun as most of us can ExComm mee ng and dinner at Roman Villa, Ul mate Saturday Supper at Tucanos Brazilian stand! See the ar cle in this newsle er for 3005 N Nevada Avenue (just north of the Grill. Call Al at 465-3747 or e-mail him at details! Nevada/Fillmore intersec on). All Mensa [email protected] for reserva ons for this members and guests are invited to this event. spectacular Ul mate Saturday Supper! Advance No ce: Sunday, October 14th, Please call Sandy by Monday, August 6th, for 12:30pm: Royal Gorge Train and Lunch. We’ll reserva ons, 528-5483 or e-mail Saturday, August 25th, 6pm: Ul mate Saturday be enjoying the scenery, hopefully some fall [email protected] Supper at Tucanos Brazilian Grill. Join fellow colors and a First-Class lunch aboard the Royal Mensans at Tucanos Brazilian Grill, 3294 Gorge Railway. The train departs from Canon Sunday, August 12th, 3:00 pm: Mensa Mix & Cinema Point. Tucano's serves all-you-can-eat City at 12:30 pm and goes through “the Mingle! Married, single, Gen-X, new member, hot, succulent, open-flame grilled beef, pork, Gorge,” taking about 2 hours for the full trip. long me member, Hell’s M, shy, outgoing, poultry, seafood, or seafood, grilled vegetables, Along the way, we’ll enjoy lunch and if you whatever – you’re all invited to join Sandy for a along with assorted breads, fried bananas, and want, the op onal “Wine Flight.” Watch for no-host Mix & Mingle at Fla ron's American unlimited salad, at a cost of $20.95. (Note – more details about this event in the September Bar & Grill, 2540 Tenderfoot Hill St (off Lake the salad bar is huge and has just about an newsle er. You can also visit Avenue near Southgate). If the weather is nice, endless variety. The servers come around with www.royalgorgeroute.com for more we’ll be on their pa o! Come out and meet different meats served straight off the roas ng informa on. some fellow Mensans - if you’ve not been to a skewers. You go a experience this!) Mensa event, this is the one you need to Reserva ons are needed for this one, folks, so a end to break the ice! Guests are welcome, call or email Al at 465-3747, so if you’d like to bring a friend or spouse with [email protected], by August 22nd to you, please do so! Enjoy some drinks and reserve a seat at the table. perhaps a snack from bar menu. Vol. 28, Issue 7 Page 7
AUGUST 2012
Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
1 2 3 4 5:00 PM 11:00 AM Give In To Special Give In To Beer Pressure Beer Pressure. @ @ Pikes the Cra Lager & Small Batch Fes val Peak Brewing in Manitou Springs
5 6 7 8 9 11 8:00 PM 6:30 PM RSVP for ExComm ExComm Meeting and Dinner @ Roman Villa 12 13 14 16 17 18 3:00 PM 7:30 PM Mensa Mix & Trivial Pursuits Mingle @ Flatiron @ TGIF’s American B&G 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 3:00 PM 8:00 PM 6:00 PM Jack Quinn’s Irish RSVP for Ultimate Saturday Sessiun Ultimate Saturday Supper @ 4:30 PM Supper Tucanos Kimball’s Peak 3 Brazilian Grill Movie
26 27 28 29 30 31
Anniversaries Welcome & Farewell Mark James Frymire WELCOME: James G Hunter Lisa Bar lo a and Chris Cooper, who are “preferencing” into our David Haukom group. Great to see you officially here!! Virginia L Leininger Denise Castle, who moved here from Georgia. Welcome to RC Timm Colorado! Roberta Sue Cordova Allison Skrehart, a new Mensan. Welcome to Mensa! Dan L Green Jessica Senia WELCOME BACK: Lynne e Whitsel David Selander, Brynan Calkin and Linda Hodges, all who are re- Andrew B Jahnke joining our group. Hello again! Robert Dillon Alexander D Dowds FAREWELL: Michael Schuck Robert Dillon, who moved to Washington state. So long! Patrick Cook-Hanalei Spencer II Jaron Maxson, who moved back east to Ohio. Good luck! ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED TO:
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Mensa® is an interna onal organiza on made up of people who have scored in the top 2% on standardized IQ tests. Mensa is non-profit and has no poli cal or religious affilia ons. The purpose of Mensa is to serve as a means of communica on for its members and to foster intelligence. PlainsPeaking is the official publica on of Plains & Peaks Mensa (#808). Mensa itself has no opinions; any opinions expressed in PlainsPeaking, if not otherwise designated, are those of the individual contributor or of the editor. The appearance of any paid adver sement, should such an unlikely event occur, in PlainsPeaking does NOT imply any endorsement of products, services, or anything else men oned in said ad by either Plains & Peaks Mensa, PlainsPeaking, American Mensa, Ltd., or Mensa Interna onal. Mensa® is registered at the U.S. Patent Office as the collec ve mark of an interna onal membership organiza on.
PlainsPeaking is published monthly by Plains and Peaks Mensa Editor, 1061 Hummingbird Ct, Colorado Springs, CO 80921-5696. All material within is copyright©2009 by Plains & Peaks Mensa, except where otherwise indicated. Subscrip ons are $6.00 (12 monthly issues) for non-Mensans and for Mensans who are not members of the P&P local group. Single issues are available on a first-come, first-served basis at no charge (but please include SASE).
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Note to Contributors: By contribu ng material to Plains and Peaks Mensa, you are giving permission for your material to be published in both the newsle er and the web-based newsle er archives. You MAY withhold your name, email address, or any other address from the web-based version; simply request this from the Editor. Other Mensa publica ons may reprint PlainsPeaking material if the author/ar st and PlainsPeaking are credited and the material is not individually copyrighted. Le ers (and le er-like emails) to the Editor will be considered for publica on unless the author specifically requests otherwise.
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