Brain Teasers San Francisco

Puzzles & Pinot

Please note!!! **This event has been shifted to Sept 20th** because Solano Stroll is taking place on the 13th! Join us for Assemble Puzzlery’s event at Best Friends in Albany. The game is Puzzical Chairs! Sign up to play or just come for the free, drop-in, casual puzzling and swap. Check out their [event page ](https://assemblepuzzlery.com/collections/puzzical-chairs-at-best-friends-9-13-26)for more info and registration. \*\*\*21+ venue \*\*\* Adults only

Mountain Home Inn to East Peak loop

Puzzle Night at Gilman Brewing

This Meetup is to attend Puzzle Night at Gilman Brewing on September 16th 6-9pm. There will be free casual puzzling tables, a puzzle swap and a speed puzzling competition. If you want to compete in speed puzzling you do need to [register ](https://assemblepuzzlery.com/pages/events)at Assemble Puzzlery who puts on the event. Hope to see you all there to puzzle together!

East Bay Chronic Pain & Illness Peer Support Group Meetup

**About us:** The Bay Area Chronic Pain & Illness Peer Support Group is a friendly, unstructured, in-person peer support group for anybody 18+ who lives with chronic pain, illness(es), invisible disabilities, and any type of mental health experiences. The group is a casual safe space to hang out, talk about our lives, share coping strategies, form friendships, create community, and get support. **Location:** 2727 California Street, Berkeley, CA 94703 Look for a corner gallery in a residential neighborhood! **Accessibility Info:** * The meeting space is in a wheelchair accessible gallery. * There are bathrooms accessible via ramp within the gallery. * The lighting is relatively gentle, though of course feel free to bring hats, sunglasses to adjust! * Seating provided by the gallery are wooden, foldout chairs. If a metal foldout chair would be preferable, let me know, and I'll try to procure some! * Feel free to bring heating pads, yoga mats, cooling pads, to make yourself as comfortable as possible! \*\*\*Please refrain from wearing anything scented, including lotion, dry-cleaned clothes, etc. This is to ensure that the group is safe for people with chemical sensitivities.\*\*\* **Scheduling Info: While this group runs every other week, there are a few dates when the space will not be available. Those dates are: 4/7, 5/5, 6/2, and 11/3! To play it safe, check on the meetup page to be sure that we are meeting!** **COVID Safety:** * We are asking folks to mask! If you have any questions about the event, feel free to email Anna at herschlaga@gmail.com

Mini-Meetup: Trivia Time! -- NOTE NEW VENUE

Letter Writing & Tea @ Teance Fine Teas - Sunday Sept 13rd

Slow down and handwrite a letter, work on journaling, or just hang out with us over a cozy pot of tea! Free stationery, stamps, stickers, and envelopes will be provided, just show up and say hi! Feel free to bring your own supplies to share/destash as well. We meet on the 2nd and 4th Sundays of each month from 3-5PM at [Teance Fine Teas](https://www.teance.com/letter-writing-club-tea.html), a wonderful tea shop with a wide handcrafted selection of high quality teas. Guided tea tastings are available, or share a pot with a friend! Address: 1036 Grayson St, Berkeley, CA 94710 RSVPing is optional, feel free to just show up! :) Don't worry if the RSVP limit on meetup is reached, we'll make space for everyone!

Monday Night Trivia at The Sycamore

Come out for a night of fun and prizes! Feel free to bring your trivia team or organize one here. Please coordinate in the event notes if you want to form a trivia team, teams of up to six are allowed. If you come solo introduce yourself and I’ll direct you to the “pick up” team. I’m the quizmaster and it should be obvious who I am. San Francisco is currently back to an indoor mask mandate whether you are vaccinated or not. Bring a mask!

Mahjong Happy Hour

Trivia at Mad Oak

We're going to return to trivia at Mad Oak! Trivia starts at 7pm. Arrive a few minutes early so we can reserve tables and split off in teams as necessary. Please bring ID as they card at the gate. Hope to see you there!

Can Language Be Perfect?

This event will be a slightly different format I want to experiment with. We'll meetup at a coffee shop and sit around for about 25 minutes waiting for folks to show up. Then we'll walk over to golden gate park and walk in interchangeable groups of 4-5. The topic I want to address is, "can you think of a sentence that a good-faith actor cannot possibly misunderstand / misinterpret?" Is it possible for language to achieve perfect precision? Does abstraction in practice always leave something out? I have a couple examples in mind that I believe answer simply "Yes." Of course, you are free to disagree! A relevant idea is "greedy reductionism" by Daniel Dennett which the wikipedia page is decent on : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greedy_reductionism

Life's Big Questions @ Dolores

**RSVP via:** https://app.gistirl.com/event-details/hE7TpsNuitgLiotRHKLe?utm_source=meetup&utm_content=a **Early Bird Discounts | More $ Later** **This event is completely FREE** Hello fellow seekers, Here is the idea, plain and simple: one sunny afternoon in Dolores Park, a circle of thoughtful people, and the kind of conversation about life's big questions most of us almost never get to have. This is for people from all walks of life - devout, doubting, spiritual-but-not-religious, deconstructing, atheist, or just curious. Nobody is here to convert anybody. The only ask is that you come honest and stay curious. Most of us carry big questions we rarely say out loud. What do I actually believe, and how did I land there? What do I do with doubt? What makes a life meaningful? This afternoon is a space to say those things out loud, with people who genuinely want to hear them. How it works: We'll gather right in Dolores Park. For the first stretch of the afternoon, the Gist IRL app pairs you up for short, focused one-on-one conversations on the grass. You always know exactly who you are talking to next, so there is no wandering around wondering who to approach. That takes the pressure off and makes it surprisingly easy to skip the small talk and get straight to the meaningful stuff. Then the best part: When the rounds wrap up, you pick the people you clicked with, form a little group of 4 to 6, and walk from the park to a nearby bakery, coffee, or tea spot together to keep the conversation going. Everything on the list below is a short stroll away. By late afternoon you are sitting around a table with warm drinks, fresh pastries, and thoughtful people, talking openly about life, meaning, and what we each believe. Whether this becomes your monthly coffee and big-questions group or just a deeply refreshing weekend pause, I think you will leave feeling a little more grounded than when you arrived. The Plan: 1:00 PM - Check-in. Follow the link to set up your quick profile on your phone. Bring a blanket or something to sit on if you can - we'll have a few extras. 1:05 - 2:25 PM - One-on-one rounds. The app pairs you for short, focused chats about everyday life, purpose, and how you each see the world. 2:25 PM+ - Form groups of 4 to 6 with the people you clicked with, pick a nearby bakery, coffee, or tea spot, and walk over together - your group leaves together today. Instead of having one brief philosophical chat and trading contact info that never turns into an actual meetup, we grab pastries, coffee, and tea right away. You might just stumble into your new go-to people for bakery hunts, book clubs, and thoughtful Sunday walks. And when the afternoon wraps up, you can easily stay in touch with everyone through the app - no need to trade phone numbers. I can't wait to share a table and hear your stories. A few favorite spots nearby: Dolores Park Cafe - Directly across from the park, a relaxed neighborhood staple with plenty of indoor and outdoor seating, fresh juices, organic teas, and light fare. Tartine Bakery - Just a block away, legendary for fresh sourdough, morning buns, and artisan coffee. Dandelion Chocolate - An airy bean-to-bar cafe with rich single-origin sipping chocolates, espresso drinks, and comfortable seating. Craftsman and Wolves - A sleek patisserie with inventive sweet and savory baked goods, specialty coffees, and teas. Stonemill Matcha - A tranquil spot on Valencia serving ceremonial-grade Kyoto matcha, roasted green teas, and Japanese-inspired pastries. **RSVP via:** https://app.gistirl.com/event-details/hE7TpsNuitgLiotRHKLe?utm_source=meetup&utm_content=a **Early Bird Discounts | More $ Later**

Wednesday Night Trivia at The Willows

Come out for a night of fun and prizes! Feel free to bring your trivia team or organize one here. Please coordinate in the event notes if you want to form a trivia team, teams of up to six are allowed. If you come solo introduce yourself and I’ll direct you to the “pick up” team. I’m the quizmaster and it should be obvious who I am. San Francisco is currently back to an indoor mask mandate whether you are vaccinated or not. Bring a mask!