Food Storage for Emergencies

While there is plenty of advice available out there about public speaking, we think the best way to gain confidence is to practice and learn by doing, in a fun, friendly forum over dinner. Gourmet Toastmasters is set in the familiar and comforting soundings of a restaurant. We meet monthly, on the second Tuesday of each month, upstairs at the Malvernvale Hotel. We have a range of supportive club members from beginners looking to improve their public speaking, through to long term experienced Toastmasters, who impart their gift of knowledge and experience for all club members. Guests are more than welcome to visit the club, so come along, make new friends, learn from others and experience their journey. **Date:** The second Tuesday of each month **Time:** 6:30pm - 9.30pm **Location:** Malvervale Hotel 1321 Malvern Rd, Malvern As we are located in a restaurant we have a set cost of $40 for a 2 course meal, and bookings are essential. So please email [contact@gourmettoastmasters.org](mailto:contact@gourmettoastmasters.org) to find out more. We hope to see you for dinner!

Hello Infracoders! Please join us to talk about anything related to infrastructure as code. Thoughtworks Australia have kindly offered to host the Infracoders meetup and will supply food and beverages. To speed up the office checkin you can pre-register with Thoughtworks here **[https://g.vkda.co/x/xa1puzPKhHQ8bYRb](https://g.vkda.co/x/xa1puzPKhHQ8bYRb)** We usually have 2 technical talks per meetup. We start at 6pm and will be finished by 8pm. Please note there's a quick electronic sign-in process at Reception when you arrive at the office. Presentation 1 **"Cut dev cycles from hours to seconds"** \- Dan Baker\, MetalBear\. Have you ever made a one line code change and then waited 30 minutes for a CI run to test it in a staging environment? Test changes instantly using mirrord, an open source project that allows you to run code locally, but in the context of a Kubernetes cluster. Presentation 2 **"Terraform vs GitOps - comparing two philosophies of deploying Kubernetes infrastructure."** \- Angus McInnes\, REA\. A Kubernetes-based compute platform involves many interdependent components deployed into a Kubernetes cluster. One approach to deploying such a platform is using Terraform, which tracks dependencies between components and deploys them in the appropriate order. Another approach is to follow a GitOps philosophy, storing Kubernetes manifests in a Git repository and using ArgoCD to continuously synchronise the state of the cluster with the repository. I'll demonstrate and compare these two approaches. If you'd like to present please contact infracoders organisers via Meetup with a * talk topic * one paragraph description * estimate of the time you'll need (20 minutes or shorter is best) As always, please update your RSVP as your availability changes. All venues have space considerations for safety and comfort of Infracoders. Please contact the organisers if you'd like to present a topic relevant to the group or host a meetup at your office.

Melbourne Symphony Orchestra (MSO) ***free*** concerts @ Sidney Myer Music Bowl (St Kilda Rd, Southbank) are during February. Join us on a warm night for an amazing & free concert, at Sidney Myer Music Bowl in Kings Domain garden, along/off St Kilda Rd, Melbourne (10 mins walk from Arts Centre) We Meet First at 4:30 PM: at cafe outside the Arts Centre (where Spire is, **not** round building next to Princes Bridge) Arts Centre Outdoor cafe is near Tram Stop 14, St Kilda Rd. Or, if walking, it's 7 minutes south from Flinders St Station. My phone 040281664. If need to contact me to find cafe or Arts Centre Theatres building, with Spire on top, please comment on the Meetup or phone/text me. At Sidney Myer Music Bowl: Are grass areas, or seats. Own food & own drinks is permitted. Including small amounts of alcohol permitted. No glass allowed except wine bottles. No sharp knives, but best not to bring any metal cutlery (re going thru the security check). If can't stay for whole concert, can leave at interval at around 8:10. Or, during the brief interludes between pieces. \-\-\-\-\- This is a hurried write, as had intended to do for Wed, but forecast is for rain; proper rain, not just chance of. (It's still daylight till 9pm & we're meeting late afternoon, so counts as a Daytime Event. Doesn't it?? :) . Plus I wanted to post something to say thanks for lovely & wonderful comments said to me re Williamstown walk). The MSO free concerts - 4 this week - are all excellent programmes. Tues 10 Feb includes Peer Gynt Suite No.1, & Beehoven's 5th Symphony, & couple shorter pieces. \-\-\- If can't meet us from 4:30 to by 5:15, please just go to it yourself. If by yourself, or just 2 or 3 people, you will be able to sit in seats — go to right side (if facing stage) tho. Once we arrive at near Sidney Myer Music Bowl location, I will not be contactable. It is near impossible to find ppl once in the bowl area. (will post our location approx 6:30 but up to u to find us) All 4 free concerts will be Live Streamed on ABC Classic FM youtube channel. **Advisory:** there's 10,000 people at each of these concerts sitting close. Some people may prefer to wear a mask. If any illness symptoms, rather than attend this particular Meetup please enjoy the live stream

Let’s grab some foods in the Victoria Queens Market .

Join us for the next **Men Unplugged** dinner. A monthly catch-up for separated dads who want to connect, reflect, and just be themselves. Whether you're navigating the early days of separation or further along the journey, this is a relaxed space to meet other men who get what you're going through. No pressure, no expectations. Just real conversation, good food, and the chance to connect with other guys who understand the ups and downs of fatherhood after separation. Each dinner has a theme to guide the conversation—but sharing is completely optional. You can talk, listen, or just enjoy the company. **Spots are limited to 15 men**, so booking is essential. **📅 Date:** Wednesday, 11th of February 2026 **🕢 Time:** 7:30 PM – 9:30 PM **📍 Location:** Hardimans Hotel, 521 Macaulay Rd, Kensington VIC **🎟️ Cost:** Pay as you go: Steak, chicken parma, burger or pizza ($20-25). Drinks at bar prices. There is ample free parking in the area. Getting there with public transport: Getting There by Train: Take the Craigieburn Line and get off at Kensington Station. From there, it’s a short 3-minute walk to Hardimans Hotel.

Debutante is a monthly non-competitive showcase for emerging drag performers, held at Pride of our Footscray. The show starts at 8PM. Free entry and no booking required.

On the third Sunday of every month we take a walk in nature. Exercise is so important to all of us and nature has its own unique way of healing. It helps us live in the present, enjoy our surroundings, regain balance and perspective and be pleased with ourselves for going out and doing something. And it costs nothing except time and effort. Our hikes are all over Greater Melbourne and afar. Generally our walks will be 2 to 2.5 hours of moderate grade. Those who want to go more quickly can but generally we try to stay as a group and enjoy the sounds and beauty of nature together. We love to go for a coffee after. We look forward to catching up.

We all recognize that if things were better organized, people would be better off. We have all had experiences with a business or government, school or a group that was not well organized and we experience the confusion, delays and upsets of trying to deal with disorganization. On a personal level, trying to get something started - a plan, some new bright idea you had, perhaps starting a new business - without organization can be a nightmare. Organization is a key and often missing factor in personal success. It is also essential for a flourishing family, group, organization or business. Attaining one's goals, no matter how large or small, requires a knowledge and application of organization.

### 📅 Date & Time: **Saturday, February 21, 2025** **1:00 PM – 2:00 PM EST** *** ### 📍 Location: **Pots & Plants Garden Center** 10106 Georgetown Pike, Great Falls, VA 22066 (This is an **in-person event**.) *** ### 🌱 About This Event: **Don’t have a backyard? No problem!** This free, in-person workshop will show you how to grow real food — herbs, greens, and more — *inside your home*, using compact hydroponic and soil systems with LED grow lights. Whether you're new to gardening or looking to expand your food-growing skills during winter, this session will cover: ✅ Easy-to-use indoor garden setups ✅ LED lighting and hydroponic tips ✅ Local seedling options to save 30+ days of growing time ✅ Real tools you can use — no backyard required! *** ### 🎁 What You'll Get: * Live demonstration of indoor grow systems * Free digital guides to take home * Invite to join the full Indoor Food Growing Training Program (for free!) * Access to local seedling bundle options *** ### 👥 Who Should Attend: * Gardeners without outdoor space * Houseplant lovers curious about growing food * Local families, foodies, and eco-conscious neighbors * Anyone interested in sustainable food and indoor growing systems *** ### 📝 RSVP Info: **Free to attend – please RSVP to save your spot!** Bring a friend or neighbor along! Thank you, Clift --- Chief Community Grower at indoorgardenmarket.com

This place gets crowded so let’s meet early and enjoy their very authentic Chinese food! 2026 is the year of the Fire Horse! https://www.mamachangva.com/

Join our partners Watermark Woods Native Plants, Loudoun County Public Library (LCPL), and Birch Tree Bookstore for the Read! Plant! Grow! Book Club, which focuses on native plants, sponsored by Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy and LCPL. At this meeting we’ll discuss the book Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver. Both memoir and journalistic investigation, this book explores how the Kingsolver family took on a new challenge: to spend a year on a locally -produced diet, paying close attention to the provenance of all they consume. Concerned about the environmental, social, and physical costs of American food culture, they hoped to recover what Kingsolver considers our nation’’s lost appreciation for farms and the natural processes of food production. You can either buy the book from Birch Tree Bookstore or contact Allison Forbes at [Allison.forbes@loudoun.gov](mailto:Allison.forbes@loudoun.gov) to borrow a copy of the book at the library. There are two ways to participate: attend the event online via the library website or [sign up to participate in person at Birch Tree Bookstore](https://www.birchtreebookstore.com/event-details/read-plant-grow-2026-02-24-18-30). ***Questions:*** *Contact [info@loudounwildlife.org](mailto:info@loudounwildlife.org)*.

Join us for our first meetup! We will have a discussion on Fiat vs Bitcoin, a little bit of learning and discussions that are important to the group. This a social group so bring your questions and curiosity, prepared to listen and share. Too often, women are left out of the conversation while they prepare to live longer, care for more people and are the heart of any community. Wouldn't it be great if we could be more educated on ways to beat inflation, have more choices, and be prepared for the changes to come? Please bring your questions, so that we can plan topics for future meet-ups.

Social Sips & Bites… We accidentally found out it’s Ann’s birthday 👀 And as a group that never misses food, drinks, or a perfectly good excuse to celebrate… we’ve decided to politely crash her birthday party Come laugh, sip, snack, and help us convince Ann this was always the plan. Because let’s be honest, birthdays are better with great people and zero warning See you there

Come the whole time or if you just spend 30 minutes. All are welcome. You are welcome and encouraged to bring your own coloring supplies but, if you don't have any, I will have plenty and am happy to share! (coloring books, colored pencils, and markers). Part of the mission of this group is to provide us an opportunity to check out AND SUPPORT local businesses. So, please don't bring any outside food/drinks and, while purchasing something isn't at all a REQUIREMENT to participate in the event, I do strongly encourage you to try something from the vendor :) I look forward to seeing and meeting you there! ***\*\*DISCLAIMER*\*\*** Photos may be taken during the event to be shared here on Meetup so feel free to let me know if you'd like to be excluded from them.