Ruby

Alexandria's Del Ray neighborhood loves the holidays. Every year, neighbors create huge plywood holiday cards - many of them featuring their pets -- there are also Star Wars, Ted Lasso and lots of llama themed cards :). While the cards have popped up throughout the neighborhood, they are concentrated on East Luray and East Alexandria Avenues -- https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/alexandria-del-ray/2020/12/15/2a11ef2e-3ef8-11eb-8bc0-ae155bee4aff_story.html Let's take our Aussies on a stroll down Del Ray's Holiday Card Lane. We will start at 409 East Nelson Avenue at one of the neighborhood's iconic holiday houses and then walk down East Luray and back up East Alexandria. It's an easy and fun walk and at a slow pace should not take more than an hour. Then if you like, explore dog-friendly Del Ray. This is an on leash event. As we get closer to the event we will post restaurants that have heated patios and are dog-friendly.

**🎉 Book Swap: Bring Your Books to the The Potter's House Café & Bookstore! 📚** 📅 **Date:** Monday, December 22nd, 2025 🕒 **Time:** 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM 📍 **Location:** The Potter's House Café & Bookstore - 1658 Columbia Rd NW, Washington, DC 20009 **Agenda:** * **6:00 PM - 6:30 PM** \- Check\-in and chat * **6:30 PM - 7:00 PM** \- Introductions * **7:00 PM - 8:00 PM** \- Book swap **Please note**: * Gently used books are ideal for swapping. * If a book you bring isn’t swapped, you will have the option to donate it to The Potter's House community shelf. * This is a “stay-and-swap” event, so please join with the intention of engaging and connecting with the group.

Please join us. We are a group of 6-12 people who come together weekly on Mondays for an hour of silent meditation, walking meditation. We all need more silence and peace in this world. We end with tea and snack and a poem with sharing. Our guiding teacher has practiced Zen meditation for 25 years, but we all share leadership. Beginners or anyone interested in silent meditation and fellowship are welcome. We sit in chairs, have a reading or brief instruction, a bell and silent meditation for 10 minutes, followed by walking meditation, a bell and 20 minutes of silent meditation. We end with an offering of tea and a snack, conversation and a poem and reflections. A warm and welcoming group. Free, please join us. We meet in the sanctuary In [Rockville United Church](https://www.rockvilleunitedchurch.org/) in Twinbrook, MD. Plenty of parking. Enter the main door and look for a green sign. ***This is a good place to rest and refresh on the way home from work and before dinner.*** Free. Try it.

Mondays just got delicious! Join us at **Divino** for **Wine Mondays: 50% off our entire wine list**—all day, every Monday. From crisp Italian whites to bold Barolos, it’s the perfect excuse to explore something new or revisit a favorite. **Less Monday stress...More Wine!** FREE PARKING

Reserve your spot for free on **[Eventbrite](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1975943804109?aff=oddtdtcreator)** so we have an accurate guest count. **There is no cover.** Support NoVA's only LGBTQ+ bar! There is no cover. There also is no group tab to worry about; order whatever you want on you own. The Go Gay DC Pride happy hour officially starts at 6 p.m. on the front enclosed patio. Enjoy the happy hour drink specials (which last until 7 p.m.) The dinner menu is at [https://www.freddiesbeachbar.com/menu](https://www.freddiesbeachbar.com/menu) Parking is usually available nearby on the residential side streets. This fun happy hour gathering brings LGBTQ+ folk, including Allies, together for conversation. Feel free to invite all your friends to join you there! **Metro Directions:** Be eco-friendly. Crystal City Metro station on the Yellow/Blue lines is the closest Metro stop. When you arrive, go out the station, walk towards your left to 18th Street and then veer right and walk under the Route 1 overpass to Eads St. Turn left and walk to 23rd Street. Turn right. Freddie's is up 23rd Street just a block. Just look for the rainbow flags on the right side of the street! Freddie's was voted the Best Virginia Bar by Washington Blade readers. Don't like a smoky bar? You are covered: Freddie's is a smoke-free establishment. (Ashtrays are provided in back of the building if smoking is 'your thing'). Freddie's is an LGBTQ+, straight-friendly restaurant and bar. It offers Happy Hour daily from 4-7 pm. [https://www.freddiesbeachbar.com/](https://www.freddiesbeachbar.com/) Arrive at any time that's convenient for you. There's no need to print out and show your Eventbrite ticket. This event is a safe, inclusive space for everyone under the rainbow. This event is for 21+. Remember to bring your ID, as everyone who wishes to drink alcohol is carded of course. This event is hosted by **[Go Gay DC](http://www.gogaydc.com)**, Metropolitan Washington DC's inclusive LGBTQ+ community focused on friendship, leadership, and service. It now reaches over 10K fabulous people and is growing fast. Visit [http://www.gogaydc.com](http://www.gogaydc.com) Mingle with fabulous LGBTQ+ folk and allies. Go Gay DC Leader **[TJ Flavell](https://www.linkedin.com/in/tjflavell/)** will be there to greet you. Bring your friends and meet new people from all over the world. Casual attire is fine. You are welcome regardless of where you live. Guests from DC, Maryland, and Virginia often attend. This event is a safe, inclusive space for everyone under the rainbow. Go Gay DC is on social media: Join the Facebook Group [https://www.facebook.com/groups/GoGayDC](https://www.facebook.com/groups/GoGayDC) Like the Facebook Page [https://www.facebook.com/GoGayDC](https://www.facebook.com/GoGayDC) Follow on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/GoGayDC](https://www.instagram.com/GoGayDC) Follow on X [https://www.x.com/GoGayDC](https://www.x.com/GoGayDC) Watch on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/GoGayDC](https://www.youtube.com/GoGayDC) Search keywords: LGBT LGBTQ LGBTQI LQBTQIA Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Queer Intersex Straight Allies

Join our ASL Brunch on Sundays in Greenbelt! All ASL users and learners are welcome. Brunches are alternately held at two restaurants in Greenbelt, both in the same town plaza. ODD WEEKS: 1st, 3rd, and 5th Sundays, we meet at Cedars of Lebanon, 103 Centerway. EVEN WEEKS: 2nd and 4th Sundays, we meet at New Deal Café,113 Centerway. We are the Greenbelt ASL Community, a group of both Deaf and hearing people who hang out, chat about everyday goings on, trade stories, get to know each other better, and of course, enjoy food together. Many members use ASL as their primary language, several are interpreters or other fluent ASL users, while others are ASL learners who wish to improve their skills while making new friends. Before or after brunch, you can visit the farmer's market and small coop grocery store in the plaza. Please RSVP so we can contact you via email if needed. Our group is on Facebook as Greenbelt ASL Community. Some long-time group members don't mark their attendance here, so feel free to stop by even if you don't see others who have RSVP'd on Meet-up.

Let us meet up for a language exchange. We will give out name tags. You write your name and what language you speak and what language you would like to exchange. ***GRAB A DRINK AND YOU ARE ALL SET TO FLEX YOUR LANGUAGE CAPACITY. YOU NEED TO GET AT LEAST A DRINK OR FOOD :) To get the event going and show support. We know that you like our events. P.S. : We have non-alcoholic drinks as well.*** We have a tiny venue and we hit capacity often and early arrival is suggested. We have the discretion to decide entry. All languages are welcome! However we don't guarantee the availability of a partner in that particular language, you would like to exchange. HOW IT WORKS : We will try to assign tables for each represented languages and will direct attendees to their respective tables accordingly. All languages are welcome! However we don't guarantee the availability of a partner in that particular language, you would like to exchange. Rules to abide : 1. Event is 21+ (bring ID). 2. Be respectful to your counterparts and give them a chance to exchange with others as well. 3. We all are native speakers of one or two languages and be willing to help others and try to accommodate as much as possible. 4. If you don't speak the other person's required language, LEAVE THEM ALONE. 5. Rude or aggressive members are removed from the group at an organizers discretion. 6. This is a face-to-face language exchange event. DO NOT try to arrange an online meeting, by using the comment box or direct message. 7. Most of our members complained about people writing in the comment box. Since it sends notification to all attendees. If you have any questions, send a message to the organizers. Don't write in the comment box. 8. We have ZERO TOLERANCE for solicitation. We don't allow anyone to run their own agenda at the Event. If you are interested to promote/sponsor/collaborate; contact us via (info@merevents.com). 9. When you get there, we will greet you and take you to your respective group. 10. Don't be shy of your local languages. We have diplomates assigned to different countries, who would love to practice your languages. 11\. Be patient for the first 30 minutes\, up until we form your respective language group\. 12\. We will have a registration station and check you in\. 13\. This is mainly a social for Intermediate/Advanced/Native Speaker\. It is not as such to learn a language\. Beginners\, if you want to learn a language\, reach out to us \(info@merevents\.com\)\. We have a school and will arrange you a class\. ***AFTER THE EXCHANGE, WE HIT THE DANCE FLOOR! BRING YOUR DANCING SHOES, WE WILL DANCE THE NIGHT AWAY!***

Come exchange Asian Languages that you speak! ***GRAB A DRINK AND YOU WILL BE ALL SET TO FLEX YOUR LANGUAGE CAPACITY. YOU NEED TO GET AT LEAST A DRINK OR FOOD :) To get the event going and show support. We know that you like our events. P.S. : We have non-alcoholic drinks as well.*** We have a tiny venue and we hit capacity often and early arrival is suggested. We have the discretion to decide entry. We will assign tables for represented languages. All languages are welcome! However we don't guarantee the availability of a partner in that particular language, you would like to exchange. As you all remember well, this event used to bring out hundreds of people every week. However, it was discontinued last year for obvious reasons and we couldn't gather that many people now, because of restrictions. Hence, we are downsizing and caping the number of attendees. We have super limited spots and advance ticket purchase is required. ***AFTER THE HAPPY HOUR, WE HIT THE DANCE FLOOR! BRING YOUR DANCING SHOES, WE WILL DANCE THE NIGHT AWAY!*** HOW IT WORKS : We will try to assign tables for each represented languages and will direct attendees to their respective tables accordingly. All languages are welcome! However we don't guarantee the availability of a partner in that particular language, you would like to exchange. Rules to abide : 1. Event is free and 21+ (bring ID). 2. Be respectful to your counterparts and give them a chance to exchange with others as well. 3. We all are native speakers of one or two languages and be willing to help others and try to accommodate as much as possible. 4. If you don't speak the other person's required language, LEAVE THEM ALONE. 5. Rude or aggressive members are removed from the group at an organizers discretion. 6. This is a face-to-face language exchange event. DO NOT try to arrange an online meeting, by using the comment box or direct message. 7. Most of our members complained about people writing in the comment box. Since it sends notification to all attendees. If you have any questions, send a message to the organizers. Don't write in the comment box. 8. We have ZERO TOLERANCE for solicitation. We don't allow anyone to run their own agenda at the Event. If you are interested to promote/sponsor/collaborate; contact us via (info@merevents.com). 9. When you get there, we will greet you and take you to your respective group. 10. Don't be shy of your local languages. We have diplomates assigned to different countries, who would love to practice your languages. 11\. Be patient for the first 30 minutes\, up until we form your respective language group\. 12\. We will have a registration station and check you in\. You ought to have register on Meetup for a free entry\. Otherwise\, you will be subject to a cover charge\. 11. 13\. This is mainly a social for Intermediate/Advanced/Native Speaker\. It is not as such to learn a language\. Beginners\, if you want to learn a language\, reach out to us \(info@merevents\.com\)\. We have a school and will arrange you a class\. 12.

If you have no Christmas plans come join us for Chinese food! It's going to cost between $40 and $60 per person so please bring cash or Venmo!

Zorba's Cafe on Thursdays! We will be on the 2nd floor, or if the weather allows, we will be sitting outside at a table in the street. If you don't see anyone on the 2nd floor and the weather is favorable, it means we're sitting at the table in the street. Уважаемые участники группы! Информация для тех, кто еще не посещал наши встречи - обычно подписывается меньше людей, чем приходит на встречу, "старожилы" привыкли к тому, что записываться необязательно, и просто приходят в любое удобное для них время с 5:30 до 8 часов. Так что не стесняйтесь, записывайтесь на встречу! Welcome to the old venue! Old - since we used to get together at Zorba's Cafe for many years. Come to the 2nd floor. 1612 20th St NW, Washington, DC 20009 This is very close to Metro Dupont Circle station. This is the same place where we got together every Thursday evening for many years before 2015. Everyone is welcome, but please keep conversation in Russian only. For many of us, this is our only chance to practice our Russian. There are happy hour prices available. Timing: Someone is usually there by 5:30, but it sometimes takes the organizers till 5:45 or so. If you get there first, please wait - we will be there! And people are usually there till at least 8. So if you can't make it right at the beginning, that is perfectly fine to arrive late! RSVP's: I encourage you to RSVP. But please know that many people don't RSVP. So it may seem like only 3 people are planning to attend, but have no fear, we usually have a good-sized fun group! (And we almost always have newcomers. So if you are planning on coming for the first time, you most likely won't be the only one.) Also, when the weather is nice we are frequently sitting outdoors. So if nobody is on the second floor, just look for the group speaking Russian at tables out on the street. And to say again - we have often had only 3 or 4 people RSVP but have 15 or so show up. So don't worry about that. See you there! Questions? Check our FAQ (http://www.meetup.com/russki-razgovor-dc/pages/Frequently_Asked_Questions/) page.

Come exchange Asian Languages that you speak! ***GRAB A DRINK AND YOU WILL BE ALL SET TO FLEX YOUR LANGUAGE CAPACITY. YOU NEED TO GET AT LEAST A DRINK OR FOOD :) To get the event going and show support. We know that you like our events. P.S. : We have non-alcoholic drinks as well.*** We have a tiny venue and we hit capacity often and early arrival is suggested. We have the discretion to decide entry. We will assign tables for represented languages. All languages are welcome! However we don't guarantee the availability of a partner in that particular language, you would like to exchange. As you all remember well, this event used to bring out hundreds of people every week. However, it was discontinued last year for obvious reasons and we couldn't gather that many people now, because of restrictions. Hence, we are downsizing and caping the number of attendees. We have super limited spots and advance ticket purchase is required. ***AFTER THE HAPPY HOUR, WE HIT THE DANCE FLOOR! BRING YOUR DANCING SHOES, WE WILL DANCE THE NIGHT AWAY!*** HOW IT WORKS : We will try to assign tables for each represented languages and will direct attendees to their respective tables accordingly. All languages are welcome! However we don't guarantee the availability of a partner in that particular language, you would like to exchange. Rules to abide : 1. Event is free and 21+ (bring ID). 2. Be respectful to your counterparts and give them a chance to exchange with others as well. 3. We all are native speakers of one or two languages and be willing to help others and try to accommodate as much as possible. 4. If you don't speak the other person's required language, LEAVE THEM ALONE. 5. Rude or aggressive members are removed from the group at an organizers discretion. 6. This is a face-to-face language exchange event. DO NOT try to arrange an online meeting, by using the comment box or direct message. 7. Most of our members complained about people writing in the comment box. Since it sends notification to all attendees. If you have any questions, send a message to the organizers. Don't write in the comment box. 8. We have ZERO TOLERANCE for solicitation. We don't allow anyone to run their own agenda at the Event. If you are interested to promote/sponsor/collaborate; contact us via (info@merevents.com). 9. When you get there, we will greet you and take you to your respective group. 10. Don't be shy of your local languages. We have diplomates assigned to different countries, who would love to practice your languages. 11\. Be patient for the first 30 minutes\, up until we form your respective language group\. 12\. We will have a registration station and check you in\. You ought to have register on Meetup for a free entry\. Otherwise\, you will be subject to a cover charge\. 11. 13\. This is mainly a social for Intermediate/Advanced/Native Speaker\. It is not as such to learn a language\. Beginners\, if you want to learn a language\, reach out to us \(info@merevents\.com\)\. We have a school and will arrange you a class\. 12.

Holy Cross-Words Toastmasters Club (http://1341379.toastmastersclubs.org/) open to all. The club meets 2nd and 4th Tuesday of each month at 5:30pm in the Professional and Community Education Center (PCEC). The PCEC is located on the first floor of Holy Cross Hospital, 1500 Forest Glen Rd, Silver Spring, MD 20910

Bring your work or your hobby, hang out, and code with us. Follow @buckeyecocoa for more information.

## Details ## TBD **AGENDA:** * See updates to parking below * Doors open at 5:30, feel free to come and hang out before! * Official start of the meeting is at 6:30pm * After the meeting is done, feel free to hang around until 8:30pm If you can, please sign up via meetup by noon the day of the meeting so we can have an estimate head count for food :) We always order extra, so feel free to join us even if you don't get signed up! Thank you to CoverMyMeds for providing the location! **Parking & Arrival:** Parking in the **garage is no longer available**. Please park in front of the main entrance or the wedge lot [MAP](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Jonathan75/Talks/refs/heads/master/map.png). Orange Barrel Media has graciously allowed us to park in their lot as well. Doors are open until 6pm. After 6pm security will need to let you in. \*\*\* We are a bunch of professionals, students, and geeks who are excited about Ruby programming language ([http://ruby-lang.org/](http://ruby-lang.org/)) and Rails framework ([http://rubyonrails.com/](http://rubyonrails.com/)) and the joy they have brought back to web development. Our main goal is to share the love of the Ruby and Rails ecosystems with anyone that is interested. We cater to everyone, whether a non-programmer through advanced Rubyists. We give lectures on programming topics We develop and release Open Source software ([https://github.com/columbusrb/](https://github.com/columbusrb/)) We freely provide decades worth of experience For full details of this month's meeting please visit [http://columbusrb.com](http://columbusrb.com)

Monday December 29th at 6PM we'll be meeting up dinner at the Pies & Pints at Easton. Feel free to bring guests. Sandwiches run about $15 and large pizzas run $20-30.

**New Dojo Location!** **Draft Day Columbus** 1130 Dublin Road Columbus, OH 43215 We're going to try a new dojo location for a few weeks and see how it works Dojos are informal Python group study sessions where everyone interested in Python gathers to learn about Python, help others with Python, or just hang out. Everyone is welcome from Python beginners to experts. Bringing a laptop is encouraged (we'll have extension cords and power strips). If there's something you want to learn leave a comment on this invite so we can plan ahead. We're looking for topic suggestions and people interested in presenting at our monthly meetings. To this end we've set up a survey form at [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/15eBKF1nQQ2XS5gzD4rvhVRHMBEj7lJtHuA9wXupS3Uc](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/15eBKF1nQQ2XS5gzD4rvhVRHMBEj7lJtHuA9wXupS3Uc)

Early-bird coffee and conversation at [5 Bean Coffee](https://5beancoffee.com/)!

Some trained COUNT volunteers work together once a month at RMH (http://www.rmhc-centralohio.org/volunteer.php) as Housewarmers (usually on the 1st Sunday from 1 – 5 PM). Some schedule other shifts at their convenience. You may try this out with less fuss by following a "Fast track" or go through the normal process. Fast track • Arrange a time to shadow a COUNT volunteer. Call Dave Nohle at 614-268-9558 (cell). • Show up and try it out. • Complete application, etc. later. Normal process • Complete an online application (http://rmhc-centralohio.org/volunteer/). • Attend orientation in advance. • At orientation you will complete forms agreeing to keep family/patient info private and allowing a background check and tour the facility. • Complete one training shift. Daily shifts are: morning 9 AM - 1 PM, afternoon 1 - 5 PM and evening 5 - 9 PM. • Schedule shifts online using the on the RMH scheduling system (http://www.volgistics.com/ex/portal.dll/?FROM=32895). The Ronald McDonald House (RMH) provides housing and meals for families with sick children. The Columbus RMH is the largest in the world with 137 rooms. COUNT has been volunteering there since May 2014. Housewarmers work with RMH guests to provide a home-like environment - greet, assist with family needs, answer phones, give tours, assist with checkin/checkout, prepare guest rooms after checkout, clean facility, laundry, restock supplies and staff the front desk. RMH Housewarmers volunteer at least one four-hour shift a month. All Housewarmers must complete an application and agree to a background check before they can be full fledged volunteers.