PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE 
Happy February to everyone. I hope to see many of you at our annual Chinese New Year’s celebration Sunday, February 8 at Lucy Ho’s Oriental Bistro, 1700 Halstead Blvd. This event features a wonderful variety of delicious food and is a terrific way to enjoy old friends and meet new ones.
A great New Year’s resolution would be to partake of more offerings from the Faculty and Friends Club of FSU. Enjoy our beautiful weather with an outing with the Outdoors Explorers. Read a new book and discuss it with the Book Discussion Group. Check out some future travel opportunities with the Globetrotters or get ready for them with Sprechen Sie Deutsch and La Table Française. Enjoy the products of our good cooks at Gourmet Sampler or eat the food of others with Lunch Bunch or Restaurant Roulette. Stitch and Chat with friends. For a full listing of these events check out the webpage: http://facultyclub.fsu.edu/groups.html
Thanks to everyone who made the 25th Billy Bowlegs Race another huge success. We had 130 participants and made $1,700 for our scholarship fund. Unlike in 2008, the weather was gorgeous. This race has become one of the signature events for our group. Thanks to Annelise Leysieffer, Larry Giunipero and Bill Hillison for their terrific work and to all the F&F members who participated and helped cheer on the runners.
Carol Weissert
Two of our scholarship recipients, Alicia Kienlen and Carlos Odria were introduced after the race and thank us for their scholarships. The brunch at the Renegade Grill, which followed the race, was, as always, a great opportunity to socialize. We give particular thanks to our three major sponsors Lucy Ho’s Oriental Bistro, Anthony’s Italian Restaurant and New Leaf Market while also thanking the merchants who provided prices. Besides the ones advertised in previous newsletters, Renegade Grill, Woman’s World and Gold’s Gym gave us free lunches and one-month membership deals. Do go eat at Renegade Grill. They serve delicious food in a terrific setting.
Annelise Leysieffer
Chinese New Year at Lucy Ho’s Oriental Bistro
1700-1 Halstead Boulevard
The Year of the Ox
Sunday, February 8
6:00 p.m. Cash Bar – 6:30 p.m. Dinner
Sign up now, send in your check and come help us usher in the Chinese New Year with delectable dishes especially prepared for the members of the Faculty & Friends Club. The cost for the dinner is $25.00. This includes non-alcoholic beverages, tax and tip. Please make your check payable to the Faculty & Friends Club and mail to the treasurer Calvin Zongker (385-4848) by Wednesday, February 4 to 601 Live Oak Plantation Road, Tallahassee, FL 32312. Seating will be limited to 60 people so sign up early.
If you have any questions, please call Carol Weissert at 297-0111.
Globetrotters
Saturday, February 7 – 8:00 p.m. Westminster Oaks
China & Tibet: Modern or Exotic – by Marge & Duane Meeter
Call Jane Waggaman 576-8427
Restaurant Roulette will be joining the annual Chinese New Year’s festivities at Lucy Ho’s Oriental Bistro on Sunday, February 8.
Book Discussion Group – Monday, February 9 – 7:30 p.m.
The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Díaz. The author will be speaking on Monday, February 16 as part of FSU’s Seven Days of Opening Nights. Junot Díaz’s dark and exuberant first novel makes a compelling case for a multi-perspective view of a life, wherein an individual cannot be known or understood in isolation from the history of his family and his nation. With Oscar being a first-generation Dominican-American – the nation in question is really two nations with a mix of Taíno, African and Spanish descent – the very ideas of nationhood and nationality are thoughtfully, subtly complicated. The book’s pervasive sense of doom is offset by a rich and playful prose that embodies its theme of multiple nations, cultures and languages. This book won the 2008 Pulitzer Prize for fiction.
Interested members should call host Judy Goldman (385-5222) for directions and call to check on road work in the Ox Bottom vicinity.Contact Diane Olsen (386-5797) or OlsenD@dor.state.fl.us or Bonnie Armstrong bonniearmstrong@comcast.net for more info.
Lunch Bunch – Tuesday, February 10 – 11:45 a.m.
Romano’s Macaroni Grill – 1498 Apalachee Parkway
Call Denise Ellingson 907-9992
Stitch and Chat – Tuesday, February 10 – Time ???
At La Lanterna – 2765 Capital Circle NE
Call Cherie Fenstermaker at 386-1000 for more information
Gourmet Sampler – Saturday, February 14 – 6:30 p.m.
At the home of Denise & Bob Ellingson
Call Beth Charness 385-0500 if interested in attending
If you plan to come from Thomasville Rd., please check with Denise at 907-9997 to check if Ox Bottom Rd. has been reopened
Sprechen Sie Deutsch? – Friday, February 20 – 7:30 p.m.
At the home of Johanna Dinkelman
Call Bettina Tesón (385-2092) to attend
Outdoors Explorers – Saturday, February 21 – 8:30 a.m.
Close to 40 hiked the Leon Sinks last weekend. Come join this energetic group at Sweet Grass Dairy near Thomasville, GA.
Please contact Barbara Elam ASAP at 385-9856 if you plan to go. There is a $5 per person tour fee. Reimburse Barbara upon arrival.
Members will start the day by taking a group tour of the Sweet Grass Dairy at 8:30 a.m. so leave Tallahassee by 7:30 if you live on the north side of town. The tour starts with the milking phase, then moves on to the observation of the cheese making process and finishes with a history of the farm. Afterwards, we plan to visit the retail store down the road with tour discounts in hand. After touring the Sweet Grass Dairy, we will stop at the nearby Bread Wagon, an Amish Bakery, to learn about the Amish community and to purchase delicious baked goods. We plan to finish with brunch/lunch at a Thomasville restaurant for those who are interested.
La Table Française – Saturday, February 21 – 7:00 p.m.
La Soirée Crêpe – all members bring delicious refreshments
At the home of Régine & Tim Lynch
Call Annelise Leysieffer (893-1272) to attend
We thank Beth Charness for posting photos from our events. http://picasaweb.google.com/BethCharness/FF_opening_reception08#
http://picasaweb.google.com/BethCharness/FFhalloween08#
http://picasaweb.google.com/BethCharness/FF_holiday_party08#
http://picasaweb.google.com/BethCharness/BillyBowlegs2009