Disasters, Old Siam and Wild Obsessions - an amply sufficient morning at EarlyBirds!

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

DTM Jim  D. skyrocketed us into disaster topics...  We found out that.

..

* TM Jim G. puts outdoor furniture inside but mostly fixates on the omnipresent Cone of Uncertainty, hoping to send rain up to fill up TM Aleta's crick.

* TM BeckyJo has become overly cautious after Hurricane Wilma caught her off guard and she ended up kayaking through her neighborhood at the behest of Weatherman Bryan Norcross.

* TM Marie deals with the hurricane that forms in her mind when she realizes thoughts are spiraling like tornadoes. There is always calm at the center of toilet paper hoarding.She Won Best Table Topics. Award.

* TM Roslyn goes into the inner space of her windowless laundry room at the sound of tornado sirens.  No curiosity whatsoever to peek outside.

* TM Aleta's then-husband was The Lineman of the County ( to the tune of Wichita Lineman by Glenn Campbell) but restored his own power last.

* TM Chris has experienced earthquakes, tornadoes and hurricanes in her RV , and she prefers earthquakes rather than watching Jim watch the Cone of Uncertainty.

Along came prepared speeches...

* TM Jose took us down a fascinating tour of his future trip to Thailand, where he will visit Chung Rai, Chiang Rai, Chiang Mai, and last but not least, the PeePee Islands , where he will snorkel to watch Thai fish and attend a Black Thai gala where he will enjoy a Sukkhotai dinner.  We can't wait for the apres ski... errr, apres-tour.

* I, TM Ana, shared my adventures as a City Slicker surrounded by wildly obsessive bear fans in a visit to Big Sky Glacier Park.  I Won Best Speaker Award.

As far as evaluations go...

* TM Paolo praised TM Jose for the clarity of his speech, so much so that TM Paolo is booking travel to Siam as we speak.  He Won Best Evaluator Award.

* TM BeckyJo corroborated my status as a City Slicker and encouraged me to stop reading my darned speeches and display imprompty tongue-in-cheek humor, once and for all.

TM Terri did a superb job as First Time Poll Maker.  Go, Terri!

The Word of the Day was

SUFFICIENT, adj

Enough to meet the needs of a situation

Example:  Sometimes I forget that I must have sufficient funds in the bank to go a-splurging.

Dates to Remember:  Thursday October 31 we will have a Monster Mash Halloween-themed meeting.

Here's the link to the recording:

https://youtube.com/live/6WMX513hgoU

See you next week!

Ana I.

Incomparable, intolerable, honorable, comfortable Recap Writer

Pink, Scuba Cuba and Taking Yourself - a morning with panache at EarlyBirds

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

We were delighted to be visited again by our Area Director, TM Marc, as well as (2) guests, Ann and Suzette.  And returning TM Manny regaled us with a heartfelt invocation...

TM Marie led us pink-themed topics.  We soon discovered that...

* TM Pam was a blonde girl and traumatized for life for having to wear lame faded pastel pink.  Pink does not  even exist in her wardrobe color palette. So there!

* Guest Ann, like most of us, knows women who have suffered from breast cancer, and  the pink bow logo inspires her to think positively.

* Guest Suzette likes Pink's old songs but no longer moves mountains by whispering to them, she only hums....

* TM Paolo has moved the wife and all the bambini to South Florida and wants to live fully before he dies or he'll die before he lives, as wisely stated by Inspector Clouseau.of Pink Panther fame.

* *TM Jose;s favorite band is Pink Floyd, censored in Franco's Spain - note from author: way before social media adopted the practice of censorship - and was Comfortably Numb with Just Another Brick in the Wall....  He Won Best Table Topics Award.

Along came the prepared speeches...

* TM Christine adored the virgin reef off Jardines de la Reina (Gardens of the Queen) where the Cuban sharks, Cuban groupers, Cuban moray eels sip Cuban cafecitos and guava pastries at the Cuban Reef Bar as they await their fake $150 visas  to exile themselves in Miami - so close and yet so far! 

* TM Mary Helen witnessed a half marathon in Hamburg, the cradle of our beloved hamburgers, and instead of running has started walking and meeting her neighbors, establishing connections and ensuring a long happy connected life.

Both speakers showed wanton disregard for the timing requirements but hey, it was well worth it for the rest of us.

And then came the evaluations...

* TM Terri praised TM Christine's good organization and panache in her yoga outfit to pet her new Cuban best buddy, the Mooray Eel (la Morena).  .  And blessed be the silence of technological disconnection!

* TM BeckyJo loved DTM Mary Helen's vocal variety and enjoyed the neighborhood connections in an environs where everything - and everyone?- loosk the same. She Won Best Evaluator Award.

The Word of the Day was

PANACHE, noun

Confident, flamboyant, dresses with style

A tuft or plume of feathers to be worn in a hat, helmet or headdress.

Example:  Runway models and fashionistas exude panache from every pore of their body and every seam in their attire.

The link to the recording is:

https://youtube.com/live/yPOKVwfkt10

See you next week!

Ana I.

Recap Writer 

* 

Word Ruses, PR for a Better Life and 37 Strangers - a great morning at EarlyBirds!

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

TM Aleta baited and rused us with unusual words.  We learned that...

* TM Gail is convinced that Barbie has strong core muscles of the rippled variety strictly because she overdoses on pink outfits.  She Won Best Table Topics Award.

* TM Chris practices circular fashion by dancing the hula hoop while wearing bell bottoms.

* TM Randolph doesn't like greedflation which presents  the ruse of lower prices by smaller packaging and diminished product contents.  

* TM Roslyn explained that skiplagging is, for example, flying from New York to Cayman Islands by first stopping in Fresno, California.  All for a cheaper fare!

* TM Jim G. meditates in his bathtub with music, which makes life worth living, and induces him into a soundbath trance.

* TM Beckyjo stated that prebiotic is when AI converts her salt mill into a cat and furthermore,  prebiotic leads to neurotic - and that's all, folks!

We had one prepared speech today...

* TM Marie gracefully overcame technicalities and  informed us that she is hype-saturated and no longer seeks shadow comfort in hollow echo chambers.

* By video we watched TM Luisa, winner of the 2024 international speech contest, who revealed that her 6-minute death episode provided the best sleep she's had in hears.  Forget Ambien!

Regarding our evaluation...

* Third time evaluator TM Gail found TM Marie's speech exemplary, exemplary and lastly, exemplary.  Gail will personally implement a morning thanksgiving exam.  

We had round robin feedback.about the International champion speaker:

* TM Gail liked learning that St. Peter has an IPad.

* TM Aleta pointed out that the final speech was very different than the original one.  She demands a recount! 

* TM Randolph likes humor to be interjected with tragedy.  He likes to laugh and cry at the same time.

* I, TM Ana, played Skeptic Sally.  Was the wheelchair a prop?  Can speakers tell their tales of personal tragedy and be on a level playing field with other speakers?  More will be revealed (maybe).

The Word of the Day was

RUSE (pronounced ROOZ) noun

Action intended to deceive

Example:  New couples are on best behavior as a ruse to seduce...

Due to other techniculties, the link to the recording will be sent out later on today.  Be on alert!  It's not a ruse!

See you next week,

Ana Illsen

Recap Writer

Moments in Time, Hidden Treasures and Count DeMonay - persistence is the name of the game at EarlyBirds!

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

Our persistent group showed grit and determination to overcome technological glitches and reduced attendance - today we were few  but mighty nevertheless!

TM Marie led us with fun topics about moments in time.  We thus realized that...

* TM Gail is a leaf-peeper and adores the turning of the leaves up North.  She substitutes in Florida by admiring her croton plants all year long.

* TM Aleta is affected by shorter days and longer nights while pondering about the arriival of spring in Western Pennslvania.

* TM BeckyJo uses chocolate to counteract sadness, and ginormous Dandee Donuts to appease anger.  The Club is offering her a box of Dundees as a gift.  She Won Best Table Topics Award.

* TM Terri welcomes snowbirds in Miami but shudders at the onslaught of traffic - she departs one hour early for a trip to the corner grocery store.  

* DTM Mary Helen is flexible with family celebrations except the major ones which fall on a specific date, when she insists and persists they must be held on exactly the right phase of the moon.

* DTM Jim reminisced about Women's Day in Russia, which had to be observed by EVERYONE. or else, if you're male, risk execution on Baltic Unity Day, which encompasses the countries of Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania and Poland.

Along came speeches...

* I, Ana, told the tale of  South Florida's rich history of bucaneers, pirates, treasure divers and other colorful characters that are displayed in Museums but do not seem to appear in city plaques. I Won Best Speaker Award.

*DTM Jim prepared a speech in under 2 minutes flat and told us about his duties as a Treasurer.  The main requirement is persistence to deal with dormant bank accounts and slow renewing members.  He keeps us as financial Distinguished President's Club.  Thank you Jim!

And along came the evaluations....

* TM Terri appreciated  me putting South Florida's history on the map but was mesmerized by the blinding light beaming up from my skull in a recreation of an intergalactic adventure.  She Won Best Evaluator Award.

* TM Gail lauded DTM Jim for explaining his duties as Treasurer and has started a movement to have other club officers explain their duties to achieve cross training.  Great idea, Gail!

The Word of the Day was

PERSISTENCE, noun

 Firm or obstinate continuance in a course of action in spite of difficulties or opposition.

The link to the recording will be available next week.  Thanks!

See you next week,

Ana I.

Recap Writer 

Celebrations, Salt or No Salt and the Courage of Robert Smalls - a fraternal EarlyBirds meeting

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

Our TM Gail led us in intriguing Table Topics.  We discovered that...

* TM BeckyJo defies Superstition Defying Day by not practicing any superstition. on ANY day.  As a kid, she stepped on cracks which didn't breat her mother's back -which was good,  since she loved her mother anyway (most of the time).

* DTM Mary Helen is determined to master the neutral gender of the German language so she can fraternize with Fraus, Frauleins and Herrs who speak back in impeccable English.

* Guest Nysir has learned a lot online and is currently taking a Christianity History online calls. Go Nysir!

* TM Jim G.'s favorite wife and favority diving partner since 1993 has stated that she will dive Mexican cenotes (water-filled sinkholes) in the Yucatan peninsula for her 80th. Jim reminded us that everyday is Wife Appreciation Day!  He Won Best Table Topics Award.

* TM The Tom is his own favorite barber - ever since he was in the military - but everyone was left wondering how he cuts the back of his hair.  We need a lesson, please, as we all want to save some money too!

Along came prepared speeches...

* TM Jose made clear the difference between fresh water chlorinated pools and salt water pools.  Advantages are lower annual pool maintenance costs and great savings in body lotion to offset brittle skin from chlorine.

* TM Chris told a fascinating tale of courage of Robert Smalls, born to slavery, rented out and put to work in docks, who ingeneously managed to escape slavery, eventually bought back the plantation and allowed his slaveowner's widow to live in it till she died.  She Won Best Speaker Award.

Regarding the evaluations...

* TM Jim G. was riveted by TM Jose's speech because he, TM Jim G., is riveted by salt-water pools and the internet of things.  He encouraged TM Jose to use a couple of pictures for illustration or show a selfie video swimming in the salt water pool.

* TM BeckyJo asked TM Chris to avoid Spoiler Alerts and keep us guessing if the hero will survive till the end. Also, please stimulate our senses with vivid imagery (the crashing of the waves, the deafening explosion of the cannos, the swaying sails of surrender.  She Won Best Evaluator Award.

The Word of the Day was

FRATERNIZE, verb

To be friendly or spend time with someone in a friendly way.

Origin of the word is latin FRATER (brother)

Example: To keep my friends close, and my  enemies closer, I need to fraternize with all of  them.

Here's the link for the recording

https://youtu.be/UHPtIdlVcBQ

See you next week!

Ana Illsen

VP Education

Fraternal Recap Writer

Olympics, Accidental Singer and Pogue Mahone - meritocracy rules at Early Birds!

Dear <e,bers. Guests and Friends,

TM BeckyJo led us in well-documented topics.  We discovered that...

* TM Jose displayed great courage in moving to the US from Spain and 25 years later moving from the US to Spain, break dancing across the pond and eating lots of Tiramisu.

* TM Marie would add a sport for courage to the Olympic refugee team who have no homes to return to.  

* TM Marc was confronted about the Brazilian torpedo who swims without arms by revealing that he was a snake handler and contrary to popular belief, snakes are not slippery unless wet.

* TM Paolo said "Porca miseria!" "Im incredible" when he gave his speech at a District Toastmaster Contest and placed third.  He's seeking that adrenalin rush again and will repeat the speech.  Grazie mille!

* DTM Mary Helen declared that Al-Anon and astrology have helped her realize that she was blind but now can see.  Like the Olympic break dancer, she focuses on joy.  She Won Best Table Topics Award.

^ TN Terri focuses on spirituality and also in Al-Anon learned she is powerless over people, places and things, but there's been joy even in the hardships.

We moved on to prepared speeches...

* TM Roslyn gave an amazing icebreaker where she revealed she was an accidental singer who is now a conduit for healing and whose voice is her superpower.  She Won Best Speaker Award.

* TM The Tom talked about his family of origin who said the quintessential Irish expression Pogue Mahone - not apt for children - but sadly was a world apart from 40% of today's families.

As far as evaluations go...

* TM Marc praised TM Roslyn for her well-organized icebreaker and is a fellow fan of Ella Fitzgerald, Lady of Scat,

* TM Marie enjoyed the tale of TM The Tom's unpredictable family of origin, which includes cowboys, shooters, Irish blessings and suggested a softer way to connect it to today's topsy-turvy world.  She Won Best Evaluator Award.

The Word of the Day was

MERITOCRACY, noun

A social system, society or organization where people are successful or have power because of their abilities, not their money or social position.

Example:  Toastmasters is truly a meritocracy.  Its synonym is Pathways....

Here's the link to the recording...

https://youtube.com/live/-QlokiS905c

See you next week!

Ana I.

Recap Writer 

Hard Topics, Communication Styles and Living in a Tree - a penchant for adventure at EarlyBirds

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

We inducted our newest member, TM Roslyn - Welcome aboard!

TM The Tom gave us a choice between hard topics and easy peasy topics, and guess what we picked...

* I, Ana, am grateful of the alphabet A to J and fully cognizant of the easy peasy life that I enjoy.

* DTM Mary Helen overcame her reluctance to physical activity and became a runner and is now a walker.

* TM Jose asserts people can change on their time, not anyone else's.  He quit smoking, moved to Spain and regained spirituality - not necessarily in that order.

* TM Jim G. has a fantastic wife and hence also has a fantastic life.  The secret is Stayin' Alive (sung to the tune of Stayin' Alive by the Gree Gees)

* TM Roslyn worked hard to chase the close - money, property, prestige.  Now she has slowed down and finds time to smell the flowers.

* TM Marie has nothing to stop her from getting what she wants and she's grateful for unplanned blessings of yesterday - dancing impromptu with husband Guy right in front of the dinner casserole bubbling on the stovetop.  She Won Best TAble Topics Award.

Along came the prepared speeches...

* TM Gail used multiple communication styles while discharging her duties as a Catholic Diocese High School Principal - addressing the elephant in the room - how to pronounce plural diocesiseseses....  She Won Best Speaker Award.

* TM BeckyJo, consummate storyteller, who is self-banned from bookstores, lived an adventure read in a book while at Hanahau'oli School in Makiki Street, Honolulu, and leading 3 classmates to learn to live in a tree in the Makatuki Mountains while hitchhiking in the opposite direction and running into Principal Gail West. She Won Best Speaker Award.

As far as evaluations are concerned...

* TM Randolph is fascinated by TM Gail's rich life while dancing at a Salsa Party with her Cuban guidance counselor and would recommend more vocal variety while singing "My Hips Don't Lie"...

* DTM Mary Helen praised TM BeckyJo's passionate, creative tale of escapism in the jungles of Hawaii and suggested BeckyJo play around with her camera so she can make eye contact with her audience during storytelling.  She Won Best Evaluator Award.

The Word of the Day was

PENCHANT, noun

Strongly marked taste in a person or an irresistible attraction in the objection

Example:  Wolves have a penchant for howling at the full moon.

Here is the link to the recording:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNViqvL-7Ek

See you next week!

Ana Illsen

Recap Writer

Fwd: Assorted topics, Parenting and Public Relations - a prolific morning at EarlyBirds

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

DTM Jim D. led us in assorted table topics.  We discovered that...

* I, Ana, have occasionally ventured out to other grocery stores, but inevitably I circle back to the old familiar aisles of my closest Publix.  Floridian to the core!

* TM The Tom conveniently gets gas at a station behind his favorite Publix store.  A full tank lasts him about six months from all the driving he does!

* TM Gail ran her family's restaurant at the tender age of 6 - hostessing, managing the cash register and making sure the business got repeat customers who returned in awe of her. She Won Best Table Topics Award.

* TM Jim G. has driven his RV to all 50 states (except Hawaii, since it was not amphibious) and his favorite is Florida, while his least favorite is the Rio Grande Valley, epicenter of  the sci-fi  film Chaos for the Hoarder.

* TM Marie has no cities or airports to avoid because her philosophy is to go with the flow and turn adversities into blessings.

* TM Preeti praised LL Bean for their outstanding customer service- they take 1-year-old returns without blinking and you actually get a live person when you call in - imagine that!!!

* TM Chris's best customer service was the divemaster in Cayman Islands who dove into the depths of the ocean to retrieve Chris' prescription diving mask.  That's impressive!

* TM BeckyJo looooves Cherry Garcia, Cherry Garcia, Cherry Garcia - whiichever size she gets, she eats!  She's in a predicament when pints are buy one get one free..

Along came the prepared speeches....

* TM Randolph was voluntold by a certain DTM for this speech to tell the story of how different we are as parents with our firstborn and our baby.  We can't help but remember that insanity is hereditary - we get it from our kids!

* TM Aleta reinforced that trust and credibility are the foundation for any good Public Relations plan - and toss aside the by-laws if possible before you read them!  She Won Best Speaker Award.

In terms of the evaluations...

* TM Terri praised TM Randolph's parenting skills in finding a balance between having dreams for our kids and pushing those dreams on our kids.  Big difference!

* TM BeckyJo praised TM Aleta's spot-on facial expressions and her commitment to excellence.  She was left pondering how many coffees has Aleta had beore she signs on to EarlyBirds?? She Won Best Evaluator Award.

The Word of the Day was

PROLIFIC, adjective

Producing or able to produce large amounts

Example: When we join Toastmasters, most of us are prolific users of Umms Errs and other fillers.

Here's the link to the recording......

https://www.youtube.com/live/uBjqUSIytAU

See you next week!

Ana Illsen

VP Education

A morning encumbered with praise for Toastmasters, deck-building and motorcycle riding

 

We hope to have our dear Ana back next week, meanwhile, please bear with me as I try to follow Ana's method of recapping our weekly meeting. Chris G.

We started on time after Mary Helen snapped Jim out of his techno-induced coma, and Tom Quinn was voluntold to deliver the invocation. Well-done Tom!

Pam Schrimsher led us in Table Topics with an end in mind. She wants to collect pieces of these mini-speeches this morning to make a promotional video about our wonderful club. She asked that we come up with one word that sums up. We learned that:

• Randolph Bastein just can't quit us. He joined Earlybirds when he needed to get better at speaking for his work. When he got busier at work he figured he could not continue in Earlybirds, but Kip Barkley told him, "Just do what you can." That was 4 years ago and Randolph is a treasured member of our club still today. Inspired.
• Terri Montealegre was hooked by all of the members of Earlybirds but especially Ana, our membership-recruiter-in-chief. Joining Earlybirds has reawakened her early memories - that train really does exist. Fantastic.
• Chris Guld is so happy to have an audience for her stories. It's what gets her up so early in the morning. By the time the meeting is over she is wide awake and Enriched with the Variety of the meeting.
• BeckyJo Bean is looking for a fight, but she's been disappointed. Of all the diversity of opinions and thought represented by the members of Earlybirds we remain surprisingly civil. Even when we met for breakfast - no food fights broke out. Surprising Friendships. 
• Tom Quinn misses the in person meetings but is so happy that he doesn't have to brush his teeth or wear pants when he meets with us in our little boxes. He likes us, he really likes us! He says we are the Greatest.
• Roslyn Parker, filling out the membership application as she spoke, has been in and out of Toastmasters for years. After visiting Earlybirds once, she is ready to be committed. She won Best Table Topics award.

Then came the prepared speeches.

DTM Jim Day endures being membership chair for his Harley motorcycle club and he told us how his clubs members are Olympic champions in riding motorcycles from Florida to Homer Alaska without GPS, or motels. We all listened in horror as he showed pictures of people sleeping next to their bikes for only 2 hours as they rode for 22. We're so glad he was telling us about the other people who did this .. not him.

Aleta Richmond decked her co-worker with a 12 foot board as the saw broke the board apart and turned it into a see-saw. Not to worry, the removal of the board revealed a pot of honey worked by a swarm of bees. Not to worry, she had plenty of benadryl and ice for the bee stings. We learned that hex-head construction screws can be removed to allow recycling of the boards to another part of the deck, and leftover railings can be modified and you can save a lot of money by building a deck yourself as long as you are a very talented woman. She won Best Speaker award.

Then came evaluations.

Randolph Bastein lamented the 15 seconds overtime that disqualified DTM (don't time me) Jim Day because he liked this speech so much. Hoka Hey - tell us more. He won Best Evaluator award.

Chris Guld praised Aleta for standing up and putting her whole body into her language and we would never have noticed that we couldn't see her deck if she hadn't said "Sorry." 

The word of the day was Encumbered: to be held back, weighed down, overburdened.

It's all about Toastmasters, sandwiches, and bed-wetting, a Transformational morning at Earlybirds

This recap is -sadly- prepared by Chris Guld in the absence of our invaluable Ana Illsen. Her husband , Alex, passed away on Saturday, August 3, 2024. There will not be a funeral service; however, donations can be made to Life Essentials in memory of Alex Illsen and sent to Life Essentials, 7680 Stirling Bridge Blvd, Delray Beach, FL 33446 or online www.lifeessentialsprogram.com. Take care of yourself Ana, we look forward to welcoming you back when you're ready.

The meeting started on-time with an invocation and a joke by Terri Montealegre.

• We couldn't tell that Randolph Bastein was unprepared for the TopicMaster role as he led us in a variety of fun and thought-provoking topics. 
• We learned:Terri Montealegre uses YouTube calming music videos to train her new, energetic puppy.
• Jim Guld likes to reverse-sear his steaks, but his most majestic meal is a sandwich because he is the sandwich king.
• Mary Helen Day would invite Shonda Rhimes to her late night talk show to discuss Gray's Anatomy as long as she made sure to laugh a lot.
• Gail West likes dancing but only when she's in a happy mood and has a line dance routine led by Chris Guld.
• Aleta Richmond uses her chocolate-induced hyperness to do many things, including how to breathe and be serene with Tai Chi.
• Chris Guld needs an imaginary friend from history, but they would need to be a dancer who would join her in dancing to Polk Salad Annie.
• Pam Schrimsher would be both the funniest and the smartest in any room as long as everyone else was infected with brain worms.
• Jim Day is working hard to waste time on the Internet but he keeps getting distracted by the need to fix all those airplanes so they won't lose their doors.
• Randolph Bastein is scoflaw who calls on himself to speak but we didn't dare correct him as we don't want to wet our beds. He won Best Table Topics Award

Next we had one prepared speech and then a report about the recent TLI (Toastmasters Learning Institute)

Mary-Helen, the vice president of membership of Early Bird Toastmasters, inspired us with challenges and rewards of recruiting new members and retaining current ones. She emphasized the importance of expanding the group's social networks and attracting younger members to sustain the group for the next decades. She encouraged the members to be proactive in inviting new people and to see themselves as ambassadors for the group. We look forward to a "Family Day" in a future Earlybird meeting.

Chris and Jim Guld also sang the praises of Toastmasters as an organization and how much they enjoyed attending a face-to-face meeting at the Florida Atlantic University campus in Davie this past weekend. Chris reviewed information on the "Moments of Truth" breakout session and Jim enjoyed the "Evaluate to Motivate" session which emphasized the sandwich approach much to Jim's delight. We should expect both of these topics to be revisited in future Earlybird meetings.

 
For evaluations, TM Randolph put on his 3d hat of the morning and evaluated Mary Helen's speech, saying it was so good that he wanted to become a member again! (We need to capture clips from both Mary Helen's speech and Randolph's evaluation to create a promo video for Earlybirds!)

The word of the day was
Transformation, noun
a marked change in form, nature, or appearance
The caterpillar's transformation into a butterfly is a beautiful example of metamorphosis.

The YouTube recording is at: https://www.youtube.com/live/nN78DAZFM6k
OR - you can see it on our Earlybird Blog: https://earlybirdtm.blogspot.com/

Summer, Frisella of Puglia, Eulogy and A Life Well Lived - a morning with moxie in EarlyBirds

Dear Members, Guests, and Friends,

We received the visit of our new Area Director, TM Marc Flanagan.  Welcome TM Flanagan!

The Tom Quinn started us with a self-composed inspirational invocation.  This was followed by very a propos Table Topics about Summer, led by TM Jarrett.

* TM Marc has foggy recollections of summer camps where he learned that he would not become a professional tennis player or polo player.

* TM Terri will soon regale us with Chaucer's Canterbury Tales.

* TM The Tom recited a poem about summer breeze, makes me feel fine, blowin' through the jasmine in my mind....   He Won Best Table Topics Award.

* TM Randolph marveled at the moxie required to participate in the Summer Olympics, which were sparked by a nefarious Munich 1938 Nazi olympics.

* TM Gail is busy researching the meaning of dog days of summer.  Keep us posted, please!

* TM Jim G.'s summer school consisted of the School of Hard Knocks, where he learned a trade or the family business.

* DTM Jim D. has had summers of fun and sun - Hurricane Andrew was definitely not fun, but riding his Harley is and what tops it is his recent trip to Germany with DTM Mary Helen.

Along came (3) prepared speeches...

* TM Paolo delighted us with a local dish from Puglia called La Frisella - dry bread moistened in water, cherry tomatoes, basil, goat cheese and extra virgin olive oil.  This was paired up with an exquisite rose wine.  We are all preparing the recipe right now!

* TM Pam gave a eulogy for a family member whose vocation was to study bats, mice, critters hidden in black creeks - not glamorous but her absolute favorite!

* TM Chris gave us a hodgepodge of her life served with a smile - from huskies in Alaska to bi-coastal living to meeting her hero and travelling cross-country in a RV for 15 years.  She Won Best Speaker Award.

And then came the evaluations...

* TM Randolph admires TM Paolo's qualities as showman extraordinaire and has become a devoted rose wine connoiseur.

* TM Aleta liked TM Pam's eulogy and suggested maybe she add a little subtle humor to it to lighten it up.  She Won Best Evaluator Award.

* DTM Jim D. was blown away by TM Chris' visual aids and was most impressed with TM Chris saving an injured pelican while kayaking off the coast of California.

The Word of the Day was

MOXIE, noun

= Courage and determination

_ Enery and pep

- Know-how

Example:  It takes a lot of moxie to circumvent life's curves.

Here's the link to the recording:

https://youtube.com/live/MIXvGlCACgE?feature=share

See you next week!

Ana I.

Recap Writer 

Unusual words, Chocolate Trains and Murder & Mayhem - a pedantic morning at EarlyBirds

Dear Members, Guests, Friends,

TM Gail, back in full force, led us with a soothing Buddhist invocation.

TM Aleta researched Merriam-Webster and threw some unusual words at us for interpretation.  We thus soon found out some unusual details...

* TM Jarrett converts bum to fun and his favorite weekend activity is shooting the breeze with pals while sipping from a beer fuzzle.

* I, Ana, am convinced that cattywumpus is the state of mind of feline owners after a connecting attempt with their disdainful pets.

* TM Paolo gave a masterful display of Toastmasterly impromptu cluelessness by even making rapscallion soup.

* TM The Tom would gladly collaborate in rapscallion cooking while reminiscing with funbuzzling and tomfoolery.

* TM Gail's car wavers between quag and mire by acting up and failing intermittently at local traffic stops.

* TM Pam researched teradiddle, a board game played asiduously by teradactile dynasaurs.  She Won Best Table Topics Awards.

* TM Jim G. likes to take brisk walks with bald professors, in what he knows as balderdashing.

Along came the prepared speeches...

* TM Terri reminisced about her childhood and a fantasy chocolate electric train that turned out to be real and took her back and forth to the Hershey factory in Cuba (known to locals as Central Heeersi) She Won Best Speaker Award.

* TM BeckyJo relived the fun she had the night she murdered TM Christine (ahem, never to be seen again) and a few other recalcitrant husbands in a night of mayhem.

And then came the evaluations...

* TM Marie praised TM Terri for rekindling Marie's taste for Hershey's Kisses and for having the honor of being the first exiled Cuban to tell a happy Cuban story, for once!  

* TM Chris loved TM BeckyJo's storytelling skills and begged her to use a real gun next time so she can kill a few more husbands next time.  She Won Best Evaluator Award.

The Word of the Day was

PEDANTIC, adjective

One who gives too much attention to formal rules or details; or emphasizes his or her own expertise, especially about trite and boring topics.

Example:  Pedantics are typically pompous know-it-alls, talking about topics of no interest to others.

Here's the link to the recording:

https://www.youtube.com/live/04BmgbMZMUo?si=40EVwO90b9XeQMw8

See you next week!

Ana I.

Recap Writer

Food, Transtrees and Trains - a harbinger of things to come at EarlyBirds!

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

DTM Jim D. got our taste buds in action with food-related topics...  We soon discovered that...

* TM Aleta waits to read restaurant reviews before trying them, but it mostly depends on who's picking up the tab!!

* I, Ana, am a creature of habit and on rare visits to restaurants always choose the same menu item.  Booooringggg....

* TM Marie has a wild array of eateries near her but her choices mostly depend on how hungry she is....

* TM BeckyJo once spilled onion soup on an unsuspecting customer who took it graciously and scooped it off her dress onto her mouth.

* TM Terri's favorite cuisine is Middle Eastern Platter - tabouli, hummus, falafel, babaganoush, baklava, kebobs r'more.- all smothered in olive oil.

* TM The Tom goes for casual or formal - his date calls the restaurant rating.

* TM Randolph now is of the opinion that QR codes to download the menu beat getting sick from the rampant germs on a paper menu, yukkkk!  He Won Best Table Topics Award.

We had two interesting speeches today...

* TM Pam totally threw us for a loop with a transtitled speech "The Trees" which evolved into several roads less traveled - universal unitarianism, gratuitous media fearmongering, and the political divide that is the current harbinger of who knows what.  She Won Best Speaker Award.

* DTM Mary Helen shared slides of a train ride from Poland to Berlin where they made lifelong friends before being booted from the wrong compartment.  She was in full exercise of her DTM cause d'etre (don't time me).

As far as evaluations go...

* TM Gail was dazed and confused by the multiple plot switches in TM Pam's speech and suggested she take a course in "Proper Titles for Polithemed Speeches."  She Won Best Evaluator Award.

* TM Terri praised DTM Mary Helen's vocal variety, clarity and her capacity to miss trains and reunite with her travel partner without missing a beat.

The Word of the Day was

HARBINGER, noun

A person or thing that announces or signals the approach of another.

Example:  

Take courage, for the worst is a harbinger of the best.

Here's the link to the recording....

https://youtube.com/live/An03sWX2-Ck?feature=share

See you next week!

Ana I.

Recap Writer