What's in the H?, Am I Alone In This? What Happened Along The Way - a non-putative meeting of EarlyBirds

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

Our new Sargeant-at-Arms, TM Veronica, has her role down pat by now. 

Our Invocator, TM Jose, led us in a very timely invocation.

We were visited by our new Area Director, TM Rachel!  Very honored...

TM Gail introduced various H words for our consideration as Table Topics.   We discovered that...

* TM Pam described a whirlwind of alternatives to Hurricanes - Georgia Tech, Gators, Seminoles, UCF.... and handy, convenient t-shirt gifts aplenty.  She Won Best Table Topics Award.

* TM Randolph's hobby is music because he considers cooking a survival skill rather than a hobby and he's now thinking of taking up gardening.  Go for it!

* TM Veronica so loved her Asian honeymoon that she is firmly intending to renew her vows every year in order to orchestrate a party and an exotic trip to follow.

* TM Christine had a good habit of studying which led her to her aerospace engineering career - and she's now working on taking it easier as the other side of  being driven by habits.

* Area Director TM Rachel is a putative night owl but made a firm commitment to do a 'crack-of-dawner' in order to join us this morning, on her birthday.  She's a firm believer in horoscopes.  We hope you come back!

* Guest Alissa has had many heroes in life and is looking forward to becoming someone's hero which will make her feel very self-realized.

We had (2) excellent speeches today...

* TM Christine delighted us with a very humorous speech about the trials and dilemmas of those dreaded Security Questions we face in order to gain Access to our finances, travels, medical records, and the like.  You're not alone, TM Christine, in pondering whether Chunky Monkey is one word or 2 in Password World.

* DTM Mary Helen shared a heartfelt family loss intertwined with learning in TM to be a good listener, which comes in handy when you're surrounded by compulsive talkers!  She Won Best Speaker Award.

As far as evaluations go...

* TM Jose praised TM Christine for her very funny speech which was well structured, engaged the audience and reaffirmed that we're all in this together, inaccesible passwords and What's Our Favorite Anything - who can remember anymore?  He Won Best Evaluator Award.

* TM BeckyJo admires DTM Mary Helen's voice modulation, security and confidence, and prowess as a powerful communicator.  We usually don't realize what happens along the way until we look in the rearview mirror...

The Word of the Day was

PUTATIVE, adj

A state of being assumed or believed, rather than definitely established.

Example:  The putative father was, in reality, her stepfather.

Here's the link to today's recording

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tzl9wJ_SjyA

See you next week!

Ana I.

Recap Writer

Idioms, Interdependence and Independence - a liminal day at EarlyBirds

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

Today was a liminal day at EarlyBirds:  We thanked our Immediate Past President and former Officers for their work; we installed our new Officers in their new roles and we inducted our newest member, TM Christina.  Welcome to EarlyBirds, everyone!

TM Veronica did a superb job as first-time Sargeant-at-Arms.  TM BeckyJo took the baton from our Immediate Past President, and was particularly helpful in informing and welcoming our newest member and our guest, Kristian, and reporting to all of us the good news about TM Aleta who is thankfully overcoming a natural disaster suffered by her home.  We missed you TM Aleta, and hope you return soon....

DTM Mary Helen led us with very thought-provoking idioms.  We found out that...

* TM Gail is counting her chickens before they're hatched but hopefully this 3rd time is a charm and she will be boarding her cruise in Roma, Citta Eterna (per parlare della sua natura infinita).

* Returning TM Jarrett gave his wife a surprise  anniversary trip to the Keys including a loggerhead turtle and a Goliath grouper in their scubadiving.  Actions speak louder than words!  He Won Best Table Topics Award.

* TM Jorge is happy he joined EarlyBirds when he did because it's definitely better late than never!

* TM Jose always chased the grass that was greener on the other side of the fence and found out that it was on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean!

* TM Veronica likes to look before she leaps but sometimes looking turns into staring and she wants to learn to shorten the observation stage.

* TM Christina believes that honesty is the best policy because frankly, she's a bad liar and she always gets caught...

* TM Cory is risk-averse and prefers a bird in hand than two in the bush.

* TM BeckyJo knows the early bird catches the worm because worms are out early morning before it gets too hot and besides, her neighbor's grass IS always greener than hers - or most of the year anyway.

* TM David knows that when in Rome you must do as the Romans do, or as our guest Kristian would say "when in Milan, have a veal milanese."

We had two fabulous speeches today...

* TM Pam related the history of EarlyBirds and how our interdependence has gotten us through liminal moments to how we are thriving today.  She Won Best Speaker Award.

* TM The Tom gave a suspenseful speech about Gouverneur Morris, who hand-wrote The Preamble and the Constitution, created the street grid of Lower Manhattan and was homesteaded in a certain Gettysburg Address.

And then came the evaluations..

* TM David complimented TM Pam for her well-presented history of EarlyBirds and finding out about the Creator of the Peak of the Week.  

* TM Christine praised TM The Tom for keeping the main character of his speech as a Mystery Man with an unusual French name and, as Tom predicted, nobody had heard of him before.  She Won Best Evaluator Award.

The Word of the Day was

LIMINAL, adj.

Occupying a position at, or on both sides of, a boundary or threshold.

Relating to a transitional or initial stage of a process.

Example:  TM Jorge hit the bullseye choosing this Word of the Day as our EarlyBirds Club is in a liminal stage.  Good job, Jorge!

Here is the link to the recording....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUhsR-R2wNA

See you next week!

Ana

VP Education

Resilience, Glory of God and What's in a name? a morning of glimmer at EarlyBirds

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

We inducted our returning TM Christine formally into our Club.  Welcome back, Christine!

TM Marie launched us on a glimmer of resilience.  We discovered that...

* TM Christine's heroic effort consisted of getting a degree in Oxford at midlife while doing standup comedy with a British accent.

* TN The Tom is "the comeback kid" - overcame a health hardship and turned into a fish in a glimmering pond.

* TM Aleta overcomes adversity day by day, step by step, shovel by shovel, while anticipating a visit from the glimmering Samaritan's Purse.  She Won Best Table Topics Award.

* TM Cory is mastering rising above it, talking when the mind goes blank while envisioning TM Jorge's AH, ER, YOU KNOW screen flashing in his mind's eye.

* Guest Christina converts triggers into glimmers of the day and her family, work and trip to Fairfax and Toronto rank in top relevancy.

* TM Randolph's faith gets him through the challenges of daily life with an unwavering moral code.

* TM Jose likens his life to a chu-chu train with different stops for different folks and is managing the Reservations Desk for visiting friends at his home in Javea, Spain.

Along came our prepared speeches...

* TM BeckyJo regaled us with a sailor's tale of triumph over adversity while proclaiming The Glory of God.  She Won Best Speaker Award.

* I, Ana, revealed the little-known story of the origin of our city's name, tracing it back to wee William Wallace, aka Braveheart, aka Mel Gibson,  glimmering hero of the Scots.

TM Jose performed as first-time General Evaluator and glimmered steadily throughout...

* TM Cory asked TM BeckyJo to clarify if Boston Whaler and Laser is a marine mammal with a Boston accent and having laser cataract surgery.  He Won Best Evaluator Award.

* TM Randolph asked that for the love of Scots, I repeat the speech with a wee bit of humor added to it.

The Word of the Day was

GLIMMER,

noun - a faint or unsteady light

verb - shine faintly or unsteadily

Example: To identify your glimmers, pay attention to your senses, notice what brings you a sense of peace or joy, and reflect on activities that make you feel energized and alive.   So there....

Here is the link to the recording:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmMBSIjcL5U

See you next week at Inauguration!  Dress code:  pyjama pants and a chic top will do!

Ana 

VP Education

First liners, Core Strength and Influencers - a curated meeting of Early Birds!

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

TM BeckyJo gave us intriguing literary first liners.  We soon discovered that...

* TM Gail is living in the best of times and the worst of times but through it all we need to help and serve each other.

* DTM Mary Helen wishes her benign, frail grandmother had exploded and been a stronger role model in her life...

* TM Randolph really envisioned his imaginary twin children meeting up with dragons in the vegetable garden.  He Won Best Table Topics Award.

* TM David segued impeccably from getting the willies to living in the best of times and the worst of times.  Well done, TM David!

* TM Jorge agrees that families are not uniformly unhappy and parents are responsible for making a positive or negative impact on their kids.

* I, Ana, knew that my topic came from a bright cold day somewhere in Europe because it used the ever-confusing military time.

We had (2) outstanding prepared speeches...

* TM Jose educated us about Pilates, formerly known as contrology but too controlling of a term to prevail and reform the core of your inner sanctum.

* TM Marie talked about the fleeting fame of influencers and the lasting community of true world restoration.  She Won Best Speaker Award.  Note: Her story is from The Birthday of the World by Rachel Naomi Remen.

Along came evaluations...

* TM David praised TM Jose for his educational, masterful speech delivered in a smooth soothing voice.  TM David may heed the call to action and sign up for concentration, control and breathing.  Go Pilates!  He Won Best Evaluator Award.

* TM Randolph admitted TM Marie's speech captivated him from the start and this will be a praiseful evaluation, and he kept his word!

The Word of the Day was

CURATE, verb

To select the best or most appropriate for presentation.

Example:  It is wise to curate our clutter  when we are planning to move.

Here's the link to the recording:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FHTN4B6m2I

See you next week!

Ana I

Curated Recap Writer

Father's Day, Small Claims Case and Dad Collection - no minutia at EarlyBirds!

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

I started us off on Father's Day-related Table Topics....

* TM Marie will accommodate her wonderful husband's request for Father's Day by gifting him a day of peace and quiet1

* TM Jose declared himself the Great White Hunter of pesky mosquitoes on Spain's Father's Day (also his Saint's Day), and US Father's Day.  He enjoys every celebration!

* TM David reminisced about his own father, an intelligent, clever, compassionate, old-school Father who was born in Martinique.

* TM Randolph cannot pinpoint a memorable Father's Day because they are all memorable - and he has learned not to treat his children's problems as minutiae.  He Won Best Table Topics Award.

We then had prepared speeches...

* TM David recounted a landlord-renter small claims case he is currently experiencing where he wants to establish fairness, clarity and justice.  He Won Best Speaker Award.

* TM Christine shared her Dad Collection - men who were father figures to her in assorted ways - by answering her questions "Do I have value?" and "Am I loved?" 

As far as evaluations went...

* TM BeckyJo gave very helpful tips to TM David about Florida laws and how to masterfully present his case to the judge.  She Won Best Evaluator Award.

* TM Randolph praised TM Christine for her touching speech and encouraged her to make more eye contact with her audience.

The Word of the Day was

MINUTIA, noun

A small or minor detail

Example  The important things in life are usually mistakenly considered minutae.

Here's the link to the recording:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2OdYHshjJOw

Our new officers will be installed in early July by the incoming Area Director.

Sargeant-at-Arms:  Veronica

President: BeckyJo 

Immediate Past President: Aleta

VP Education: Ana

Treasurer: Marie 

Secretary: The Tom

VP Membership: Cory

VP Public Relations: David

See you next week!

Ana

Recap Writer

June, The Elks Rest, A Commonplace Book - a tech-risible morning at EarlyBirds!

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

TM Aleta led us in a June series of Table Topics.  We found out that...

* TM Jose is aka Mr. Chocolate for his all-time favorite ice cream flavor.... He loves "polos" - chocolate ice cream on a stick that gives you both mobility and edibility.  He Won Best Table Topics Award.

* TM Veronica watched the Marilyn Monroe documentary and feels compassion for such a beautiful person - inside and out- who lived such a tragic life.  Had she avoided drugs and alcohol, who knows? She would perhaps be celebrating her 100th birthday next year!

* TM Pam has never been to a professional tennis match but her kids were once coached by Jimmy Evert and they didn't even know it!

* TM BeckyJo had a handsome tennis coach in Vancouver hired by her mother who really enjoyed male eye candy... BeckyJo ran marathons on Summer Solstice Day, just so you know....

* TM Gail has a special flag from her son which she will keep forever and she recalls  displaying all United Nations flags as a school project in the 6th grade.

* TM Christine could not think of Dad jokes but she is an avid tennis fan and has watched many professional matches.

* Guest Kris has no idea why there are so many June weddings - all she knows is she's having a birthday coming up... First things first!

* TM David has no objection to girls named June but his favorite girl's name is Catherine with a French accent.  Ohlala....!

Along came the prepared speeches...

* I, Ana, talked about a fascinating piece of Fort Lauderdale history:  The Elks Lodge, host venue of many memorable events, watering hole of many legendary celebrities and soon to be reopening after a long legal battle.

* TM The Tom regaled us with a helpful speech about A Commonplace Book, where one keeps quotable quotes, ideas for speeches and other sources for speech topics.  He Won Best Speaker Award.

As far as evaluations go...

* TM David enjoyed my speech and suggested I use more vocal variety, hand gestures, and introduce exciting stories into the speech that will captivate the audience.  He Won Best Evaluator Award.

* TM Christine kindly asked TM The Tom to step out of the closet - or at least blur it - or the audience starts to make mental grocery lists.  She enjoyed the purpose of the speech - to give practical tips to the rest of us to find topics for speeches.

The Word of the Day was

RISIBLE, adj.

capable of laughing, disposed to laugh

Example:  Today's meeting was chock-full of risible technical bumps; however, we pulled ourselves together and risibly figured them out.  Go EarlyBirds Learning Lab!

The link to the recording is here (thank you Jose!)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5BMtz1NV_PQ

See you next week!

Ana I.

Risible Recap Writer

Looking back, The Model Prayer and Let It Go - a gallant morning at EarlyBirds

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

TM David launched us off by having us take a look at our past....

* TM Gail would tell her younger self to take the job she turned down, although in hindsight, it turned out to be the right choice!

* TM The Tom made a turning point decision to write down his memoir for his children to enjoy.  He Won Best Table Topics Award.

* Guest Kimberly would not compare herself to others if she could change one thing about her life.  She would focus on her own life!

* TM BeckyJo took longer to learn math, which she thought was irrelevant, and it turned out to be present everywhere in her life.  2 + 2 = 4

* TM Jorge regrets having dropped out of high school although he later made out all right!

* TM Veronica's most valuable lesson has been not to get distracted by distractions and focus on being herself.

* DTM Mary Helen wishes she had learned to ski as a girl, learned a musical instrument, although she became a professional astrologer  while playing the ukelele and signing German songs.

* I, Ana, would have chosen to study a career instead of wasting my time figuring out how to buy myself trendy clothes.

Then we listened to prepared speeches...

* TM Aleta presented a detailed description of The Lord's Prayer, where we pour out our hearts to God instead of using it as a private wish factory.

* TM Pam redid her Let It Go speech about purging holy family relics by storing them in Nostalgia Plastic Bins.  She Won Best Speaker Award.

Regarding our evaluations....

* TM BeckyJo commended TM Aleta for speaking at a moment's notice and urged her to watch prolific speakers to improve her vocal variety.  She Won Best Evaluator Award.

* TM The Tom praised TM Pam's ability to purge her belongings while singing Let It Go in B-minor and assigning her husband one storage drawer in the entire household.  

The Word of the Day was

GALLANT, adj

brave, heroic

Example:  At EarlyBirds we learn to be gallant while improvising different tasks.

The link to the recording is here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5j-t_WEPM4

See you next week!

Ana

VP Education

Inside Out, Outside In, Busland in Broward - Attuned (?) at EarlyBirds

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

We have a slate of officers for the new Toastmasters year beginning on July 1.  Our President, TM Aleta, wil make the announcement at the right time.  Thank you for everyone who stepped up to fill a role.

Several in the group announced they were short of sleep due to jet lag or plain insomnia.  Nonetheless, they all showed up.  Bravo!!!

TM Cory led us in Table Topics based on the movie Inside Out and its 11-year-old star Reilly's assortment of emotions. 

* TM Pam is not a theme park person but a tree person and combined both by admiring native plants in Universal.  She's looking for a weeping wipon holly. She Won Best Table Topics Award.

* TM Veronica does not like to feel disgusted and only felt it when there were no Florida panthers at Flamingo Park.  Sniffff.

* TM Christine suffered embarassment when her underwear's crotch got eaten by her dog during a tennis match.  Game set.

* TM Jorge suffers frustration as a formerly lunatic driver who now drives among lunatic Miami drivers.

* TM Aleta has carried guilt for years because someone got blamed for a nasty incident Aleta started at her high school cafeteria.  True confessions!

* TM David is not a fan of surprises but got pleasantly surprised when his sister showed up at his doorstep on a visit from France.

Then came the prepared speeches...

* TM Christine rehearsed a humorous speech to be presented at a church in Wisconsin while eating a slab of Wisconsiin cheese.

* DTM Mary Helen showed her zest for adventure while exploring Broward County's bus service which led her to walk across half the city for lack of a better bus.  She Won Best Speaker Award.

Then we had some great evaluations...

* TM Jose gave some helpful tips to TM Christine and commended her for standing up in front of the camera.  He Won Best Evaluator Award.

* TM The Tom earnestly urged DTM Mary Helen to take an uber home from the car mechanic next time.

The Word of the Day was

ATTUNED, verb

make receptive or aware

Example:  The interests of TM members are highly attuned.

See you next week!

Ana

VP Education

One-word topics, Food is Critical and Scam Alert - EarlyBirds are flourishing!

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

TM BeckyJo is preparing us for Table Topics contests with one-word topics. We discovered that...

* TM Gail proliferates in her use of thingamajig, a catch-all descriptive word to find anything, reach for anything, drop anything or use anything.

* TM Veronica does not worry about chinhair YET - wait till age catches up with her!

* TM Jorge is reminded of leprechauns and pots of gold when he envisions a rainbow.

* TM David gets a dose of vitamin C and positive energy when he eats an orange.

* TM Cory got out of the box and delivered a speech in front of 100 team members while thinking of us last Thursday.  Go TM Cory!

* TM Aleta does not diet per se but keeps a healthy body by dividing her food intake into liquids for one week, fruits and veggies another and light protein the third.  On the fourth week she flourishes....

* I, Ana, make a distinction between joy and happiness and gave a non-sequitur recap of the House of Orange festivities in The Netherlands.  I Won Best Table Topics Award.

Along came (2) outstanding prepared speeches...

* TM David revealed that he loves to eat and cook healthy food - ater discovering that fast food stays one minute on your lips, forever in your hips- and healthy cooking is a spiritual experience.  We the local EarlyBirds are going to his home for an exquisite meal SANS CROISSANTS.... He Won Best Speaker Award.

* TM Gail got scammed by AI impersonation and shared very helpful tips to avoid being victimized.  Think about this:  1.3 BILLION personal records were compromised last year in the U.S.of A.  Thank you for raising awareness among the potentially scammable crowd, TM Gail!

Regarding the evaluations...

*TM The Tom thoroughly enjoyed TM David's speech and encouraged him to repeat it again incorporating a few gourmet recipes for added spirituality!

* DTM Mary Helen thanked TM Gail for her helpful practices to make us aware of the cunning sophistication of Scammers Unlimited flourishing in the world.  She Won Best Evaluator Award.

The Word of the Day was

FLOURISH, verb

To grow luxuriantly, to thrive

To achieve success

Example:  Those of us with a fear of public speaking thrive and flourish in Toastmasters.

Note: Due to technical difficulties, today's recording will be made available soon - maybe.   Stay tuned!

See you next week!

Ana

VP Education

One or the other, Exotically Ordinary and The Lights Went Out, a cardinal meeting in the Early Birds' Conclave

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

TM Gail led us with a heartfelt Mother's Day invocation, and TM Jorge brilliantly displayed the US flag for our Pledge of Allegiance.  Thank you, Jorge!

TM The Tom introduced us to Table Topics' quandaries:

* Singer or Writer? I, Ana, love both of these activities and although not a gifted singer, I choose to write while I sing when I'm not in the shower.

* Blimp or Hot Air Balloon?  TM Beckyjo loves riding in both - and has actually sailed the friendly skies on more than one occasion, enjoying the scenery below!

* Rancher or farmer?  TM Aleta faces a dilemma, but ultimately chooses to grow tomatoes over being a cattle rancher in Western Pennsylvania.

* Soggy cereal or crunchy cake?  Another dilemma for Frenchman David, forever bound to soggy cereal prepared by himself with chocolate milk while watching tv as a youngster.  He Won Best Table Topics Award.

* Sightseeing in Africa or shopping in Milan? DTM Mary Helen will go shopping in Milan en route to a sightseeing tour of Africa.  She wants the best of both worlds.

* Raise cows or sheep?  TM Jorge chose raising sheep because he can use their fleece to make himself a jacket.

* Hang gliding or sky diving?  TM Marie says "Not today, thanks, I've got a headache".   Instead she'll  lovingly prepare a healthy oat bar for her husband's birthday.

We had a great Icebreaker today...

* TM Veronica delighted us with her topsy-turvy world of exotic vs ordinary and took us down a travelogue of various parts of the world.  She Won Best Speaker Award.

And we had a power outage reality check of a speech...

* TM Jose recounted the painful experience of having  "Lights Out!" not to the entire college dorm, but to the entire country.  Yikes!  After several near misses, he was able to emerge unscathed but alert to potential repeats.

And then came the evaluations:

* TM David enjoyed TM Veronica's speech and completely related to her trainhopping, a national passtime in France.  

* TM Pam enjoyed TM Jose's Tales of Dark Days in a Green Country and made a call to action for him to masterfully use slides as prior to today.  She Won Best Evaluator Award.

The Word of the Day was

CARDINAL, adjective

Of prime importance, principal

Example:  It is  cardinal that the sequestered Cardinals elect the next Pope while there's still wood to be burned in the Conclave.

The link to today's recording is here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUqNLBRUXIA

See you next week!

Ana I.

VP Education

The Wild Wild West, Do You Hear Me? Tree chainsaw massacres - a Nolens Volens morning at Early Birds

--No Video Available--

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

We formally inducted our returning Toastmaster Veronica.  Welcome aboard!

TM Randolph led us in Nolens Volens Table Topics.  We were soon to discover that...

* TM BeckyJo keenly watches her cat while she also watches British, Swedish, German and French crime dramas.  American crime dramas are just too preachy!

* TM The Tom frequents Mom's Kitchen, a family joint where the longtime waitresses are good flirts and the food is second to none.  He Won Best Table Topics Award.

* TM Marie's faith is her bedrock, gives her courage and trust to face any challenges she encounters while doing mental acrobatics about Polls. Great job, Marie!

* TM Veronica enjoys life being lived in the moment and has found the way to be happy while working toward future goals.

* TM Jorge has learned to never say never and finds more joys than frustrations in being a software engineer.

* TM David's big ego tells him he's the smartest in the room but he's aiming to be the funniest in order to release tension in his environment.

* TM Pam was thinking of AI this morning regarding microbes and cancer-sniffing beagles who will just have to return to being pets.

* TM Jose had great athletic talents in his early days but tore his meniscus and now simply walks 700 kilometers of the Camino like he eats a piece of cake!

We had (2) excellent prepared speeches...

* TM David explored his communication style - his forte being direct, which has caused him some family tensions, so now he practices supportive, which is much more conducive to happy endings.

* TM Pam taught us how to avoid tree-trimming scams by requesting the permit to solicit, the ISA certification and thus avoid neighborhood chainsaw massacres.  She Won Best Speaker Award.

Along came evaluations...

* TM Randolph praised TM David for his organization and encouraged him to add more personal stories next time he gives this speech.

* TM The Tom, evaluating from a closet, pointed out that TM Pam's speech was well-knit and she urged us to avoid falling willy-nilly for tree scams.  He Won Best Evaluator Award.

The Word of the Day was

NOLENS VOLENS, noun

Something that happens whether a person wants it or likes it or not.

(Can be used either/or Nilly-Willy)

Example:  The dog was dragged, nolens volens, to the groomer for a much-needed wash.

Here's the link to the recording:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfmZEyUOg-Q

We overcame temporary and longer absences, rose to the occasion and had a great meeting as always!  Thanks everyone for the teamwork!

See you next week!

Ana

VP Education

Farewell, Bon Voyage, Hasta La Vista, Aloha Nui - a pelagic meeting at EarlyBirds!

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

Our Special Farewell Bon Voyage meeting got off to a good start!

TM Marie inspired us with novel ideas...

* Starting on time: I, Ana, am supercilious about punctuality.  I annoy myself!

* Adventure: TM David is so inspired by TM Jim and TM Chris' trip he is looking forward to hearing about their adventure.

* Lifelong learning:  TM Gail is ever so grateful for her lifelong learning from her lifelong friends, TM Jim and TM Chris.

* Exploring new cultures:  TM Cory grew up sheltered and has discovered the excitement of exploring new cultures.

* Scuba diving:  TM Jose has been inspired through TM Jim and TM Chris's scuba adventures in restarting scuba diving again!

* Old Friends:  TM Pam clarified that when young, we have old friends; when old, we have longtime friends.  Mark the difference!  She Won Best Table Topics Award.

* My Life in Photos:  TM Jorge reviewed old baby and younger day pictures when his hair had a tinge of auburn, much like his son's does now.

* Appreciating nature: TM Terri admires TM Jim and TM Chris for living out an adventurous life.  Terri will ask her genie in a bottle to hop her on a cruise while Gloria Estefan's rhythm is gonna get her.

* Home:  TM The Tom waxed poetic about sapphire blue waters in sunlight and green in rain with waves cresting pelagically.

And then came the long-awaited Villa Vie Odyssey Tour, led by TM Chris....

We saw the Bow (off-bounds  in most non-residential ships), and the Stern - the Gym, the Outdoor Cafe, the Restaurant with its Buffet Paradise,  the Business Center, the Living Room, the Promenade Deck, the Coral Club.  Along the way, we met  the Chef and some of the very friendly staff.  Even the pool area - currently under renovation - offers a serene environment with chaise lounges and umbrellas to enjoy a good read or take a mid-afternoon siesta.  No cabin fever in this floating condo full of amenities, no sireee! TM Jim ended the tour from the cabin and took our many questions.  No tipping required; housekeeping practices, unlimited gym access... and it's all included in the monthly fee!  Stops of 2 days or more at every port allowing for on-shore activities.  One of his favorite stops on the horizon - Catalina Island.  TM Chris and TM Jim Won Best Speaker and Best Tour Guides Awards.

Please be sure to follow the Gulds' adventures at  geeksontour.com/cruising.    We, EarlyBirds, want the movie rights!

Our Evaluator, TM David, offered TM Chris some practical tips for her (perhaps) soon-to-be regular tours of the Odyssey Villa Vie:  center your camera, center your face so audience sees all of it, avoid jittery movements.  Note:  Totally disregard all of the above in rough seas and reach for the Dramamine!!!   He Won Best Evaluator Award.

TM Cory did a great job as General Evaluator of this pelagic meeting.

Led by our Hilarious, Adventurous RoastMaster TM BeckyJo, several members offered (mostly) poetic - in honor of April, Poetry Month - and at times trilingual (English, Spanish, Hawaiian) farewells.  

The previously-unheard-of Word of the Day was

PELAGIC, noun

Inhabiting the upper layers of the open sea

Relating to the open sea

Example:  Thanks to our favorite Influencers, TM Jim and TM Chris, we are now a collectively pelagic,  in-training ducklings and future technology wizzards who will make our parents, TM Jim and TM Chris, technologically proud.

The link to the recording is here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MsqUtcohBKc

See you next week!

Ana I.

Recap Writer

It's Debatable, Procrastination, A Gem Among Concrete - EarlyBirds is definitely not soporific!

 

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

TM Chris brilliantly led us in table topics up for debate.

We learned that....

* TM Gail is pro clearing up a house for sale so that new owners get a better idea of how they can make it look.  

* TM Terri took the same side and also believes in clearing up a house for sale because an empty house looks bigger and unleashes the creativity of prospects.

* TM Veronica is pro legalizing casinos - they bring a lot of revenue and boost the local economy, and in Florida they benefit the native american tribe who owns the largest one.  It's also a great venue for concerts.

* TM David is against legalizing casinos because he worked for an online gaming company and he saw how the addictive behavior got people hospitalized.

* TM The Tom is pro school uniforms because it fosters equality and eliminates competition for Best Dressed, students focus on academics instead of fluff and frill.

* TM Aleta is against school uniforms because they stifle creativity and growth - and students end up customizing their uniforms to look different anyway!  She Won Best Table Topics Award.

We had (2) prepared speeches...

* TM David told us about his struggles with procrastination, especially in things he most likes.  Taking action is the antidote!  He Won Best Speaker Award.

* I, Ana, told the history of Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, the beach diving capital of America, and its humble beginnings which have kept it a gem among towering giants.

Next came the fabulous evaluations...

* TM Marie praised TM David for his organization, confidence, display of leadership and persuasion.  She Won Best Evaluator Award.

* DTM Mary Helen applauded the fact that I did not read my speech and encouraged me to continue to improve and to stop crunching land crabs while at it!

The Word of the Day was

SOPORIFIC, 

Causes sleep (noun)

Induces sleep (adjective)

Example:  A glass of warm milk and a monotonous tv series are the best soporifics known to man.

Here's the link to the recording

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xtt9L5WeV74

See you next week for our special FAREWELL to our friends The Gulds!  SNIFF....

Ana I.

Humorous Recap Writer

(that's debatable!)