New Year, Icebreaker and Split Personalities - a womanly morning at EarlyBirds!

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

TM Emmanuel led us in a heartfelt, moving invocation.

TM Val started us off with very intriguing quotes, and we soon learned that...

* TM Marie - unlike the rest of us- doesn't really know where she's going but it definitely won't be boring, only an adventure in acceptance and surrender!

* TM Emmanuel stated that every year we age, grow and mature - although some years we regress back just a little  (or a lot on leap years)

* TM BeckyJo is not emptying her junk drawer but is selling her friends' junk stored in her garage.  She has finally realized that her friends are not coming back to claim anything. She Won Best Table Topics Award.

* TM Aleta is a monkey hopping from tree to tree in the backyard of her life; other times she floats like a bubble over the ocean blue in hopes of making it back to solid ground.

* TM Tom used to spend New Year's Day stuck to the tv watching football but now he's only stuck to us EarlyBirds for the peak of the week.

* DTM Jim D. thinks these are the best of times and these are the worst of times, as was accurately predicted in A Tale of Many Cities.

Regarding our prepared speeches....

* TM Maria gave an outstanding humorous icebreaker where she told us that some people get jokes, some people tell jokes, some people are a joke!! Truer words were never spoken.  Good job, Maria!

* DTM Mary Helen revealed her many alter egos and it turns out she's a former prostitute and nun/sleuth who eats a lot of bacon from Pigs Plus Farm. She Won Best Speaker Award.

And then came evaluations....

* DTM Jim D. praised TM Maria for her good clarity and diction, audience awareness, comfort level and suggested she look directly at the camera, not at the paint smudge on her upper right hand corner wall.

* TM Aleta is honored to evaluate a pro such as Mary Helen and is convinced Mary Helen will become a detective nun in 2023.  She Won Best Evaluator Award.

The Word of the Day was

WOMAN, noun

None other than the most researched, vilified, commended, rescinded, offended, reprimanded, transgendered, politicized, ostracized, sexified word of the year.   No one knows what the real definition is but everyone adds their two cents just in case.

Example:   I am woman - hear me roar!!

Link to the recording:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-H19jsIqCG4

Respectfully submitted,

Ana I.

Woman Recap Roaring Writer 

Holidays, Time and Old St Nick, a meeting imbued with the festive season

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

TM Pam inspired us with holiday-related quotes.  We soon discovered that...

* TM Marie's commemorates Kwanzaa with gratitude for the building of all the bridges in downtown Fort Lauderdale, aka the Venice of America.

* TM Tom gave his Mother a (Cuban?) Christmas Angel he bought in Doral Fables and she later bequeathed it back to him.  He Won Best Table Topics Award.

* I, Ana, am convinced that as they teach in Findergarten, sharing is caring.

* TM Chris has loved the stars so fondly that she has been led to frugal tentless camping in mosquito-free zones.

* DTM Mary Helen fills her tree with pictorial ornaments of all her family members because only love can overcome hate.

* TM Paolo stated that whether the night is more alive and richly colored than the day,  totally depends on the day.

* TM Val has discovered her invincible summer by asking herself, in the middle of a challenge, what is the gift here?  And then proceeding to unwrap it.

* DTM Jim D., raised in chilly Syrafuse, NY, always borrows money in winter, where repayment is due in spring, which in his hometown falls on a Tuesday in August.

* TM Aleta always saves Santa the trip by being naughty in winter, summer, spring and fall.  Also, since the advent of Zoom, she hasn't combed her hair in the back.

Along came the prepared speeches...

* TM Manny Metayer reminded us not to let our potential fade in the inertia of time, which is of the presence essence.

* TM Jim G., in full regalia and intelligently assisted by Superficial Sistelligence,  had us reminisce about prior visits from St. Nick.  He Won Best Speaker Award.

We had outstanding evaluations....

* TM Paolo  praised TM Manny for his powerful low pitch, well-timed pauses and clarity.  Add Carpe Diem for more power to the speech.  He Won Best Evaluator Award.

* TM Tom appreciates the timeless poem which brings joy to our hearts and who cares? Was it authored by Clement Moore, or Dr Livingston - I presume?

Soon-to-be-inducted TM Maria was a first-time timer and did a mighty fine job of timing this time.

The Word of the Day was

IMBUE, verb

To cause someone or something to be deeply affected by a feeling or to have a certain quality.

For example

Enthusiasm will always imbue an endeavor with high-level energy.

Link to the recording:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhhtPSBuOzU

Happy Holiday Season!!

See you next week for the last meeting of 2022.

Imbued with timeless gratitude,

Ana 

Recap Writer

Jolly Folly, Imprompting and Stonehenge Proliferation - a benevolent morning at EarlyBirds!

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

TM Jim G. led us with Season's Carols...  We learned who among us can hold a note...

* TM Aleta, in full seasonal headgear, regaled us with a potpourri of songs for the faithful...

* Soon-To-Be TM Maria launched off with Jingle Bell Rock and is planning to attend several benevolent musical and lighting displays during the season.  She's looking to be hired as a Christmas Carroller.    She Won Best Table Topics Award.

* TM BeckyJo is giving TIME to all her family, friends, acquaintances and strangers she meets during the season.

* TM Paolo is hiring local musicians dressed as shepherds to serenade his children smack in the middle of their living room in a little town in the heel of the Italian boot.

* TM Emmanuel gave a brief rendition of Silent Night and marveled at this quintessential Christmas song.

* TM Pam got maple sugar candy in her stockings and never, ever saw Mommy kissing Santa Claus in the heat of Florida Christmas.

* DTM Mary Helen's grandma would have volunteered to get run over by a raindeer (or in Florida, an alligator) due to her benevolent solidarity spirit.

* TM Tom reminisces about Joy to the World Christmases in Chicago hitching a ride in the back bumper of cars and praying for snow to be a'plenty.

* TM Marie grew up in a rural property where snow was indeed a'plenty and Christmas decorations were large and outdoors.

Along came prepared speeches...

* In a departure from conventional procedure,  TM Pam gave hilarious impromptu short speeches about peddling her maternal influence into her daughter's Kitty Cat Toy Company and persuading others that her appointment was meritorious.  Her second topic was the devastating natural disaster of RicketMaster breaking down and not having Kaylor Drift tickets readily available, as she unbenevolently explained she had tickets herself.  Ohwell.  So sorry.

* TM Chris gave us a panoramic aerial view of the multiple proliferations of Stonehenge where you can pick the American state of your choice and avoid crowds and entrance fee of the original U.K. monument.  She Won Best Speaker Award.

As far as evaluations go....

* TM Paolo was awed by TM Pam's challenging project, taking on not 1, but (2) table topics and injecting them with humor and the power of silence.  

* TM BeckyJo advised TM Chris to blurt out unknown words as no one knows how to pronounce them either and all will be good in the world of Stonehenge and its satellite offices.  She Won Best Evaluator Award.

The Word of the Day was

BENEVOLENT, adj.

Kindly person or action

A charitable organization

Example:   The spirit of Christmas season is generally benevolent - excluding porch pirates.

The link to the recording is here

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikMWr1KVIg4

See you next week!

Benevolently submitted,

Ana I.

Recap Writer

Profound proverbs, Resilience and Barcelona tour - an unlachrymose morning at EarlyBirds

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

TM Aleta inspired us with profound international proverbs....

* TM Chris gave a rendition of Narcy Dinatra's These Boots Are Made For Walking when there were no sidewalks on which to walk!

* TM Pam grows zucchinis with worms and gathers crowds to watch freerange canine chickens harvest her crop of tomatoes.

* TM Marie walks like an Egyptian while doing good deeds and going for swims in the ocean.

* DTM Mary Helen really enjoyed a vulgarian proverb that drives her to help herself while helping God help Himself and other believers, atheists or agnostics.

* I, Ana, use lip glue to avoid getting in trouble by blurting out unfiltered thoughts.

* TM Paolo likes the Croatian motto that all that's well lasts short - namely his beautiful six children who are growing up waaay tooo fast.  He Won Best Table Topics Award.

* TM Joshua has no shame in asking questions to Chinese people of all stations in life.

* Guest Maria asserts that lachrymose people who live in glasshouses should not throw stones from inside.  All others go for it!

We had two fantastic prepared speeches...

* Visiting TM Joshua motivated us to become resilient by taking up the sport of tennis and bouncing around like tennis balls.  He Won Best Speaker Award.

* TM Jose showed advanced mastery of the Art of The Shared Screen while warning us to stay away from trams in Barcelona - lest we get run over like Antoni Gaudi.  The entire EarlyBirds Club is currently looking at airline tickets to go visit him.

As far as evaluations go...

* DTM Jim D. had a succint recap of TM Joshua's speech - perfect.  We are embarking on a collective project to design a bouncing coffee mug.

* TM Paolo loved TM Jose's pitch, pauses, projection, rythm and voice.  He suggested that Jose stand up and move about while awaiting TM Paolo's arrival in Barcelona.  He Won Best Evaluator Award.

The Word of the Day was

LACHRYMOSE, adj.

Describes someone who cries often, or something that brings you to tears.

Example:  Lachrymose people keep the tissue industry in business.

The link to the recording:

  

https://youtu.be/5MjndobzqOM

See you next week!

Ana I.

Recap Writer

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Let's Get Talking, Public Service Woes and Should I Stay or Should I Go? A resilient EarlyBirds meeting

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

TM Aleta started us off with a wonderful Ode To A Boomer based on cherished song lyrics from when those were the days my friends....

TM Val led Table Topics in a game of Let's Get Talking.  We found out that...

* TM Jim G.'s historical nickname is King James and simply His Majesty to his close friends.

* TM Aleta, ever resilient and frugal, repaired a lawn mower and is currently assembling a tractor in her spare time.

* DTM Mary Helen would like to wear a t-shirt asking "What?" to elicit lascivious chest glances as conversation starters.

* TM Tom's favorite personal possession which he would never sell is this group, EarlyBirds.  We're relieved, Tom!

* TM Jose has taught us how to make paella, Spanish omelette, how to drive a Jimney and is working on his Empathize with Others curriculum.

* TM Marie emulates Seinfeld's parents and has dinner at 4 pm and breakfast the night before in order to rise and shine at 3 am every morning.

* TM BeckyJo would invite SPF, of FTX Fraud Frequent Flyer notoriety, as her first guest to her talk show. Deal with it, New York Chimes!  She Won Best Table Topics Award.

Along came the prepared speeches...

* TM Tom got reeled into the late DTM Kip's orbit and left the rest of us in the dust regarding Pathways initials.  Just Do It!  Became Tom's motto and he's still battling the Condo Commandos.

* TM Pam momentarily became Kennyanne Rogers of The Gambler fame and taught us when to hold them, when to fold them, when to walk away and when to run - regarding native plants and the authoritarian regimes in Native Plant circles.

* TM Chris has been breathing underwater for decades now but would highly appreciate growing artificial gills to find weightless acquatic paradise.

Both speakers showed wanton disregard for timing requirements and did not qualify.  Some potential election fraud ensued but a recount was demanded and the controversy stopped dead in its tracks.

And then came the evaluations...

* TM Paolo praised TM Tom's resilience in that most difficult environment, HOAs.  He pleaded emphatically and sang Will The Real Tom Q please stand up? (sung to the tune of Will The Real Trim Brady Please Stand Up?)

* TM Chris is searching for native plants in a nearby nursery to start her own native plant yard tours and scenery.  Sign up asap.   She Won Best Evaluator Award.

The word of the Day was 

RESILIENCE, noun

Successfully adapting to challenging experiences; capacity to recover quickly from difficulties;  ability of a substance to withstand undue pressure.

Example:  Our local Club members showed great resilience in surviving Denny's skillet consumption in the days of yore.- especially in light of recent news.  EEEEOOOOUUUU.....

The link to the recording

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e170sg9XnO4..

See you next week!

Ana I.

Recap Writer

Lexicon, Cryptic Messages and Spanish in 3 easy lessons - an intellectual morning at EarlyBirds

  

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

We mustered our gray cells to come up with new lexicon under the intelligent guidance of TM Aleta:

* TM Marie is very grateful not to live in the Ukraine where they have severe supply chain issues.  The plethora of grocery stores in the US have a plethora of products.

* TM Jim G. is an expert in washing, especially greenwashing the barnacles on the bottoms of boats.

* I, Ana, carefully survey snd measure the meat space at the butcher shop in order to buy the right cut of meat.  

* TM Paolo likes the real universe better than the metaverse, which is used to escape reality.

* TM Chris officially named herself adorkable (dorkgeek + adorable).  We all agreed!

* TM Tom is very aware of virtue signaling as a stiff drink of Johnnie Walker.  The rest are falsified memories - his own words. He Won Best Table Topics Awards.

Along came the fabulous prepared speeches....

* TM Val gave us descriptions of the stories behind poems - cryptic messages presented with great hand gestures and vocal variety..  She Won Best Speaker Award.

* DTM Mary Helen traveled to Spain, Argentina, Peru, Mexico to learn Spanish in 5 easy lessons.  She's still at it but knows all kinds of cultures.

As for evaluations....

* First time evaluator TM Emmanuel condensed TM Val's speech into a metaverse and praised her soft, captivating voice.

* TM Marie praised DTM Mary Helen's tenacity in traveling through the long and winding road to achieve great vocal variety in Spanish.  She Won Best Evaluator Award.

The Word of the Day was

MUSTER, verb

To collect or assemble

MUSTER, noun

A group of peacocks

Example;  The muster of peacocks generously doused their Cuban Sandwich with muster.

Here's the link to the recording:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6NCl9kiJO4M

No meeting next week!

Have a great Thanksgiving!

Ana

Recap Writer

Sayings, Parenthood and Are You Interested? EarlyBirds had a morning of sheer felicity

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

After a beautiful spiritual invocation led by TM Val, DTM Mary Helen elicited profound revelations from some well-known sayings.  We discovered that....

* TM Jose states that women have two brains and that's why they so felicitously multitask while men can barely handle the tv remote.

* TM Aleta is sorry to bother you but nevertheless inobtrusively reaches out to touch you physically or symbolically.

* TM Val felicitously signed up to build a wood banquet table and ended up signing "Easier Said Than Done" by The Essex - go to him, run to him, say sweet lovely things to him - tell him.... the table is the one!! Oh, Easier Said Than Done.  She Won Best Table Topics Award.

* DTM Jim D. perennially seeks a new direction but all roads take him to his Harley by way of the broken kitchen cabinets.

* Eternally optimistic TM Pam doesn't let the pesky idea that she doesn't know anything about it stop her.  Her next project is building a casket for any untimely death.

* TM Emmanuel gave us a rendition of "Meet Me In The Middle" by Parker McCollum while stating that it's the best spot to resolve conflict.

* TM Paolo had a yo-yo internet and drove with felicity and velocity in his car to an undisclosed location where we can practice "we don't have it all together but together we have it all."

* TM Tom combines Quakerism and Spunky Irishness to reject imperial control by others who want to bring him up to date.

* I, Ana, usually text (or WhatsApp) my brother to ask what are we doing next?  It's usually something felicitously fun.

* TM Marie prefers to meet people in the middle (again sang that song) and find out their extenuating circumstances that leads them to want to mess with her.

* Guest Millie was sure glad to meet us and praised our perceived eloquence with great felicity.

Along came prepared speeches...

* TM Emmanuel has learned the main parenting lesson:  DO NOT take your child on your tourist tours or your plans will be thwarted due to lack of enough snacks.

* TM Aleta has diametrically irreconcilable differences with her reflexologist and will limit their interactions to foot aromatherapy.  She Won Best Speaker Award. 

As far as evaluations go....

* TM Paolo praised TM Emmanuel for his deep voice, beautiful smile and power of parental forgiveness when travel plans are disrupted.  He Won Best Evaluator Award.

* TM Tom thoroughly enjoyed  TM Aleta's perky disposition, beautiful attire and found that Aleta's reflexologist is very intrusive and is better off focusing on clients' feet.

The Word of the Day was

FELICITY, noun

Intense happiness

Ability to find appropriate expression for one's thoughts.

Example:   Felicity is The Peak Of The Week - especially in the midst of stormy Nicole.

Here's the recording:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VOHw6TaEC4M

See you next week!

Ana

Recap Writer

Fall, Culture Shock Follies and Childhood Memories - no procrastination at EarlyBirds!

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

We heard a very touching invocation by First Time Invocator TM Emmanuel, 

TM BeckyJo started us with words containing Fall or variations thereof.  We soon discovered that....

* DTM Mary Helen likes the warm rainfall of Florida in November to cool us off to frisky high 70s.

* TM Paolo loves windy days indoors in Puglia, the heel of Salvatore Ferragamo's boot, where the Adriatic and the Ionic Sea winds converge to mess up his ultra gelled hairdo.

* TM Emmanuel is Florida Power & Light's top customer - keeps his lights on 24/7.  He's moving to Alaska to lighten up his bill.

* TM Val remarked that fall rains are aggressive and beat the frail orange, yellow and brown leaves to the ground in preparation for snow submission.

* DTM Jim D. grew up in Syracuse NY, where less than 4 ft of snow was considered a lame flurry.

* TM Marie makes To Dos of her To Dos - like a circle in a spiral notebook, like a wheel within a wheel, never ending or beginning on an ever spinning reel.

* TM Aleta's fallback position is on a pile of recently raked leaves before they go to compost.

* I, Ana, suffer from a condition known as tourist fallfoot which is cured with SuperTourist Glue.  I Won Best Table Topics Award

Regarding prepared speeches...

* I, Ana, recounted my first impressions of the United States:  ranchthousandislandsgreengoddessfrenchcreamycaesarraspberrywalnutsroastedsesamehoneymustard.  Closely followed by honeybunchesofoatscapncrunchcheeriosspecialkfrostedflakescocoapuffs.  I Won Best Speaker Award.

* DTM Jim Day was voluntold to speak by his Agent, told us that they paved Syracuse and put up a parking lot (sung to the tune of They Paved Paradise and Put Up a Parking Lot).

First-time General Evaluator TM Val graciously led the evaluations segment.

* TM Paolo related to my foreigner experiences and kindly asked me to stop looking everywhere except at the camera, which gave him strabismus. (Look it up).  He Won Best Evaluator Award.

* DTM Mary Helen submitted a written affidavit to avoid bias and favoritism and praised DTM Jim for moving to another level of successful unpreparedness for a speech.  From one DTM to another.

The Word of the Day was

PROCRASTINATION, verb

To delay or postpone action needlessly.

Example:  Procrastination is a mystical land where 99% of human productivity, motivation and achievement is safely stored.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6wMgI4x8us

See you next week!

Ana

Recap Writer

Halloween, Bat Crazy and Raven Galore - an eerie meeting at EarlyBird Ghostmasters!

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

Offshore ever more, TM Jose launched us down eerie pathways....(pun intended).  Aghast, we soon learned that...

* TM Aleta (aka Bugsy Malone irredemption) stuffed herself with pillows and overdosed on sugar while dressed as an innocent tramp in her rural childhood.

* TM Paolo's childhood was Halloween-deprived but he had 100 times more fun than the Halloween a'plenty childhood of today's kids.  Long live tiramisu!

* TM Val depletes the candy shelves of her local stores so her tree-filled brick-facade home will not be toilet papered and egged.

* DTM Mary Helen became a candy hoarder early on in childhood and could care less about political or celebrity costume lookalikes.

* TM Tom's sugar high is provided by sexy revealing dream girl, Elvira.

* TM Emmanuel is scared of carved pumpkins, eerie costumes, skeletons, spiderwebs and candy, but Halloween's one redeeming quality is pumpkin soup.

* I, Ana, no longer decorate my home as there are no kids in my neighborhood but spent my childhood years in Havana dressed up as a zebra for Halloween.

* TM BeckyJo,  in cognito, is scared of driving in the dark.  We all ought to be scared of her driving in the dark. Her favorite costume is as an Italian dinner.  She Won Best Table Topics Award.

* TM Chris revealed that her scary creature of the night is none other than her husband- and the raven that follows them everywhere in the RV.

Along came the prepared speeches and we were to learn that...

* TM Marie was hell-bent on dispeling our fears of bats, on International Bat Week.  Only .333333% of bats drink blood - but boy, are they thirsty.  They have bellybuttons and have good vision.  But they're eerily crazy for sure. She Won Best Speaker Award.

* TM Jim G. delighted us with a rendition of Edgar Allan Poe's The Raven.  Leonore, Leonore, to the core and nothing more, except for the raven with psychedelic eyes.

Along came evaluations...

* TM Tom confessed that after hearing TM Marie's speech, his new heroes are bats, those cuddly self-grooming mammals with opposable thumbs.

* TM Paolo loved the delivery of The Raven although he asked for subtitles next time.  He Won Best Evaluator Award.

TM BeckyJo evaluated the entire meeting and gave it a gold star but would not reveal where COGNITO is.  More will be revealed.

The Word of the Day was

EERIE, adj.

Strange and frightening

Example " Kid ghosts sit around campfires telling eerie human stories."

Answer to the riddle "Where do deviled eggs come from?"  is:  FROM EVIL HENS!!

Link to the recording:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VLVzQJdo6Bg

See you next week!

Ana I.

Recap Ghostamzayas Writer

Pre-Halloween, Parenthood and These Boots Are Made For Walking - a writhing morning at EarlyBirds!

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

DTM Jim D got us into the swing of things with creepy recollections of Halloween...We discovered that...

* TM Marie was the attention-hoarder Blue Bird of Happiness at her son's elementary school and her son, in turn, became an unhappy ignored Ninja.

* TM Jose and his hippy friends starred in their own Halloween comedy caper in the humorless Halloweenless country of Spain (in the 70s) and almost got arrested.  He Won Best Table Topics Award. 

* TM BeckyJo's wildest costume was as a boxer - to conveniently cover a black eye.

* TM Pam loves treats and has signed up for a birthday freebie of hot bacon popcorn - which sounds more like a trick.

* TM Randolph is getting ready to go trick-or-treating with his kids - at his wife's command- and sad to neglect the trick-or-treaters who regularly count on him dishing out candy for them.  His wife rules, though.

* TM Tom's former wife used to hand out cooked spaghetti dipped in cold water and passed them off as worms, to the squealing delight/horror  of the neighborhood kids.

* I, Ana, created outrageously common average unspooky decorations and left the creativity to my daughters.

Along came the prepared speeches...

* In an amazing Icebreaker, TM Manny revealed to us that parenting is absolutely traumatic with generous measures of pride and joy sprinkled therein; and that insanity is definitely hereditary - we get it from our kids.  He Won Best Speaker Award.

* TM Aleta is in the midst of a strict training regimen to shed the spare tire in her midriff and time travelling via Sony Walkman as she sings "Pretty Woman, Walking Down the Street...." (sung to the tune of "Pretty Woman").

As far as evaluations go...

* DTM Jim D. praised TM Manny for his formidable Icebreaker and for using up the timing requirements to the very last second, all with a captivating smile.

* TM Paolo was so motivated by TM Aleta's confidence and inspirational talk that he was last seen walking to Miami Airport to catch the next flight to Italy.  He Won Best Evaluator Award.

The Word of the Day was

WRITHE, verb

To twist body or a bodily part, usually in pain.

Example:  The Beatles's first hit was originally called "Twist and Writhe" and later renamed  to honor the resulting sound effect "Twist and Shout".

Here's the link to the recording:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EuqF5WQn9qM

See you next week!

Ana

Recap Writer

Influential pictures, Around the Track and Pearly Whites - an intuitive morning at EarlyBirds!

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

We inducted our newest member, TM Emmanuel - welcome to EarlyBirds, Emmanuel!

TM Aleta got us thinking about influential photographs of momentous times.  We soon found out that...

* TM Val wanted to know what lunch the construction guys sitting on a beam at 15,000 ft of altitude were having.

* TM BeckyJo stated the world has once again lost its collective mind and one person needs to stand in front of those tanks in Tianamen Square again.

* TM Paolo wants to keep the oceans blue so Earth pictures taken from the moon will still have that peak of the camera quality to them.

* New TM Emmanuel reflected on the atomic explosion over Hiroshima/Nagasaki and the scary nuclear threats that are being hurled around today. He Won Best Table Topics Award.  Bravo, TM Emmanuel!

* TM Tom would have liked a marine instead of a squishy sailor to kiss the unknown girl on Broadway to celebrate the last South Pacific performance.

* TM Randolph likened the despairing women with a child in their arms to a Bible story with a happy ending.

* DTM Jim D. marveled at how laborers toted bricks on their shoulders like feathers even before the invention of franchise gyms in our country.

As far as prepared speeches...

* TM Pam took a race driving course for no reason other than to awaken her attention deficit lethargic disorder and to prove to herself that car spinning is lotsa fun.  She Won Best Speaker Award.

* I, TM Ana, asserted that Scottish highlanders in the 17th Century did NOT have beautiful smiles, except in Hollywood.

And then came evaluations...

* TM Val wanted to know, first and foremost, where did TM Pam get her raingear.to go around the race track.

* TM Chris told me in no uncertain terms to read my (funny) speeches at reading school.  She Won Best Evaluator Award.

The Word of the Day was

COUNTERINTUITIVE, adj.

Contrary to intuition or common sense, but nonetheless sometimes true.

Example:  An honest politician is truly counterintuitive but also supercalifragilisticexpialidotious.  

The link to the recording:

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bI75bsvuTK8

See you next week!

Ana

Recap Writer

Fav Movies, Straight & Wavy, Humor in High Places - a somewhat discombobulated morning at EarlyBirds

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

I, Ana, led with Table Topics about our favorite movies.... We found out that

* Returning TM Astrid started watching horror flicks at the tender age of 6 and has become a fan of Friday the 13th (now rated G) for life.

* TM Paolo is an absolute fan of gangster movies to the detriment of old "spaghetti westerns"; give him Pacino and DeNiro if only he (and the rest of us) could distinguish between the two.

* TM Tom liked The Entertainers and their slapstick humor which had cars flying over bridges and other hilarious occurrences.

* DTM Mary Helen delighted us in a duo with TM Chris about washing that man right out of their hair.  Ah, those beloved musicals....  She Won Best Table Topics Award.

* TM Jim G. loved Tron, the first CGI (computer graphic imaging) movie, a precursor to the CT-SCAN and the MRI. His all-time favorite is still Flash Gordon.

* TM Val was forever impacted by the restaurant scene in When Sally Met Harry and she's been Sleepless in Macon ever since.

Then came the prepared speeches...

* TM Jose (aka Miguel) inspired us to buy his hair beauty business in Spain after we bleach that gray right into our hair, like in Fame of Phones.   He Won Best Speaker Award.

* TM Aleta regaled us with humor, quips and one-liners of our past Presidents, and taught us the valuable skill of how to diaper a baby like it's a baseball field.  

As far as evaluations go...

* TM Pam was enthralled to be grayishly fasionable au naturel as she is not willing to add one single  penny to the staggering $500 billion a year hair product industry.

* TM Tom praised TM Aleta's nicely woven story and asked her to cut the flushing of the toilet part to meet the time requirements.  He Won Best Evaluator Award.

The Word of the Day was

DISCOMBOBULATE, verb

To confuse or disconcert; to bewilder

Example:  In Toastmasters we learn not to let hecklers discombobulate us when we're speaking in public.  Pathways allows us to practice!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JsCIqX3YJQU

See you next week!

Ana

 

National Something Day, There's Always Two Sides to a Story.... an interesting meeting at EarlyBirds!

Dear Members, Friends and Guests,

First Time TableTopic Master Val gave us plenty of food for thought...  And we discovered that....

* TM Marie's life is a musical and at all times she breaks into song.  There's no intermission!

* TM Aleta would never, ever, ever, leave herself behind.  She is her own best self-entertainer.

* DTM Jim D. relishes that delish caramel macchiato - make it decaf, please, to keep him at a manageable energy level.

* I, Ana, would rather be a rottweiler than a toy poodle, and I need a dog mirror to ascertain my size compared to those yappy little daring rats.

* TM Chris confessed that she married TM Jim G. mostly because of his 4-letter word last name. Her river rafting stage name is Yoyonoise.

* Returning TM Astrid would target the young in a Register to Vote campaign if only politicians weren't such scofflaws.  You're back in the swing of TM, Astrid!

* TM Jose, aka Mad Max, accepts water as rent payment, in his frequent time travels.  Where's Thunderdome?  He Won Best Table Topics Award.

* Guest Emanuel loves all kinds of fruit - except pineapple, which makes him dizzy.  Life is good when you are eating fruit.

* Guest Aziz would put a banana on his sooty chimney and get a monkey with a broom to sweep it squeaky clean.

Great job with Table Topics, TM Val!

We heard two versions of the same speech:

* He Said (DTM Jim D.) He belongs to an eating club with a riding disorder known as Harley D, and had to fly to Dubai to visit the local HD dealership.  "A happy wife is a happy life."  He Won Best Speaker Award.

* She Said (DTM Mary Helen D)  Dubai and Abu Dhabi are like Vegas on steroids and discovered that uncovered toes have no sex appeal in the Emirates.

As far as evaluations go...

* TM Chris praised DTM Jim D. for his excellent vocal variety, especially when LOOSELY describing the euphemistic Customer Service.  She Won Best Evaluator.

* TM Marie loved hearing both sides of a story, DTM Mary Helen's being the one with the most joie de vivre, DTM Jim D.'s being the one with the most Harley.

The Word of the Day was 

SCOFFLAW, noun

A person who flouts the law

A person who flouts rules, conventions or accepted practices.

Example:

We at Toastmasters learn how to be well-spoken scofflaws.

Below is the link to the recording

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQDUBYmlLFU

See you next week!

Ana I.

Recap Scofflaw

Autumn, Hear Ye! and Karaokeville - an entertaining morning at EarlyBirds!

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

TM Pam made us think about the autumnal equinox, set to happen precisely tonight at 9:22 pm (give or take).... and now we know that...

* TM Marie doesn't want to say goodbye to the summer (sung to the tune of Cliff Richards' 1965 "I Don't Want To Say Goodbye To the Summer").

* TM Val is set to clean up her back yard, restain the deck and prune the lillies... as soon as next summer arrives on June 22, 2023 at precisely 9:22 pm (give or take).

* TM Chris has been waiting 5 years (as Jim is her witness) to eat caprese salad with homegrown basil in direct defiance of local grocery stores.

* TM Jim G. hibernates on lobster, sprinkled with a few bugs and doused with a generous dose of honey and oats.  Yummmm.

* I, Ana, know for sure it's Fall when the inside temperature of my Igloo remains at a steady below freezing temperature and I must wear two scarves instead of one.

* DTM Jim D. innoculates himself with Dr. Jack Daniels and vintage Dr. Francis Ford Coppola while verifying the different colors of snow bird license plates (Je Me Souviens)  He Won Best Table Topics Award.

* TM Aleta used to display Halloween decorations to show off to her friends -  who have since moved to Florida with the others (Je Me Souviens)  She's planning a Zoom video tour to impress us.

* Returning TM Astrid, aka Asteroid, plans to hibernate in Miami Beach.  Enough of those winters in NYC.  (Je Me Souviens).

* Guest Emmanuel hopes to overcome public speaking anxiety in Toastmasters.  We're much better than Lexapro!!

And along came the prepared speeches...

* TM Val pondered whether the hearer hears what they hear here or does the hearer say what the sayer hears?  That, my friends, is the ultimate question.  She Won Best Speaker Award.

* TM Chris dances salsa while she cooks (.09% of the time) and she and TM Jim sailed all the way to the UK on a flotation amphibious controlled Recreational Vehicle while Karaoking Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds.

As far as evaluations go...

* TM Jim G. liked TM Val's parables - a heart murmur is cured with a hot mama.  He Won Best Evaluator Award.

* TM Aleta admired TM Chris's talent for multimedia and praised her Johnny Depp-inspired role in the home video of Pirates of the Atlantic.

The Word of the Day was

MONIKER, noun

A nickname for a person.

Example:  Benedict, a monk from the 6th Century, became known as Benedictine Liqueur after a few experiments in the monastery cellar.

Here's the link to the recording:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUNHn1NXlcY

See you next week!

Ana I.

Moniker Writer

A charismatic meeting

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

DTM Mary Helen inspired us with old sayings from our charismatic younger days.    We found out that...

* TM Pam has till end of September to unpack a mystery out of mind box from 3 moves ago which is no longer out of sight in the southwest corner of her office.  She'll tell us what she finds, possibly a Key Biscayne dissecated half-Cuban iguana.

* TM BeckyJo says all we need is a boys' band in lieu of a pool table to keep the devil away from having a workshop in our idle brain.

* TM Marie plans to be sorry rather than safe by flying to Turkey to have a United Arab Emirates (UAE) triple-decker sandwich.

* DTM Jim D. asserts that money does grow on trees in Oregon, Washington State and Alaska, where sales to lumber companies make lotsa, lotsa money.

* TM Aleta gifted Habanero peppers - and a stomach pump - to her priest prior to Bible study as a demonstration of 'practice what you preach".

* TM Chris modestly stated that she and TM Jim G. think alike with their great minds - for example, they both want seltzer simultaneously - a clear mark of genius.

* I, Ana, related that a picture is indeed worth a thousand words - my indelible picture is multiple plastic bags chock-full of US dollars hanging in Argentinians' backyard trees as a strategy to sidestep out-of-control inflation and banking corruption.

* TM Tom's curious cat has trained him to watch the cat's favorite tv miniseries at night.  He Won Best Table Topics Award.

* TM Jim G. is an early bird every Thursday when he's in town and has yet to find a single worm for appropriation.  Instead, he is now Club President by acclamation....

Along came prepared speeches...

* TM Aleta gave a very touching icebreaker about her late Pops, who taught her many things, for instance, beef and poultry do not originate in  plastic packages at the supermarket but instead, start off as real farm animals.   Who knew???  She Won Best Speaker Award.

* I, Ana, talked about dual realities: every story has many sides and my reality may be real or perceived, but one thing is true, I'm always at different levels of right.

Regarding the evaluations...

* DTM Jim D. encouraged TM Aleta to spread some of her frozen energy to the rest of us while looking straight at the camera and to please wear red for her next speech. He Won Best Evaluator Award.

* TM Tom loved my pronunciation of the Spanish poet RRRAAMMOONN DE CAMPOAMORRR and asked me to kindly get rid of my cheat sheet for next speech, it shows in the camera for goodness sakes!

The Word of the Day was

CHARISMA, noun

Compelling attractiveness or charm that can inspire devotion in others.

Example:  The opposite of emotion, devotion and charisma is.... MARISMA!!  (Spanish for swampy areas of the Guadalquivir River)

Recording link for today's meeting - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YW7GbJpWBZo

Here's the link to the Gulds'  photo album https://photos.app.goo.gl/zfNy2LyNrErmtRnLA

See you next week!

Ana I.

Recap Writer

Assorted Table Topics, Fun and Done and Strange Bedfellows - another "peak of the week" at EarlyBirds!

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

Polifacetic TM Randolph set the tone with impromptu impromptus.  We found out that...

* TM Tom's cat obeys his cat's coup d'oeils and follows instructions from The World According to Cat.

* TM BeckyJo signed a pre-nuptial with her broke soon-to-be-husband so he could collect $50 more as a married man.  Oh to be young and wild and free again!

* TM Aleta misses the afternoon humidity in Fort Lauderdale when she did not have to use facial humidifier lotions.

* TM Val would love to watch her prudish aunts squirm while talking about sex in Family Feud.  

* TM Marie would take a sunscreen spraying booth and her magic Kindle on a deserted island and call it paradise found!

* I, Ana, ask God to guide me during the day when I wake up and then all bets are off as soon as my feet touch the floor.

* DTM Mary Helen sleeps soundly on the back of DTM Jim's Harley, preferably with her own pillow in tow.

* TM Pam's youngest child impersonated cranes, snakes, lobsters and other creatures as a tiny toddler.  Insanity is hereditary - we get it from our kids!!  She Won Best Table Topics Award.

Along came the prepared speeches....

* TM Aleta remarked that timing is of the essence - the speaker must allow for pauses, applauses and guffaws so as not to blow past the alloted time.  She Won Best Speaker Award.

* TM Marie reminisced about some of the strange bedfellows we've had in EarlyBirds - including but not limited to "The Massacre at the Gateway Theater in Fort Lauderdale" while wearing marbelized tie-dyed shirts by one of our former members.

As far as evaluations go...

* TM BeckyJo praised TM Aleta for being so engagingly funny and for taking funny on the road in whatever adventure she's sharing.  She Won Best Evaluator Award.

* First time evaluator TM Val praised TM Marie for helping her, Val, immerse herself in the speech and experience the joy of blowing popcorn with a leaf blower during a cinematic massacre.  Great job, Val!

The Word of the Day was

ANOMALY, noun

Something that deviates from the normal, from what is standard or expected.

Example:  A boring EarlyBirds meeting would certainly be an anomaly.

Here's the link to the recording:

link:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sc6MQ4_SC1w

See you next week!

Ana I.

Recap Writer

Odd Idioms and Loving Tributes - Love is EarlyBirds!

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

I, Ana, got us thinking about idioms.  We came to learn that...

* TM Jim G., zooming in from Bexhill-on-Sea, UK, right next to Stratford-upon-Avon and north of Surrey-on-Thames, cannot for the life of him jolly well figure out what a dime a dozen means, since a dime is 10 and a dozen is apparently 12.

* TM Chris stays away from rotting kettles of fish because the smell takes her breath away in a very fishy way.   She Won Best Table Topics Award.

* TM Randolph pondered that a caboodle is something with wheels and the whole kit must be the wheel of fortune.

* DTM Mary Helen has no idea of the price of onions but it's brutally impacting their budget because she cooks them every single day.  Onion allergy sufferers need not visit.

* TM Marie reflected that people need to be responsible for the animal in their life (may include -but not necessarily- their spouse) to avoid barking up the wrong tree.

* DTM Jim D. is considering that a blowtorch may help straighten out a Spanish bull's horns.

Along came the prepared speeches...

* TM Tom reminisced about the days of yellow hip huggers in MIami Springs until he got trapped into loving ownership of a camouflaged Shih Tzu, purely descended from a Lhasa Apso and in reality a loving tiger.

* TM BeckyJo lovingly recounted the many adventures of her creative Dad, including building a silver Taj Mahal in their front yard,  and the counterinsurgency measures of her Code Enforcement whistleblower Mom.  She Won Best Speaker Award.

As far as evaluations go....

* TM Marie praised TM Tom's story within a story, with vivid language, varied vocal variety, deep vulnerability and a reminder of the importance of Cracker Barrell.  She Won Best Evaluator Award.  

* DTM Jim D. was impressed with TM BeckyJo's vocal clarity, perfect diction and her uncanny ability to make us reflect about taking the long and winding road to start a rolling food truck business.

The Word of the Day was

LOVE, noun 

An intense feeling of deep affection ; a great interest and pleasure in something.

LOVE, verb

Feel deep emotion for someone or something

Example:  Falling in love with love is a curious thing - sung to the tune of The Power Of Love. by Huey Lewis and The News.

Here's the link to the recording:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=igfcO2KQAzk

Stay tuned for more!  See you next week

Ana

Recap Writer

Zany Table Topics, Speech Preparation and a 5 to 7 minute life story - a resilient morning at EarlyBirds

Dear Members, Friends and Guests:

TM Aleta led us in very original, zany "What Else Could This Be" visual table topics.  We corroborated that some of our members are quite sadistic.

* TM BeckyJo sees a harmless chair as a torture device to off the elderly under the guise of Yoga, Pilates and the like. If you're over 80, don't move to Oregon with BeckyJo!  Just sayin....  She Won Best Table Topics Award.

* TM Val uses umbrellas as rain collectors and disappears in the upside down virtual world.

* TM Tom uses golf tees to pick his teeth, clean his ears and shove it up his grandkids' noses to get their attention.

* TM Marie uses paper clips to pop locks and get into her yoga class clandestinely.  Everything to become a serene yogi.  Yeah, right.

* TM Pam's grown sons haul their drunk friends around in wheelbarrows, in a game of bar hopping USA.

* TM Chris removes the base from a lalique lamp and uses it as a hat at the Kentucky Derby on Easter Sunday, while trying to find an electric socket to light it up.

* TM Randolph's kids convert melon ballers into an ice cream scooper for dolls, a helicopter ride and other multifaceted uses - all within several minutes.

* DTM Mary Helen uses her gazillion trophies as mosquito collectors to drive away the possums and raccoons partying in her back yard.

* TM Jim G. uses the sands of time as an arcane celebration to move antique furniture.

* I, Ana, used fishing hooks to ensnare boyfriends, later husbands and exercise a catch and release program.

Then came prepared speeches...

* TM Pam was a captive audience to an unprepared, boring, incoherent public speaker.and signed him up for Toastmasters on the spot.

* I, Ana, recapped my life within 5 to 7 minutes and removed my virtual background to avoid disappearing like Val did.   I Won Best Speaker Award.

Regarding evaluations....

* TM Tom praised TM Pam for her well organized, well crafted speech and recommended throat lozenges to avoid a raspy throat.   He Won Best Evaluator Award.

* TM Randolph enjoyed my personal storytelling while wearing a scarf that for once matched my blouse.  

The Word of the Day was

RESILIENT, adj.

Able to withstand or recover quickly from difficult conditions; to bounce back.

Example:

EarlyBirds are resilient; we join on Thursdays from any corner of Panet Earth.

See you next week!

Resiliently submitted,

Ana I.

Resilient Recap Writer

Movie Quotes, Answering The Call and Long Tall Ana, a NON-trivial EarlyBird Meeting

Dear Members, Friends and Guests,

TM Randolph evoked the tricky durability of 80s films by way of memorable quotes.  We soon found out that...

* TM Jose brought us back to maverick crotch rockets and F18 hornets, and eternal youth acquired via devilish pacts.

* TM Aleta recited "How Do I Love Thee? Let Me Count The Grains of Sand" (from E.A. Poe's "A Dream Within A Dream"). She Won Best Table Topics Award.

* TM Marie pined over the song "Stand By Me" and spoke about the incredible commitment that it entails, which is sometimes downright Goofy.

* TM Chris had trouble buying tickets at a post-apocalyptic metro station,  but was rescued by Crocodile Dundee, here in South Florida known as Iguana Dundee.

* TM BeckyJo thinks "First Blood" must be a vampire movie and if arrested and thrown  in a Mexican jail, her friends would definitely smuggle in some chimichangas to her.

* DTM Jim D. missed some movies while climbing the aviation corporate ladder but in case of emergency, he'd wear a back sign saying "Follow Me".

* TM Jim G. talked about "I'll have what she's having" and stated unequivocally that when chemistry happens between 2 people, noise ensues.

We had two prepared speeches...

* TM Tom has childhood memories as a coal miner's grandson and sang John Pine's "Paradise" with guitar strumming punctual DTM Kip.

* I, Ana, told a speech about being "Long Tall Ana" by Chiquito Ricardo, and disappeared into the virtual ether in a game of "Where's Ana?" instead of "Where's Waldo?" I Won Best Disappearing Speaker Award.

And along came the DAYS' evaluations....

* DTM Jim D. praised TM Tom's tribute to DTM Kip, who fortuitously knew the comeback line to most classic songs and had a keen eye to select our EarlyBird Club Secretary. in perpetuity.

* DTM Mary Helen D. liked my ability to turn tall negatives into tall positives and at the height of it all, she evaluated it up to me.  She Won Best Evaluator Award.

In loving tribute to DTM Kip, we watched his speech on Mentoring in Toastmasters.  Thank you, TM Chris, for queuing up these speeches for us to learn while keeping his memory alive in the group!

The Word of the Day was

TRIVIAL, adj.

Of little value or importance.

Example:  Huge fines were imposed on those who engaged in trivial pursuits.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CPaykVd1Gw4

See you next week!

Ana I.

Recap Writer 

Either/or

Either/Or, Then/Now, Never/Always - an impeccable day at EarlyBirds

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,  

Impeccable as ever, TM Jim G. led us down a world of either/or.  We found out that...

* TM Marie believes that " What the World Needs Now, Is Love Sweet Love" (sung to the tune of What The World Needs Now Is Love Sweet Love) to end hunger.

* I, Ana, would much rather dangle frozen in a broken skilift than hover in a sardine can of a broken elevator.

* Ever the fashionista, TM Paolo would rather be Uomo Ragno because the outfit is very colorful and cheerful and he likes climbing up vines.

* TM Val would rather lose her keys than her un-backedup cellphone.  She has now signed up for a Geek tutorial on backups.  She Won Best Table Topics Award.

* Ever the rebel when given 2 choices, TM BeckyJo must pick a third - not x-ray vision, not hear-plus, but invisibility- to do both.

*TM Aleta did not consider being blinded by the light when spontaneously looking straight into the inexorability of the sunrise. 

We had two outstanding speeches from impeccable speakers...

* TM Chris calmly and serenely taught us how to make our pictures depict a world of sharp contrasts, bright colors and eternal youth. It's called ambiance, ambiance, ambiance and adds je ne sais quoi to wrinkles.

* DTM Mary Helen made a public announcement that appearances can be deceiving so always choose heaven no matter what, and are we going to overcome our deep loss and tweet on as the impeccable EarlyBirds that we are?  Yes, we are!!!  She Won Best Speaker Award.

As far as evaluations go....

* TM Pam praised TM Chris for her seamless, impeccable, sparkling Toastmaster speech  and Pam is now undertaking a beautifying project from her grandfather's archaeological photo treasures.

* TM Randolph thoroughly enjoyed DTM Mary Helen's heaven and hell example - which went along the lines of his earlier joke of the day.  He also liked her expressiveness, hand gestures and awesome pauses. And mostly her pink lipstick.  He Won Best Evaluator Award.

In loving tribute, we played a video of the late DTM Kip giving an impeccable icebreaker about coming to terms with uncluttering.

The Word of the Day was 

IMPECCABLE, adj.

(said of behavior, performance, appearance) in accordance with the highest standard of propriety.

Example:  EarlyBird members display impeccable Zoom etiquette at all times.

Here's a link to today's recording.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=taw3-1SJJu8

And here's a link on how to make yourself look 30 years old in photos,  especially if you are 30 years old.

Here's a whole 45 minute Geeks YouTube show: https://geeksontour.com/2022/02/228-how-to-beautify-your-photos-with-the-free-snapseed-app-for-ios-and-android/login

See you next week!

Ana 

Recap Writer

Lottery, Kid Mindfulness and Men Caves - an accentuated morning at EarlyBirds

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

TM Pam had us consider what we would do if we won a billion dollar in the lottery.  We found out that...

* TM Aleta has never been motivated by money but heck, she's now running to the store to buy a ticket, just in case...

* TM Chris won the lottery the day she was born to a loving, caring mother who taught her everything there is to know and more!

* TM Val is stopped by nothing in doing what she wants - learning, serving, inquiring.  Quilting, line dancing, writing - Zoom is the way to go!  She Won Best Table Topics Award.

* TM Tom is masterful at shortcuts although time and again he's shown that they don't work.  He is opening a Lost & Found Department in his own home.

* TM Randolph would definitely share 8 Million Pounds Sterling with a British gentleman but his motto, like Buddha's,  is "trust but verify".

* I, Ana, have no idea how financing the government with the lottery works, except I know such financing would get corrupted, just like everything the government touches.  My motto for the day is "accentuate the negative".

And then came the prepared speeches...

* TM Marie demonstrated a mind-blowing bubbles excercise that alters our Hippocampus (the name of a Madrid discotheque in the 70s), and Amygdala so that children end up with less gray matter and finally start behaving.

* DTM Jim Day used lotsa wine, roses, chocolates, ice cream and countless cruises to build an Extended Stay Man Cave in 7 years.  He Won Best Speaker Award.

As far as evaluations go....

* TM Chris accentuated TM Marie's impeccable multi-tech-tasking in one meeting, mission accomplished!  She Won Best Evaluator Award.

* TM Randolph is starting to build himself a man cave and has hired DTM Jim D. as his general contractor.

First-time AH Counter TM Val caught all  AH and UM offenders and reported them.   As a first-time JokeMaster, she taught us how to break traffic laws and get away with it.  Good job, TM Val! 

Tech Tip of the Day:  TM Chris showed us how to move the gallery view from one side to the other when screen sharing is taking place, how to eliminate the gallery view altogether or how to just leave the speaker in plain sight.

The Word of the Day was

ACCENTUATE, verb

1. make more noticeable or prominent

2. focus attention on

3. call attention to

Example:  In the midst of turbulence, it's wise to be a contrarian and accentuate peace.

Here's the link to the recording:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4MdKbW2bZ0

See you next week!

Ana I.

Recap Writer

Profound Revelations, A Moment In Time and Using Art In Personal Ways - moments of lucidity at EarlyBirds

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

DTM Mary Helen gave a Quechuan invocation (mostly in English).  Note of interest:  Bolivian Quechua speakers range from 2.3 to 2.8 million, making it the most indigenous language in Bolivia, slightly greater than Aymara, with roughly 2 million speakers in Bolivia.  They live in the Andean highlands (Altiplano).

TM Tom led us with profound quotes eliciting profound revelations...

* DTM Jim D. pondered about when the witching hour happens in Alaska when they have 24-hour daylight. Hmmmm. They save it for January, when they have 24-hour darkness.

* I, Ana, have had many 'wobblies' during the witching hour when my children were growing up which led me to lots of wobbly hangovers.  I Won Best Table Topics Award.

* TM Jose stated that just as all storm clouds have silver linings, all thorns have a rose and his arms bled profusely as he mowed the lawn back in days of yore.

* TM Jim G. avoids counterfeits in distilleries, he lucidly looks for the jug labeled "The Real McCoy".

* TM BeckyJo spent the 50s in a stream of consciousness followed by the 60s being influenced and stays on track to avoid wobblies while changing horses in midstream.

* TM Pam avoids a dying duck in a thunderstorm because she instinctively knows that golfers holding metal clubs are sitting ducks for a bolt out of the blue.

* DTM Mary Helen passed the buck to TM Chris who warned us to avoid dark horses which are very fast and will undoubtedly win the race.

We went on to our prepared speeches....

* TM Val's outstanding icebreaker told us about pivotal moments in her life when she followed a feather trail at the Atlanta Olympics and filled in ancestry gaps a month ago in Ghana.  She Won Best Speaker Award.   Val is the author of Following a Feather Trail, Valeria V. Cordi Cray, https://a.co/d/6RiB2Ds.   

* TM Pam started off with weird art, followed by pulled hamstrings from a stationary kayak and ending up with a claustrophobic magnetic resonance imaging of very weird art.

As far as evaluations go....

* DTM Jim D. praised TM Val for her lucidity, her self-confidence, her poise and her impeccable timing.  He Won Best Evaluator Award.  

* I, Ana, commended TM Pam for speaking comfortably as if she's sitting in her living room, which she is.  She also mastered screensharing images.

TM Aleta lucidly kept us on time while ironically she has a wall clock background which reflects the local time in New Zealand.  Just to keep us on our toes.

Technical Tip:  Look up old speeches in the EarlyBirds blog and send them to TM Jim G. or TM Chris. who will replay them when we end early.

The Word of the Day was

LUCIDITY, noun

1. Clarity of expression, intelligibility

2. Ability to think clearly, especially in intervals between confusion and insanity.

3. Bright, luminous

Example:  TM Jim G. experienced moments of lucidity while dwelling with chaotic Italian cows.

Here is the link to the recording:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0gJY5Mmbb8g

See you next week!

Ana

Recap Writer

Bucket Lists, Eastbound Travel and Vapid Cliches - a commemorative morning at EarlyBirds!

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

Our President, TM Randolph, introduced the meeting with a heartfelt commemoration of the late DTM Kip, former mentor and lasting friend.  We Will Go On!!

First time Invocator TM Val inspired us with a moving invocation.

TM BeckyJo brought thought-provoking topics based on the movie The Lid.  We soon learned that....

* TM Val is visiting every continent and moving to Bali within the next year.  She will Zoom in every Thursday while sipping a frozen Bali Colada.

* DTM Jim D. was a paper route assistant at age 6 and has retired 9 times so far, and counting.  Next stop, Dubai in September.

* TM Tom declared he's good although he didn't die young and pondered how he fits into the Bubble telescope within the limitless universe.   He Won Best Table Topics Award.

* TM Chris firmly believes in a life spent, not saved.  She plans to slide down that final ramp used up, worn out and having the time of her life into the beyond.

* TM Jim G. is focused on what will outlast his life - a legacy of goodness rather than a legacy of horror.

* TM Aleta is a cheap date, she'll eat anything - except for slimy cooked okra, which triggers her gag reflex big time.

Next came our prepared speeches....

*  TM Jose, who moved West as a young man (Montana) has now moved East as an unyoung man (Javea, Spain) where he has become a digital nomad while driving a small 4-wheel drive.  The entire EarlyBirds Club wants one of those toys too!

* I, TM Ana, dwelled into the land of vapid cliches and murky bath waters chock-full of happy clams and cool cucumbers.  I Won Best Speaker Award.

Regarding evaluations...

* TM Jim praised TM Jose for his entertaining and informative speech, hand gestures, and gave some helpful tips to counter Voom glitches.  He Won Best Evaluator Award.

* TM Tom would like me to say the cliche 'raining cats and dogs' with a Spanish accent, Margarita.

We then lovingly watched a video of the late DTM Kip explaining how to eat a pizza with courage (from the front edge, not the sides) and bombarding it with anchovies to keep pizza predators away.  Quintessential Kip.

The Word of the Day was

COMMEMORATE, verb

To show honor to the memory of a special person.

Example:  Today we commemorate the memory of our dear DTM Kip, VP of Education Emeritus for EarlyBirds Toastmasters Club.

Here's the link to the recording:

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSfk4eXzHgk

See you next week!

Ana 

Recap Writer

Profound Revelations, Meals and Ordeals - persistence is the name of the game at EarlyBirds

Dear Members, Friends and Guests,

TM Randolph led us with thought-provoking quotes from Neat, Stray and Dove.  We soon discovered that...

* TM Aleta sometimes slams the door before eating a box of bakery or home made cookies.

* DTM Jim D. purposely does not wear glasses when he looks in the mirror because he likes blurry images.

* DTM Mary Helen pondered that "if it is to be, it's up to me" is truly a truism.

* TM BeckyJo has concluded that resentments corrode the resenter and forgiveness heals from the inside out.  She Won Best Table Topics Award.

* TM Jose used to time travel and presently stays in the present and persistently avoids mosquito raids.

* I, Ana, made a commitment to not get any tattooes because they're tough to erase when girth expands.

* TM Pam has no resentments because her mind's doorway has been completely cleared.

* TM Val affirmed that tears heal and cleanse the soul especially while showering.

* TM Jim G. stated that 'dolce far niente' comes very naturally to him and he persistently practices it.

* TM Tom attained a balanced life after several attempts at crawling without balance.

Then came the prepared speeches...

* DTM Jim D. delighted us with his epicurean adventures in a family diner where he hurled 17,000 gallons of batter, 25,000 eggs, 40,000 bacon strips and 30,000 hash browns to feed a crowd of 20.   He Won Best Speaker Award.

* TM Tom revealed that he carries a dynamite stick in his back pocket when he presides over his Condo Commando board meetings, while persistently taking his blood pressure.

As far as evaluations go...

* TM BeckyJo loooved DTM Jim's hilarious speech, those internal questions we've all asked ourselves and wants to know who cooks breakfast in his household.  She Won Best Evaluator Award.

* TM Randolph makes spaguetti 'al dente' and instead of pushing or pulling it, he simply hurls it against the kitchen wall.

The Word of the Day was

PERSISTENCE, noun

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

Example:  Most notable achievements are a labor of persistence.

Below is the link to today's recording.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wtPGpbbuduY

That's all, folks!  See you next week,

Ana I

Recap Writer

Yellow brick road, Volunteering and Impersonating - a graceful morning at EarlyBirds

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

TM Aleta led us in Table Topics based on the counterclassic The Lizard of Roz...

We soon learned that...

* TM Val begins with the end in mind, ends with the beginning in the middle and pauses at the halfway intersection.  It's that simple!

* I, Ana, admitted that brainless people are very talkative and that includes me!

* TM Paolo's Italian/US commute hourglass is almost empty and he's facing the fork on the road - qui o la?  He's considering the road more or less traveled....By general consensus, he is not allowed to leave EarlyBirds.

* TM Randolph would turn back if it were him, and start up if it were him as well. What to do?  Decisions, decisions....

* TM Tom thinks we must face change even when our practical hearts get broken.  He Won Best Table Topics Award.

* DTM Mary Helen concluded that nothing is not useful to her but something is useful to her, thus creating a grammatical labyrinth.

Along came the prepared speeches from our resident Js...

* TM Jim G. led a kayuba (kayak + scuba) team in mangrove garbage pickup and was altruistically graceful in the after eco-party.

* DTM Jim D., as a 17-year-old,  impersonated Senior Management of large company DEARS by wearing a spiffy black suit while his Senior Managers in jeans rearranged the shelves.  He Won Best Speaker Award.

We had great evaluations...

* TM Tom got hypnotized by TM Jim G.'s easy, relaxed delivery and snapped out of the trance with a dash of vocal variety pepper.

* TM Chris was impressed that DTM Jim D. turned a dress code snafu into a lifetime career of turning clothing companies around.  She Won Best Evaluator Award.

Our Toastmaster of the Day, DTM Mary Helen, was the calm amidst the storm.  She gracefully thanked our outgoing officers for their outstanding service to the group:

President - TM Paolo

VP Education - DTM Kip

Sargeant-at-Arms - TM Randolph

Secretary - TM Tom

VP Public Relations - TM Chris

VP Membership - DTM Mary Helen

Treasurer - DTM Jim D.

and welcomed our new slate of officers, starting next week:

President - TM Randolph

VP Education - DTM Mary Helen

Sargeant-at-Arms - TM Marie

Secretary - TM Tom

VP Public Relations - TM Ana

VP Membership - DTM Mary Helen

Treasurer - DTM Jim D.

By unanimity, DTM Kip is our Emeritus VP of Education (Emeritus: former holder of an office, having retired but allowed to retain their title as an honor).

General Evaluator TM Pam thanked our Tech Guru, TM Jim G., for his outstanding support of the tech aspects of our meetings, providing audio visual aids and making it all seem effortless and fun.

The Word of the Day was

GRACE, noun or verb

noun:

1. simple elegance or refinement of movement.  Ex. She swam with effortless grace.

2. courteous goodwill. Ex. At least he has the grace to admit his debt to her.

verb:

do honor or credit to (someone or something) by one's presence. Ex.: She bowed out from the sport she has graced for 2 decades.

Link to the YouTube video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1i3FNlP6H54

See you next week!

Ana I.

Recap Writer

A Loving Tribute to Kip, the Grand Poobah of Quite A Lot - EarlyBirds Meeting

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

Ably led by TM Chris and the Master of Visual Effects, TM Jim G., we laser-focused on roasting and toasting DTM Kip, the heart and soul of Early Birds, and whose blood type is admittedly 0+Toastmasters, universal mentor.

We were delighted to see many former members and lasting friends, a.k.a. Kip's Fan Club, even if some were sleepwalking at 4 am their time.

We discovered that....

* Jerry did Kip's first evaluation... and they remained friends all these years!

* Kirsti is a DTM only because of Kip

* Astrid sends Kip besitos, besitos, besitos

* Christine is in the Pole Dancing Olympic Team, all because of Kip

* Charu survived VP of Ed role only thanks to Kip

* Shirley discovered that Kip is really a closet hippy.

* Aleta held on as a remote member for 2 decades because Wizard Kip foresaw that Zoom was coming.

* Mildred had to get married and move to Orlando just to avoid being lifetime group treasurer.

* Jim D. has inherited the title.  Just a fact of life.

* Marie lives in an intergalactic universe of love

* Val thinks Wizard Kip is truly Sean Connery in disguise

* BeckyJo still cannot believe she belongs to a club that meets at 7 am, all thanks to Kip

* Jose is thinking pondering considering contemplating doing Pathways, all because of Kip

* A whole bunch of people in this group are still married only because of Kip's Marriage Encounters of the Third Kind.

* Other marriages broke up anyway but optimistically remarried shortly thereafter to apply the teachings of the seminar and get their money's worth.

* Mary Helen eats magic brownies and goes to Kip's birthday parties one month in advance.

* Chris has the best collection of EarlyBird pictures on Planet Earth.

* Jim G.'s boss, whose name shall remain anonymous, brought him to EarlyBirds.

* Miki found out that Kip likes to eat Japanese chocolate wearing a mask.

* Carmine's heartfelt note to Kip won the Brevity Award.

* I, Ana, am still under Kip's incantation as I write this recap.

If I missed you, please see the recording.  I suffer from intermittent CRS (can't remember squat).

We discovered that the word Kipper means BIG FISH.  There are no coincidences.  

The Word of the Day was

CHIPPER, adj.

Cheerful and lively

Example:  EarlyBird has the power to make us chipper in the wee hours of the morning.  Wanna feel chipper on a Thursday morning, California people?  You know where we are....

Let's just think for a moment how many DTMs (Distinguished Toastmasters), how many Competent Communicators and Competent Leaders (in the olden days of manuals) and how many Level V in one or more of the 11 Paths in Pathways have come through under the tutelage of Kip.  It's truly remarkable.

Thanks, everyone, for making this tribute possible, and thank you, Kip, for being in our lives.  We love you!!

Here's a link to the meeting recording:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZs3fUzBCB8

See you (or some of you) next week,

Ana I.

Chipper Recapper

Summertime, Va Bene and SB2508 - an evanescent morning at EarlyBirds!

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

I, Ana, brought up summer activities.   We soon learned that...

* TM Jose much prefers to jump over waves than jump into bonfires as the inebriated locals do for fun and for more free sangria.

* TM Jim G. played Slip 'N Slide on flat terrain and prayed not to trip and crash into surrounding rocks and crevices.  He'd rather go jump in the lake.

* DTM Mary Helen enjoys summer stargazing after she concluded that it's quite darn silly to stargaze in cloudy winter nights.

* DTM Jim D. enjoyed picnics in the park as a rowdy kid where he could cause destruction with no parental retribution.

* TM Aleta's remembers Barf Cans - yes, you read that right- in those glorious summer camp  nights.

* TM Scott's wisdom and heart calcifications have curtailed his former addiction to Fairy Dream Banana Splits.  He Won Best Table Topics Award. 

* TM Randolph's adolescent daughter has suddenly developed a taste for other books after being given a list of parental mandatory summer reading.  Yeah, right.

Along came the prepared speeches...

* TM Chris's speech was a feast of audio and visual imageries while she found her voice in a little town in Tuscany where copious amounts of spaghetti fiorentino are consumed by writing workshoppers to the rythm of Va Bene! Va Bene!  She Won Best Speaker Award.

* TM Tom introduced Ralph, his environmentalist cat, who supported the veto of SB 2508 that allows evanescent waters to become effervescent and also bioluminescent.  

As far as evaluations are concerned...

* TM Aleta recapped TM Chris's trip to Italy as Eat, Write, Love.  Ti voglio bene!!

* TM Scott pondered about the significance of tomato, tomatoh, potato, potatoh in the context of Aquafire.   He Won Best Evaluator Award.

The Word of the Day was

EVANESCENT, adj.

Vanishes quickly, like vapor

Etymology:  Evanescere, to vanish 

Example: Most people take evanescent to mean effervescence, phosphorescence and the feeling you get after imbibing lotsa sangria and jumping head-on into a firepit.

TM Randolph has given new meaning to the word multitasking.  He successfully morphes into various roles in front of our very eyes - va bene!  

Link for the YouTube today http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xaewQlYH-WI

See you next week!

Ana 

Recap Writer

Reminiscing, Whatever, Mimi's Strategy and Change of Plans - a memorable day at EarlyBirds!

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

TM Aleta took us down memory lane reminiscing about childhood events.  We learned that....

* TM Randolph is impervious to physical pain which requires multiple sutures and a tetanus shot.

* DTM Jim D.'s grandma was a merry widow when she married his merry MYOB (Make Your Own Beer) grandpa.

* TM Jim G.'s wise and worldly teenage sister Debbie at times gave him disconcerting advice.

* I, Ana, spent joyous Christmases in my early days in Havana, followed by a disconcerting decade, to be subsequently recaptured again for my progeny. I Won Best Table Topics Award.

* TM Pam's all-time favorite childhood memory is digging clams in the cold Pacific waters after enduring warm Florida waters.

* TM Tom's uncovered family secret is that his great grandpa was involved in a shootout with the Dalton Gang in Coffeeville, Kansas - straight out of a John Wayne movie.

Along came the prepared speeches...

*  DTM Mary Helen overcame being disconcerted by a cheeseless bruschetta (correctly pronounced by her) pizza and got a free cannoli as a prize.

* TM Marie (Mimi) successfully survived germ-carriers and mastered Eat, Pray and Love while living to tell her great grandchildren about the olden days of Zoom.  She Won Best Speaker Award.

* DTM Kip showed his grit in overcoming a health challenge and displayed his chipper Southern and Irish core while asking for our unfaltering adoration.

And lastly, we had great evaluations...

* TM Chris was transported back to Roman ruins by DTM Mary Helen's speech and Prego! Prego'd her way to being excavated from them by Moose.  She Won Best Evaluator Award.

*  TM Pam praised TM Marie's outstanding vocal variety and Zoom mastery while suggesting she emulate the Royal Family's disconcerting fascinator hats.

* TM Tom highlighted DTM Kip's humor and bravado which are an inspiration to all of us and will inexorably point us to pick a Pathways, once and for all! .

The Word of the Day was

DISCONCERTING, adj.

How we feel when things are not going right.

Example:  Filling in meeting roles at the last minute is no longer disconcerting for EarlyBirds - now it comes naturally.

Next TLI:  June 18.  Look out for more information.

TM Randolph performed the role of Presiding Officer impeccably, giving us a taste of things to come!

Link for the YouTube recording http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jo1rxCv889A

To get updates on DTM Kip, please visit www.caringbridge.org and write his name in the search box.

See you next week!

Ana

Recap Writer

Hurricane Season, Journeys and Inspiration - a sublime morning at EarlyBirds

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

TM Scott launched us off on a Hurricane Preparedness Plan.  We soon learned that...

* TM Jose feels like a sirocco whirlwind while sipping New Orleans Hurricanes while a plane drops off ice cubes right on his backyard in Javea, Spain.

* I, Ana, am hosting all EarlyBirds at a sublime and ridiculous after-storm party with a generator that runs the house and mixes fabulous drinks, too!  I won Best Table Topics Award.

* DTM Mary Helen waits for her namesake storm to protect and defend the perfect shape of her ficus tree.  

* TM Marie will sing Should I Stay or Should I Go during the onslaught of the storm to prevent the hurricane straps from loosening up.

* TM Val waits for the last-minute prep to wait for the angry winds while living in the closet.

* TM Pam knows that herons hunker down with their transmitters and the ibis is the last bird to leave.  That's why she moved to Orlando.

* TM Randolph is quick on prep, long on partying.  Perfect formula for stress management.

* DTM Jim D.'s storm prep consists of stocking up on vintage years of his favorite red wine.

We, as a group, devised the PERFECT Hurricane Preparedness Plan:

- The night before the storm, over to TM Randolph's for partying.

- The day of the storm, over to TM Marie's for some group singing

- The day after the storm, over to Chez Moi (Ana's) for some hot showers.

And then we moved on to our prepared speeches...

* TM Aleta once again delighted us with her pathways whirlwind which led her from Level 3 of Intellectual Property to Level 1 of Engaging Rumors, back to Level 2 of a Freebie Pathways, traversing the Cloud from a stateless McRonald's to a Garage Starclink which resulted in stable audio strength.  She Won Best Speaker Award.

* Guest Speaker TM Taylor inspired us all with his Cross-Country Zoomerang, after overcoming intense obstacles and starting a non-profit for other Zoomerangers.

Regarding evaluations....

* TM Tom praised TM Aleta for her zeal, zest and zebralike humor which helps her emote across the screen.  

* DTM Mary Helen commended TM Taylor for his inspirational speech and for never taking no for an answer.  She suggested he extend his speech from 6 to 8 to 15-20 minutes to avoid stressing the Timer.   She Won Best Evaluator Award.

The Word of the Day was

SUBLIME, adj or noun

Of such excellence, grandeur or beauty as to inspire awe.

Example:  Life itself runs the gamut between the sublime and the ridiculous.

I will include the link to the recording in a subliminal email.

See you next week!

Ana

Recap Writer