March topics, Thailand-Part II and a Loving Tribute - a mesmeric EarlyBirds meeting

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

TM The Tom moved us with a very loving invocation inspired on our late DTM Jim D.

I, Ana, presented assorted topics pertinent to the month of March.  We discovered that....

* TM Jorge is not quite sure whether he likes Daylight Saving Time or not - sometimes he does, other times he doesn't.  Overall, he'd probably rather live without changing the time.  Or perhaps he would like to get darker later, but then you have to wake up when it's dark.  What a dilemma....You're with 50% of the world's population, Jorge!

* TM Paolo has nominated his wife as Good Samaritan of the Day and Year, because it takes a Good Samaritan to deal with a rowdy bunch of young kids, especially bright and early in the morning.  He can't wait to have some peace and quiet, even in the midst of rush hour traffic.

* TM The Tom reminded us that nothing, nada, niente, compares to the joyful boisterousness and mesmeric routines of St Patty's Day for a Fightin Irish like himself.  The Equinox can go find a four-leaf clover for all he cares....

* TM Marie shared EarlyBird shenanigans - she blatantly misled and mesmerized her innocent husband by bringing him a cookbook authored and personally autographed for him by none other than Sofia Loren at the Toastmasters Contest - in authentic Italian provided by our very own TM Paolo.  She Won Best Table Topics Award.

* TM BeckyJo disputed the discovery date of Pluto - Pluto was discovered after Mickey and before Uranus - although Pluto is not a planet anymore, Pluto will always be a standup dog.  That's all folks!

We had one mesmeric speech....

* TM Jose dazzled us with his Thailand - Part II, mainly about the Thai archipelago - Koh Tao - Nguyen Islands and coral reefs Twin Peaks and Japanese Gardens, Krabi - Railay Beach - get there by boat only and rent a chaise/umbrella combo for $2/day, visit Chinatown in Bangkok to see a REAL Chinatown and learn to cook Thai food in the city within the city.  November 23  2026 - we're all coming to visit the Gulds on their cruise stopover in Thailand!!  He Won Best Speaker Award.

* TM The Tom evaluated this second part of TM Jose's Thailand adventure and... The Tom wants MORE, MORE, MORE.  He suggested TM Jose expand his speech into a 12-15 minute more detailed description of island-hopping, scuba dives and dining experiences.  He Won Best Evaluator Award.

* TM Chris put together a moving, mesmeric tribute of our late DTM Jim D.  Categorized by various aspects of his personality, we were reminded of our loss of a friend and valuable member of our Club.  Thank you TM Chris for this extraordinary remembrance.

Our newest Toastmaster and first-time Ah Counter TM Jorge, did an outstanding job of listening for Ahs, Ehrs, You Knows, Ummms and other fillers.  Way to go, TM Jorge!

The Word of the Day was

MESMERIC, adj

Hypnotic induction held to involve animal magnetism

Hypnotic appeal

Our EarlyBird meetings have a mesmeric quality to them.

Here's the link to the recording

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfAb_aU4N18

See you next week!

Ana I.

Recap Writer

* 

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

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Along came speeches...

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

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

And along came the evaluations....

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

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

The Word of the Day was

PERSISTENCE, noun

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

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

See you next week,

Ana I.

Recap Writer 

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

 

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

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

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

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

Then came the prepared speeches.

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

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

Then came evaluations.

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

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

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

True Grit, Board Bullies and Travelogs - an endearing morning at EarlyBirds!

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

TM Aleta led us with True Grit in Table Topics.  We found out that...

* TM Gail got rewarded for her efforts to not let  life interfere with her goal to acquire super duper higher education.

* TM Marie has a cowboy husband and all she wants is to declutter the closet from cowboy accoutrements.  Sheesh....

* TM Jarrett steps forward first in order to back up properly, and mostly thanks the inventor of backup cameras in cars.  He Won Best Table Topics Award.

* TM BeckyJo heard the best fairy tale for adults from a storyteller who only used a bandana as a prop.  Goes to show that less is more....

* I, Ana, shun activities that are injuries waiting to happen and focus on being content with my mostly sedentary daily life.

* TM Paolo looks back, depending on what he's looking at - the past is gone and done, the future is not here yet.  Welcome back, TM Paolo!

* TM Randolph doesn't keep a specific tool handy but is respectful of people's time and thus just keeps his entire toolbox handy at all times, as a precaution.

Along came the prepared speeches...

* TM The Tom made TM skills real by telling us how he spoke publicly in a cogent, cohesive, coherent way (where are you , TM Carmine, when your favorite alliterations are used?).  He Won Best Speaker Award.

* DTM Jim D. took us to Berlin, Cologne, Hamburg, Dusseldorf, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Poland, back to Bonn and ending up eating Black Forest Cake in the Black Forest.  All because of a single solitary travel brochure!

As far as evaluations go....

* TM Randolph honed in on the brief tidbits of TM The Tom's life.  He highly encourages TM Tom to sing us the song "In The Navy" by the Village People.  He Won Best Evaluator Award.

* TM Paolo praised DTM Jim D. for his pace, pitch, projection (again, TM Carmine?) and asked him to please look at the camera instead of at the next travel brochure.

The Word of the Day was

ENDEARING, adjective

Arousing feelings of affection or admiration

Displaying a charming attitude.

Example:  Our camaraderie at EarlyBirds is highly endearing

Here's the link to the recording

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxVIZnzg62s

See you next week!

Ana I.

Endearing Recap Writer (methinks)

Prevaricators, Equivocators and Quibblers - nothing but embellished truths at EarlyBird Toastmasters

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

We inducted our newest member, TM Gail.  Welcome aboard!  

Without wasting any time, we showed off our unequivocal truthtelling skills....

* TM Aleta's ex, ironically named "Spike" was a lineman for the county and built her a 3-story treehouse on a Pennsylvania Sequoia, where Aleta currently resides and breeds frequent flyer snakes.

* TM Chris panned for gold in the Yukon, befriended a pet porcupine and bonded with a Sasquatch Bigfoot Yeti with magical powers who returned her to her gold-digging parents.  She Won Best Tall Tales  Award.

* TM Tom owned a bar for immigrants called Ellis Island smack in downtown Casablanca and sold the movie rights to the producer of Grand Hotel.

* DTM Mary Helen is not sure which language she's learning but Babel Live has brought her BFF Ghanan poligamist Prince Money Moody Gumbo while DTM Jim ponders it all...

* DTM Jim D. is a self-proclaimed word -and scotch - massager who wants to fly again on Aeropol Pot #13 with VIP Xerob and Chairman SplashScotchIfThere'sNo Vodka.

* I, Ana, am volting for the Man From Paris, who is currently running for Woke Mayor of Miami Beach for the proliferation of black beans and platanitos.

*  TM Jose traveled to hallowed sites like Benghazi and Tripoli, Libya, where oil sprinklers abound and now that Gaddafi is RIP, are converted into Olive Oil for Caesar Salads.

Because the order .does not alter the product (or so said my Math teacher back in the day), we then had Table Tropics, led by TM Aleta.  We soon learned that....

* TM Pam is having margaritas and singing La Cucaracha in honor of Mexico's Patron Saint, San Patricio.  Viva Chimichanga!

* TM Marie will spend Easter being Holy and gobbling down the perfect marriage - chocolate bunny ears combined with peanut butter.  Or what's a heaven for???

* TM Randolph is spending Spring Break searching for food at a Broward Fairground just a block away from home with his foodie kids.  No Elbo Room for him, no sireeee!

* TM Ricardo is planning a Toastmasters 100-year celebration in a Pacific deserted island.  All we need is a grammarian and Ah Counter.

* TM Gail West is hiring a computer savage maid to do her spring cleaning while she luxuriously sits in a hotel balcony overlooking the ocean.  She Won Best Table Topics Award.

* TM BeckyJo mostly watches her garden keenly and intently and she looooves weeds, which provide food for bees and thus she supports the Nature Channel.

General Evaluator TM BeckyJo read Yoodlie (Artificial Intelligence, better than Natural Stupidity)'s Ah Counter report:  Everyone scored 25 Ahs or more, 35 Errrs or more and 40 You knows in the course of the meeting.  She marveled at our group's capacity to tell the truth, the complete truth and nothing but the truth - so don't help us God!

The Word of the Day was

PREVARICATOR, noun

A person who speaks falsely; a liar

A person who avoids precise truths, a quibbler, an equivocator.

Example:  TM Pam is in direct competition with her prevaricator Rain Bird sprinkler timer for internet stability.  Rain Bird prevails, most of the time.

Here's the link to the recording:

https://youtube.com/live/hXpv4ZHP_Yk

Equivocally submitted,

Ana I.

Recap Fibber

Black History Month Quotes, Corporate Secrecy and AI - an audacious morning at EarlyBirds!

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

TM Marie launched us off with some thought-provoking topics by or about blacks.

We discovered that...

* TM Terri is grateful that as a 6-year-old she was sent alone to the US from her native Cuba because it made her the audacious person that she is today.  She's proud to be an American, where at least she knows she's free (sung to the tune of "God Bless America")

* TM Jose reminded us that character equals to face adversity and overcome fear, a shining example being the US military ground troops. He's proud to be an American, where at least he knows he's free (sung to the tune of "God Bless America").   He Won Best Table Topics Award.

* TM The Tom knew of baseball legend Jackie Robinson who had to face racial discrimination with a great display of character.

* Guest Jarrett wants to live a poetic life and is following the dreams set forth by renowned poet Kahlil Gibran.

* I, Ana, was a chronic complainer but, unlike my late mother-in-law, I was able to find enough music in musicals.

* TM Chris found that humanity is everywhere - the uppity French were kind to her on 9/11 and urged Jim and her to brush up on their French by reading Le Monde, parbleu!

* TM Aleta looks back at her achievements and is able to overcome her fleeting moments of feeling inept and irrelevant.

* TM BeckyJo remarked that words are powerful- they can create or they can destroy.  MLK Jr. chose love and was audaciously inspirational!  And she has officially notified us that she will use AI for her next Table Topic reply.

Along came "The Dueling Jims" with their prepared speeches...

* DTM Jim D. revealed the mystery behind Liggett Corp in NC and Moscow, hidden behind attorney-client privilege, which was broken by Ben, the Marlboro Man, and whereby bodyguards were offered and declined while the ugly truth was revealed.  Now half the planet is strictly on doobies.  He Won Best Speaker Award.

* TM Jim G. prefers Artificial Intelligence over Natural Stupidity to prepare Toastmaster speeches.  By golly, you can write your speech while you idly wait to get your tooth extracted at the dentist.  

As far as evaluations go...

* TM Pam reconfirmed to herself that money buys silence and praised DTM Jim D. for revealing the dirty secrets of corporate America and encouraged him to channel TM Paolo - wild hand gestures, use of graphics, extremely Italian vocal variety.  .

* TM Paolo lauded TM Jim G. for an educational speech and asked him PER FAVORE not to start the speech by announcing the speech since the Toastmaster already did that.  And, conclude the speech with THUNDER.  GRAZIE GENTILMENTE.  He Won Best Evaluator Award.

The Word of the Day was

AUDACIOUS, adj.

confident, daring, bold and surprising

Example:  It's pretty audacious for a modern-day politician to pretend they're very honest and transparent.  Puaffff!

Here's the link to the recording:

https://youtube.com/live/KqFAZiO3TXg

See you next week!

Ana I.

Audacious Recap Writer

Cognitive bias, A Killer Project and On The Road for Turkey Time - it's all in the giving at EarlyBirds

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

After a thoughtful invocation and a humorous pre- Halloween trifecta of jokes, TM The Tom launched us in Table Topics about Cognitive Bias, bequeathed to him by our late DTM Kip.

We were to discover that...

* TM Terri has an ingroup bias to one of her groups, where members understand parenting crazy offspring and even find humor in it.  She Won Best Table Topics Award.

* TM Pam bought a typewriter B.S. (Before Selectrix) and was suffering from sunk cost bias, or giving up the $5 it cost you because today its cost is negative $100.

* TM Randolph experiences bystander effect out of not knowing, not from indifference, and thinks it's best left that way.

* TM Marie believes in the placebo effect because after all, it's all about attitude and centering prayer.

* DTM Mary Helen's mind is made up so please don't confuse her with the facts.  She suffers from acute confirmation bias.

We then moved on to (2) outstanding prepared speeches...

* Soon-to-be-officially crowned DTM Aleta definitely went through the wringer succumbing to her weakness for volunteering.  Her murder mystery party with casino involved resulted in a near-real-life murder, three downed dealers and croupiers and a hefty fund collection for a worthy cause.  She Won Best Speaker Award.

* DTM Jim D. and his HOG did 50,000 motorcycle miles to alphabetical Florida city (except X which is vacant) and presented photographic evidence to quality.  The HOG raised over $4000 for underprivileged families.  

As far as evaluations go...

* TM Marie commended DTM Aleta for turning into Kenny Rogers' The Gambler and knowing when to fold 'em, and when to hold 'em   She Won Best Evaluator Award.

* TM Chris praised DTM Jim for showing us a little bit of crazy indeed and his good use of slides.  A formal petition is under way in Tallahassee  to rename Yeehaw Junction,  Zeehaw Junction East.

As TM Pam pointed out, today's prepared speeches showed that the public speaking and leadership skills we acquire in Toastmasters are applied to worthy causes in our communities.

The Word of the Day was

LIE, verb or noun

Be or assume a horizontal resting position

As a noun: the way, direction or position in which something lies.

Example:  He was getting familiar with the lie of the streets.  

This word caused a chronic state of confusion in the group, between lay, lie, lied, laid.  TM Chris is working on a syllabus for a 40 minute workshop.  More will be revealed, and that is not a lie.

The link to the recording will be forthcoming.

See you next week!

Ana I.

Recap Writer

Favorites, A Kiss is a Kiss, Who Are They? An inherently rich morning at Early Birds!

Dear Members, Friends and Guests,

Our Prez TM Jim G. started us off with an inspiring invocation about our mutually supportive communication enhancement objectives.

TM Randolph asked us about our favorite...

* song.... TM Aleta's inherent ballroom dancer's DNA awakened and she waltzed around the room to the tune of Sweet Caroline.

* app .... TM Tom's is OFF, DISCARD, DISCONNECT, DROP OFF, IGNORE, THROW OUT, STOMP phone... which he, like the rest of us, cannot live without.  He Won Best Table Topics Award but his phone has been confiscated by Apple.

* holiday...  TM Ricardo likes Christmas Eve midnight dinner, when his family toasts, kisses, hugs, dances while reminiscing about the ghosts of Christmas past.

* industry... TM Chris asserted that many individuals don't know technology training exists but you must be inherently avid to learn for her to even come near you!

* age... I, Ana, prefer my first 10 years as a competitive swimmer - a giant among short people and carrying around my birth certificate to prove my age.

* book... DTM Mary Helen is reading Zuruck zur Liebe (a Return to Love, Volver al Amor) just to learn to tell Jim Ich Liebe Dich...

* first job... DTM Jim delivered papers in snowdrifted Syracuse to buy a Schwinn black phantom bike.  He got the bike but suffered frostbite!

We had a great icebreaker and a great speech today...

* TM Ricardo likes to write short stories, prepare videos and fly glider planes, and had an inherently emotional father-son moment when his father became his brother-in-flying.  He Won Best Speaker Award.

* DTM Jim finally revealed what we all suspected:  he comes from a long line of undercover La Cosa Nostra Lincoln Towncar drivers disguised behind very tall hedges.  He Won Best Speaker Award.

Along came the evaluations...

* TM Aleta concluded that TM Ricardo is a fearless risk taker who speaks with clarity and likes high altitude kisses in the mouth.

* TM Pam concluded you cannot judge "The Family" by its book covers and liked DTM Jim D's Rayban sunglasses as seen from a high angle.  She Won Best Evaluator Award.

The Word of the Day was

INHERENT, adj

Existing in something as permanent, essential or characteristic.

Example:  The latitude and longitude of Florida on Planet Earth make it inherently hot, hotter and hottest all year round.  Why do people act surprised?

Being inherently an international club, we were visited by our former member and lasting friend, Miki O.. now residing in her native Kumamoto, Japan.   Happy to see you again, Miki!

Next week, our Area Director, DTM Lois M., will speak at our Club.  Be sure not to miss it!  

Here's the link to the recording:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3S9K47H7lA

See you next week!

Ana

Recap Writer

Blarney Stone Kiss, Quagmire Ascension and Strange World Poobahs - advocating at EarlyBirds

Dear Members, Guests, Friends,

TM Chris had us symbolically kiss the Blarney Stone and we developed the Gift of Gab - ironic, since the Stone is near Cork, Ireland - which should instead put a cork on our verbosity.  Oh well, I digress.    We uncovered and discovered that...

* TM Pam is rubbing her hands anticipating her grown children to reciprocate for all the pristine diaper-changing that she lovingly bestowed upon them. 

* TM BeckyJo vividly recalls discovering color TV in Hawaii amidst PuPu Platters and after Rin Tin Tin, color TV has never been the same. She Won Best Table Topics Award.

* TM Randolph advocates for a light football Hurricane season in the midst of a light natural disaster season without toppling his childhood treehouse.

* TM Paolo is still circling Miami in his flight from the heel of the boot in Puglia and needs an alarm clock to set his circadian rythms straight.. sometime next week.

* DTM Mary Helen found a thoroughly trained DTM Jim D, thanks to the advocacy of his late first wife and now Mary Helen's best friend forever.

* TM Jim G. gets chills down his spine when he visits and revisits the bridge of his childhood near the Jersey coastline.

We heard two prepared speeches...

* TM Marie was finally able to untangle herself from Mom's flowing skirts at the tender age of 30 and joined a group of contemplative scholars to break through the Pathways barrier.  She Won Best Speaker Award.

* DTM Jim D. has indeed met  oddball friends in unlikely aviation circles - Terminator Cop,  Erectyle Dole Pineapple, Transformer Bruce, Barry O. and presumably the only alleged pervert worth negatively singling out, The Donald McRonald.  

Along came the evaluations...

* TM Tom praised TM Marie for staying on point and taking risks while ricocheting her shymeter in the midst of a heterogeneous group.

* TM Aleta encouraged DTM Jim D. to use more vocal variety because monotones become homophones and then it's creek vs creak; hole vs whole; incite vs insight and dangerously lead to homonyms - accept vs except, affect vs effect.   You get the drift.  She Won Best Evaluator Award.

We arrived at several momentous revelations...

* By popular acclaim, we will start collecting $500 per Ummm and Errrr in order to cross the pond and celebrate our Club's 60th Anniversary in Xavea, Spain.    The date is Saturday, September 16, 2023.

* TM Jim G. has officially joined the Refurbished Hippy Movement as honorary President.

The Word of the Day was

ADVOCATE, noun or verb

To support or argue for

To plead in favor of

It's always better to be the backer, defender, promoter, supporter, lawyer than a plain old arguer.

The link to today's recording:

https://youtu.be/-xSEZCeh5IQ

See you next week!

Ana

Recap Writer

Idioms, Success or Failure and A Humorous Remembrance - a fun morning at EarlyBirds!

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

TM Randolph inspired us with multifaceted idioms.  We were to find out that...

* TM Emmanuel grew up with a father who exemplified the best of both worlds - a hardworking good father to seven children.

* TM Pam is patiently waiting to see her kids get a taste of their own medicine when their kids become snotty teenagers.   Na-na-na-na-na.  She Won Best Table Topics Award.

* TM Chris does not bite the bullet.  She has the best of both worlds: she does what she likes and what she doesn't like... well... Jim believes that a happy wife is a happy life.

* DTM Mary Helen experienced a blessing in disguise by mildly spraining her ankle which led her to sleep in Emilio Estevez's quaint inn with a stranger from the Swiss Alps.

* TM Aleta does not mention M-A-C-B-E-T-H because it leads to unbroken legs in theater circles.

* I, Ana, fully believe that pigs can fly just as much as cats and dogs can rain any given day of the week.

* TM Jim G. lets many cats out of the bag and when he realizes it, he wishes the person to break a leg and stuff it in a box.

* TM Tom had the gain of drug-free kids by suffering the pain of being the taxidriver of (4) champion swimmers whose routine began at 4:30 am every morning.

In the prepared speeches...

* DTM Jim D.impressed us with his multilingual talent:  "Bon dia, buenos dias, good morning" which could never be equaled by Columbus, a slightly disoriented giggolo (see below)  who thought he could go East by travelling West in the Pinta, the Nina and the Santa Maria - while being financed by a woman, Queen Isabella.

* We saw a replay, aptly screenshared by our SAA TM Marie, of the late DTM Kip encouraging us to be anarchists, to ignore the Pathways rules and stay in abeyance in Level III forever - the answer is to have FUN - or it's not Toastmasters!

Dates to Remember:   June 17 at 10:30 am HYBRID BRUNCH AT THE GULDS'..  If you're on Zoom, BYOM (Bring Your Own Mimosas).

The Word of the Day was

ABEYANCE, noun

temporary halt; suggests a state of holding or waiting.

Mostly used in unintelligible hearings regarding property rights.

Example: Till matters are resolved, this Word of the Day will be held in abeyance.  (If you don't get my drift, hold it in abeyance)...

Here's the link to the recording:  

https://youtu.be/Qn1CwsR9a1A

See you next week!

Ana I.

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

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

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, 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

Obscure Idioms, Poo-Bahs, Giants and Replanning Life - an interesting morning at EarlyBirds

Dear Members, Guests and Friends:

 

TM Tom boggled our minds with obscure idioms that no one has ever heard of:

 

• DTM Mary Helen affably wishes that, besides having the common touch, she could have more vocal regulators in the U-Haul of life.
• TM Aleta pondered about the Aborigenes who practice (/ˈkuːiː/) , a shout originated in Australia to attract attention, find missing people, or indicate one's own location. The word "cooee" originates from the Dharug language of Aboriginal Australians in the Sydney area. ... It means "come here" and has now become widely used in Australia as a call over distances.  She also complained that her metal roof is very noisy during hailstorms in Western Pennsylvania.
• I, Ana, evoked those distant days of raising  children, who are expert at crocodile tears to manipulate their way through life.  I was trained not to believe adult Poo-Bahs and their crocodile tears!  I Won Best Table Topics Award.
• DTM Kip broke into song when asked if he's ever been cruel to be kind.  Check it out!  https://youtu.be/b0l3QWUXVho
• TM Carmine 'fessed up that, while in his cups, he was a book cooker until the Grand Poo-Bahs of External Revenue took him down an Emeril notch.
• TM Jim G.  cudgels his brain – not easy to do – as he brings in the EarlyBird banner and all such accoutrements of the Sargeant-At-Arms.
• TM Jose fondly took us back to the Moorish conquest of Spain – which lasted a mere 900 years- which still takes the blame for Spaniards' food sharing poor habits.  It's all forgiven because they later invented tapas.
• TM Marie reminded us that ALL of us, Poo-Bahs and Non-Poo-Bahs, are in the dress rehearsal before the final curtain drops. Let's practice!

 

As far as prepared speeches go….

 

• DTM Jim D. forgot that he had retired… 7 times… and is loving his current work at a friend's airline with a periodic commute to… Anchorage! From Harleys to jetliners… it's all in a day's work and a variety of virtual backgrounds!
• TM Randolph reminded us of what we already knew:  behind every Poo-Bah in history, there's been a Mrs. Grand Poo-Bah or a Mommy Grand Poo-Bah.  Fullstop.  He Won Best Speaker Award.

 

In the realm of evaluations…

 

• TM Aleta thoroughly enjoyed DTM Jim D.'s speech and marveled at his non-negotiation pause skills which landed him a very lucrative job!
• TM Marie admired TM Randolph's praise of noteworthy female Poo-Bahs and encouraged him to incorporate a personal story to make a great speech more impactful.  She Won Best Evaluator Award.

 

Zoom Watcher TM Paolo  keenly watched us,  and reported that:

 

• Virtual backgrounds enhance or detract from our communication.  He gave us some easy, failsafe formulas to properly position ourselves in our Zoom screens:

 

• Distance Formula: d=√(x₁ – x₂)² + (y₁ – y₂)² ...
• Slope Formula: Slope = y₂ – y₁ / x₂ – x₁ ...
• Slope Intercept: y=mx+b. ...
• Midpoint Formula: (x₁+x₂) / 2, (y₁+y₂) / 2.

TM Paolo  personally favors corner-angle real backgrounds which give depth to the pie r squared area of the room.    <![if !vml]><![endif]><![if !vml]><![endif]>

 

In case you didn't guess the Word of the Day yet, I encourage you to cudgel your brain = think hard.  Something's definitely amiss.

 

POO-BAH, noun

1. A person holding many public or private offices.
2. A person in high position of great influence.

 

Example:  We are all Poo-Bahs in our own legendary minds.

 

YouTube Link for today's recording-http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Io15OBfllQo

 

See you next week at Tall Tales!

 

Ana

Recap Writer

Earlybird meeting May 14, 2020

 

Somehow this meeting got missed.

I don't have a recap for it.

I found it to add because it has Chris' "My Yeti" speech.

A Morning of Exaggeration, Embellishment and Outright Lies: Early Bird Tall Tales At Its Best

 

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,



We dispensed with Table Topics and got right down to Tall Tales. And we learned that….

• DTM Kip is a time-proven meanderer of rural prairies with lonely bulls and no, if you’re thinking this was Spain, you guessed wrong. The setting was none other than manicured landscaped Boca Raton, Florida near an ALF.
• TM Joe had us in stitches with his family summer trip to Canada when he was 14 years old when Sicilian tempers, dropped down pants, mosquitoes feasting on old Uncles’ butts and seeing things that could never be unseen. It’s certainly “a mad, mad, mad world!”
• At the not-so-gentle insistence of his wife, TM Carmine has drank Lysol repeatedly during the pandemic but so far it hasn’t killed him, although he’s squeeky clean inside. His wife has not given up. Stay tuned.
• I told a story of love and betrayal, starring a Cuban couple with very long names, lots of Cuban food, Santeria, infidelity and a happy ending with impotence caused by a Tofu overdose. More will be revealed.
• DTM Mary Helen told us of the difference between her – good natured, sweet, innocent – and her evil identical twin Maureen – excitable, wicked, twisted – who is actually the one who attends EarlyBirds in her stead.
• DTM Jim D. told us about one of his flights on Aeroflot, a Russian version of a Cartagena de Indias bus with chickens and supplemented by lots of free-floating vodka, consumed mostly by the pilot.
• TM Aleta is a consummate repurposer and recycler, using her lab retriever’s hair to spin a yarn and show off a Lab Retriever coat which she uses to light up her home made lint fire starters in those cold Pennsylvania winters.
• TM Tom told us about the Taming of the Crew – his 4 children- during a vacation by car to visit Grandma up north. They barely survived the anarchic fighting and Tom’s wife started him on a Tofu diet ipso facto.

TM Jim G. kept us on time and gave a great general evaluation of the meeting. We had a number of returning EarlyBirds and guests who said they will come back.



The Word of the Day was EXAGGERATE, which needs no further explanation. Lies, lies and more lies.



Below is the link to the recording of the meeting in YouTube.



https://youtu.be/BmrK4TvU5lg



See you next week!



Virtually yours,



Ana

Sargeant-at-Arms