Prevarication, lies and untruths - a morning of embellishment at EarlyBirds

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

TM Pam inspired us with an embellished invocation.

We then proceeded to hear Tall Tales, Untruths and Other Prevarications from our group.

* TM Aleta finds old coins, arrowheads and other antique relics when excavating her back yard and told the tale of Sugarfoot, who was murdered by Tom Quinn, who buried the money and never found the money because TM Aleta has it.

* TM BeckyJo, aka Queen Marley, is a redheaded Royal Hawaiian, a descendant of the Goddess Pele of the Volcano who has flashes of temper from time to time, just like she does....

* TM Christina saved Space Camp Canada when the simulator crashed and they lost power to Quebec - she won the ribbon for such accomplishments.

* TM Pam kayaked with her pet alligator, Eleanor, and eventually got rid of the pet and invented standing paddle board on a gator.  She Won Best Tall Tales Speaker Award.

* I, Ana, resorted to a psychic in Madrid who transformed my ex into a pigeon which flew back to Bolivia in the wings of a 747 with a pigeonesque logo tatooed on his forehead.

* TM Randolph, radiotransmitting today from Australia, had no car and no job on his first date and a mother who won the Lotto.  He had to buy his date a new car after drowning her car in Slushies.  And only then she agreed to marry him...

* TM Veronica lived a gothic soap opera in a French Chateau surrounded by bats, liver pate and duck during  a hideously dehydrating weekend.  No fromage in sight....

* TM The Tom had his first legal case in Homestead (aka Dysfunction Junction) in the 60s where the charges were dismissed due to the Judge's hilarity attack.

* TM Jose drove his Harley up a mountain, met up with Pedro, the insomniac chef of a 2-star Michelin restaurant who donated Bon Am to Jose, who has now enlisted all of EarlyBirds to fly his private jet and go run the restaurant with him.  We're all headed to Fort Lauderdale airport as we speak!

The Word of the Day was

EMBELLISHMENT, noun

A detail, especially one that is not true, added to a statement or story to make it more interesting or entertaining.

Example:  At EarlyBirds today, we did not let pesky facts get in the way of our embellishments.

Here's the link to our recording:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZ8CODQHK8c

See you next week!

Ana I.

Recap Writer

Uncovered Gems, Intentions & Flow, My Way - a farewell to a gem at EarlyBirds

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

With deep gratitude and heavy hearts, we said our Farewells to our Club Founder and lasting friend, DTM Mary Helen, who has chosen to pursue other life paths.

TM Marie recently had the urge to purge and led us in uncovered gems found in her closet:

* TM Gail evoked the days of cursive writing and hopes, like many of us, that it will come back.  In the interim, we can write anything and know youngsters will not understand a word - known as 'under cover of cursive."

* TM Aleta always visualizes her giving a speech and most importantly, foresees a successful outcome.  And... it never fails!

* TM Christine's first and longer-lasting mentor was her 4th grade teacher, who believed in her, trusted her, and holds a special place in her life even today.  She Won Best Table Topics Award.

* TM Christina has always aimed for self-control ever since Parent Open Houses in elementary school.  She's persistent and opinionated and it has served her well in many respects.

* TM BeckyJo displayed a classic Mary Helen pivot  into fascinating her audience by pondering about the essence of life, and who is she now anyway???

* TM The Tom despises passwords and lives in password chaos ad infinitum.  He much more enjoys cursive logos such as Coca Cola and Ford.

* TM Jorge looks at his child straight in the eyes and sees gratitude and questioning.  He vows to support his son in any life script his son chooses to pursue.

* I, Ana, do believe in Love - which is, as we all know, a many-splendored thing and manifests in many different forms.  

We had (2) outstanding prepared speeches...

* TM Randolph polished his earlier speech about Intentions and Flow into a steak with lots of marbling and juicy tidbits.  He will because he wants.

* TM Jose showed his own brand of leadership in walking the Camino in his own way - for health, spirituality and great food.  800 kilometers to hug St. James.  He Won Best Speaker Award.

Along came evaluations...

* TM The Tom praised TM Randolph for his amalgamation of info into a more cohesive, well-developed speech.  Now a steak, next a roast beef.  He Won Best Evaluator Award.

* TM Aleta admired TM Jose's emblematic smooth voice and she encourages him to add more vocal variety, especially in the delicious food slides.  

The Word of the Day was

MARY HELEN, noun 

An adventurous, committed multilingual fan who is an example to her peers.

Example:  EarlyBirds has many Mary Helen wannabes in its midst.  

MARY HELEN, adjective

Emulating the qualities of DTM Mary Helen.

Example:  TM Aleta's speech Mary Helened in unsuspected ways.

Here's the link to the recording:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWK1kXTh714

See you next week!

Ana

Recap Writer

Things to Ponder, Bring Back The Tomboys, Intentions vs Actions - an impetuous meeting at EarlyBirds!

Dear Members, Guests, and Friends,

FIrst-time Invocator TM Christina started our meeting with a thoughtful invocation. 

TM Cory launched us with deep, thought-provoking table topics...

* DTM Mary Helen has had many moments that changed her life - Al-Anon, Toastmasters, having children, astrology... and more to come!  

* TM Gail was chosen as a student from many schools for a noteworthy cause and this was a day she would gladly relive, over and over again.

* TM BeckyJo would change the day she got married and that would in turn, eliminate her flawed belief that if she became perfect, her husband would love her! She Won Best Table Topics Award.

* TM Christina has experienced many moments of personal growth in different stages of her life, with different mentors, and she's still always changing.

* TM Jorge faced a challenge of getting injured when first being initiated in technology that turned into a blessing in disguise - he became self-taught and moved ahead.

* TM Veronica is going to write a letter to her future self asking her to be kinder, gentler and more loving to herself, and to reinforce her self-confidence and self-trust.

Along came our prepared speeches...

* TM Christine reminisced about her tomboy childhood which led to some gender ambivalence and has finally brought her full circle to enjoying her femininity and is starting a movement to "Bring Tomboys Back"! She Won Best Speaker Award.

* TM Randolph plants the seeds of noble intentions which lead to actions that agree with the flow of the divinity and acknowledges God in all ways, at all times.

Regarding the evaluations...

* TM Jose praised TM Christine for her courage in presenting a controversial topic with excellent vocal variety, great eye contact and suggested she limit the gender descriptions for audience understanding.  He Won Best Evaluator Award.

* TM The Tom thoroughly enjoyed TM Randolph's spiritual speech and encouraged him to present the speech again so he can evaluate it again.

The Word of the Day was

IMPETUOUS, adj.

Characterized by undue haste and lack of thought or deliberation; incautious.

or

Marked by violent force or strength

Example:  He slammed the door so impetuously that it came off its hinges.

Here's the link to the recording:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TAuGPcMaY5U

See you next week!

Ana I.

Impetuous Wizard of Ahhhs

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

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Along came the prepared speeches....

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

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

In terms of the evaluations...

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

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

The Word of the Day was

PROLIFIC, adjective

Producing or able to produce large amounts

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

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

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

See you next week!

Ana Illsen

VP Education

Summertime, Milei and Letter to My Son - no fake news at EarlyBirds today!

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

TM Pam's Solstice Invocation in memory of DTM Kip started us off.

I, Ana, led with summer-themed table topics.  We realized that...

* TM Paolo's favorite summer activity as a teenager was chasing girls, and his favorite summer activity as a father of teenagers is watching the teenagers without blinking.

* TM Marie was spat upon by a large fish in Universal theme park which grossed her out but managed to keep her cool.  She Won Best Table Topics Award.

* TM Tim loves all food but his favorite summer food is eating watermelon near the Ohio River and having seed-spitting competitions with his brother.

* TM Jose's favorite summer song is Alice Cooper's School's Out, school's out for the summer, school's out forever, I'm bored to pieces - and then he chased the girls....

* TM Aleta wore a skimpy itsy bitsy teeny weeny yellow polkadot bikini... and in the water, she wanted to stay...One, Two, Three, Four, Tell the People What She Wore!

* TM The Tom's favorite summer childhood memory was staying cool with the Maid of the MIst waterfall in Niagara Falls.  Oh what a summer that was!

Along came the prepared speeches...

* TM Ricardo shared the sad decline of Argentina as the top country in the world to the 70th - or 140th by some accounts - due to generations of widespread corruption and how the current President, Javier Milei, is attempting to right that ship of state.  Viva la Libertad, Carajo!!

* TM Randolph read us a heartfelt letter to his son, where Randolph now has allowed space for his son's dreams to play into his son's life, and he, Randolph, is just a loving father.  He Won Best Speaker Award.

Regarding the evaluations...

* TM Aleta praised TM Ricardo for the educational nature of his speech where we learned that a President's hair does not need to be coiffed to decrease inflation and eliminate corruption.

* TM The Tom totally related to TM Randolph's letter to his son and agreed that parenting does not come with a User's Manual.  He Won Best Evaluator Award.

The Word of the Day was

FAKE NEWS, noun

False stories that appear as news, spread on internet and other media, and are created to influence political views or intended as a joke.

Example:  In this day and age of instant communication and Artificial Intelligence, everything is technically fake news.  That's the story - and we're sticking to it!

Here's the link to the recording

https://youtube.com/live/q3b2zhgUjpY?feature=share

See you next week!

Ana I.

Recap Writer

Mother's Day, Seagulls and Life Mentors - an inspiring day at Early Birds!

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

We formally inducted TM Christine into our Club! Welcome again, Christine!

First timer Table Topics Master Jarrett (great job!) led us with Mother's Day-related  topics.  We were soon to discover that...

* DTM Mary Helen loooves having her sons cook her a scrumptious and made-with-love meal of their choice on Mother's Day and any other day, frankly.

* TM Gail's role model was her grandmother, who owned many acres of farmland and inspired her to be a hard worker in academia.

* TM Christine and her sister toiled hard to make a Mother's Day meal of runny grits and overdone eggs but at least they forgot to butter the toast.  Their mother appeared to be impressed!

* TM Aleta, one among 6 girls and a tomboy by nature learned how to be a lady from her mother - even when changing a dead battery on a lawn mower.  She Won Best Table Topics Award.

* TM Chris, her mother and grandmother were 3 peas in a pod who passed for triplets.  Her mother taught her how to live a good, fun life.  She revealed -even to her husband- that she can sew!  Oh oh... loose buttons, here they come!

Regarding the prepared speeches...

* I, Ana, spoke about becoming a Spanish seagull, "Juan Sebastian Gaviota" and flying over the VERY crowded beaches of Spain looking for lost flashy metal objects and gold jewelry.

* TM Randolph, self-proclaimed Protege of Many, Master of None, listed his many mentors - including two dear Aunties- who taught him to seek the truth, stand up for himself, love of family, live according to his beliefs and speak well of his wife...  He Won Best Speaker Award.

And then came evaluations...

* TM Tom praised me for not letting my notes hide me from the camera but he really wishes I could work on inserting MORE Spanish names into my speech, por el amor de Dios!

* TM Chris loved TM Randolph's heartfelt, inspiring speech, its creative title and asked him to continue to inspire us like he did today.  She Won Best Evaluator Award.

The Word of the Day was

EXASPERATED, adj.

Having or showing strong feelings of irritation

Example:  When life's script does not match my own - most of the time- I become exasperated!

EXASPERATE, verb

Irritates intentionally

Example:  Some people have a special skill to exasperate others.  Just look around and you'll find them!

Here's the link to the recording:

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

See you next week!

Ana I.

Recap Writer

Fantasies, I'm Not Perfect and a Retrospective - finding our waypoint at EarlyBirds

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

TM Jim G. led us on a path of fantasy.  We discovered that...

* TM Aleta converses fluently with a hiperclean Possum Family in her backyard - and they ended up snatching her into another dimension in front of our very eyes.

* TM Gail wants her superpower to be the capacity to sleep for 72 hours straight instead of doing algebraic calculations all night about her forthcoming icebreaker speech.

* I, Ana, revealed my weirdest dream where my late first husband and my current husband gyrated their single head in a perfect replica of The Exorcist.

* TM Marie wants cherry vanilla gelato for breakfast and was last seen headed for Baskin & Robbins.  She Won Best Table Topics Award.

* TM BeckyJo proclaimed to be Cherry Garcia in the flesh, head of a rockin'roll band of iceacream, backed by a mint chocolate chip bassist and a salted caramel electric guitar.

* TM Terri has an unusual talent for telling others what to do and for fixing them - she thinks.  The only problem is no one listens so she's had to find another waypoint.

We heard  two icebreakers today...

* TM Randolph analyzed who he's been, who he will have been, who he may have been, who he would consider being and concluded that perfect parents are those who do NOT have children... He Won Best Speaker Award.

* TM Jarrett gave us a life retrospective flashback in the best Tim Burton style which took us back through the decades to his days as a toddler alternating meals of black beans and platanitos and corned beef and cabbage.  

As far as evaluations...

* DTM Mary Helen praised TM Randolph's unwavering faith in his own beloved mother, who was seriously understaffed while raising 6 children!!  She Won Best Evaluator Award.

* TM Tom encouraged TM Jarrett to share with us how he met his wife in Rainesville before heading for the Taj Mahal. 

The Word of the Day was

WAYPOINT, noun

A point of reference that can be used for location or navigation.

Example: The hikers finally reached their waypoint on the trail only to find out it was now called Checkpoint Bobby.

Here's the link to the recording...

ZOOM-Youtube Broadcast

DUES ARE DUE !!  Please visit toastmastersinternational.org, log into your account and click on Renew in the right upper corner.  Or, call TM Chris.

See you next week!

Ana I.

Waypoint Seafarer at the Buoy

Love is in the air... Inspiration and Communication - a veracious Early Bird meeting!

Dear Members, Friends and Guests,

 

Table Topics were inspired on Love Songs.  We learned that….

 

• TM BeckyJo has indeed done a lot of foolish things that she really didn’t mean, and the main one was signed, sealed, delivered - I’m yours for 25 years.   And then the backout was good.
• With a backdrop of meteorites flying through space, DTM Kip admitted that he’s much more amiable when he’s made to feel good.  It knocks him right off his feet – and he wasn’t even referring to Pathways!
• TM Paolo would have agreed that when a man loves a woman, he’d trade the world for the good thing he’s found -  if only he had heard it.
• DTM Mary Helen delighted us with a brief rendition of “It Had To Be You” – and yes, it had to be DTM Jim.  They are even melodically synchronized in their Table Topics time.  She Won Best Table Topics Award.
• DTM Jim D. agreed that the power of love is a curious thing and for him it all started on their first lunch together, and here they are, six happy years later….

As far as prepared speeches go, we had plenty of inspiration today…

• TM Lois reminded us that happiness is not what happens, but how we interpret what happens.  She climbed a mountain and continues to challenge herself.  Keep going, Lois Lane!
• TM Jose demonstrated that the last two years have been a bullet with a silver lining and is living proof that when life gives you lemons… you can make great sangria!!  He Won Best Speaker Award.
• Returning TM Randolph revealed that he is a multidimensional man –  sociable, enthusiastic, while systematic and perfectionist.  A devoted father with musical talent. 

 

We had excellent evaluations…

 

• TM Chris commended TM Lois for implementing new ideas into her speech delivery and suggested that she modulate her voice to match the emotions she is expressing.  She Won Best Evaluator Award.
• TM Aleta praised TM Jose for showing us the good, the bad and the ugly that we’ve all faced and reminding us that when you change the way you look at things, the things you look at, change.  She suggested less screen share, more Jose for his next speech.
• TM Pam lauded TM Randolph for his many sides and she’s looking forward – as we all are- to hear more about his musician side.  She urged him to never let the truth get in the way of a good story – a quote whose source is dubious.

 

The Word of the Day was

 

VERACIOUS, adj.

 

Habitually truthful or honest; accurate, precise.

 

Example:  A good Table Topics need not be veracious – simply entertaining.

 

Here is the link to today’s recording:

 

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

 

TM BeckyJo provided this link to a melodious symphony:

 

https://youtu.be/afPh1slPAsc

 

Next week:  love, love, love… makes the world go round!

 

Lovingly submitted,

 

Ana I.

Recap Writer

 

 

 

Best and worst, Joys of Parenting, Moments of Grace and Body Language - all in a day's meeting at Early Birds

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

 

DTM Jim D. gave us thought-provoking ‘best and worst’ topics.  We thus learned that….

 

• TM Aleta’s latest best decision was to singlehandedly fix her lawnmower’s beastly broken belt.   Proof positive that alliterations allow us to do anything!
• TM Carmine described exotic foods – sheep’s brains, snails, prickly pear (martinis) and alerted us to the fact that spaghetti was the origin of the swimming pool game called “Marco Polo”.
• I, Ana, had an influential friend and mentor who taught me how to be an attorney impostor while conducting legal research in computer demos.
• TM Chris’s latest worst decision was to bike to what she thought was a nearby restaurant which turned out to be 18 miles away.  Ever the positive person that she is, she realized that her 3-month exercise quota was met!
• TM Tom makes it all about today’s mindfulness in checking the bucket’s water level periodically to see what he can learn, or unlearn, on any given day.
• TM Pam has found a memory-jogging word – bucket- which reminds her to ride the scooter to buy a stroller.  She Won Best Table Topics Award.

 

Along came prepared speeches…

 

• TM Bastien described some of the tragi-comedic joys of parenting, which give God space to have a few hearty laughs and gifts parents with access to Sponge Rants Bobby and his cohorts.
• TM Marie urged us to shed our personas – those false bravado masks we wear- and reconsider giving moments of grace to others.  In other words, let them fulfill your To Do lists!    She Won Best Speaker Award.
• DTM Kip gave us solid body language coaching: renounce shared screen foolishness, avoid virtual background flaming, accept being seduced by moving objects, use the mirror function to trim your beard,  and for a dramatic speech finale, lock knees and fall over.

 

As far as evaluations are concerned….

 

• TM Pam praised TM Randolph for his vivid descriptions, encouraged him to pursue the Humor Pathways – it’s the only way to survive parenting multiple children.  She speaks from experience.   She Won Best Evaluator Award.
• TM Jim G. commended TM Marie for her camera awareness which equals eye contact in Zroom world and for implementing his suggestions from the first evaluation.
• TM Tom was inspired by DTM Kip’s ever-improving level of performance, ease of delivery and for giving us a new meaning of the concept of flaming.

 

The Word of the Day was

 

VIBRATO, noun

 

Rapid, slight vibration in pitch while singing or playing a musical instrument, producing a stronger or richer tone.

 

Example:  I excel at vibrato when someone – literally and figuratively-  steps on my toes.

 

See you next week!

 

Irreverently submitted,

 

Ana I.

Recap Writer

 

Link to the recording - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ouaYhMN-TXg

Travel Adventures, Analytical Initiatives and Unexpected Evaluations - another successful meeting of EarlyBird Toastmasters!

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

 

Another successful meeting was started by Topic Master Marie, who took us on journeys to faraway lands.   We heard that…

 

• TM Tom reenacted his favorite movie, Romancing The Boulder, by dining with his wife in the same restaurant in Cartagena de Indias.  He kept calling his wife Kathleen throughout the evening, and she became his ex-wife soon thereafter.
• TM Carmine accomplished his goal to reach the tallest peak in Yosemite in spite of the 10,000 ft altitude by reducing his huffing and puffing to manageable levels.  Just Do It!
• TM Aleta thinks a trip to Publix is her dream vacation at this point in time, only second to her childhood family vacations in a Volkswagen bus along with her many siblings and The Parentals.
• Soon-to-be TM Lois perfected the art of the pivot by describing her greatest adventure while figuring out her lights when zooming into the meeting this morning. Way to go, Lois!  Everyone forgot the question.
• TM Jeff ‘fessed that he gets lost .8 times a day and cannot find his car.  This is a genetic trait directly – and inevitably – traceable to his Mother.   He Won Best Table Topics Award.
• TM Paolo confirmed that discovering everything new is the point of travelling in the first place.  Smell the flowers, taste the flavors.  Otherwise, just stay home, per favore!
• TM Jose now travels with his pillow and although it’s good to get away, it’s also good to get back.  The secret is in the transportability of the pillow.
• I, Ana, prefer to travel by plane because planes get you there faster – if you don’t count the extra security measures we endure since 2001.  I’m just realizing that what I believe is a complete myth.

 

In the prepared speeches…

 

• TM Randolph is an innovative musician who punctiliously plans to be spontaneous and whose wife thinks he’s too wordy.
• TM Pam comes from the Fine Family and has realized that she and her husband may not get older if they persist with the nonsense of denying reality.  She Won Best Speaker Award.

 

As for evaluations….

 

• In an unprecedented 25-minute evaluation, TM Carmine wondered why Mrs. Bastein thinks Randolph is wordy.
• TM Jeff praised TM Pam for her skillful combination of metaphors and stories, which she consolidates eloquently and punctiliously.  He Won Best Evaluator Award.

 

The Word of the Day was

 

PUNCTILIOUS, adj.

Marked by or concerned about precise details of codes or conditions.

Example:  He was punctilious in the amenities provided to his guests.

 

First-time Grammarian TM Jose gave a punctilious report of outstanding expressions and flowery phrases.  Good job, Jose!

 

Ah Counter TM Tom only heard one Ah throughout the entire meeting.  Are we definitely avoiding crutch words and fillers?  Or was he still daydreaming about Kathleen and the Cartagena Romance?

 

Zoom Master:  TM Paolo gave us a very detailed visual demo of the equipment he uses for optimal Zoom performance:  a director’s high chair, a classic virtual background, 2 cameras – both at eye level when standing or -barely- leaning on the director’s chair.  Unrestricted chest capacity allows for better breathing and best voice projection.   Thank you, TM Paolo!

 

See you next week!

 

Ana

Recap Writer

 

 

 

 

 

 

Giants Behind Faces, Down Memory Lane and Lots of Spurtles - a fun meeting at Early Birds

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

 

TM Carmine spurtled our thoughts about skills learned at Toastmasters.  We found out that….

 

• TM Paolo has become a keen observer of vocal variety and nuance, skills that now border on perfect although not always present.
• TM Jeff’s presidential duties have taught him to decipher toddlers’ undecipherable language.
• I, Recap Ana, am not certain about the impact of anything, other than the fact that I have a blast writing zany recaps.
• TM Jonathan, perennial driver,  visits clubs mostly to announce that they have earned Distinguished President’s Award.  We were no exception.
• TM Jose has vastly spurtled his use of crutch words by vividly thinking of us, EarlyBirds, when presenting a work seminar.  He Won Best Table Topics Award.
• TM Chris loves being a tech watcher because unlike her professional life audience,  she connects with us at our meetings.
• TM Jim G. embraces technology and likes to stir the pot with a spurtle although he concedes the real spurtle master is Chris.

 

The prepared speeches today provided variety and like a good spurtle, stirred our pot and our senses….

 

• TM Randolph broke out in song (to the tune of This Is A Man’s World by James Brown).   Oh and how true the message is!   He Won Best Speaker Award.
  
  

This is a man's world, this is a man's world
But it wouldn't be nothing, nothing without a woman or a girl

You see, man made the cars to take us over the road
Man made the train to carry the heavy load
Man made electric light to take us out of the dark
Man made the boat for the water, like Noah made the ark

This is a man's, man's, man's world
But it wouldn't be nothing, nothing without a woman or a girl

 

• DTM Kip took us down memory lane to the Old Trading Post, where Asian Bistros were allowed to take over those snotty French Cafes in historic Las Olas Boulevard.  In one of them, he married the girl of his dreams – after signing a corporate prenup which has helped the marriage stay strong and has kept those shares intact.

 

As for the evaluations….

 

• TM Marie praised TM Randolph for his speech, with its plethora of information, vocal variety, inspiration and fun facts.  She especially liked the fact that he implemented her suggestions from her first evaluation – a rare occurrence in these instances.    She Won Best Evaluator Award, hands down.
• TM Tom was awed by DTM Kip’s ability to knit together an excellent yarn and he, Tom, got so caught up in his own weave that the cat of Tall Tale fame reappeared and made him lose track of all time.   According to trustworthy sources, he is still evaluating Kip at 9:17 am Eastern Standard Time.

 

Our Toastmaster of the Day, TM Aleta, the woman with many last names,  graciously, good-naturedly and smoothly ran our meeting.   She is one of our group’s Zoom gifts!

 

Tech Watcher TM Jim G. verbally recapped the entire meeting and, without mentioning names,  poignantly reminded the undersigned to get my act together regarding screen sharing.  Awright already….

 

Zoom Watcher TM Barone poetically awarded TM Marie  the Best Zoom Screen Ribbon for her perfectly centered position in a corner angle room with sunrays highlighting her golden tresses and silk blouse.  He also casually alerted the group that TM Randolph’s company prints moolah.  Just sayin’.

 

Timer TM Jose actually hurled a Spanish Spurtle (‘chorro’) across the virtual Atlantic Ocean to those who overstepped their time limits.   It was inadvertently caught by TM Paolo in Italian (“mestolo”, “schizarre”).

 

The Way Overused Word of the Day was

 

SPURTLE, noun

 

A wooden Scottish kitchen tool, dating from the 15^th century, that is used to stir porridge, soups, stews and broths (and to discipline young ‘uns, prior to the Age When Parents Became Afraid Of Their Kids).

 

Recording link - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ge6JMSGmRE

 

Remember:  Group Elections are the last Thursday of May.  Available positions are

President       

VP Education

Secretary

Treasurer

VP Public Relations

VP Marketing

Sargeant-at-Arms

 

Feel free to ask the current officers for more information about the position that interests you.

 

See you next week!

 

Ana

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

Idioms, Icebreaker, Patio Control and The Hills of Tipperary, a fun morning at Early Birds

 

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

 

TM Carmine chose his favorite American idioms as Table Topics.  We discovered that…

 

• TM Jim G. is tired of all the red tape he encounters everywhere except when he wants to do some Christmas gift-wrapping – then it’s nowhere to be found.
• TM Paolo thinks in order to drive a hard bargain, in Italy you must practice the old Renaissance adage “qui la dura, la vince”.  He resolutely parla italiano until the red light appears.
• DTM Mary Helen has crushed some people’s Achilles’ heel but later mended fences by gifting them a free pedicure.
• TM Joe’s Dad thought Joe found his buddies and dates by scraping the bottom of the barrel.  Ahhhh those lovely teenage years….
• TM Marie likes dressing to the nines and dreams of her husband daintily carrying her from her beach chaise to the ocean, much like the beach boys did to Bo in the timeless movie “10”. 
• I (Ana) did not know the origin of passing the buck, I simply know that in Spain it’s a national pastime and you don’t have to scrape the bottom of the barrel to injure your heel.   I Won Best Table Topics Award For Most Incomprehensible Table Topic.
• DTM Jim D. prefers to be in the front seat, namely Harley, not Davidson.

 

And then came the anticipated speeches…

 

• TM Randolph delighted us with a lovely icebreaker, where his faith, loyalty, kindness and gentleness shone through.  Like many of us, he’s on a pilgrimage to find the User Manual for Parents.  He Won Best Speaker Award.
• TM Jeff was literally all hands on deck to fix his crumbling yard and patio, where his little dog stuck her paw.  PETA intervened, sent along Manuel and his Dos Amigos, who bought the equivalent of Mt Everest worth of sod, and the rest, as they say, is fodder for Pathways.
• TM Tom took us on a pilgrimage of his Pathways trajectory, starting with the sinking of the Costa Concordia to be blamed on the Captain’s paramour, a bella signora de la notte, only to realize that It’s a long way to Tipperary.

 

As far as evaluations…

 

• TM Tom praised TM Randolph for creating a strong emotional connection through the screen and delivering a nearly perfect speech ironically titled “Why I’m Not Perfect”.
• TM Marie commended TM Jeff for motivating us to take another look at our decades-long To Do Lists – and then set them aside.  Gusto will give it added zest!!  She Won Best Evaluator Award.
• DTM Kip said to TM Tom that the secret to success is to knock off a Pathways project conclusion a year, and the rest is a mere pilgrimage.

 

TM Paolo, as first-time Zoom Master, delivered a full baritono rendition of the opera O Sole Mio, A Virtual Background.  Congratulazioni!

 

The Word of the Day was

 

PILGRIMAGE, noun

The journey of a pilgrim, especially one to a shrine or sacred place.

 

Example:  In the olden days, Early Bird Toastmasters undertook a pilgrimage to The Shrine of Denny’s every Thursday morning, rain or shine - Thanksgiving Day (reluctantly) excluded.

 

 

Here’s the link to today’s YouTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a00CgAz96n8

 

 

See you next week!

 

Ana I.

Recap Writer