April Fools, Rose All Day, Greek and Unwanted - what a morning at Early Birds!

Dear Members, Friends and Guests,

 

In honor of April Fools’ Day, I started us off with some pertinent Table Topics:

 

• TM Jose confessed that he laughed when others fell in icy Madrid, only to find himself landing on the cold hard ice and being the object of derision from others.  Oh that pesky Karma!!
• TM Joe tricked his now wife into thinking that their date was a bet, and now, after 20 years of (happy) marriage, she knows that he married her on a bet!!
• TM Lorena has been able to switch her work schedule so she can stay till the end of our meetings.   Her bosses think it’s just a prank on April Fools’ Day!
• TM Jim G. solemnly stated that he will not attempt to trick the IRS on April 15, especially since the IRS has postponed tax filing day till June!   He Won Best Table Topics Award.
• TM Chris started an April Fools’ Blog last year inspired by the pandemic, but her wildest imagination could not have matched the reality of what was to come!
• DTM Mary Helen lives by  the phrase ‘fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me.”  She’s a big fan of renowned prankster George Clooney, who was recently pranked by his wife with a dirty diaper switcharoo in complicity with their alert twins.

 

And then came amazing prepared speeches….

 

• TM Paolo delighted us with an early morning degustation (aka Rose Renaissance)  of Cote de Roses, which goes through a short process of maceration of seeds, stems, crushed red grapes and Paolo can’t bring himself to throw away the beautiful empty bottles.  A questo punto, he has had to buy a Public Storage facility to keep the empty bottles.  Mamma Mia!

 

 

<![if !supportLists]>·     <![endif]>TM Tom impressed us with his solid knowledge of Greek στάθμευσε το αυτοκίνητό σου 

Which he used on his eccentric rogue Polish neighbor but alas, it impressed the Pole too  – after 20 years, the covered car disappeared from the street never to be seen again.  Go Condo HOA!!

• Guest TM JOB Mogire made a heart-rendering speech about the hardships and isolation he endured growing up and how he was able to let the pain instruct him, rather than destruct him.  Good luck in the contest!  You are well on your way to a win!  Come visit us again.  He Won Best Speaker Award.

 

As for evaluations…

 

• TM Aleta absolutely loved TM Paolo’s wine tasting class and was subsequently spotted headed for the nearest Wine & Spirits in West Pennsylvania.
• DTM Kip is brimming with pride that TM Tom has reached Level 5 of Pathways, and is proposing Lasik surgery for Tom to avoid eyeglass glare on the camera lens.
• Back with great gumption, TM Carmine praised Guest TM JOB for his touching speech and will propose  to TM International to start giving out prizes to Mentors of Speech Winners at Contests.  He Won Best Evaluator Award.

 

The Word of the Day was

 

GUMPTION, noun

 

shrewd or spirited initiative and resourcefulness.

 

Example: 

 

It takes gumption to be the minority opinion in any controversial discussion.

 

Recording for the meeting http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rrkwlt-5dhw

 

See you next week!

 

Ana

Recap Writer

This or that, days of wine and olives, panel on leadership - very accountable morning in EarlyBirds

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

 

TM Jim G. made us ponder about the imponderables of life – would you rather this or that?  And thus we learned that…

 

• TM Randolph chooses Time over Money simply because with more Time, he would figure out a way to make more Money….
• I, Ana, have been stuck in a ski lift, swinging in mid air, wondering why, as a hot-blooded Cuban, I didn’t get stuck parasailing in the Caribbean instead!
• DTM Mary Helen would rather be an adult with childlike enthusiasm or be a child to get to meet her parents again – with the perspective of an adult.  Oh this is very clearly confusing!
• TM Pam would rather slowly move forward because there’s been enough dang Pause in 2020.  Besides, she’ll be on Pacific Time next week with her grandkids so she will definitely be in a time zone warp.  She Won Best Table Topics Award.
• TM Tom would rather speak with (interesting) animals than learn all the world’s languages.  He has antipathy for Wally Gator, though, for some reason he chose not to reveal until Level 5 in Pathways.

 

With regard to prepared speeches…

 

• TM Paolo, born in Puglia region (Apulia for gringos) on the heel of the Italian boot (see attached map), reminisced a sotto voce that his mother had a parto difficile, but nothing compared to his move to Miami 25 years ago dreaming of becoming Miami Vice’s “Sonny” Crockett.  Allora, a wife, 6 children and a prosperous clothing business later, we look forward to hearing his many adventures as he lives out his plans.
• TM Marie is whetting our appetite to fill our Club’s upcoming officers’ slate – while cleverly conquering Mt Everest Pathways Level 5.  Her panelists explained that the President has terrific backup, the Secretary only has to show up and have good legs and the VP Ed -in our club at least- does pretty much everything.  Ah… the secret is out!  There are no term limits.  The initials are DTMKB.  She Won Best Speaker Award.

 

As for evaluations….

 

• TM Chris is booking her flight to Puglia as we speak, where she hopes to take a 25-year vacation and live out her dream of being Sofia Loren – she will take her caro marito Giacomo Guld with her, though.  She Won Best Evaluator Award.
• TM Aleta thoroughly enjoyed Moderator of the Day TM Marie’s speech and finds it mathematically impossible to evaluate a 20-minute speech in 2 minutes, darn it.   She remarked that TM Marie’s new haircut is largely accountable for a Level 5 impact.

 

The Word of the Day was

 

ACCOUNTABILITY, n.

 

Quality or state of being accountable; willingness to accept responsibility for one’s actions.

 

Example:  A certain someone takes personal accountability for banana peels carelessly dropped on the ground by irresponsible muppets and hillbillies.

 

 

Recording of this meeting - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AgkkrrxoXjQ

 

 

See you next week!

 

Ana

Recap Writer

Irish Sayings, Enhancing Performances and Finding New Obsessions - an interesting morning at Early Birds Toastmasters

 

 

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

 

TM Marie started us off with some delightful ‘morning after St. Patrick’s Day” thoughts to ponder…

 

• TM Pam unequivocally stated that insanity is hereditary – you get it from your kids.  Hence her well-earned dang wrinkles and gray hair.
• Newly-inducted TM Randolph confessed that he’s part of a group of four friends – two of them blood cousins – who stay regularly in touch, especially sharing bubbly drinks on St Patrick’s Day.
• TM Chris has an effervescent mind and creates daily expectant anticipation in TM Jim when she announces that she has a great idea.
• TM Paolo’s wife and mother remain cool and calm while handling multitudes of children and grandchildren by drinking lots of Prosecco.
• TM Aleta agrees that the Irish toast “The heck with you, here’s to me” is the best way to handle disagreement with people formerly known as friends.  She Won Best Table Topics Award.
• TM Jose concurs that a good belly laugh is the best cure for any malaise, plus it’s free and contagious. So be ready to laugh in his next speech!

 

 

Then we heard the prepared speeches….

 

• TM Lorena proved that the reason Call Center reps leave us scratching our heads with perplexity is because they face severe disciplinary action due to our stubborn resistance to let them achieve the 5-minute Call Center Average Handle Time (CCAHT).    Get with the program, people!!
• DTM Mary Helen shared with us her new Podcast addiction and encouraged us to find an addiction of our own without wasting any more unfocused time.  She Won Best Speaker Award.

 

As for the evaluations…

 

• TM Jeff praised TM Lorena for her sound structural approach and her clarity and encouraged her to get all her “speech ducks” in a row (ie timer, slide show, effervescent Calming Tea Infusion) during the Toastmaster’s introduction.  He Won Best Evaluator Award.
• TM Aleta was inspired by dear friend and DTM Mary Helen’s call to motivational addiction and suggested that if she slows down a bit she, Aleta, will even be able to understand the topic of the speech.

 

The Word of the Day was

 

EFFERVESCENT, adj.

 

1. (of a liquid) giving off bubbles; fizzy.
2. Vivacious and enthusiastic.

 

Example:

Fizzy alcoholic beverages make people vivacious, enthusiastic and uninhibited, also known as drunk.

 

 

Video Replay link - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUn_LUguC20

 

 

 

Online Evaluation App: https://toastmost.org/evaluation-forms/

 

 

Early Bird Blog: https://earlybirdtm.blogspot.com/

 

 

See you next week!

 

Ana I.

Recap Writer

Quotable quotes, Fixing Healthcare and Lady in Pink - a good trifecta at Toastmasters!

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

 

TM Aleta started us with inspirational quotes.  We soon realized that….

 

• TM Jim G. experienced a reverse career: he owned a restaurant but dreamed of being a waiter.  He had to fake it till he could make it – and those hefty tips came in handy too!
• I, Ana, usually practice “do what I’ve always done and I’ll get what I always got” until I get a bloody forehead from crashing against the same wall.
• TM Jim D. fondly reminisced about driving around Florida in his vintage Mustang convertible with the top down.  Now he’s into Harleys, so his whole body rides al fresco.
• TM Marie likes to sprinkle herself with pixie dust and head for an evening full of wonder and magic at the Disney channel.
• TM Lorena so enjoys those moments that take her breath away – a beautiful sunrise, a lovely sunset, the flowers in the garden, the joy of being alive!
• Soon-to-be EarlyBird TM Randolph fully concurs that the secret of getting ahead is to get started.  As the saying goes, “the journey of 1,000 miles begins with a single step”
• DTM Mary Helen agrees that it’s better to keep your mouth shut and be taken for a fool than to open it and remove all doubt.  She’s lost a lot of friends for not practicing this.
• DTM Kip thinks the 20% left of the 80% that happens in a successful life is showing up at your Toastmasters meeting, even from a moving car and with no phone holder.
• TM Pam is married to someone from the (annoying) school of thought of “ask, search, knock” to find lost keys.  Note from author:  I, for one, am married to one of those too ….   She Won Best Table Topics Award.

 

And then came the prepared speeches….

 

• TM Jeff managed to fix our broken healthcare system in 5 to 7 minutes.  We unanimously vote to make him Secretary of Health and Human Resources ipso facto and be done with it.   He Won Best Speaker Award.
• I, Ana, managed to win the award for most egregious overuse of the word pink in a single speech in the history of Toastmasters International.

 

As for evaluations….

 

• TM Tom praised TM Jeff for his well-organized, vitally clear as mud speech and compared it to the banquets he, Tom, usually eats at 7Eleven.  He Won Best Evaluator Award.
• DTM Mary Helen, a faithful Mary Kay fan, liked the ironic tone of my speech and most importantly complimented my pink blouse.

 

TM Jose, first timer as Toastmaster of the Day, kept the meeting running smoothly and flawlessly.

 

The Word of the Day was

 

GRATITUDE, noun

 

The act of being humbly grateful.   The opposite of arrogantly greatful….

 

Ex.  Gratitude is a good deterrent for self-pity.

 

See you next week!

 

Ana I.

Recap Writer

 

 

 

 

 

 

Blowin' in the Wind, Icebreaker and Reaching Level 5 Summit

0:00​ Begin and Self-Introductions 14:27​ a word from our Area Director: Jonathan Jean-Francois 18:03​ Induction of new member: Paolo Barone 23:19​ Table Topics 43:13​ Speaker 1: Pam Schrimsher 48:57​ Speaker 2: Tom Quinn 58:31​ Evaluations 1:07:36​ Reports
Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

 

In honor of March, the windy month, I (Ana) inspired members to share their experiences with hot air.  The answer, my friends, is blowin’ in the wind, the answer is blowin’ in the wind…. (to the tune of Bob Dylan’s Blowin’ in the Wind)

 

• TM Jose has profusely surfed in bars on the wrong side of the road  in Tarifa (Cadiz) overlooking Morocco and the Strait of Gibraltar.  We’re all invited!!  He Won Best Table Topics Award.
• Newly-minted and inducted Early Bird TM Paolo wavered wildly between not drinking coco locos during a Sirocco and drinking Cinzano with the windows open during the Tramontana.
• TM Chris despises wind but loves to travel and relished experiencing Purga-like winds in Purgatory, Colorado. She’s looking forward to the real thing in the frozen tundras of Russia.
• DTM Mary Helen did not know that llamas actually spit on her beloved alpaca sweater and hence the pesky stain that made her throw it away.
• TM Aleta discarded Curvoisier but got propinquity to a hot cocoa while blown sideways by an Alpine Mistral wind….

 

Along came the speeches….

 

• TM Pam told us her life trajectory from Naples to Fort Lauderdale to Windermere via Okinawa and San Diego.  Along the way, she made frequent stops at bookstores before Amazonia PrimaDonna took over.  Discarded a husband, kept another.  For her first ever icebreaker she clutched the lectern and hid her Jell-o knees behind palazzo pants….
• TM Tom took us down his detested Level 5 with a compilation of past speeches and other EarlyBirds’ past speeches and reminded us  that there is light at the end of Pathways – and it’s another Path coming straight at you!  He Won Best Speaker Award.

 

As for evaluations…

 

• TM Jeff thoroughly enjoyed TM Pam’s witty analogies and suggested she extend her pauses and clutch that virtual lectern for more dramatic propinquity.
• TM Marie commended TM Tom for being our Guide on how to reach propinquity of that detested Level 5.  She Won Best Evaluator Award.

 

The Word of the Day was

 

Propinquity, noun

 

1. The state of being close to someone or something, proximity.
2. Close kinship

 

Ex. This dizzying recap is propinquity to causing a fainting spell in the author.

 

Recording of this meeting is at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ctds8hm5WjU

 

 

See you next week!

 

Ana I.

Recap Writer

 

 

Anemic pandemic, curmudgeons and polls - a fun Early Birds meeting!

 

0:00​ Start 19:06​ Table Topics 45:07​ Speaker 1 - Aleta Richmond 52:28​ Speaker 2 - Chris Guld - How to do Polls in Zoom 1:12:42​ Evaluations

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

 

TM Pam embarked us on a dreamy world of a dissipating pandemic where you can actually stop insiding and start outsiding.  What a concept!  And so we learned that….

 

• I, TM Ana, was welcomed into my first home with icy pipes in a Chicago suburb by some friendly lady neighbors with a tray of homemade frozen cookies.
• Since Spain is always “different”, the lockdown only allows family members into the home, so he’s waiting for my flight from Florida to arrive.  In the meantime, he spends his time at bars and cafes, where non-family members are allowed in tables of 6.
• Soon-to-be Early Bird TM Paolo Italianly said “Non tutti I mali vengono per nuocere” (“no hay mal que por bien no venga” in Spanish) (“every storm cloud has a silver lining” in meteorological English) and his has been that he has spent the year on Toastmasters Zooms and Early Birds Club is the finalist!!
• TM Lorena has recently discovered that supermarkets don’t sell life so she is urging everyone, instead, to fly the friendly skies to visit family and friends.  She Won Best Table Topics Award.
• DTM Jim D. has not gone to restaurants or weekend outings during the past year and as a result he has become extremely rich.
• Guest TM Hannah marveled that this time of seclusion has allowed us to take up old hobbies which we could not pursue when we actually had a life.

 

And then came the prepared speeches…

 

• From her satellite dish outpost, TM Aleta is leading a volunteer a women’s professional organization whose motto is “Anything worth doing is worth overdoing” and which mostly refers to eating and talking.   To boot, this completes her Level 5 project in Pathways.  She Won Best Speaker Award.
• Self-appointed DTM (Dinosaur Toast Master) Chris G. explained that the key to creating polls is to have clout with the Zoom account owner.

 

As far as evaluations go….

 

• TM Tom praised TM Aleta’s simple, concise and constructive explanation of what it’s like to herd female cats.
• TM Joe commended TM Chris for using plain English to take us down technological rabbit holes.  He Won Best Evaluator Award.

 

The Word of the Day was

 

CURMUDGEON, noun

 

A cranky old person – often loveable underneath it all.

 

Ex. Early Birds Club is instrumental in removing curmudgeonry from the most curmudgeon-proficient of us.

 

 

Link to the YouTube recording: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DmsS78wklqk

 

 

See you next week!

 

Ana I.

Recap Writer

Quotable quotes, HOA Hedges and Networking Follies - a fun morning at EarlyBirds

 

 Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

Commemorating Black History Month, TM Marie raised some notable quotes.

• TM Joe often exudes confusion due to shyness and coaches no less than 125 rowdy kids that propel him onto his field of dreams.
• TM Paolo doesn't limit himself by the limited imagination of others and that's what successfully landed him in Miami 25 years ago, and counting….
• TM Lorena confirmed that timing is always right when you're taking care of yourself and not concerned about others.
• TM Carmine asked us to hold fast to our dreams and help each other fly.  He's tired of hanging out with turkeys.  He Won Best Table Topics Award.
• TM Chris is made to feel that what other people say or do is mostly not worth remembering. 
• TM Pam thinks character is power when you have time to use it – certainly not when raising kids and surviving.  Now she's finally thriving.

 

Along came the prepared speeches…

 

• TM Tom felt like the out spoke (no pun intended) of the wheel but an angel who shall remain nameless (for now) steered him into becoming President of his HOA.  Tom is currently focused on Hedge Trimming for Pathways.
• TM Jeff wrote a letter to a legendary favorite coach who taught him to eat the breakfast of champions! He Won Best Speaker Award.
• DTM (Dinosaur ToastMaster) Kip, speaking from a Honda Dealership on the Bay just north of Key West, gave us a 3-minute crash course on storytelling for non-profits.

 

As far as evaluations go….

 

• DTM Mary Helen revealed she is the angel protagonist of Tom's speech – or was it perhaps her twin?  Tom's HOA adventure is irrefutably called Hedging your Hedges.
• TM Joe exuded vulnerability revealing how TM Jeff's speech touched him at his core and, once again,  stirred up his lifelong addiction to the Jets.   He Won Best Evaluator Award.
• TM Pam praised DTM Kip for coming out of the dark (to the tune of Coming Out of the Dark by Gloria Estefan) and reflecting on his latest – never last - networking event.

 

The Word of the Day was

 

EXUDE, verb

 

1. To ooze out
2. To display conspicuously or abundantly.

 

Ex:  If a sticky substance abundantly oozes a pine tree smell, it's definitely a scented candle.

 

TM Chris took a poll about creating polls and the results surpassed polling expectations.  Now a speech is in the imminent future (ie next week).

 

Below is the link to today's recording:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7KRL-lpm4fQ

 

Ana I

Recap Writer

 

Dual realities, Optimism and UFOs - an esoteric EarlyBird meeting

 

TM Carmine started us off with the lighter side of idioms. We came to find out that….

• TM Lorena is beginning to trust that the light at the end of the tunnel is beautiful daylight, not an oncoming train as she had previously thought.
• Guest Dianne confirmed that in order to straighten out those pesky wrinkles in shirt collars, you must strike while the iron is hot.
• TM Jose bites more than he can chew at every meal but pulling a thumbnail sketch out of hat at an interview landed him a lucrative job.
• I (TM Ana) burn my bridges and shoot myself in the foot as part of my favorite daily activities.
• TM Paolo compared table topics to skydiving and when the red timing light strikes, he upset the dot dot dot without losing his adrenaline rush. He Won Best Table Topics Award.
• TM Jim D. confirmed that you break new ground when you fail to open the parachute on a red timing light or run into the train when chasing the light at the end of the tunnel.

And then came the prepared speeches….

• I, TM Ana, stated that dual realities are just one big fat lie invented as a marketing campaign by the lenscrafters chain. I Won Best Speaker Award.
• TM Aleta revealed that -as suspected by our group- she is an eternal optimist who finds the donkey in the you-know-what… in the divorce, what were you thinking???
• DTM Kip asserted that he just got off a flying saucer and became a consultant who gets paid to give people esoteric choices about their devices. His Pathways advice is for fun and for free.

As far as evaluations go…

• TM Pam asked me to spend a little cash and get better lighting and to put down the dang prop gently to avoid giving the audience an earache. She Won Best Evaluator Award. Besides that, she loved the speech….LOL (eerily reminiscent of “Mrs. Lincoln, besides that, did you enjoy the play?”)
• TM Marie commended TM Aleta for her cheerful disposition and her ability to make a sno-cone out of a blizzard of multi-marriages.
• TM Tom asked DTM Kip to stop fluttering his eyes and declared his undying friendship to this friendly martian.

The Word of the Day was



ESOTERIC, adj.

Understood by only a select group of people.



Example: The word esoteric stuck TM Carmine in a spinning wheel between Esoteric and Exoteric. As much as he tried, he just couldn’t get unstuck. Will he move on by next Thursday??? (To be continued…)



The link to today’s recording:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPvLM6nKQkg





See you next week!



Ana I.

Recap Writer

From the horse's mouth to the Andes to blurred backgrounds - a fun morning at EarlyBirds

 

On this frigid South Florida morning, TM Tom started us off with the most obscure idioms he could possibly find. We learned that….

• I (TM Ana) live in a tropical igloo and I exercise being as cold as charity because I have cold hands and feet.
• TM Carmine repeatedly stated “I am that I am” calm it strong which clearly proves that he has been reading Dr. Seuss again.
• DTM Mary Helen believes where there’s muck there’s brass, although her sink is stainless steel but the muck is there in her dirty dishes.
• TM Chris has lots of bright ideas while hubby Jim carries them out, which proves the devil is in the details. She Won Best Table Topics Award.
• TM Jim is always right in carrying out a certain someone’s bright ideas to later be told he’s wrong, so he knows he simply errs on the right side. It’s comforting.
• 
  
• TM Marie ran out some of the clock with laughter (new Table Topics trick) and tells the circling vultures ‘not the dickie bird!’.

And then came the much-awaited Icebreaker….


TM Lorena told us about her breakneck-paced childhood in oxygen-deprived high altitude Quito and her move to the US at age 19, where she became free to breathe normally again at 13 ft above sea level. She Won Best Speaker Award.





And our second speaker was none other than one of the Club’s favorites…


TM Pam is sticking to her New Year’s Resolutions of recent-past-wearing Not Your Mother’s Jeans to presently-wearing Your Mother’s Jeans to imminently-wearing Your Daughter’s Jeans. The secret to success is in the LGOreos!! (pronounced Ligorious)



As far as evaluations went….

• TM Jeff was impressed with TM Lorena’s icebreaker for its organization, conciseness, clarity of delivery, eloquence, purpose. Besides that, please tell us, did you like the speech, TM Jeff? He Won Best Evaluator Award.
• TM Aleta confessed that TM Pam is one of her favorite speakers because the light bulb has to want to change if the therapist is going to be any good, and for the reminder that hope is not a plan and we must actively deter increasingly snug jeans.

Technical Tip: Use a blurred virtual background so your dishes can stay dirty indefinitely.



Moral of the Meeting: Avoid adverbs and put your punch into your verbs. We will all take this blurred message today with us wherever we go (from the kitchen to the living room, for most of us).



The Word of the Day was



FAVORITE, adj.

(Origin: from the Latin Favoritus)



Preferred, favored



Example: All of us think we are a certain someone’s favorite. Hah.



See you next week!



Ana I.

Recap Writer

Surrender, Perspective, Gourmet Dining and Interplanetary Landings - speech contest at its best in EarlyBirds!

 What a fun morning of interesting, varied speeches!

• TM Tom started us off with a tale of Eli Parker, an Iroquois who crafted the Civil War Surrender Document. Goes to show the importance of ESL (English as a Second Language).
• TM Carmine proved that life’s perspective is all about different sizes of cardboard boxes and a Timex watch. He Won First Place Award.
• TM Jose took us down a mouth-watering culinary trip of Spain’s most revered national dish – the Tortilla de Patatas. The existential question is: With or Without Onions???? He Won Third Place Award.
• DTM Kip confirmed what we suspected all along: he comes from an intergalactic universe and first landed in a farm in Southwestern Kentucky…. He Won Second Place Award.

The Area 21 Speech Contest will be held on Friday, February 4, at 7 pm, at a still undisclosed location. Stay tuned.





Link to the recording: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bmY3kbhv08





See you next week!



Ana

Recap Writer

Perspective, Perspective, Perspective - A Table Topics Contest at EarlyBird Toastmasters

 

TM Lorena V. was inducted as our newest member. Welcome, Lorena! You’re a great addition to the club.



The Table Topics Contest was ably run by TM Marie R., deftly assisted by Chief Judge DTM Mary Helen. A dynamic duo! Polifacetic TM Jim G. was Sargeant-at-Arms, Timer, Poofed contestants in and out of the room, while TM Chris decided to go back to basics to re-learn how to unmute.



There was a moment of panic at the start of the meeting when we experienced double vision of TM Carmine but we quickly sobered up.



The Topic was: P E R S P E C T I V E

• TM Jose realized perspective has evolved in his life – from carefree student to employability to parenthood to enjoying life with Zoom. He Won Second Place.
• TM Aleta’s perspective is overwhelmed by the overwhelming number of our planet’s inhabitants and their very different perspectives.
• TM Tom stated unequivocally that perspective is what kind of sauce you ladle onto your spaghetti.
• I, TM Ana, compared myself to a horse with side blinders (sorry PETA) and seek other people’s perspectives before totally ignoring them. I Won Third Place.
• TM Jeff won First Place and will represent our Club at the next level. His perspective is laser-focused on winning the Contest.

We did not have a Word of the Day because we couldn’t allow anything to cloud our Perspective.



Next week is our International Speech Contest. Get ready for some terrific speeches!



Here's the link for the recording: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_YPepPbWGs



Have a great week.



Ana I.

Recap Writer

Time Travel, Food and Saturn's cycles - a fun morning at Early Birds

TM Jeff took us on a Time Travel journey. We thus heard that….

• TM Jim G. has attained nobility in spite of an unauspicious academic track. Another day when he hasn’t needed Algebra.
• TM Marie would like to become the artist formerly known as Cher and sing If I Could Turn Back Time to all her relatives.
• TM Carmine became a Reverend in front of our very eyes and revealed that he simply adores his wife ever since she has recently learned how to read.
• TM Tom is diligently learning Spanish so he can join the millions of American and British pilgrim tourists that line the Camino de Santiago in Spain. He Won Best Table Topics Award.
• Soon-to-be TM Lorena would transform into a butterfly if she had the power to first become a caterpillar. First things first.
• Since TM Joe is a reckless driver, his family guilted him into not flying, but his goal is to fly like an eagle as soon as his daughter checks into her college dorm.
• TM Aleta does not want to quit any of her habits because she’s totally habituated. The only innocuous habit she can talk about in polite company is her chocolate addiction.

In the prepared speeches…

• I, TM Ana, revealed my shameless former predilection for coconut flan and how the Twelve Steps of Flan Addicts Anonymous straightened me out… till I check out singing My Way…..
• DTM Mary Helen talked about Saturn recycled vehicles, purchased by young turks at the nearest Gallaxy dealership, which provide us a sense of achievement, consolidation and finally pull us out from Subaru obscurity. She Won Best Speaker Award.

And then came evaluations….

• TM Marie enjoyed the clarity of my voice and encouraged me to avoid roving eyes, blinded by Klieg Third Degree interrogatory-style lights. She Won Best Evaluator Award.
• TM Joe praised DTM Mary Helen’s surprising penchant for the obscure and supernatural - astrology at its best. Who knew? She looks so down-to-earth!

The Word of the Day was



NOBLE, adjective



Having eminence and renown; of illustrious behavior.

Of high moral qualities.



Example: A misspelling in the family name was recently discovered in Alfred Noble (formerly a person, now a Swedish prize)’s birth certificate.





YouTube link to today's recording: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTctw8-DOEY



Next week is the Table Topics Contest. Come ready to participate in this noble (nobel?) cause.



Respectfully submitted,





Ana I.

Recap Inventor

missing recap for Jan 7