Opposites Attract, Icelandicspeak and A Gondola Ride - all in a morning's meeting at Early Birds!!

Dear Members, Guests and Friends:

 

For starters, TM Paolo officially named us The Meeting of Meetings and The Peak Of The Week.  Your choice.

 

TM Carmine led us to explore opposite table topics.  We learned that….

 

• TM Scott censored his first thoughts about shrinking and enlarging items at this early hour and instead referred to shrinking brains and enlarging joie de vivre….
• TM Paolo froze as he had his foot already on the gondola but he cannot turn down a table topic request about being frozen and thawed.
• I, Ana, talked about the true vs the false self, which consists of dying my hair this color and that color – now I save lots of money by being authentically gray.
• DTM Kip said that being a double dipper is like being a gunfighter at the EarlyBird Corral and avoiding ricochets at all costs.
• TM Tom has come from Alabama with a banjo on his knee and focuses on the joy while fretting the banjo.  We are looking forward to a live Zoom performance!
• TM Randolph reflected that stagnation is the beginning of decomposition – and that’s a dangerous non-movement thing!
• Guest Val said giving and receiving are spiritually the same – the intent to give joy creates joy within you in a wonderful synergy.  She Won Best Table Topics Award.

 

We enjoyed two excellent speeches today…

 

• TM Scott inspired us to book our flights to Reykyavik to see the fiords, lava boulders, stark and stunning fog and guardrail-less driving straight to the Language School to learn to say eyjafjallajokull (E 15 for short) in our quest for Iceland’s 269 yuhkitls.  Easy as Eskimo Pie! 
• TM Paolo regaled us with the full scope of Italian gestures as he rowed the Grand Canal in Venice looking for an espresso bar – ma che cosa????   He Won Best Speaker Award.

 

As far as evaluations go…

 

• DTM Mary Helen thoroughly enjoys TM Scott’s intelligent witticisms and will now convert the Broward Bilingual Club into English-Icelandic.  She Won Best Evaluator Award.
• TM Tom praised TM Paolo for his virtual setting, his singing voice and above all his striped t-shirt.   Paolo will go all the way to the Gondolieri Hall of Fame for sure!

 

The Word of the Day was

 

QUINTESSENTIAL, adj.

Representing the most typical example of a quality or class.

 

Example:  Apple Pie A La Mode is the quintessential American dessert.  Yummm….

 

Here’s the link to the recording:

 

 

https://youtu.be/UfLHAZmPaJE

 

Dates to Remember:

April 29 – at 8:00 am – TM Paolo will represent our Club in the District 47 Contest.

May 12 – Tall Tales Early Bird Meeting – Bring Everything But The Truth!

 

See you next week!

 

Ana I.

Recap Writer

Iceland Trolls, It's Not Funny and Church Fundraisers - a fun morning at Early Birds!

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

 

Recently Northern Lighted TM Scott led us in very intriguing Icelandic table topics:

 

• TM Carmine – who makes a mini speech even out of a self-introduction- philosophized that trolls and elves, gremlins and imps, devils and saints are all a projection. No more, no less.
• DTM Jim D. thinks viking canoes would do pretty well in Lake Okeechobee and at least Florida is not as cold as misnamed Greenland.
• TM Marie pictured having the Katla volcano near her home and would respect life more and watch the miniseries Katla with more intention.  She Won Best Table Topics Award.
• I, TM Ana, realized that I live in a rather safe neighborhood where I leave my front door – and often my garage door – unlocked overnight, so I won’t contemplate moving to Iceland anymore to escape crime.
• TM Paolo, dry in Miami, lives up to ‘in vino veritas’ while in Italy and guzzles rose even with pizza.  What’s life without vino anyway?
• TM Chris would rename Fort Lauderdale the murder and mayhem Venice of Florida and entice others to move to Iceland.   Her hidden agenda?  To scuba dive with TM Jim G. in total exclusivity!
• DTM Mary Helen surmises that Iceland has the highest publishing rate in the world because the population gets tired of jumping over geysers and watching volcanos and resorts to writing books – about geysers and volcanos.
• TM Jose revealed that in spite of recent persistent downpours, Spain is in a drought and people must take dry showers to be ecofriendly.  He’s starting next year!
• TM Aleta used to own a quarter horse but prefers half horses, which abound in Iceland, and reminded us that you should never approach a horse from the rear, as Danny Saradon used to say.

 

Along came the prepared speeches…

 

• TM Pam laid on her couch and -while eating Cheetos paired with Pinot Grigio - realized that seal repairs means fixing potheads in certain circles.  She Won Best Speaker Award.
• DTM Kip confessed that his church fundraiser owes its success to the fact that he sent unstapled letters out. As a very spiritual pastor said, “Your checkbook contains the footprints of your soul”.

 

In terms of the evaluations…

 

• TM Randolph commended TM Pam for her professionalism and her great sense of humor which caused him to unmute and chuckle throughout her speech.  He Won Best Evaluator Award.
• TM Carmine praised DTM Kip, the Double Dipper Pathways Master Wizard, and still continues to give his evaluation at this very hour.

 

The Word of the Day was

 

HOT TAKE, noun

 

Piece of commentary typically produced quickly in response to a recent event, whose primary purpose is to attract attention.

 

Example:   Political commentators give a hot take while eating a hot cake cooked in a hot bake oven.

 

Here’s the link to the recording.  By the way, TM Chris added ALL the Recaps to our blog since we started meeting virtually.  It’s all a hot take blog now.  Thanks TM Chris!!!

 

YouTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSthfP1megA

 

See you next week!

 

Ana I.

Recap Writer

Spring, Mentoring and New Tricks - a fun morning at EarlyBirds!

 

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

 

Spring has sprung!  I, Ana, led us in Springish topics.  We soon discovered that…

 

• TM Tom knows that the best formula is to bloom where you are planted.  He Won Best Table Topics Award.
• TM Jose has finally realized that the rain in Spain stays mainly in his flooded backyard.
• TM Lois affirms that spring adds new life and new beauty to all that is and stays away from gloom and doom.
• TM Randolph eliminates his morning yawn by jumping in the shower to prepare for the coming day…
• TM BeckyJo honestly does not like change but honestly does her level best to see change as a good reminder of change.
• DTM Kip grows thought-provoking weeds but mostly focuses on watering the flowers his wife plants.
• TM Aleta agrees that old fashioned fresh air and sunshine are hard to beat, especially after a Southwestern Pennsylvania winter…
• TM Paolo is doubly grateful for his health and his beautiful six Italian flowers that are waiting eagerly for him!

 

Along came our prepared speeches…

 

• TM Chris reinforced the idea that mentoring – and being mentored- is the name of life’s game.  Her project showed us how to take some control of the surrounding gallery when screen sharing.  She Won Best Speaker Award.
• TM Carmine nonchalantly displayed weeds, cosmos, ethereal, bridge-crossing and blurred virtual backgrounds.  Moral of the story:  old dogs CAN learn new tricks!

 

As far as evaluations go….

 

• TM Aleta commended TM Chris for her technical prowess, expertise, clear and deliberate tech wizard finger pointing – and that’s before TM Chris went wild and started impersonating animal cartoons in front of our very eyes!  She Won Best Evaluator Award.
• DTM Kip implored TM Carmine to dive into Pathways or meet him at Benny’s to be dragged kicking and screaming into the Pathways he’s always wanted to be.

 

The Word of the Day was

 

DOOMSCROLLING, verb

The practice of obsessively checking online news in search of negativity.  This creates a compulsive craving for more hard core.  The antidote is goodscrolling, dumbscrolling or glowscrolling – checking out little critters from God’s animal kingdom frolicking in green pastures (before you know it, it will be nighttime and another day wasted away).

 

A few photos from yesterday https://photos.app.goo.gl/BMKK6TzuXnfHiJtB8

 

Here’s the link to the recording:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XT0x0D0vfA

 

 

See you next week!

 

Ana I.

Recap Writer

Impromptu Impromptu Cues, The Purpose of Life, It's All Small Stuff and Cats - iterations at Early Birds

Dear Members, Friends and Guests,

 

TM Carmine impromptuly led us in impromptu speaking.  These are some of the gems we heard…

 

• TM Chris fantasizes about being a Queen in procession and her valet swarms about her deploying a royal umbrella to protect her from purple rain.  Her husband is a real-life close second in the umbrella deployment department.
• TM Jose discourages golfers from using their golf umbrella – it’s better to experience purple rain than to be hit by lightning, but hey golfers,  it’s your choice!
• TM Scott’s father-in-law offered to help redecorate Scott’s fixer-upper house by lighting a match and since then, Scott has had a strong affinity for orange sunsets.
• TM Aleta does not have a back porch per se but she is not lacking, oh no, as she has a sun porch facing East,  a front porch facing West, a screened porch facing North and a deck facing Southwest.  Amazingly, she has a house too!
• TM Randolph likes to spend private time in his bathroom, where he can reflect, collect his thoughts and reconnect with himself – away from the kids for 5 glorious minutes per week!  He Won Best Table Topics Award.
• TM Pam is a card-carrying beachcomber who collects seashells and reflects about them in her spare time caused by the fact that, yes,  there is hardly any trash on the beach anymore!!

 

 

We heard interesting prepared speeches today…

 

• TM Lois (who has been demoted from being the newest EarlyBird member since the return of TM Scott) told us about how to find purpose and meaning in life at 88 – being available to herself, enriching her journey, helping others and consistently checking out books from her mental library.
• TM Scott did an iteration of his icebreaker.  He has suffered trauma with a lower-case t and reminded us not to sweat the small stuff – and it truly is all small stuff anyway.
• TM Tom shared his unexpected feline ownership enthusiasm and how it’s best to embrace change.  Now he keenly witnesses his shit-su’s and his cat’s bloodless staredowns.  He Won Best Speaker Award.

 

Along came evaluations….

 

• TM Randolph suggested to TM Lois that she is a born salesperson, and he’s ready to buy her product, sight unseen.
• TM Aleta commended TM Scott for his speech clarity, organization, structure and composition.  We like happy endings!  Great addition to our club!   
• DTM Jim D. praised TM Tom for his multiple directional feelings and the iteration of the self-evident truth that felines are the ruling class.  He Won Best Evaluator Award.

 

Our Timer, TM Jim G., experienced iterations of being ignored throughout the meeting and had to iterate and reiterate his incarnation time and time again.  Pun intended.

Our Grammarian, TM Marie, pointed out that for such an illustriously intellectual group, we iterate lotsa  ‘gonnas, haftas, gottas’.  Get with the program, people!

 

The Word of the Day was

 

ITERATION, noun

1. Version or incarnation of the operating system.
2. The act of iterating or repeating.

 

Example: 

 

Incarnation iteration is the state of a newborn baby who drinks his second bottle of evaporated milk. 

 

The recording of today’s meeting:

                                                                                                                                          

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-n64EcnshEe

 

 

See you next week!

 

Ana I.

Recap Writer

Beachcombing, mimosas and other aromatic herbs... an EarlyBird meeting for real

Dear Members, Friends and Guests,

 

Some of us Broward Countyers congregated -under the sound organizational skills of DTM Mary Helen- at a cozy beachfront gazebo and confirmed widespread suspicions that after prolonged weekly gatherings in a virtual reality we have become, in effect,  human holograms!!

 

True to holographic form, this is what we projected….

 

• TM Randolph wore his virtual background
• TM Tom supervised the group like a former Platoon Brigadier General
• TM Jim and TM Chris attempted to pay their bill with bitcoin and almost succeeded
• DTM Kip honored his Irish ancestry by downing several mimosas, to avoid revealing whether he’s Irish Catholic or Protestant
• TM Marie wore her Panama hat (made in Ecuador) in case the sun’s pernicious rays could penetrate the metal roof of the gazebo…
• DTM Mary Helen was extremely dexterous as a one-arm bandit and left not a single crumb on her plate…
• DTM Jim gave financial tips for credit rating protection (pay the full credit card balance on the last day of the month) to imaginary youngsters who pay the minimum owed…
• TM Lois kept repeating insistently -and perplexingly- that her meal was American….  Awright, Lois!
• I, Ana, in a mesmerizing display of appalling disorientation and cluelessness, took 30 minutes to locate the meeting place…

In all seriousness,  we had great fun reminiscing about old times when we were simply average humans who used to meet at Frenny’s to listen to speeches while having Cardiovascular Testing Skillets and Bacon Shakes.  Today, we missed our geographically distant friends.  We will soon start planning for EarlyBirds’ 60^th anniversary next year, to give everyone sufficient notice to defy any space and time continuum.

 

Lastly, TM Carmine was last seen walking north on the juncture of Hillsboro Blvd. and AIA-  and finally asking for directions.

 

Jocularly submitted,

 

Ana I.

Pelican Chronicler

 

 

O'Fun, O'Fun, O'Fun - St Patty's Day at EarlyBirds

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

 

Top of the Morning!

 

Why don’t you want to iron a 4-leaf clover???  Because you don’t want to press your luck!

 

The ancestral -or adoptive- Irish in us led us to a plethora of shenanigans.

 

DTM Mary 0’Helen started us off with clever clover 0’Table Topics.   We discovered that, as 0’Kermit The Frog wisely said, “It’s not easy being green”….

 

• TM 0’Carmine loves duality, aphorysms, parables, paradoxes, antonyms and green-eyed monsters.
• TM 0’Marie stated unequivocally that celebrities wait in the green room of late late night shows by snacking, crimping, drinking or shrimping.  As a green room celebrity, she would just be chatting.
• I, TM 0’Ana, love green, ripe, spotted, mashed or diced bananas and their third cousin twice removed – plantains- because my ancestors were Cuban-Irish primates who drank banana daiquiris on St Patty’s Day.
• TM 0’Lois likes the feel of brand new, ironed green bills, and fully believes in a green cheese moon.  Her motto is green-go!
• DTM Jim O’D wore a head-to-toe Irish costume to his first date with DTM 0’Mary Helen…. And miraculously survived.  Ah…. The luck of the Irish for sure!
• TM 0’BeckyJo only gets green around the gills when she wants to take a day – or a few days- off from work.  The old conundrum:  What comes first?...
• TM 0’Chris eats her greens faithfully and they make her mind sharp and skillful to play an impromptu slide show of a memorable St Patty’s Day party at the O’Ds Irish abode.
• TM 0’Aleta revealed that Johnny Appleseed planted his first apple tree in Philly and was the great great grandfather of Aleta’s Granny Smith.
• TM 0’Pam has lately been eating fried green tomatoes and collard greens and joined the Native Plant Society.
• TM 0’Scott faithfully eats his greens but understands that there are no greener pastures than his out there – merely different shades of green.   He Won Best Table Topics Award.

 

We had two great prepared speeches…

 

• TM O’Pam is currently experiencing first-world decision fatigue regarding travel choices across the country – with or without a newly-to-be-adopted cat.   She and her husband have finally found their core muscles by learning to get up gracefully off the floor.
• TM 0’Scott mindfully taught us non-judgemental, less reactive, sympathetic and parasympathetic responses to external stimulation in 5 to 7 minutes.  He Won Best Speaker Award.

 

As for the evaluations…

 

• DTM O’Kip finds TM 0’Pam amusing and entertaining and wants more and more guffaws in her next speech.  He’s voting that she take the new cat on the birding trip to Maine.
• TM 0’Chris praised TM 0’Scott for his capacity to engage the audience and his ability to stop us from mentally reviewing our grocery list during the speech.  She Won Best Evaluator Award.

 

The Word of the Day was

 

SHENANIGANS, noun

1. Secret or dishonest activity
2. Silly or high-spirited behavior.

 

Etymology:  from old Irish sionnachighim, which means ‘play the fox’ (while you dance the fox trot and drink green beer)

 

Link to the recording today http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9s-JwKRkFuk

 

See you next week!

 

Irishly submitted,

 

Ana I.

Recap Writer

 

 

Unusual Table Topics, Virtual Friends, Who Are You? and Tech Tips - absence of tribulation at EarlyBirds

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

 

TM Scott started us with an Invocation in the Tahino, Tequesta and Seminole tradition, during which we learned that they were all ancient Snow Birds, leaving the Everglades for the Keys – not to avoid the heat as they wore skimpy tangas – but to escape the swarms of mosquitoes and enjoy a few Margaritas during the hot summer months.

 

TM Randolph surprised us with unusual topics.  We heard that….

 

• TM Tom wants to star in Howdy Doody Wrestler to the entrance theme song of Rocky played with tubas.
• TM Chris solemnly affirms she saw telltale bubbles from an amphibian gassy sea robin in the otherwise silent world of diving.  She Won Best Table Topics Award.
• TM Pam couldn’t choose to be the smartest or the funniest person in the room because she actually knows she’s both.  She avoids tripping on banana peels, though.
• TM BeckyJo makes silly faces to her 5 yr old grand nephew while he reads Winnie the Pooh to her.
• TM Jim G. was hard pressed (pun intended) to think of a prank he’s committed against his wife other than having her come home to a clean house, bypassing the cleaning lady option.
• TM Aleta reveres Cher’s risqué outfits and will have her as first guest in the upcoming late night talk show.  Oh, if she could turn back time…. (sung to the tune of “If I Could Turn Back Time” by Cher).
• TM Scott lives in Groundhog Bay where he has seen the movie 20 times in one Day – and counting…..

 

Along came the prepared, pre-planned speeches (and one improvised)…

 

• TM Carmine’s virtual friend has showed up in person and is exuberant, exciting, non-mood altering, a millionaire and leads Carmine to close encounters of the fun kind with sinfully unmarried octagenarians.   A blind date is being set up between Missouri and Southwestern Pennsylvania as we speak.  Stay tuned.
• TM Marie spoke of the joy of connectedness and Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, who said the world is round so friendships can encircle it and Jesuit priests may propagate the earth.   Ah mes amis!
• TM Chris showed us how to look up our old speeches and push them to our suffering friends during our frequent episodes of acute self-indulgence.  She Won Best Speaker Award.

 

As far as evaluations go…

 

• First-time evaluator TM Lois commended TM Carmine for presenting stimulating real topics with good diction and avoiding his natural tendency to ignore the Timer.  Good job Lois!4
• TM Scott quoted Rene Descartes “Je Pense Donc Je Suis” which crushed our loyalty to Willy’s quote “To Be Or Not To Be – That Is The Question”.  He Won Best Evaluator Award.
• Amid rustling papers, DTM Kip gave a superb critique of TM Chris’s speech spontaneity and had the profound revelation that this group needs all the Tech Tips we can get.

 

Several of us tried our level best to promote TM Jim G. to DTM Jim G. but it did not fly.

General Evaluator DTM Mary Helen suffered tribulation with her Mute Button and has signed up for a Mute/Unmute Crash Course at Mute/Unmute School of Technology in nearby Commute St.

 

The Word of the Day was

 

TRIBULATION, noun

A cause of great trouble or suffering

 

Example:  A tarnished reputation can produce great tribulation.  Contact Reputation Deep Enders.

 

Here’s the link to the recording:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=larwIJpVFX4

 

See you next week on St Patty’s!

 

Tribulantly submitted,

 

Ana I.

Recap Writer

Impromptu Impromptu, Purposes, Intents, Felines - iterations at EArly Birds

Dear Members, Friends and Guests,

 

TM Carmine impromptuly led us in impromptu speaking.  These are some of the gems we heard…

 

• TM Chris fantasizes about being a Queen in procession and her valet swarms about her deploying a royal umbrella to protect her from purple rain.  Her husband is a real-life close second in the umbrella deployment department.
• TM Jose discourages golfers from using their golf umbrella – it’s better to experience purple rain than to be hit by lightning, but hey golfers,  it’s your choice!
• TM Scott’s father-in-law offered to help redecorate Scott’s fixer-upper house by lighting a match and since then, Scott has had a strong affinity for orange sunsets.
• TM Aleta does not have a back porch per se but she is not lacking, oh no, as she has a sun porch facing East,  a front porch facing West, a screened porch facing North and a deck facing Southwest.  Amazingly, she has a house too!
• TM Randolph likes to spend private time in his bathroom, where he can reflect, collect his thoughts and reconnect with himself – away from the kids for 5 glorious minutes per week!  He Won Best Table Topics Award.
• TM Pam is a card-carrying beachcomber who collects seashells and reflects about them in her spare time caused by the fact that, yes,  there is hardly any trash on the beach anymore!!

 

 

We heard interesting prepared speeches today…

 

• TM Lois (who has been demoted from being the newest EarlyBird member since the return of TM Scott) told us about how to find purpose and meaning in life at 88 – being available to herself, enriching her journey, helping others and consistently checking out books from her mental library.
• TM Scott did an iteration of his icebreaker.  He has suffered trauma with a lower-case t and reminded us not to sweat the small stuff – and it truly is all small stuff anyway.
• TM Tom shared his unexpected feline ownership enthusiasm and how it’s best to embrace change.  Now he keenly witnesses his shit-su’s and his cat’s bloodless staredowns.  He Won Best Speaker Award.

 

Along came evaluations….

 

• TM Randolph suggested to TM Lois that she is a born salesperson, and he’s ready to buy her product, sight unseen.
• TM Aleta commended TM Scott for his speech clarity, organization, structure and composition.  We like happy endings!  Great addition to our club!   

<![if !supportLists]>·       <![endif]>DTM Jim D. praised TM Tom for his multiple directional feelings and the iteration of the self-evident truth that felines are the ruling class.  He Won Best Evaluator Award.

 

Our Timer, TM Jim G., experienced iterations of being ignored throughout the meeting and had to iterate and reiterate his incarnation time and time again.  Pun intended.

Our Grammarian, TM Marie, pointed out that for such an illustriously intellectual group, we iterate lotsa  ‘gonnas, haftas, gottas’.  Get with the program, people!

 

The Word of the Day was

 

ITERATION, noun

<![if !supportLists]>1.    <![endif]>Version or incarnation of the operating system.

<![if !supportLists]>2.    <![endif]>The act of iterating or repeating.

 

Example: 

 

Incarnation iteration is the state of a newborn baby who drinks his second bottle of evaporated milk. 

 

The recording of today’s meeting:

                                                                                                                                          

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-n64EcnshEe

 

 

See you next week!

 

Ana I.

Recap Writer

 

Got your number? 123456 And Me, Church Fun Raisers - a conversant morning at Early Birds!!

 

Dear Members, Guests, and Friends,

 

TM Pam took us down memory lane with numbers.  We found out that…

 

• TM Jim G. stated that the ancient Speed Dial saved his life.  And what’s a landline anyway?
• TM Lois did not really liked multiplication but it taught her to become a dexterous finger counter.
• TM Aleta is thoroughly enjoying Senior Perks and frantically trying to grow her IRA Contra account before those pesky distributions prevail.
• TM Scott reminisced about rotary phones and his favorite subjects of recess and lunch, and forgot all about the worldwide liters versus Fahrenheit USA.
• TM Chris pondered about what balancing a checkbook is – what’s a checkbook anyway?  Thank heavens for online banking and QuikShooks, one thing less she has to teach dummies.
• I, Ana, took a bite out of everybody else’s topics and informed the group that my next vacation will be a faraway one to the other side of my backyard and pool.   I Won Best Table Topics Award.

 

Along came the Distinguished prepared speeches…

 

• DTM Mary Helen revels in Jackie Screecher books which led her to find a cold first cousin twice removed, who reminded her of her aunt Rosalyn A-Flurry, who died at 104 in Albuquerque.  She Won Best Speaker Award.
• DTM Kip found a fun raiser project, sought the guidance committee and is heavily immersed in a relationship stressor of approvals and disclaimers.   All in the name of … his Church??  No!!  Parbleu!!! All in the name of Pathways….!!

 

As far as evaluations were concerned…

 

• TM Carmine praised DTM Mary Helen’s subtlety and proved, once again, that he is not conversant with time management by blatantly blowing timing restrictions by about 5 minutes… or kilometers??  Or degrees Celsius???
• TM Tom liked DTM Kip’s exquisite taste in finding an expert guidance committee of which Tom is one of the two members.  He Won Best Evaluator Award by a landslide.

 

The Word of the Day was

 

CONVERSANT, adj.

Familiar or knowledgeable about something.

 

Example:  Grandma got run over by a raindeer walking home from my house Christmas Eve and became conversant with pop music.

 

Here’s the link to the recording:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wgo0WGPUZ1I

 

See you next week!

 

Ana

Recap Writer and Proud Landliner

 

 

 

 

Moonstruck, Karma and What's Next - a fun morning at Early Birds!

 

 

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

TM Scott was reinducted into the Early Bird fold.  Welcome back!  He lost no time to jump right back into the swing of things.

DTM Jim D. led us in a hopscotch of table topics.  We soon learned that….

• TM Tom’s originally outdoor cat is now a fully masked N-95 indoor cat who has led his owner to be moonstruck and oblivious of timing lights.
• I, Ana, with great hindsight would enjoy my last vacation more fully and with pandemic blessings, I have morphed into an unabashed germophobe.
• DTM Kip once had a disastrous interview with a hostile female who misread him and prevented him from gainful employment to ungainful but happily independent self-employment. 
• TM BeckyJo had a pickpocket student guest who stole change from the Church’s coffers and returned it not out of guilt but due to international travel luggage weight limits.
• TM Jim G. recommends repairing loose wires in the bilges of a boat amidst foul surrounding smells only when your olfactory sense is impaired by The Virus.
• TM Carmine is gathering up courage to go skydiving – in the meantime he enjoys scrumptious lunches at Italian restaurants where Zoom acquaintances become lifelong friends.
• TM Jeff’s last camping adventure involved caterpillars falling out of the sky and he’s thankful they were not iguanas.  He Won Best Table Topics Award.

Along came the intriguing prepared speeches…

• TM Pam compared her La Leche League’s support of Mom’s Milk and Baby Pupils to Toastmasters, where proteges soon become empowered mentors.  She Won Best Speaker Award.
• TM Aleta found out that Horrorizon covers the entire US but becomes truly w-i-r-e-l-e-s-s on her property.   She spent the early part of 2022 wearing a surgical boot on her spur-less pinky toe raised above her heart trying to figure out what’s next?  She soon found out….

And then we heard helpful evaluations…

• DTM Mary Helen related to the sheer terror of having a first baby who came without an Owner’s Manual and not having the wisdom of your own mother to guide -or misguide you-along.  She Won Best Evaluator Award.
• TM Paolo enjoyed TM Aleta’s speech for its vocal variety, body language and great humor.   Now we all know that moonstruck SouthWest Penn Hover & Flight live up to its name.

TM Marie evaluated the entire meeting and praised TM Randolph for being a solid anchor, keeping us on time and on task.

The Word of the Day was

 

MOONSTRUCK, adj.

 

Unable to think or act normally, especially when dumbstruck by love.

Mentally deranged by the influence of the moon.

 

Example: 

 

Woke werewolves howling on full moon nights have demanded to be known as romantic moonstruck lobos.

 

Here is the link to the recording:

 

https://youtu.be/0MYSrJDjdXU\

 

See you next week!

 

Derangedly moonstruck,

 

Ana

Recap Writer

Love is in the Air, Everywhere I look Around - it's ubiquitous!

 

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

 

TM Aleta set the mood with Love-themed Table Topics.   We learned that…

 

• TM Paolo offers his services as Toaster-for-Hire at your next wedding.  His enthusiasm is contagious and guarantees 100 years of marital bliss.  Talk to his agent.
• TM Carmine stated that love of marriage fills you.  As our former member Jerry used to say:   “Go into marriage with your eyes wide open; stay in the marriage with your eyes half closed.”
• TM Chris spoke affectionately of her today absent scuba husband and revealed that the best way to resolve a disagreement is to ask yourself: “How important is it?”  (It isn’t).
• TM Jeff is not very much into good pickup lines although he listens closely to good pickup lines from others in case he needs them one day.
• TM Tom pledged the 5^th about having loved and lost and then waxed poetic about the beauty of having loved and lost.  He Won Best Table Topics Award.
• Returning TM Scott missed the onset of online dating but would not hesitate to engage in it given half a chance.
• DTM Jim D.’s father wisely taught him that relationships are partnerships, not dictatorships.  It’s worked well for him, since his last word is always “Yes, Dear”.
• DTM Mary Helen believes in marital reciprocity of love and communication.  However, she unilaterally likes Jim’s last words “Yes, Dear.”

 

Along came the prepared speeches….

 

• I, Ana, revealed the murderous and savage origins of Valentine’s Day which turned – through ubiquitous and unrelenting marketing – into a trifecta of Hallmark, Godiva and the Colombian Rose Cartel.  I Won Best Speaker Award.
• TM Marie told the story of Babette’s Feast, a culinary genius extraordinaire in Paris, who won 10,000 francs in the lottery and suffered from unrequited love.

 

As far as evaluations go…

 

• TM Paolo thoroughly enjoyed my Cupid background and hot pink blouse and scarf, the right setting for murder and mystery by love.  He Won Best Evaluator Award.
• DTM Mary Helen was spellbound by TM Marie’s speech which fascinated her mind and captured her heart.  She particularly loved the wine glass and the candle. Great props!

 

Our Toastmaster of the Day, DTM Kip, led us smoothly, zooming in from Cabbage Patch Key in Margaritaville – where a quickie before breakfast refers to a drink.

 

The Word of the Day was

 

UBIQUITOUS, adj.

Present, appearing or found everywhere.

 

Example:  “The ubiquitous feeling of love was felt by the entire group.”

 

Below is today’s recording:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWme1P22EG0

 

 

See you next week!

Lovingly submitted

 

Ana I.

Recap Writer

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

 

 

 

Visuals, Mentors, Proteges and Pledge Drives - a sagacious morning at EarlyBirds!

 

Dear Members, Guests and Friends:

 

TM Chris started us off with pictures – which are worth 1,000 words….  We thus learned that…

 

• TM Jose likes cats that hang out to dry and used Jazmin the cat as a neckwarmer in frigid Montana in his college days.
• DTM Mary Helen was awed by the memorable rear view of Mt Rushmore:    
• TM Lois was soooo excited that the python snake (?) in the picture was not 1,000 words.  She’s happy to let science take over.
• Returning TM Jeff painfully recalled trying to learn stand up paddle boarding and looking more like a stand up comedian!
• TM Aleta called our Topic Master a stinker and gave a quick rendition of ‘dead skunk in the middle of the road’.
• TM BeckyJo reminisced about the day her father caught the Great Crustacean of the Keys and had the party to end all parties, where clothing was optional.  She Won Best Table Topics Award.

 

We had fabulous prepared speeches….

 

• TM Jim G. reminded us that our first mentors and coaches are our own parents – his own Mom’s great breakfast-cooking skills are largely responsible for his happy 20-year marriage, and his Dad taught him perseverance and the ability to take the helm of any floating device – including aircraft carriers if necessary.
• TM Marie waved the flag of surrender, showed her vulnerability and asked for help, and was mentored by a wonderful woman who will be laid to rest this coming weekend, leaving an impressive legacy behind.  She Won Best Speaker Award.
• DTM Kip has some sagacious strategies to increase his congregation’s Annual Pledge Drive – the main one is to talk to people about trivialities before hitting them up for money.

 

And regarding evaluations…

 

• TM Paolo enthusiastically praised TM Jim’s verbal melody and thanked him for taking us on a harmonious melody ride, and to please consider standing up and expanding his chest for  better posture.
• TM Tom was entertained and informed by TM Marie’s speech and moved by the unexpected ending as a memorial to her beloved mentor/sponsor.
• Fundraiser TM Jeff totally feels DTM Kip’s pain and was so inspired by Kip’s new strategies that he may join the pledge without even knowing to which congregation.  The power of a speech!  He Won Best Evaluator Award.

 

The Word of the Day was

 

SAGACIOUS, adj.

 

Having or showing keen mental discernment and good judgement.

 

Ex.:  The VP of Membership in EarlyBirds performs sagacious investigations to determine the whereabouts of meandering members.

 

Below is the link to the recording:

 

Link to recording http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=flMo2qWbFwk

 

See you next week!

 

Ana I.

Sagacious Recrap Writer