Volte face, High Speed AVE, Starting Over - a self-debating kind of morning at EarlyBirds!

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

TM Aleta led us In a volte face, volta faccia, voltio radical Table Topics with a Twist,  We proved, without a shadow of a doubt, that we are nothing but a bunch of flip-floppers.

* TM Randolph loves kitties, dislikes kitties, loves kitties once again, all within a minute and a half.

* TM Paula cherishes chocolate, dislikes cream-filled chocolates, adores warming up with a cup of hot chocolate.

* TM Astrid loves Walmart, despises Walmart's employer abuses of employees, loves to shop for ANYTHING at the supercenter.

* TM Paolo looooves to have breakfast at Denny's at 3 am surrounded by distinguished diners, is appalled even driving in front of Denny's, only ending up fine dining at the nearest one.  Mood swings are his forte.

* I, Ana, love a vase of flowers, am grossed out by having the change the putrid water from the vase after a few days, love the flowers again except when petals land on the floor and must be swept away.

* DTM Jim D's favorite activity is a red wine degustation, although sometimes too much of a good thing is too much of a good thing, and one must pay for the joy in the morning, but drink up is the motto for today.

* DTM Mary Helen loves green, especially the color of money, fantasizes of flashing a wad of $1 covered up by one single $100 bill for effect and decides not to be greedy and showoffish all within the allotted time.

* TM Tom recognizes that public speaking is a fearful activity but when overcome it brings us closer to others although open mics have gotten more than one in trouble.

* TM Marie praises runners for enjoying the outdoors although she prognosticates hip and knee replacements before the age of 40 and a successful runner is one who avoids being mugged on the path.

* TM Jose recommends eating Big Macs 3 times a day for 365 days in a row as a weight reduction plan although it must be downed with a good glass of wine or beer mug to melt away arterial clogging and taste is the same at any establishment in the world.  He Won Best Table Topics Award.

Along came the prepared speeches....

* TM Jose educated us about the speed-train system in Spain where you can get anywhere real fast - if the train fits through the teeny tiny tunnels.  

* TM Aleta has honed her success story speech about being  Dropped Like a Hot Potato/Rebound Like A Triumphant Irish Rose to unimaginable levels.  If only we could find a contest for her to participate in!  She Won Best Speaker Award.

As far as evaluations...

* TM Tom praised TM Jose for his mastery in organizing a speech where we all learn something and incorporating the fact that sometimes trains just don't fit (and then you must acquit?)  He Won Best Evaluator Award.

* DTM Jim D.assured TM Aleta that if she goes through it, she will grow through it.  Even if it's an Intergalactic Contest, by golly she will participate!

The Word of the Day was

VOLTE FACE, noun

VOLTA FACCIA, noun in Italian

VOLTIO RADICAL, noun in quasi-Spanish

Turning around, to face opposite direction.  Abrupt and complete reversal of attitude, opinion or position.

Example:  

I had a volta faccia in Stromboli, where the volcano erupted and the dish was created - not to be confused with a calzone.

Here's the link to the recording:

https://www.youtube.com/

See you next week, U-turners!!

Ana I.

Recap Volte Face

Topsy-Turvy, Gregarious Casino Royale EarlyBird Meeting

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

It was definitely a gregarious meeting today - out-of-sequence sequence and an extraordinary abduction.  We officially welcomed new Toastmaster Paula M. into our midst!  Welcome, Paula!

* Our self-admitted over-committer, TM Aleta, inspired us with her tale of her Casino Royale Dead Money project - the final stretch on her road to DTM (Don't Time Me)..  She is scholarship chair, secretary, parliamentarian, tractor fixer, snow-plower, fire stoker who defines herself as adroit in managing 24 rogue actors.  She Won Best Only  Speaker Award. 

* Immediately -if not sooner- evaluated by TM Paolo - who displayed his usual gregarious enthusiastic self and roguely defied any time constraints.  He Won Best Only Evaluator Overtime Award.

And, last but not least, we had RomCom Table Topics.  We found out that...

* TM Marie thinks if a girl has 9 goats and her fiance has 1 goat, she needs to look for a goatier guy - they're usually found dancing the Sirtaki in Santorini or Mykonos.

* TM Paula stated that therapists would be jobless if patients simply applied the motto "Snap out of it" to their lives.  Think of all the money people would save!!

* DTM Mary Helen wants the fairy tale - people to follow her script and behave as they should.  If they did, it would be a reality tale, not a fairy tale.

* TM Pam forbids her husband to have a heart attack at least until her personal trainer gets her in tip-top shape to take care of him.  So there!

* TM Aleta, ever a fan of old movies, agrees with the adage that divorce lasts forever, till death do us part.  Except for crazy people who marry the same person twice, when there's soooo many people on Planet Earth.

* DTM Jim D's parents were married for 60 years and gave each other symbolic Valentine Day cards throughout their resilient years of marriage.

* TM Randolph discussed self-awareness with his daughter to make her more aware of potentially suspicious surroundings.  He Won Best Table Topics Award.

* TM Tom has given his heart to heartless women, and concluded that he should have written the movie script for "Say Anything" (1989) and he would have at least gotten a pen!

The Word of the Day was

GREGARIOUS, adj.

social, sociable, fond of company

Example:  Extroverts are gregarious, introverts are ungregarious.  The world's population is polarized on this pesky little adjective.

Here's the link to the recording: 

https://www.youtube.com/

See you next week!

Ana I.

Recap Writer

Remarkable phrases, a drifter fish and artificial speechwriting - all in a day's work at EarlyBirds!

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

First-time Topic Master Paula adroitly gave us plenty of food for thought.  We were to discover that...

* TM Aleta indeed chose to let it go after removing the me from blame which left her with only bla bla bla and then building a life beyond her wildest imagination!

* TM Chris misses RV travel where she exercised her superpower - doing nothing without having to exert herself as air travel forces her to do.

* TM Paolo made the best decision by joining EarlyBirds two years ago because he loves it loves it loves.  Ti voglio bene! E amore!

*TM Tom dazzled us with his je veux etre habile dans ma tache avec la commission municipale alons enfants de la patrie le jour de gloire est arrive.

* TM BeckyJo's funny duckling streak was inherited from her odd duck mother and partly circumstantial - breaking her patella while unadroitly training the house cleaner.

* I, Ana, spent my whole senior day yesterday unsmiling and trying to get senior verification with a Malaysia-located non-English speaking call center verification team member of a certain telephone service provider.  I Won Best Table Topics Award for most confusing Table Topic.

* TM Emmanuel got such a long topic that he could not tell the beginning from the end and had to refer us to his earlier invocation about love.

And then came prepared speeches...

* Our guest speaker, TM Joshua, told a tale about a fishspeaking kayaker and his maladjusted friend fish who got eaten up by jonathan livingston seagull and had an awakening about acceptance of life on the reef.  He Won Best Speaker Award.

* TM Chris's artificial intelligence-created speech took us on a 46-hour journey to the most pristine diving on Planet Earth and we all now invoke our superpower of doing nothing from sheer teletransport exhaustion.

As far as evaluations go....

* TM Jim G. praised TM Josh for his good command of fish language.  Jim adroitly lobbied for votes and...you guessed it.    He Won Best Evaluator Award.

* TM Tom was surprised, like the rest of us, at the sudden twist of events and finding out that a certain Chat GPT wrote TM Chris's speech!

General Evaluator TM Paolo - inveterate  and professional maniaco de la moda - adroitly counseled  TM Joshua to sexily slightly open the top buttons of his camicia for the contest and... he's got it made!  As effective as lobbying for votes.

The Word of the Day was

ADROIT, adj.

Clever or skillful in using the hands or mind; having or showing skill and cleverness in handling situations.

Example:  Our collective goal as US citizens is to adroitly avoid paying taxes through the roof while simultaneously adroitly avoiding legal consequences for our adroitivity.

Here's the link to the recording:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FXCAg0IlIVQ

See you next week!

Ana

Adroit Recap Writer

Next Best Thing After Chat GPT

International Idioms, Fashionistas and Wild Obsessions - an emphatic morning at Early Birds!

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

First-time Table Topics Master, TM Maria, dazzled us with visual international idioms, most of which no one ever heard of!  We soon learned that...

* TM Jose dislikes cucumbers but sees himself as alternating between Cool Hand Luke and Raging Bull (a legend in his own mind).  He Won Best Table Topics Award.

* TM BeckyJo became her best Eyetalian version and emphatically stated that with or without holes, we can always have donuts.  Cara mia!!

* TM Randolph was not too keen on breaking fast with an onion - unless it's sandwiched into a quarter pounder at his favorite burger shack.

* Guest Paula likes to slide in on a prawn sandwich as a voluntary responsible participant in the surfing contest of her life.

* TM Tom dislikes hair on his teeth but does not cease to be amazed by the Dutch and how they build cities underwater.

* TM Emmanuel can't wrap his throat around swallowing a camel, even a baby one.

* TM Chris would not tie a bear to anyone mostly because the bear would be unhappy.

* TM Marie is happily married to a gourmet cook but the downside is that all her cheeks are getting bigger and bigger.

Regarding prepared speeches....

* TM Astrid reminded us that dressing is symbolic and only those under 40 should attempt nude dressing in dopamine colors under the overall metaverse.  She Won Best Speaker Award.

* I, Ana, recounted my love affair - NOT- with wild animals and my broken promises not to ever gossip again.

As far as evaluations go...

* TM Randolph was amazed at TM Astrid's speech, its subtleness, what lies beneath and her quest to deflect avatars.  He cautioned her to keep her distance from the camera.or face the risk of falling through zoom time.

* TM Chris thoroughly enjoyed my zany descriptions of the Wild Wild World of Montana Moose and Goose.  She Won Best Evaluator Award.

The Word of the Day was

EMPHATIC, adj.

Strong and clear without any possiblity for doubt.

Example:  Our self-introductions today were unfalteringly emphatic.

Here's the link to the recording:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wH0dwHlK4r8

See you next week!

Ana

Recap Writer

Spanish Sayings, Agile Philosophy and Starting Over - an unknackered meeting of EarlyBirds!

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

Our morning started with a linguistic twist - the Word of the Day (knackered) derived from The King's English and Table Topics translated from their original Castellano.

DTM Mary Helen offered food for thought and we ingested big morsels...

* TM Pam wolves down a PBJ sandwich for lunch before her husband and daughter have finished asking each other what will lunch be.  She loves them anyway.

* TM Astrid takes people's looks personally and finds their attitudes toward self-image to be completely passive-aggressive.

* TM BeckyJo fully concurs that it's getting out of hand - completely, unabashedly, decidedly, purposely.  It's outrageous.  Pay attention cubed.  If only we knew what IT is.  She Won Best Table Topics Award.

* TM Chris 'fessed up that we can count on her for whatever - except when she's not there.  She loves being invisible.

* DTM Jim D. retired because employees were testing his patience.  Now, his Harley club members seriously need penmanship lessons to avoid testing his patience.

* TM Paolo is getting out of the psychological swamp by taking a different approach to life in general. It's all about new directions Puglia/Rome/Miami.

* Guest Paula stays calm and focused on her yoga mat by listening to her breathing and clearing up worries from her stream of consciousness during Downward Dog.

* I, Ana, use ambiguous statements to avoid pointless arguments that prove to me, once again, that I'm always right.

Then came the prepared speeches, which resulted in an unprecedented tie...

* TM Maria introduced us to the Agile Philosophy, which allows us to wear the prom dress of our dreams while spending lazy afternoons on a tire swing.  She Won Best Speaker Award.

* TM Aleta reinforced the point that instead of waiting for exes to come to their senses, we must come to our senses and chop wood and clear brush as needed.  She Won Best Speaker Award.

Regarding evaluations...

* TM Paolo marveled that customers want Prosecco for the price of Chianti and really enjoyed the Agile value generation and collaboration provided by La Gioconda (Mona Lisa) by way of TM Maria.

* TM Randolph praised TM Aleta's speech enhancement - her red blouse under the black jacket added the finishing touch to demonstrate a successful post-divorce life in rural Pennsylvania.  He Won Best Evaluator Award.

The Word of the Day was

KNACKERED, adj.

from British English, jolly good!

Very tired or frustrated

To kill, tire, exhaust or wear out

Example:  King Charles seems quite knackered in the leadup to his May 6 coronation.  The Knackerer's name is Redhead Harry Rotter.

Half the club is leaving for Buenos Aires, Indonesia and parts unknown.  The District and Area officers are presumably already there.  To be or not to be: That is the Contest!!

Next week, bring along your hat collection to the meeting!

Youtube link: https://youtu.be/Kre1LqJOOdE

See you then,

Ana

Recap Reuter

Evaluating the Evaluator, From Surviving to Thriving and More Evaluations - no playing hooky at EarlyBirds today!



Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

To support and give feedback to our Contest Evaluator, TM Paolo, TM Chris played for us recordings of (3) of his prior evaluations, which we then proceeded to evaluate.  In case you're wondering, the Word of the Day was NOT "evaluate" - but more on that later.

Several Club members then evaluated TM Paolo's evaluations:

* TM Tom suggested that TM Paolo act as an intermediary between the audience and the speaker.and wear eyebag concealer makeup when evaluating from Miami.  Preferred brand is Estee Lauder.

* TM Jose asked TM Paolo to focus on a stronger closing and evaluate partly in Italian.  It's good to leave the judges wondering what they heard.

* TM Pam declared herself our contest rule implementer and asked TM Paolo to add the words "In summary" to his evaluations - that will win the judges over.

* TM Marie praised TM Paolo's precise strategic analysis of the speaker's camera angle.

* TM Chris asked TM Paolo to tone down his Italianism while evaluating but accentuate it while speaking.

* TM Aleta asked TM Paolo to please please evaluate while riding a gondola in Venice.

* Tm Mary Helen asked TM Paolo to analyze the content and tone down the performance.

Next came our prepared International Speech contest speaker:

* TM Aleta bared her soul and shared her vulnerability with us after a failed marriage which led her to thrive, rather than survive, and to become proficient at changing the belts of John Deere tractors, a very lucrative profession.  All the women in the Club are seriously considering divorce as we speak.

As far as the evaluation goes...

* TM Paolo praised TM Aleta's black jacket, her facial expressions and encouraged a more energetic salutation.  He used several prior suggestions, including "in summary",  speaking Italian with an American accent and total avoidance of the word "GREAT".

Several other members of the club jumped in as impromptu evaluators, and we learned that...

* TM Pam has a photographic memory of contest rules, all gathered on a trip to Orlando.

* TM BeckyJo thinks TM Aleta needs to watch the flow of the speech and avoid staccatos or stilettos.

* TM Tom asked TM Aleta to explain that she's sharing her story.

* TM Chris encouraged her to use questions and tread well=trodden paths.

* TM Randolph introduced a new Pathways, "The Aleta Chronicles", and asked What's Next?

And so it was that after a free-for-all meeting of evaluations over evaluations and then some more evaluations, we concluded that a good evaluator will definitely win the contest if they use up all their time but do not surpass it by even one nanosecond.

The Word of the Day was

HOOKY, as in "To Play Hooky"

Unjustifiable absence from school or work.

Example:  One third of EarlyBirds revealed they had played hooky, the other third did not play hooky because they are "goody two-shoes" (a future Word of the Day), and the last third BECAME "Goody Two-Shoes" because they PLAYED HOOKY and got caught by their mother... and the rest is plain to imagine.

Here's the link to the recording:

https://youtu.be/Cv5pp0lnDcE

See you next week!

Ana 

Recap Writer

Would like to play hooky but it's too spooky

No longer a member? Use the following link/web page if you are no longer a member of this club: Not A Member https://3659.toastmastersclubs.org?action=NotAMemberNow&mid=00092592&_=kvre

Logos, Finding Jesus and Tortuous Bureaucracy - an audacious morning at EarlyBirds!

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

TM Maria led us with an inspirational poem about an alleged cookie thief.

TM Aleta got us thinking about famous logos and their significance.  We soon learned that...

* TM Maria likes to take a bite of the Apple and cannot conceive life without it.

* TM Astrid is herself an amazon warrior and the big one has taken over the world - pure and simple.

* TM Jose subliminally swooshes into his working out ensemble and is audaciously working on his own brand recognition. He Won Best Table Topics Award.

* TM Randolph has conceded that his family's favorite meals are definitely happy ones!

* TM BeckyJo called out for Bitman to come save America but unfortunately he's busy in Brazil right now.  In a non-sequitur, she concluded that BMW drivers are definitely crazy!

* DTM Mary Helen grew up with a 100ft tv antenna with blurry transmission from nearby towns but she developed a strong connection to peacocks.

* I, Ana, need to go shopping for Not My Daughter's Jeans - pronto!!

We had two fantastic speeches today...

* TM Marie kidnapped Jesus and is now her lifeguard in many ways.  Her husband dreams of buying a boat to be named "Walks on Water".... (to be continued)...

* TM Pam tried to find humor in the times of choler...  Coviewed?  US Passport Agencies are pretty positively Third World caliber and the birding trip will happen!!  She Won Best Speaker Award.

Along came the evaluations....

* TM Paolo praised TM Marie's amazing delivery which brought us to Italy and suggested she add drama and a call to action - have we all found Jesus or bought a boat??  He Won Best Evaluator Award.

* TM Emmanuel admired TM Pam's tailored speech, suggested she keep her dates in sequence and is formally requesting TM International for 20 minutes to evaluate a 20-minute speech.

The Word of the Day was

AUDACIOUS, adjective

Intrepidly daring, adventurous, recklessly bold, rash, insolent, contemptuous.

Example:  Our club members are intrepidly sagacious and audacious while never being contemptuous.

Here's the link to the recording:

Link to the YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8NXGKL0y18

See you next week!

Ana I.

Recap Writer

Travel, Patience and Structure - a meeting with panache at Early Birds

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

We formally inducted our newest member into our Club.  Welcome TM Maria!!

DTM Jim brought up interesting table topics regarding travel and its joys and challenges.  We discovered that...

* TM Pam has experienced the transition from white gloves for air travel to the next person's foot on your armrest and no, thank you.  It's teleportation for a devout Zoomer like her.

* TM BeckyJo is a sideseat driver and has mistaught a whole generation of foreign students that in America it's the law to curse and scream at bad drivers.  She Won Best Table Topics Award.

* TM Tom miraculously survived driver's ed to his 4 children but his gray hair and shot nerves are the remnants of that traumatic experience.

* DTM Mary Helen misses her teenage years when 20 kids piled up into a Volkswagen bug and go to a drive-in movie.  Ah the days of the Wild West!!

* TM Val gets panic-stricken at the thought of her niece getting home on a self-driving car, let alone flying on a pilotless plane.  That will be a no, thank you very much!

* TM Jim G.'s motto is always go forward in travel - with panache, especially because it's hard to drive RVs in reverse.

* Returning TM Astrid fondly recalled her outlaw, maskless drive from NYC to Miami at the start of the pandemic with her good friend and having an absolute blast!!

In the area of prepared speeches...

* TM Emmanuel inspired us to achieve success by exercising patience and avoiding impulsive decisions while moving to Sweden, the most patient country in the world.

* TM Aleta gave us a roadmap for 2023 to start our day drinking water and stretching and writing a Gratitude Journal which will increase our blessings awareness.  She Won Best Speaker Award.

As far as evaluations go...

* TM BeckyJo asked TM Emmanuel to give us clear examples of "before and after", ie, cursing at other drivers versus enjoying a nice drive to work.  She Won Best Evaluator Award.

* TM Marie praised TM Aleta for her timely topic and her exquisite use of hand gestures and polifacetic props.  

The Word of the Day was

PANACHE, noun

Energy, spirit and style

Flamboyant confidence of style or manner

Plume worn in a headdress or a hat

Example:  Many of our EarlyBird Toastmasters exhibit great panache in the wee hours of Thursday morning.

Here's the link to the recording.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BqAhy3uaYeI

See you next week!

Ana 

Recap Writer

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

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

TM Emmanuel led us in a heartfelt, moving invocation.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Regarding our prepared speeches....

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

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

And then came evaluations....

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

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

The Word of the Day was

WOMAN, noun

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

Example:   I am woman - hear me roar!!

Link to the recording:

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

Respectfully submitted,

Ana I.

Woman Recap Roaring Writer 

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

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Along came the prepared speeches...

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

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

We had outstanding evaluations....

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

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

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

The Word of the Day was

IMBUE, verb

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

For example

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

Link to the recording:

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

Happy Holiday Season!!

See you next week for the last meeting of 2022.

Imbued with timeless gratitude,

Ana 

Recap Writer

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

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Along came prepared speeches...

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

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

As far as evaluations go....

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

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

The Word of the Day was

BENEVOLENT, adj.

Kindly person or action

A charitable organization

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

The link to the recording is here

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

See you next week!

Benevolently submitted,

Ana I.

Recap Writer

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

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

We had two fantastic prepared speeches...

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

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

As far as evaluations go...

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

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

The Word of the Day was

LACHRYMOSE, adj.

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

Example:  Lachrymose people keep the tissue industry in business.

The link to the recording:

  

https://youtu.be/5MjndobzqOM

See you next week!

Ana I.

Recap Writer

mi

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

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Along came the prepared speeches...

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

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

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

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

And then came the evaluations...

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

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

The word of the Day was 

RESILIENCE, noun

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

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

The link to the recording

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

See you next week!

Ana I.

Recap Writer