Stylish 🍒

First Bible Study of the Year at Cutie’s!

Last summer, the newest coffee shop in town began a Bible Study. At first, a small turnout of 20 was expected and who knows how long it would last if offended someone? That hasn’t been the case and the turnout last summer was amazing. Instead of having it in the shop, they moved it out to the parking lot. Hundreds have shown up every other Monday to be fed the Word of God. With the success they had last summer, Cutie’s knew they were going to do this again.

It’s been a joy watching this little business evolve into what it is, and to try their amazing drinks. I’ve developed into a Cutie’s addict.

Back in February, I spoke about Cutie’s at a Laurel Highlands Toastmasters meeting. One thing I mentioned was their Bible Study, which I started attending towards the latter part of summer. Monday night was the first Bible Study of the year and you couldn’t have asked for better weather. Cuties stayed open until 6 to serve those attending the event. We began by singing along to a great worship set. Monday night’s study was laid back and more of a panel discussion from those who are speaking, including one of the baristas. She delivered the message most of the time last year when I attended. They answered questions they were given including what were their favorite songs and what their key Bible verse is.

While last year saw me grow moderately in my Toastmasters journey by giving more speeches and starting a new path, 2025 is seeing me return to my walk with God. It’s easier said than done to attend in person, so I’ll have to settle for online. But, next weekend I’m off at least on Saturday night. This gives me the opportunity to attend church Sunday morning on Mother’s Day. I plan on attending 4TheCity Church in Greensburg next Sunday. Bible Study at Cutie’s will be the Monday after Mother’s Day.

I got serious about going to church and the Lord in college. It’s usually the complete opposite of what happens to most kids when they live on campus. They begin to look at other options and start walking away from what they were raised to believe. I found good church homes in Johnstown and Slippery Rock. I was very active in Campus Crusade for Christ when I was at The Rock. If being involved in Christian organizations was a major, I could have graduated magna cum laude. But I do have a lot of memories being involved in “CRU”. It was hard in the first few years after graduation because that and college were so near and dear to me. Just as I was starting to enjoy my time at SRU, I was done and off to the real world.

After graduation, I started to drive more and one Sunday morning found a church close to home. I would become very involved there the next few years, participating in many different programs there. Despite being a member of a good church, I will still feeling regret because of decisions I made a few years ago in school. I was also somewhat envious of people because I wasn’t like them. There was also politics and culture to deal with. After so many years, things came to a head and I needed a break.

Now three and a half years later, I’m ready to make my comeback.

Igniting My Spark at the 2025 District 13 Spring Conference!

The 2025 Spring Conference began the next morning. Our food was provided to us by Thermo Fisher. They had a few of their members attending the event and one of them was speaking in the Tall Tales Contest. I ran into a few former members who were in clubs no longer in existence and both from Notthern and Central WV where Toastmasters doesn’t have the presence that it used to. After eating my breakfast and feeling a cool breeze at my back, we all headed to the Carnegie for the first session of the day with our Keynote Speaker. We had a small parade of banners and I carried for Greensburg. Instead of standing behind the podium our speaker walked around and called on people, including those in the back who thought they were safe 😉.

Tall Tales was the first contest of the day and we heard a lot of funny speeches from our contestants. My division was represented well by our two speakers. Our Frenchman from BPMI spoke of his perils trying to live life in Paris and speak the language. He should brush up on his French-speaking skills or he’ll end up with something sour to eat. Grapefruit, anyone? Perhaps taking five minutes on Duolingo will help. Our contestant from Thermo Fisher showed us what it was like to live life as a cat. The lady I met from HELPS on Smithfield spoke for the trees in Penn Hills. But it was our South Hills Toastmasters participant who stole the show looking for her friend. Bruce, if I’m correct. She’d end up winning the Tall Tales contest of 2025 with our Frenchman placing second and feline friend placing third.

The top three contestants in the Tall Tales contest.

Once that amazing Tall Tales contest ended, it was back to the Carnegie after a ten minute break to be enlightened by our sparkling keynote speaker. This time, we thought of a speech topic using a diagram and looked for words that would highlight it. Soon after, it was time for lunch which was an Olive Garden type setup with salad, dressing which tasted like the restaurant’s itself, and choice of penne or tortellinis with either alfredo or red sauce. Oh, and I can’t forget the breadsticks. Glad I chose the alfredo as I might have just hopelessly soiled my clean white shirt with that red sauce. We honored our members who achieved new levels and finished their paths, and celebrated two dignitaries who received their DTMs, including one who was our past District Director. The International Speech Contest would be coming soon, but first the afternoon workshops.

I made sure to attend Sharon’s afternoon workshop that showed us how to find our purpose and ignite our fire. It was very interactive and we began with an exercise where she called on a few of us and we tried to free ourselves. In a way, it was almost like Twister. We were given a handout with some blanks to fill out. We filled out a Gifts and Talents Self Assessment Form and added up all the numbers. Research shows that only 10% of people know their life purpose. When employees are connected, turnover decreases. Some takeaways from the workshop include the mind being our most valuable asset and that we are our greatest investment. Also, there are six psychological human needs. One more is to do everything you do 1% better than everyone else.

Eight dynamic speakers represented their clubs and their divisions Saturday afternoon. All the speeches I heard were very good. It’s hard enough judging at the area level, imagine how hard it is at the District. I’ve done both. This was my fourth time hearing our champion speak, including Tuesday night at the Johnstown club. Each time he spoke saw improvement from all the feedback he received. When it was all said and done, the best speaker won but it was very close.

Cranberry Area Toastmasters with member Josiah LaDuke who placed second in the International Speech contest.

The top three speakers in the International Speech contest.

We wrapped up the night with an amazing dinner that included key lime cheesecake or a slice of chocolate cake for dessert. For my dinner, I had the apple brie stuffed chicken with some Florentine vegetables. I sat with Western Maryland and Steve and Carly from the Nittany Club. Carly is our incoming Division C Director and Sharon is the incoming Program Quality Director. After the DTM gauntlet and basket raffle, the conference was over and we took some time to let it all out and hit the de facto dance floor.

Our 2025-26 District Trio. Club Growth Director Douglas McCall, Program Quality Director Sharon Imes, and District Director Kathy Wolf

When you’ve gone to as many conferences as I have, they feel like a reunion where you meet your old friends. But you find new friends along the way for you to invite into your life.

Finally, let’s talk about my fashion sense. I rocked my outfit for the dinner portion of the conference. Minus the scarf, I copied my Winter TLI ‘fit which included the iconic cheetah print cardigan. I was treated to a drink along with our keynote speaker as well as our past regional advisor. I downed another cosmopolitan and received some compliments on my pink bag from a few people. The fact that it went with my cardigan showed how much of a fashion statement I really made Saturday night. Those words of wisdom to just not worry about what I’m drinking or what I’m wearing really helped me to enjoy the night and the conference.

Thursday Night Dinner, a Bananas Foster Latte, and a Murder Mystery!

There’s lots to talk about from this weekend’s Toastmasters festivities. Conference weekend is a lot of fun and it’s nice to catch up with old Toastmasters friends while making new ones along the way. Before I recap the weekend, let’s look back at Thursday.

This past Thursday was my monthly Thursday Night Dinner with Mr. Clougherty. I’m using that name instead of the Dinner Series because it ties in to Gilmore Girls which I’m rewatching for the second time. We met at Primanti’s and one of our talking points included the 2025 NFL Draft and who the Steelers were going to draft (and whether or not they would draft a quarterback). I tried to stray from politics and the sad state of the high school. But, I walked right into what I didn’t feel like discussing when Kevin mentioned the tariffs. That’s what is delaying the construction at the best high school in the nation, Hempfield Area High School. Politics and high school aside, let me tell you what I ordered.

I ordered the PB Reuben with a Kosher Dill pickle and water to drink. That’s because I made a stop at Cutie’s before I would meet Mr. Clougherty for dinner. I planned on going the day before but I was busy putting together a basket for the Spring Conference. I went with a gardening theme and called my basket the “Green Thumb Basket”. It was a hit with our club president at Laurel Highlands and the Program Quality Director-elect. The basket chair liked it as well. She’s from the Western Maryland Toastmasters club and serves as their Vice President of Public Relations.

Getting back to dinner…

The service was excellent and our server was patient and professional as Kevin and I took the time we needed to order our food. The Pitts-burger is one of my faves and on my last few trips, I’ve gone with the features (the Dangeruss and the Primanturkey) and both were hits. The reuben was calling my name on Thursday night though. I was happy with my sandwich and the sauce added a nice kick to an already good sandwich. I’ll do my review on Yelp. During our time together, I also explained to Kevin 20, 25, and 5 and the meaning behind those numbers.

20 marks the years that I’ve been out of college, and when I had begun my social media journey. I’ve been on Facebook since it was only for college students. Surprisingly, I’ve stayed with it, for better or for worse. 25 marks the years since I graduated high school and later in the summer of 2000, when I started college. I took classes for a semester at the Hiram G. Andrews Center and then moved on to the local community college in early 2001. We decided that I’d attend the former and the latter as a way for me to learn how to be independent, before transferring to a four year college if that was my plan. Finally, five marks the years since our world shut down due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. That period during COVID was a wake-up call and a turning point for me.

During the week, I started the process of packing for the conference. I tend to overdo it but you can’t be too careful. I did the same thing when we went to Hershey back in November for the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. In my next blog, I’ll recap the Saturday portion of the conference. By late afternoon on Friday, I was en route to the hotel where the 2025 Spring Conference would be held. In the next blog, I’ll go into detail on how I got there. Here, I’ll highlight Friday’s activities.

Early in the evening, there was an authors’ round table. Some of our Toastmasters are accomplished authors and that includes one of the people from my home club, Greensburg. Our keynote speaker has written many books herself including “Heart of a Toastmaster”. I had a coupon for a free book and did I use it? I’ll tell you in the next blog.

The best part of Friday Fun Night was the fun Casino games that we played and the Murder Mystery that we had to solve. Last year’s trivia at the DoubleTree in Washington was also a lot of fun and we almost won had I known the answer to the final question. No hard feelings though as we had a lot of fun. I met lots of people and played some roulette with my friend from the Johnstown club. Things got really interesting as the music stopped and the lights went out, and then we had to figure out who the murderer was.

I wrapped up my Friday night by going to the bar with friends where I had my first Cosmopolitan, and impressed everyone with my knowledge of geography. Then, it was time to get to bed as I had a full day ahead of me on Saturday.

Visiting Johnstown Toastmasters!

On Sunday, we celebrated Easter. It was a small turnout and we didn’t have our usual suspects there. The Somerset Gaffrons were in State College celebrating Easter. But it was still a great day, albeit a little chilly. We had ham, scalloped potatoes, and vegetable casserole.

It was a quiet day after the chaos over the two nights before. It was also the calm before the storm coming the next four days. At work, nothing is tranquil. As I write this during midweek, I’m currently in the homestretch and the light at the end of the tunnel that I mentioned last week is there. But, it’s still somewhat faint. It‘ll glow brighter by Friday morning when this seven day stretch comes to an end. The price you pay for taking off this upcoming weekend for a conference.

Last night, I had the liberty of attending Johnstown’s meeting online. It was a fun meeting and well-attended. I made plans to attend months ago, but I also felt like I had returned the favor after TJ visited the Greensburg club last Wednesday (also online). He gave a speech at our club. I didn’t speak Tuesday night at Johnstown. Regardless, I still had a great time and look forward to my in person visit in October. Just as the Spring Conference is nearing and our excitement is growing, so the elections for new officers in the upcoming 2025-26 Toastmasters year are coming up as well. At tonight’s DEC meeting, we will be electing our new district officers for the upcoming year including our Division Directors and Finance Manager. For my clubs, I’m hoping to swap roles (though at Greensburg I might want one of the two that I had at Laurel Highlands). But I might be President again at Greensburg as well so who knows there. If VP Education is open at Laurel Highlands I’ll take that role. We‘ll see what happens in May at our club officer elections. Summer TLI is June 21 at WCCC.

While I’ve gotten the hang of Zoom and online meetings thanks to a laptop gifted to me from my Allentown cousin and her little family, I feel I can benefit more from better lighting. I use my book light but it’s not enough. In the future, I’d like to find a better room downstairs and of course, I’ll possibly need headphones that can work with my laptop and I’ll have to reserve one of the rooms for an hour and a half. It’s nothing serious, just a change of scenery that I’d like to consider for upcoming Toastmasters meetings.

Finally, as I said this week and the week before have been nothing short of crazy. At work, we’ve been busy focusing on Easter and getting around vacations. It doesn’t help when we don’t have enough people. Point is, I have things I enjoy doing but sometimes can’t find the time for. I try to make time for everything but sometimes I tend to overextend myself. Life happens and sometimes we can’t always get what we want. That has rang true this week with Easter and preparing for Spring conference. Once this weekend is over, I’ll have more time for the things I want to do. That’ll put an end to the craziness for a little bit. The next important event in my life should be Summer TLI in June.

Bible Study at Cutie’s on Monday night is a great start too.

Eye of the Storm

It’s the beginning of a seven day stretch at work and right now we’re in the eye of the storm. Last night brought with it rain and wind and tonight it will be more of the same before we catch a break on Sunday. Disclaimer: This is not a real weather forecast. The start of the new workweek brings storm chances and scattered showers and thunderstorms but it won’t be a washout every day leading up to the weekend. Again this is not a real forecast for Greensburg, but for me this week it’s figuratively speaking.

The mild weather has descended on our area for the first half of Easter weekend. Yesterday morning, as I was leaving the gym to go home, it felt more like early summer with the warm breeze. I still had a light jacket on even as it felt a little humid outside. I almost felt like I was in Panama City Beach (shades of 2004 and 2005 when I spent Spring Break there) or at Cape May on vacation. I’m out for an early walk before the sun and humidity take over, keeping me hydrated. I wonder if they have a Cutie’s like coffee shop in Panama City Beach.

This is a big week for me with the District 13 Toastmasters Spring Conference at the end of the week. It’s a light at the end of the tunnel after a long week of work for me and I’m hoping that this weekend will be well-earned. Actually, this will be a busy weekend as I prepare for the conference, visit a Toastmasters club online, and attend a council meeting. We’ll be electing our new district officers and talking about realignment. I will RSVP as soon as I get the email. I’ll be attending Johnstown’s club meeting virtually on Tuesday as part of my Spirit of Toastmasters tour, and squeezing in a day to get my haircut. Thursday, I am meeting Mr. Clougherty for our monthly Thursday Night Dinner at Primanti’s.

Now let’s talk about fashion for the upcoming week. I have something nice picked out for my online activities on Tuesday and Wednesday. The Girls Table raves about my fashion sense. I’m thinking black on black with a floral top (I bought this last summer from where else but Old Navy. I have some other cute tops for later in the week and a white shirt for Wednesday’s online District Council meeting. Of course you know I can get away with lounging pants for my online meetings but I want to look nice. But what to wear for conference weekend.

Looking great at Winter TLI this past December. The cheetah cardigan will be coming with me to conference this weekend.

For Saturday, which is in the heart of all the conference activities including our speech contests, I have a black and gray outfit planned for breakfast and the first half of the day. For dinner, I’m thinking of donning the cheetah print cardigan. That piece works well dressed up or casual. I may even repeat my outfit from Winter TLI in December. Friday and Sunday will be laid back as I check in early Friday evening and check out Sunday morning. It’ll feel nice to be in the hotel after getting through traffic in West Mifflin and driving through residential Broughton Road. Here’s hoping for good vibes this weekend and Sunday morning as I head home via West Mifflin (PA 885) or the Parkway (I-376). Lots of great outfits planned and I will be trying them on at some point the next five days. I just need to be me and not be hungry for attention. If I remember my keys to the game, this weekend and conference will be a success.

Credit goes to Cutie’s Coffee but these drinks are Bananas. B-A-N-A-N-A-S!

Finally, I’m going bananas in my upcoming Cutie’s visits and moving away from the lattes the rest of the month and into May. The In Bloom menu runs through May 31. I see a Cold Brew, Chai, and Frappe on my radar soon. Sometimes it feels good to diversify. I might even order one before the first Bible Study of the year on April 28. I’m excited to learn from God’s Word and grow in my faith with the lessons I’ll be hearing from our speakers.

Countdown to Conference!

The Countdown to Conference is on, now just a week away and even less when we pass Easter. My schedule is up for next week, and the light at the end of the tunnel will be when I check into my room at the Crowne Plaza Hotel next Friday. The success of next weekend will depend on my mood. Even as I was in person last year for the first time since COVID, I wasn’t feeling like I wanted to be there. Part of it was adjusting my sleep schedule which is always tricky, but the bigger culprit was an empty list of notifications on social media which left me feeling discouraged and dejected. It set the tone for Spring and part of Summer for me. As last year’s Spring Conference ended, I saw the date for 2025’s conference and wasn’t sure if I was going to come back for this one. As time has gone on, my discouragement has turned into encouragement and I’m ready to take it all in next weekend.

Earlier this week, my friend posted a headshot she had done at her work. She’s come a long way in her time there. She hasn’t updated her social media in a while and disconnected her Facebook a while back. Looking at her recent post, that first sentence hit me.

While some of us go months without checking or updating our Facebooks and Instagrams, I’m checking mine every day…. multiple times. While there’s nothing wrong with that, I do cry for attention a lot. When I don’t immediately see comments or likes (especially on my outfits), I get discouraged and eventually depressed. Part of me is still upset over the Republican backlash on the LGBTQ community over the Bud Light controversy. I nearly quit being me a few years ago because of all the nasty 💩 being said.

While I struggled through Spring and part of the Summer in 2024, what really became a turning point for me was my involvement in my local Toastmasters clubs. I stepped up and starting giving more speeches. In August, I started to finish the path that I began in the Summer of 2020 during COVID. By September, I had it all done and began the next path a few weeks later by giving my ice breaker. When you give it a third time, what do you even talk about? Some of my speeches over these few levels included the history of Eat’n Park (I was currently reading the book on the company’s 75th anniversary at the time) as well as what I talk about in my blog. I also talked about Cutie’s and looked back at when we began quarantining during the early stages of COVID in March 2020, and that not everything was cancelled.

January was the only month in which I didn’t speak but aside from that, it’s been nice to have some consistency in my Toastmasters journey. I’ve now completed two levels in Presentation Mastery and now I’m looking ahead to Level 3, which I hope to have completed by the end of the 2024-25 Toastmasters year. I’m even thinking ahead to what my next path will be when I get there. I have planned for back to back weeks of giving speeches in May and June, leading up to Summer TLI and vacation. With the success that Laurel Highlands and Western Maryland are experiencing this year, how can I make Greensburg great again? My home club is good but it needs help and more members.

Thursday was my day off and what better place to spend the best day of the week than Cutie’s, where I got the Bunny Peep Latte. The marshmallow fluff was giving me a foodgasm and the bunny peep didn’t stand a chance. The weather on Thursday and Friday, like Cuties’s special coffee menu, has been in bloom. The battle between colder and warmer weather is shifting the other way now as we head into late April. Unfortunately, the spring like weather can also fire off some strong thunderstorms, of which a few can be severe. A wet April in 2024 led to a dry, hot summer. What does the future hold for the Summer of 2025? Hopefully the coming month won’t see any tornadoes 🌪️.

Here are some selfies from yesterday’s trip to Cutie’s as well as from Sunday. The shirt and vest despite the being the same color are not the same pieces of clothing.

Racing to the Top!

We are closing in on Presidents’ Distinguished at Laurel Highlands, our history making Toastmasters club which chartered in 2021. We just need one new member and two educational awards and we should qualify for top honors. I’m on standby in case my Level 2 is needed to help them achieve their goal. If not, I’ll be giving it to the Greensburg club. I’ve scheduled myself to speak twice in May and June, so that should give me Level 3 before Summer TLI on June 21. Exciting times ahead as Laurel Highlands and Western Maryland battle for gets to nine goals first.

Sunday, I watched the live stream for the morning service at Allegheny Center Alliance Church. I split it up as I went to treat myself to coffee at Cutie’s. That was a beautiful day weather wise with wall to wall sunshine. Overall, I enjoyed the Palm Sunday sermon and will be back online for the Communion service on Thursday night. While I can’t be in church most weekends due to work and even though this live stream is convenient, nothing beats going to church in person.

My plans changed on Wednesday it was announced when our meeting would be going virtual. It was a last minute change and for the second meeting in a row, I was a cohost. I think I finally have this Zoom thing down now. I was also conducting the meeting as backup President. Not my first rodeo there. At our next meeting, we will conduct officer elections for the 2025-26 Toastmasters year. I am in charge of that this year. Our guest Wednesday night was TJ Rose. He is from the Johnstown club and he is also our Division Director. He gave a speech at Greensburg tonight and it was really good. We had two good speakers and a great evaluation team led by me as General Evaluator. The husband and wife team the Teagues evaluated our two speakers. Hard to believe the conference is a week and a half away and that our next meeting will be in May.

Just as TJ visited our club Wednesday night, I’ll be returning the favor next Tuesday and attending Johnstown Toastmasters online. The club meets on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday at 6:30pm. An in person visit is in my plans for October.

The Countdown to Conference is on as the big event is a week away starting tomorrow. It’ll be a busy week with Easter and Toastmasters meetings, including our District Council meeting Wednesday night. I have seven days in a row of work scheduled, but the light at the end of the tunnel is our Spring Conference next weekend. Hopefully this time, I will enjoy myself and not have my phone on me all the time, except to take pictures. Checking notifications all the time is old, but it’s addicting. There’s a lot planned, including a great Friday night event, workshops, and of course the Tall Tales and International Speech contests. We’ll wrap it all with the banquet and the DTM gauntlet.

Three Years Duolingo Strong!

Happy Duolingo Anniversary to me! Today is Palm Sunday and it’s also three years of Duolingo learning for me! Learning a foreign language is a great skill to have, especially if you’re in a line of work where you need to communicate bilingually or you travel overseas. I began my Duo journey by learning Spanish and have since branched out into different languages including French, Italian and German. Those four languages along with Math (yes you can do Math on Duolingo but it’s more elementary or light intermediate) make up most of my learning on the app since fully committing to it in 2022. Also on Duolingo are some family members and Toastmasters friends of mine.

12 years to the day today marked a major turning point in my life. I’ll get to that in a minute but, I was in Slippery Rock attending a memorial service for a friend of mine. He was a longtime member of Slippery Rock United Methodist Church and one of the people instrumental in helping me find a church home as I was beginning my studies at Slippery Rock. He passed a few weeks prior from cancer (it was in March of 2013). We all took that morning to remember Gary and what a special person he was as well as the impact he had on our lives. After the memorial service, a luncheon was held downstairs in the Fellowship Hall. It was nice to catch up with some of the former students who also attended church there, as well as the staff and other church members. If I remember correctly, they say that Methodists love to eat.

Duolingo is a Pittsburgh based corporation with their main headquarters in East Liberty, not far from Bakery Square. Every time I went to Children’s Hospital to visit Benny, I drove past the Duolingo offices. You can tell it’s them by the green owl. Next to Duolingo is a Mexican restaurant called Duo’s Taqueria. The menu is in Spanish, so be sure to brush up on your language skills.

After the luncheon at the church, I got in my car and walked over to the university. I walked around the campus not once but twice. I needed time to take everything in. I mentioned this was a turning point and it was on this brisk Spring day that I finally appreciated my time at Slippery Rock and accepted it as well. After so many years of feeling regret for not feeling like I did enough there, Inwas finally at peace. For a long time, I wanted to go back, even studying something completely different from what my original field was. I didn’t care about time, money, or debt, but just didn’t want to be stuck with what I felt at the time was a mediocre experience.

I wasn’t ready to graduate back in 2005. None of us are ever truly ready. That’s why we need to enjoy our time on campus and not take it for granted.

Thankfully, that mindset is long gone and I’m grateful for my time at both Johnstown schools (HGA and the Community College) and The Rock. I’ll be going up to Slippery Rock this Fall to attend homecoming. This time, I won’t have a chip on my shoulder and I won’t feel like recreating the past, but it’ll mark 20 years since I graduated college.

Today, I had a Cutie’s date and it couldn’t have gone any more perfect. Wall to wall sunshine, a tasty drink, and my new Emily Gilmore book to keep me company. Seriously, today would have been a great Ligonier day or the perfect opportunity to use my camera while in town. The seating at Cutie’s inside and outside was filled so I got my drink and took it up to the promenade next to the courthouse.

I have my drinks lined up through April. Today’s drink was the Cadbury Egg Latte and Thursday’s will be the Fluffy Bunny Peep Latte. Also on the Cutie radar is the Bananas Foster Latte, Blueberry Cheesecake Cold Brew, and Banana Bread Chai. The Oreo Dirt Frappe? I’m trying that in May!

Tonight begins my Gilmore Girls rewatch.

Better Late Than Never!

This week the Allegheny Mountains Toastmasters Club held a Speech-a-Thon at Hoss’s Corporate Headquarters in Duncansville. I gave some thought about attending the event this morning and I was glad I did, even if it was better late than never. I’m sitting in my chair reading my book, having a quiet morning, remembering to take it easy as I lay down in the afternoon since I worked that night. I told Dr. Liz (the club’s VPPR who coordinated the event) that I was thinking about attending. I logged on at 9:45 (the Speech-a-Thon began at 9am) and it was perfect timing as they were in the middle of a break.

It’s been one of my busiest Toastmasters weeks in a long time, as I gave a speech at Laurel Highlands Toastmasters and attended Western Maryland Toastmasters as a guest. I wasn’t sure if I was up for attending this morning but I gave it some thought and I was glad I did. Better late than never, even though I did miss hearing Dr. Liz’s speech at the beginning. Two speakers gave their first speech, the ice breaker. They were Jamie and Eric, who spoke on being an entymologist and stepping out of your comfort zone, respectively.

When I arrived at 9:45, I was welcomed by the members. Some of them I already met at the Area 21 Speech contest in February in Johnstown.

Switching to podcasts, I’m beginning to branch out with a educational podcast and a new mental health podcast which is a little more short and sweet for me. I enjoy my ’90s rewatch pods as well. One is hosted by a former First Lady and another by a Toastmaster in my District. First, the Toastmaster’s podcast.

I came across “The L Podcast” one afternoon when I was going to Cutie’s and the date it aired had just followed the presidential inauguration. It was hosted by Dr. Liz, the person whom I met at the area contest in February and, who also hosted this morning’s Speech-a-Thon. The podcast I listened was an uplifting podcast in a trying time (depending on who you voted for). The host assured us that everything was going to be all right and that we can still follow media outlets as long as we don’t overdo it. I listened to her newest episode this morning and it was very insightful as well.

Former first lady Michelle Obama and her brother Craig Robinson also host a podcast, called IMO . The acronym is short for In My Opinion. I played the introduction and first episode yesterday morning. I liked what I heard in the first podcast so I’ll give it a few more listens. There are interviews with other celebrities and filmmakers and of course, the former president gets a mention as well. I’ve read both of Michelle’s books (Becoming and The Light We Carry) and have coffee table books of her time as First Lady as well as Obama’s presidency. The former I bought with her first book in November of 2018, and the latter I got as a Christmas present that same year. IMO is a new podcast, having debuted in March.

Maybe one of these days, I’ll finally get around to reading (and finishing) the book on Obama’s first term as President!

Whale of a Cod Time!

This afternoon, I had some stuff to take care of that I won’t mention in this blog. First things first though. I stopped at Eat’n Park because I was hungry for the Whale of a Cod. Overall I had a great dining experience. The sandwich was good and the service was great. Eat’n Park is very relaxed and laid back and when I eat out with Kevin, I like to pick comfort food and a quiet place to eat so we can hear each other talk. Overall I give the experience a 4.5/5. Wednesday night I’ll go to Kings or Oliver’s Pourhouse for a pre-Toast fish dinner. My review is also on Yelp.

After 3 1/2 years away from church and more time away from God, I feel like I’m finally ready to go back. While in house attendance is something I can’t guarantee I’ll be able to do, there’s always live streaming. I’ve been pretty happy the few times that I’ve attended Allegheny Center Alliance Church and I plan to listen to the Palm Sunday sermon this weekend. When I finally get a free Sunday, I would like to visit this one church in town called 4TheCity Church. One of my Toastmasters friends mentioned it to me and I actually learned about it in a local podcast when it was just getting started. I began to make headway last year by attending the Bible studies at Cuties every other Monday during the Summer. Also, I attended church at Community in Harrison City a couple of Saturdays. When you know you’re ready, the time will come.

I’m taking advantage of my Majesty coupons this month and using them to get back into Christian and inspirational reading. Two weeks ago, I bought a couple of books and today, I picked a couple more. That should keep me occupied for the next couple of months. With Annabelle possibly leaning towards a Hamilton theme for her birthday, I might revisit that book. I also have Kelly Bishop’s memoir which I’m looking forward to reading next week.

As for tv show rewatches, I’m looking forward to getting back into Gilmore Girls and The Office.

These next two weeks are brutal but there’s a light at the end of the tunnel and it’s the Spring Conference. Easter’s coming up next week and later that week I leave. My online visit to Johnstown is next Tuesday and the night after is a DEC meeting. Thursday night is dinner with Mr. Clougherty at Primanti’s. It’ll be a challenge that week trying to find time to pack. I’m planning ahead of time and will leave late in the day on Friday after I wake up.

Last year I took I-70 to US 19, which is a challenge with all the dangerous truck traffic. I traveled that road for years working at WIS when going to Wheeling. This year I have the option of either taking the Parkway, or driving through West Mifflin. However I get to my destination is going to present its own set of challenges. The Parkway (I-376) and the Liberty Tubes at rush hour are always crazy. With the road going past the old Century III Mall closed for good, that’s going to really tie up traffic on Lebanon Church Road (PA 885) and PA 51. Broughton Road is also a crawl as it’s residential. Patience will be a virtue getting to the hotel next Friday.