On Day 7 of my double digit vacation, we took advantage of the nice weather and went to Kennywood. We took my 11 year old niece and her friend from karate. They were looking forward to having a good time.

For me, this trip to Kennywood was my first since 2018 and first amusement park trip since Hersheypark in 2019. COVID, my own health issues, and my work schedule contributed to that plus, it’s been hard to justify the price of admission. Katie, Matt, and Annabelle are always going to Kennywood while I don’t really have anyone to go with me. My aunt and Benny have gone a lot in the past with me but I’m sure his recent health issues have had an impact on their attendance too. Earlier in the last decade I went to Kennywood with them quite a lot.

I’ve had to be careful today picking my battles due to my health issues but so far I’ve done ok. I’ve balanced my rides well. So far, I’ve ridden the Racer and Thunderbolt, and played it safe with the Bumper Cars and the train (redone with a Thomas and Friends theme). Before I make my way home, I’d like to ride the Jackrabbit as some point before we head home. At least I’ve made it a point to ride the old roller coasters today so that constitutes a win win for me.

In my plans for my vacation I did want to go to Bites and Pints but we couldn’t come to an agreement on when to fit it in. Getting to taste all the food from different countries would have given me serious EPCOT vibes.

Eat’n Park must have had their company picnic today because I saw many folks with Eat’n Park T-Shirts in the park. Some represented store #28 in Sewickley. Their corporate headquarters is only a few minutes down the road in the Waterfront. I remember going to my work picnics with Kings in the late 2000s and getting to play Frownie. It was always a good time and it was nice to see everyone come together.

We shared some potato patch fries and went home around 6, after our relief showed up and thus, took over.

Did I get to ride what I wanted? Not everything but it was still a good day. If I stayed longer, I’d have ridden the Jackrabbit and Ghostwood Estates like I said I would. If the weather was hot as it was last week, I’d have likely been on the Raging Rapids and the Pittsburg Plunge.

I’ll make the most of my last three days of vacation starting at tomorrow with a shopping trip starting at Tanger and then up to South Hills. On Saturday, I’ll be seeing a matinee with my aunt at the Westwood Plaza Theatre. We’ll also do lunch in addition to the movie. I smell a restaurant review and a movie review (I promise, no spoilers). We’ll celebrate my Polamalu birthday on Sunday at home and put the final touches on my vacation. Another week off is coming in December but I’m not ready to look past swimming or Pumpkin Spice just yet.

I’m fully into vacation mode now, or at least trying to be (no I’m enjoying my time off). After getting educated at Summer TLI and enjoying time with family over the weekend, I’ve decided to embark on some road trips. The first one was up to Slippery Rock to see my alma mater and how much it’s changed.

Yes, I’ve made visits up there once a year for homecoming in the past and longed for the good old days to return. However, things have changed. I’ve since retired this annual tradition, last attending in 2018. I’ve also gained a new perspective on things since making some major changes in my life since then.

Before I made the drive up to Slippery Rock, I attended a Toastmasters meeting in Cranberry. I’m not a first time guest at Cranberry High Noon, and I believe this is my tenth visit (but who’s counting). Overall I heard two great speeches, took part in table topics, and served as the Grammarian. I also had an opportunity to share the website to my blog with a few of the members (who are also club officers). I also stuck around to hear who the new club officers and watch their club president in action, learning a thing or two along the way. This club went through some changes during the year and passed them with flying colors. I left around 1:30 and was on my way to Slippery Rock.

I had lunch at North Country Brewing in town. I had been there before but it was pre-COVID. I stayed true to my promise to stop at Slippery Rock. Here’s my small but mighty review of my dining experience Monday.

It was quiet and peaceful. To be fair, it is their offseason here as this place is usually busier when school is in session. I know, I used to go to school at Slippery Rock. It wasn’t very busy as it was mid-afternoon. From previous experience, I can say that the atmosphere is nice. Seating is a little different as I ate here for the first time since COVID.

I ate outside and the dining area reminded me of a place I’d eat at the Zoo. Service was good. I knew what I wanted for lunch. I got a Reuben since there we had plenty of burgers and hot dogs the day before at Ben’s graduation party. Overall I was pleased with the food. Overall I’ll rate my experience a 4.25.

I arrived at campus around 3pm and decided to stay for a while. Along the way I took many pictures both with my phone and my camera. I gained a renewed perspective of my time on campus. It was one of the paths I took that led me to where I am now. Did I want a do over? Many times I did. I was stuck between what I wanted to study if I ever went back to school for a second degree.

Fortunately, that never came to pass. Who knows what I’d be doing and if I’d ever be debt free? All to get out of working.

It took what seemed like forever but that phase has finally worn off. It was around 2019 when I did the right thing and made Fall Symposium my new tradition. It’s also changed my focus when it comes to Toastmasters.

Since graduating, I traveled some rough roads but things eventually got better. Without attending Slippery Rock, I would have had regrets of what I could have done. Even I would have attended until 2007, just one thing might have changed the whole trajectory of my entire path to where I am now.

Here’s some pictures from the Rock to close off today’s blog.

The countdown to my summer vacation just got real! Eight more hours of work and I am officially off until July 1. But before that, we had our last Greensburg Toastmasters meeting of the year and it was a good one.

We heard two ice breakers (one from a new member and one from a DTM starting a new path). Our Table Topics session was a lot of fun, as we did haikus that centered around summer. The evaluations were very helpful. You might say one of the ice breakers could have been an ice cream breaker (because it mentioned the Meadows). The other ice breaker taught me that even as you complete the highest achievement in Toastmasters, it’s all right to go for another and to ask for help when needed.

I went over my three officer roles I’ll be serving in 24-25 in yesterday’s blog. Today, I’ll go over what the other officer roles entail. We have our officer list all set in Greensburg as well as in Laurel Highlands. We’re just looking for four new members by June 30 to make Distinguished in Greensburg.

Here are the other four officer roles that I didn’t mention yesterday.

Secretary—The Secretary is responsible for all club records, correspondence and taking minutes. The Secretary updates and distributes the current roster of paid members and keeps it current in World Headquarters files. The Secretary keeps a copy of the Club Constitution and the Standard Bylaws for clubs on file.

Treasurer—The job of the treasurer includes handling the club’s finances, including the collection of club dues and the payment of all bills. Twice annually, the Treasurer must notify members of dues collection and then collect club dues from each member (before March 31 and September 30).

In Greensburg, we’ve had the same treasurer since I joined. It’s helpful to have a background in finance or accounting when performing this role, especially at the District level.

Sergeant at Arms—This person is responsible for club property management, meeting room preparation, and hospitality. Our SAA started the meeting and introduced the President. When I served at the District level in the early 2010s, I enjoyed introducing our Toastmaster for the events or sessions at our conferences. You could feel the confidence growing in my voice as I got up to the microphone with no hesitation at all. Too bad I couldn’t keep up that energy in some of my speeches I gave.

President–The club president is the team leader, the motivator, and the cheerleader.

The President is responsible for overall operation of the club. He or she presides at club and officer meetings, monitors the Distinguished Club Program progress and works closely with the area director to coordinate goals. The president can also access Base Camp to complete manager tasks.

Our meeting came to an end with plenty of time to spare. We had a guest tonight and he enjoyed the meeting. I think we landed a new member. While my goal of being distinguished was not met, it was still a good year for me serving as the President of the Greensburg club. My interest in the club was renewed last Spring after feeling discouraged in the pandemic years and having fallen off after getting my DTM in late 2019. Thus, I was excited to serve as President this year.

As I think about vacation, I’m excited about how I’m going to spend it. I don’t have everything set in stone yet. I do know I’m going to a Toastmasters meeting on Monday and then taking a drive up to Slippery Rock afterwards. Friday, I have plans to shop at Tanger and then make a Market District run. I’ll either be in Robinson or South Hills. The weekends will bookend all the fun that is coming up, with club officer training on Saturday and a graduation party on Sunday. The following Sunday is my birthday.

It’ll be worth it to get away from work for the next week. It’s a few days early, but here’s to 43, my Polamalu Birthday!

Tonight is our final meeting for the Toastmasters year, which ends on June 30. In tonight’s blog however, I’ll talk about the roles I am taking on for next year.

At the end of tonight’s Greensburg meeting, I’ll hand off the gavel to our new President and hope to get a few pictures of our new officers for the upcoming Toastmasters year. As incoming Vice President Education, I will also plan our next meeting, which is scheduled for July 3.

It’s not my first rodeo in this officer role but it sure seems like it sometimes. The Vice President Education role is the most important role in the club, even more so than President. My job is to record progress of our members when they complete a project or path, keep track of where we stand in the Distinguished Club program, and as I alluded to earlier, planning meetings.

In Laurel Highlands, I’ll be taking on the roles of Vice President Membership and Vice President Public Relations. I’ll reach out to those interested in coming to a meeting, and have applications ready for those who want to join our club. I’ll also put together a packet for guests who come to our meetings so they can learn more about Toastmasters. As Vice President Public Relations, it’s my job to market Toastmasters to the local community and keep the website running.

Even though I’ve held these offices before, I’m going in green and know that I can always ask for help when and where needed.

I’ve been with Toastmasters since 2011. The person that joined on the first day of June thirteen years ago is not the same person who is finishing their Presidency on the nineteenth day of June in 2024. I’m looking at these roles differently than I did as a relatively new Toastmaster.

In 2011, my heart was still focused on going back to school, not caring about starting over or the amount of student loan debt I’d have to pay back at the end of my studies. It took a while, but I finally let go of my past and moved away from what was holding me back. I no longer had an interest in going back to school and actually found out I enjoy working and making money.

I got my Distinguished Toastmaster, started a blog, embarked on my fashion journey (my way of coming out), and began a new career. Toastmasters still piques my interest, despite the changes I’ve made.

If you like something, you’ll find a way to fit it in and make it work for you.

Today is a day to celebrate, just as it will be in a few days and on Saturday at Club Officer Training.

I’ve been putting content on this blog since November 2019. I didn’t know what was going to happen a few months later, no one did. That didn’t diminish my hopes and dreams. Instead of growing the platform too quickly as I did, I look back on 2020 and realize that I could have used my platform to reach out to a world that was hurting. It would have quite a start for this new blogger.

Too big to fail was a phrase we heard too much of back in the Great Recession. At one time, chains built too many stores too quick, and then realized they oversaturated themselves. This blog was just that early in 2020 before COVID brought it back down to earth. It also brought me down as I was just off the high of late 2019 (but I believe that fall from grace was coming). However, I was damned if I did, damned if I didn’t when I came back to WIS early that year after testing the waters of a new workplace. I finally left my old job late in 2021 because I knew I was ready and turning 40, I needed a change.

When you look at how much I’m writing this year and compare it to a couple of years ago, you ask yourself what the difference is. I didn’t have the technology would be the obvious answer but my cousins came through and gifted me with an awesome laptop. It was also a matter of how I was feeling. Did I regret some decisions I made the year before? Was my journey worth it since I felt I was hearing crickets? I’ve gone through my good days and bad days. I’m influenced by the opinions of others, be it family, friend, or famous person, but eventually what’s said doesn’t always stick. However, the recovery takes longer and, for me, is still going on. The people who think they’re helping you may inflict more damage upon you than the bully would themselves.

I’ve been on my “fashion journey” since 2021 (it’s more that than an LGBTQ journey). For far too long, I’ve relied on the opinions of others for approval and when I don’t hear it or read about it, I get discouraged. While the approval helps, I’m also not giving myself credit or loving myself enough. Even as I’ve blogged more this year, there are days I’m still sad because I feel I’m not good enough. I look to Facebook and Instagram for attention and when I don’t get it, I feel broken and discouraged. That hindered my enjoyment of the Spring Conference this past May.

But despite everything that has gone on in the world (and in my head), I’m still here and excited for what’s to come in the days ahead. Here’s to 600 blog posts and many more!

This week is going to be nuts. Let’s talk about why it’s going to be crazy.

It’s going to be hot. We have an excessive heat watch in effect until Friday. Plenty of time will be spent in the pool and staying hydrated and cool.

Starting today and up through the end of the week, temperatures will be in the mid 90s. When you factor in the humidity, the heat index will reach dangerous levels. Limit outdoor activities, stay cool and hydrated. Don’t be a statistic this week. I will be taking advantage of the free time I have by swimming or walking in a cool place (maybe do a couple of laps around the mall).

It’s a Toastmasters week. Wednesday is my last Greensburg meeting of the year At the end of the meeting, I’ll be handing off the gavel to our new President for the 2024-25 Toastmasters year. Saturday is club officer training, or TLI at Westmoreland County Community College.

Our Toastmasters year wraps up on June 30 and that means it’s crunch time for all clubs to meet the requirements for the Distinguished Club Program. Just one more member can make the difference between qualifying for the DCP and making President’s Distinguished.

I’ll be busy next year serving officer roles in both of my clubs and trying to lead both of them to success. I’ll be the Vice President Education in Greensburg, and at Laurel Highlands, I’ll serve as both the Vice President Membership and Public Relations.

I plan to visit Cranberry High Noon next Monday during my week long vacation from Giant Eagle, before heading up to Slippery Rock. I visited Johnstown online in April and will plan an in person visit (August/September) as well as do an online visit for the new Western Maryland club (July). My Spirit of Toastmasters is really making a comeback.

It’s my birthday week. Thursday night, I will celebrate my birthday at the Olive Garden. I’m looking forward to a great dinner and I plan to get a restaurant review out as well. I made sure to remind Mr. Clougherty that it’s my birthday so I can get some cake. I’ll be talking about some of my favorite dining experiences at the Olive Garden over the years in my next blog. We used to celebrate my Great Grandmother’s birthday there too.

Last year, in the haze of the Canadian Wildfire smoke and having recently decided to continue my fashion journey, we ate dinner at Burgatory. It’s an early birthdy dinner since Kevin is on vacation next week. Other stops this year in the Dinner Series include EDO Hibachi will be in July, as well as Kings which will likely be sometime in the fall.

It’s a milestone week. I say that for the blog as well as for Duolingo. I’ll be publishing my 600th post this week and Saturday will be my 800th day on Duolingo. I’ll have to celebrate with my Duolingo buddy sometime in the future. I’ll make sure that 600th post is something heartfelt.

It’s a week for amazing fashion. I’ll be slaying some nice outfits this week and into the weekend as I beat the heat and keep cool. I have something nice picked out for Thursday night when I go out for my birthday dinner, as well as for Saturday when I go to Summer TLI. Let’s hope that I have the confidence to rock them and not cave because I might worry that something might be said.

Time to slay this week and look forward to vacation next week!