As we begin the second half of 2024 (boy, June has gone fast!), let’s take a look back at this first half in threes.

Spring definitely sprung and with it came some of the craziest weather we’ve experienced in quite a long time. From flooding rains in April to tornadoes in May and record heat and more twisters in June, it was never boring when you stepped outside. Here’s hoping we have a quieter rest of Summer and colorful Fall.

In Toastmasters we had a great contest season and I made some new friends along the way. In Greensburg, I led the way as club president. In the end, I learned our club had achieved Select Distinguished honors. Our division finishes President’s Distinguished. While this year was a more of a comeback than a rebirth, next year will be one where I go all in.

I attended my first in person conference since before the pandemic. I had fun but I felt like I was holding myself back. I enjoyed the time well spent with my District 13 family but felt sleep deprived. TLI was last week and I learned a lot. I’m taking on a lot in 2024-25 and that’s why I think this is the year I’m back. Look for more online and in person visits in the new Toastmasters year. Starting a new path and completing a few projects might have led us to President’s during my presidency.

I hit some milestones in June. I published and wrote my 600th blog post and did my 800th day of lessons on Duolingo uninterrupted. This month I focused on one language and will keep with that practice for the foreseeable future. At one point I was doing three or four languages in a week. As for now, I plan on keeping up my French. I began regularly doing Duolingo lessons in April 2022 by learning Spanish. Over time, I’ve begun to pick up friends on Duolingo and we compete on the weekly quests.

As the second half begins, I will still post content but I will be scaling back content to almost January and February numbers. This will give me some new hobbies to think about and more time spent outside. I will still post restaurant reviews and other things. July and August will be light going into the first week of September before picking up for Fall. Expect December to be a lot like this month. 700 may still happen but I’m not sure yet.

July begins the final installment for me in reading the Harry Potter series. I’ll be changing up my Hogwarts schedule and try to finish by the middle of August as opposed to early September. I started the series in mid-August so this way I’ll have it done in a year. My niece’s theme for her birthday party last year was Harry Potter.

One thing I’d like to get back to doing in July is reading some more inspirational authors and getting back into Scripture. That’s something I want to think about, especially in my upcoming social media downtime.

Finally, I’m not planning to spend as much time on social media as I have been. Mostly this applies to Facebook or Instagram. I’ll still post the links to my blogs whenever I publish them. I want to steer myself away from the negativity, especially as the presidential election nears. I’m going to limit myself to one or two days a week. Plus, the algorithm is too loopy in my opinion, especially on Instagram.

Happy second half of 2024 and Happy Birthday to me!

I’m getting serious vibes back to when I bought my Coach bag here three years ago.

Today on day 8 of my double digit vacation, I decided to treat myself to a little retail therapy. What better place to go than Tanger Outlets? I’ve been itching to get another bag (I know I have a lot but it’s been a few years) and this time I was interested in a Michael Kors.

As I warm myself up to buy a new Michael Kors bag, I explored the outlets and checked out a few other stores as well.

Before arriving at Tanger, I stopped at Primanti’s and got a Buffalo Chicken sandwich. I’ve been slaying a lot of great food during this vacation from The Brewery on Monday to yesterday’s Potato Patch fries at Kennywood. Today would have been a perfect Bites’n Pints day there. But back to today’s dining experience at Primanti’s.

Food was great and I wasn’t disappointed with either my sandwich or the pickle I asked for. Being burned out of burgers this week from having taken so many home from Benny’s graduation and already having a reuben, I was ready for something different. The blue cheese dressing was great and the right amount of fries and cole slaw made my lunch go great.

Service was excellent. In and out quickly and my waitress was very friendly and efficient, making sure I was pleased with my meal. I think I took longer for me to decide what I wanted than it did for my server to take care of my order.

The atmosphere was good. It’s a sports bar and at Noon on a Friday it wasn’t too bad. I came out to Washington on New Year’s Day two years ago. I was still hurting emotionally from another bad holiday season due to the latest COVID variant. Plus, I had just transitioned into a new workplace, therefore I wasn’t too happy. So far today has made up for that.

My grade for today’s lunch at Primanti’s in Washington: 4.9 (only because I had to reach for the paper towels but that’s minor).

After browsing at the Steelers store, Hot Topic, Old Navy, and Gap, it was time to go to Michael Kors and make my purchase. The salespeople were very helpful and friendly. I was feeling very confident and my purchase came down to the brown or the pink. I went with the light pink and it was a 3-in-1 set. I got a great deal on it and that’s why I love shopping at the outlets.

Afterwards, I drove up 19 to make my way to South Hills Village. I stopped at Box Lunch, a really cool pop culture shop that is just as cool as Hot Topic. Westmoreland Mall needs one for sure. I went to Barnes and Noble and had coffee and looked around. I don’t buy books like I used to, but I will be starting the final Harry Potter soon. A new anchor store is going into the old Sears spot this Fall, called Von Maur.

In an era where malls are dying, South Hills is one of the few in Pittsburgh that continues to hold its own. It makes me wonder if JCPenney would have done well if it had moved from Century III Mall to South Hills Village at some point.

If I could have done anything differently, I would have definitely snagged some cool merch from Hot Topic (either location) or Box Lunch, or even shopped online beforehand at Old Navy and picked up the order at either store. Either way, I was happy to get out on Friday and this vacation has gone well for me. I’ll be ready to head back to work Monday night.

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.