Being Chief Technology Officers at Greensburg Toastmasters! 

No April Foolin’! We had our Greensburg Toastmasters meeting on Wednesday night. On this night, we were setting up the laptop so we could run our meeting online. Reason being, our tech person who sets up everything was on the mend (she would join us online). We were trying to figure out how to get everything to run, but we all worked as a team and got it all to work. The meeting kicked off around 7pm, and we immediately went into the speaking portion of the meeting. 

We didn’t mess around, and we still got the meeting finished on time. To me, that’s a win-win. 

After trying to get everything set up, I would agree that we are all Chief Technology Officers. I’m grateful that we have a laptop reserved mainly for our meetings, and for our newest member who helped us get into Zoom. For a future educational session at TLI, I feel that this should be on the agenda. Maybe have an exercise where we can learn to run a pseudo hybrid meeting so that we’re up to speed on this. That way, those novice tech masters will be ready when this situation pops up. 

Two speeches on the agenda from our seasoned Toastmasters and an April Fools Day themed Table Topics session made the somewhat abbreviated meeting enjoyable. Short and sweet, quick and to the point. There was no idle time as we kept the ball rolling Wednesday night. 

I gave my evaluation of the meeting, and I was sure to give everyone props for being patient. We took our time getting everything up and running. That’s why it’s best to get there early to have everything set up ahead of time. Our newest member led the Table Topics session, and I’m looking forward to the night that she will serve as Toastmaster. She’s going to shine as a club officer in the future.

Our agenda is all set for April 15. I’m not sure if I’ll be in attendance as I might be visiting the Beaver Toastmasters Club that night. Therefore, I don’t where my speech will land. Either it’ll be at Laurel Highlands, Greensburg, or even Beaver. I may not be back at Greensburg until after the Spring Conference. 

Our next two meetings are April 15 and May 6, and the Spring Conference begins May 15.

2026 Division C Contest Recap!

This morning I was at the United Presbyterian Church in Blairsville to attend a speech contest. This one featured some of the best from the Division that my clubs are part of and it did not disappoint. There was a wonderful spread lined up with donuts, cookies, a cheese tray, and most important, bottled water. I got to the church early as the doors opened at 9. 

As our officials were looking for volunteers, I stepped up to serve as the Sergeant at Arms for the Evaluation Contest. This was a familiar role to me as I also performed it for the Table Topics at the Fall Symposium last October. Just like that contest, I did my job very well keeping the other contestants occupied. The church kitchen was perfect as no one heard what was going on inside the speaking area. 

What did I see at today’s contest? A nice gathering of Toastmasters and family members in attendance to cheer on the contestants. Plenty of representation from different clubs in Division C and District 13. 

Not giving away who won the International speech contest, but I felt a range of emotions as I listened to the contestant. The first speech opened my eyes to the dangers of too much cell phone usage, and what to do with that time you spend looking at your screen. I heard a speech from one of the members who spoke about their autism journey. Another one provided me with humor and a few laughs as the speaker was introduced to a different culture. 

That answers the question as to what I heard while at the contest. 

At the evaluation contest, the model speaker spoke on a time when he wished have handled a situation differently. There were three things he talked about in the speech. I only got to hear one of the evaluations as I was acting as the contest Sergeant at Arms. I think to myself, what are some of those things that I wish I could have done differently. 

Some things on the list I have to go all the way back for. Within the last several years, I would say not leaving my church on bad terms. Taking it slow in my nontraditional fashion journey as I was getting established at Giant Eagle. Not being dependent on clicks on social media. Lastly, not overthinking and instead, learning to be more confident with myself.

We moved on to Ravalia’s where we had our post-contest gathering. It’s a beautiful restaurant that was the former Papa Sal’s we loved going to in the past. It has a great menu with different options. I was tempted to get a burger but decided to get a fish sandwich.

Congratulations to the winners and I look forward to seeing you compete on May 16 at the District contest.

Spring Cleaning at Laurel Highlands Toastmasters!

It was a full agenda Tuesday night at Laurel Highlands Toastmasters. Three speakers set to give their presentations. In addition, a tuneup for our evaluation contest as he hopes to bring home the gold Saturday. We had six in attendance at Connellsville, and three online. Our theme was Spring Cleaning, and our word of the day was growth. Our invocation talked about what it means to grow. In Toastmasters, we go to meetings to grow as speakers and as leaders. The feedback is constructive, and helps us in our future presentations. 

One of the suggestions from our general evaluator was to have the Club President do his role first if he’s invocator or wordmaster.

We began our trio of speeches with a project from our Vice President Education on what it means to serve beyond our club. Using presentation software, he discussed how we can participate in speech contests. He highlighted the roles, including that of the contestant. He also hit on leadership opportunities. His take home questions were, will we serve the club in the new Toastmasters year. Also, would we be attending upcoming events that represent Laurel Highlands?

I wrapped up Level 4 in my Presentation Mastery path with the main project on “Managing A Difficult Auidence”. While my speech was serious-sounding as it centered on the COVID-19 pandemic, it erred on the side of humor as well. The suggestions for improvement included me being a little more commanding and taking more control of the meeting. 

Our last speech from our Sergeant at Arms talked about “The Perspectives of Others”. It was an informative speech teaching to look at things differently and have a heart for others, as well as to be accepting. Overall it was a good night for speeches and that led into a good Table Topics session that tied around the theme of the meeting. I didn’t take part in it, but I’ll talk about my own Spring cleaning. 

Despite the up-and-down March we’ve had weatherwise, I’ve been able to crawl out from the doldrums. Those being brought on by the extreme cold of January. Building off of a more active February, I’ve stayed the course and have a regular gym routine going for me now. With the end of March being five years since my health scare, I’m finally starting to take charge of my life. 

Our evaluators were giving their initial feedback on a speech, and preparing for a competition. I’ve been at meetings where a member serves dual roles (like Toastmaster and General Evaluator) and when they evaluate two speeches. Our club president is practicing so he can be ready to compete on Saturday, and I believe that’s he more than ready. All speech evaluations were within time and ranged from 3 to 3 ½ minutes. Not too shabby. 

We wrapped up the meeting on time and we’ll see each other again on Saturday. 

Our next three meetings are April 14 and 28, and May 12. I’m looking at giving a speech at that May meeting leading up to Spring Conference.

Enjoying my Cutie Pebble Latte at Cutie’s!

I made good on my Sunday afternoon plans and the summerlike weather helped accentuate that. First it was off to Cutie’s for a Cutie Pebbles Latte. It was so warm that the garage door window was up. I enjoyed my drink outside and watched the world go by. Afterwards, I parked my car in the lot like I was going to my Greensburg Toastmasters meeting and walked around town. 

With a busy week ahead, I made the most of my afternoon. Thus, I was able to get my thirty minute walk in before the rain and thunderstorms made their way in. I walked down Main Street and on to Otterman where I just was, passing Caffe Barista along the way. Them and Cafe 993 in Manor are on my list of future restaurant visits. It was a nice Sunday to be out and about as people rode past on their bikes. Pennsylvania Avenue is looking good and night markets will begin soon, ushering in Summer. 

I made it home just as the sky began to turn ominous. 

Today, I put my speech together for Tuesday’s meeting. It’s going to be a little bit different as I’ll be evaluated on how I handle interruptions. Other club members will play different roles in the project. I’m mixing some bad news with a little bit of humor, so we’ll see how it goes. 

I have my dates set for when I want to speak. Eventually I’ll wrap up this path that I began in the Fall of 2024. However, I need to address some concerns going forward. In order to ensure success in my speeches and as a member of my clubs, I want to have my next project started by the end of the week.  

The next time that I want to give a speech will be around the middle of April. I want to get a rough draft of what I’m going to present by Friday. This will give me ample time to have everything ready to go by the 14th or 15th. It beats waiting until a week or even less to prepare. A little motivation helps.

A Well-Balanced Week of Activities!

The first full week of Spring will be keeping me busy, as I have a lot on my plate. I have a lot of needs, and some wants as well. I should be able to satisfy all of my requirements. The key this week is to mix business with pleasure. I have to make some moves to plan for my future, in addition to preparing a speech for Tuesday’s Laurel Highlands meeting. I also need to tie up some loose ends in order to meet my Toastmasters goals. This blog post does seem like a monthly preview, but in reality it’s looking like an active week ahead. I don’t mean that with the weather, even though Sunday is trending towards severe weather. 

Sunday will see me returning to one of my favorite coffee shops, enjoying some seasonal coffee. The menu will be changing over this weekend as Cutie’s begins to really think Spring. If the weather holds, maybe I’ll get a thirty minute walk around town. With an active week ahead, I need to get my exercise time in when I can. Sunday’s forecast is trending towards showers and thunderstorms later in the day. These storms are capable of producing damaging winds, heavy downpours, and you can’t rule out the threat of a tornado, either. 

The week ahead takes me to Connellsville for my Laurel Highlands Toastmasters meeting, and to Blairsville over the weekend. I will be there for our Divisional Speech Contest, and I’ll cover that in more detail soon. It’s the first day of the new Spring menu at Cutie’s and I’m trying to decide what I want to get. I’ll be down there just after it opens so I may be in the long line at 8 o’clock on Saturday morning. I’ll be sure to enjoy some festive coffee to usher in the Spring season.

I’ll miss the Spring Market Saturday morning, but I’ll be en route to Blairsville for the speech contest Saturday morning. Now unlike last year, the universe isn’t exactly working in my favor. I had luck on my side as I was able to attend three out of the four division contests in March. I am happy to attend my division’s contest though. In addition, I’ll be enjoying the first consecutive days off I’ve had since the end of December. It’s also the first free Saturday I’ve had since the Fall (December 6 was the last one I had off). That day I attended Winter TLI at Westmoreland County Community College. 

I have not put in my hat to ring yet but if I don’t help out, I’ll cheer on my fellow contestants. There will be plenty of speeches and evaluations to enjoy at this level just as there was at the area. A few of them I’ll definitely be rooting for.

Finally, the Dinner Series resumes on Thursday night and I couldn’t be more excited. We’ll have a moment of silence for a former teacher and coaching legend. Also, we’ll remember Kings as the Hempfield location closed the day after Christmas last year. It was a very heartless decision to close the day after a major holiday and I wish the employees had more notice. Valvoline and 7 Brew are going to eventually move into that location. 

Kevin and I will meet at Eat’n Park and I have my heart set on the Whale of a Cod as it’s lenten season. Our talking points will most likely include the pool and the upcoming renovations set to take place. We’ll reminisce about good times and all the memories of meets and swimming alumni past. The future for the team as they swim at other pools will be discussed as well. We’ll also catch up on life as we wrap up another workweek.

A Balanced Trio of Speakers at Greensburg Toastmasters!

The snow cleared on Wednesday, but the chill in the air remained as I made my way downtown for that night’s Greensburg Toastmasters meeting. We had a balanced group of members and guests in attendance at the Courthouse, as well as online. The three speakers who were presenting were all at different stages in their Toastmasters journey. 

Our first speaker gave her third speech and was beginning her path, speaking about St. Patrick’s Day  and the holiday’s history. I learned a lot about the holiday as I evaluated the speech. Our second and third speakers were far along in their Toastmasters walk and each gave a different speech. One is preparing for an upcoming speech contest next week. The other is tuning up for a presentation that he will be giving in front of a group. 

Our guests at the meeting included our speaker, who belongs to the Bakery Square Toastmasters club. He is also a member of the National Speakers’ Association. We also had a guest who came in person two weeks ago but was attending online for this meeting. 

Our Table Topics session, though short due to the sake of time, was pretty good. Only three speakers took part and we did a round robin Table Topics session. Usually we do that for an evaluation (in Achievers or when evaluating a contest speech at a meeting) but we tried it for the impromptu speaking Wednesday evening. The participant who went then picked the question for the next person who wanted to go. 

In addition to the two guests who attended online, we also had our Area 24 Director at the meeting as well. At the end of the meeting, we made plans as we work on leading Greensburg to success. I will be giving my last two levels in Presentation Mastery to them, and Level 3 will go to to Laurel Highlands. 

Downtown was busy Wednesday night with the Palace Theatre having a show. Those of us who came in person had no issue finding parking. Some of us parked in the lot (we were lucky) and others found spots off the street. Our division contest will be next Saturday in Blairsville, and contestants will be in attendance from across our division. The next two meetings are scheduled for April 1 and April 15. It’s up in the air if I’ll be speaking at Greensburg on the 15th. I may speak the night before at Laurel Highlands. Or, I might get that night off and attempt to get on the speaking schedule at Beaver.  I’ve been wanting to make a visit to that club.

Be Careful How You Come In!

Yesterday, I braved the cold weather and occasional snow squall and went to White Rabbit for my weekly coffee visit. I got the matcha latte, found my table, and watched the world go by. Tonight, I’m back in town for my Greensburg Toastmasters meeting. 

Why am I mentioning these two instances where I go downtown in the same paragraph? Let me explain. 

When I was leaving to go to White Rabbit yesterday afternoon, I saw that the price of gas had gone up. In the news right now, you’re probably hearing a lot about the war in Iran. Keep reading, this isn’t a political blog and I’m not going to give my opinion. 

Everything present and past has me so triggered, to the point that it will ruin my experiences as I go out and about. It had me coming in hot. Now what does coming in hot mean? Coming in hot is a phrase that figuratively means to approach a situation in a state of anger and tension. 

Now, I’m not coming home after a crazy night at work feeling this way. This is how I get from reading things on social media. I say things I don’t really mean (we’ve all done it) and sometimes put it in the comments (before deleting it). 

Almost two weeks ago, I posted a blog reminding my readers to be careful how they start their day. I saw an article on Facebook, politically centered, and it got my blood boiling. I won’t get into detail, but it did throw off my entire day.

Fortunately, I blew off that steam and had a relaxing visit at White Rabbit. I ordered a Matcha Latte and watched the snow fall and the world go by. I’m getting pretty far in my NPR book and later this week I’ll begin that new memoir from our governor. 

Lesson learned: Don’t come in hot. Instead, be calm, cool, and collected. Also, I’m continuing in my nontraditional fashion journey (when I almost quit earlier this year). Therefore, in addition, I will be brave, confident, and chic.

I finished up Queer Eye a few weeks ago with the final few episodes. Last week I started watching the medical drama The Pitt on HBO Max. I’m only two episodes in and so far I like what I’ve seen. While I’ve only seen a few episodes, I think it’s crazy that each episode covers an hour of a hospital worker’s shift. I’ll have a more thorough review at the end of the month and later in April when I finish the first season. There are two seasons with a third season coming (likely January 2027).

Finally, I want to talk about a writing project I’ve had my eyes on for a while. It takes place during my vacation in June 2024. I was excited to take my week off from work and had some fun things planned. But that Spring, a storm was brewing in me emotionally.

I had embarked on my nontraditional fashion journey since 2021. It hasn’t come without bumps in the road, however. I wasn’t getting clicks on social media that I needed to feel “approved”, and that summed up my 2022. That, plus I came into the year with a few chips on my shoulder. There was the Bud Light controversy in 2023, and I let the talking heads and their opinions get to me. I almost gave up right then and there, but went back at the last minute.

In 2024, it was more of the same as I wasn’t getting clicks. In addition, I let some negative thoughts numb me emotionally. I was at TLI at the beginning of my vacation in 2024 and for the most part, it went well. On the outside.

On the inside, I wasn’t feeling it, and that hindered what was an amazing experience at my club officer training.

In this journey, bravery and confidence has mixed with fear and uncertainty. It didn’t help that the Presidential election results were not in my favor. Yet I didn’t fold up and die.

While I’ve been looking for approval and acceptance from others, I need to find it within myself.

No acceptance or approval needed. Just self-love.

A Better Week Than Last!

This weekend and the start to the new week have begun a lot better than the last one. Maybe it’s because of the time change, but I digress. We are in the last week of winter before Spring officially makes its arrival Friday morning at 10:46am. But, winter will make at least one final appearance early this week before the change in seasons. 

Yesterday, I took advantage of the mild weather and checked out that new park that opened just off of Mount Pleasant Road. It’s located above the Weatherwood Nursing Home Complex. The park is currently a work in progress as one phase of it has been completed, with newer buildings in the planning process. The second phase is set to be complete in the Fall of 2027. 

What is operating though, is a playground and exercise area, and there is a walking path which ends close to Cedar Street. You can see the exit and US 30 Westbound from the path. There is also a splash pad which will get used a lot more when summer comes. This community park (I soon learned the name is Founders Park) will be a nice addition to Hempfield Township. 

The reviews on Google and comments on Facebook aren’t worth reading. Check out the park for yourself and give your own honest opinion. 

I reinvested in my future this weekend! Toastmasters Club Dues need to be paid by the end of the month and I took advantage of the online self-pay to renew my membership at my two clubs (Greensburg and Laurel Highlands). I’m four speeches away from finishing my Presentation mastery Path and I’m trying my best to lead our clubs to success. Completing one of my levels will help Laurel Highlands on the path to hopefully, Smedley Distnguished.  In addition, completing the Presentation Mastery Path will get Greensburg to Distinguished as I’d give them my last two levels.

Thus, a lot is riding on getting these projects done over the next few months! 

I’m looking ahead to the upcoming Division Contest next week, and need to get on the ball to register for the upcoming Spring Conference in May. 

I seem to be getting an exercise routine down now by scheduling time at the gym and outside, weather permitting. Thursday through Monday are days I’m setting aside to work out. I’m trying to get that ratio of gym time to outside time around 3 to 2, or 60/40. The three days I’m at the gym will be for arms, legs, and cardio. One for each day. Before and after I’m done, I also walk the Westmoreland Mall Annex, going from Planet Fitness to EDO Hibachi, and from the gym to the movie theater. That gives me fifteen free minutes to add to my exercise ring. 

My next challenge is to visit another Planet (I have a black card) and walk before and after my visits. Norwin Town Square or Latrobe are on my radar.

Remembering the Spartan Swimming Pool!

On Saturday, the Hempfield Aqua Club held their meet at the Spartan Swimming Pool on Hempfield Area High School campus. It was a bittersweet day for the aqua club. That’s because the meet was the last one to be held at the pool.

The high school is set to undergo major renovations after the school year has wrapped up at the end of the year. The pool itself is beyond cooked, as are parts of the High School. The renovations have been needed and were long awaited. The end result will hopefully be a state of the art facility.

The team and the aqua club will travel to different sites for their home meets in 2026-27. A lot of swimmers whom I went to school with, as well as the next generation, are excited for the changes coming. It’s a range of emotions though as we are sad to see the old pool fall on hard times. Building up the aqua club has lead to Coach Clougherty crafting a strong team over the years. It’s a team that has spent time competing at regional and state championship meets.

Many of Kevin’s former swimmers have gone on to lead successful lives. On Social Media this weekend, some of the original aqua club swimmers shared their memories of the pool. There’s been talk about being able to take some of the old deck tile from the pool to keep in remembrance. I’m looking forward to seeing the new design, and being there when it opens.

I was proud to part of the team during Kevin’s early coaching days.

The pool’s closing is emotional for me as well. It was during my sophomore year of high school that the new coach of the swim team took me under his wing. He was looking for a manager to help him out at practice and at the meets. I was hesitant at first but I agreed to become part of the team.

In my three years with the team, I never knew what kind of legacy I’d leave. I graduated in 2000 and went on to college, but never forgot about the team or Mr. Clougherty. In 2007, I was home from college as I’d graduated from Slippery Rock. I’d come up and visit during practice and even attended a few meets in those early post-academic days.

From what Kevin has told his swimmers, it seems that I’ve left quite a legacy indeed.

Thanks to social media (which is not really the coach’s strong suit), I get to keep up with how good the team is. Over the nearly 30 years he’s coached the team, he’s developed a lot of good athletes. I know he’s having a good time at the championships right now and we will get together soon to have dinner.

Happy Birthday from Laurel Highlands Toastmasters!

Tuesday night was a night for celebration at our Laurel Highlands Toastmasters meeting. It was the birthday of our founding member and the District’s current Program Quality Director. 

I arrived early to the meeting with my cookies and when I walked in a little bit after 5, the room was already looking decorated. Still, my help was needed wherever. Therefore, I helped set some tablecloths and hang up a Happy Birthday streamer. It’s hanging above the banner in my picture at the top. 

The guest of honor arrived just before the meeting got started and loved all the work that we put into making the room look amazing. Our president even scheduled social time for the first 15 minutes of the meeting while we enjoyed an amazing spread. That was all put together by our founding member’s sister. I was eyeing that cheesecake, of which I was wanting a slice at some point during the evening. 

The spread consisted of food from the Caribbean, including rice and beans and ox tail. There were also fried plantains. I ate a few of those at Kennywood’s Bites and Pints event last summer at the start of my week off. 

The agenda was a full one, with three speakers lined up to present. Our newest speaker, our contest speaker, and our backup speaker all gave great speeches. I got to evaluate Nick’s second speech. He gave his ice breaker a couple of meetings ago. Last night, he taught us how a simple thing like a jellybean can impact our opinions. Nick put a lot of effort and detail into the speech. With the gloves he passed out at the beginning, I was expecting a speech about ways we can beat the next virus/outbreak. 

I was wordmaster for the meeting. I don’t to toot my own horn, but I couldn’t have a found a more perfect word for last night’s festivities. That word of the day was…. 

Celebration.

We celebrated our friend’s birthday last night, and here at home, we’ve been celebrating the warm spring-like weather. The price of that today has been showers and storms, some of which have brought damaging winds, hail, and even tornadoes. Seasonal weather makes a return this weekend, and we’re not done with that four letter word quite yet. 

For me, I’m also celebrating. I didn’t want to overshadow our birthday girl on this blog, but I want to recognize as well. For one, I’ve made it to 900 blogs. I achieved that in February. But I’m celebrating how confident and brave I’ve been. I’ve been going back to my nontraditional ways, even after wanting to stop again. It’s brave because of the administration we have running things. 

The outfit of the day was my leopard print cardigan. The green shirt my friend commented on was a sweater tank top. I got a nice compliment about my cheetah sweater two weeks earlier so I had pulled a deja vu. I felt good and I even lost the cardigan when I went up to perform my roles. 

I’m breaking out of my introverted ways and showing off my unique sense of style again. My Old Navy haul arrives later this week so I’m looking forward to trying my clothes on and, hopefully, adding them to my wardrobe.

We concluded the meeting a little after 7:30pm, and yes I did get to enjoy a slice of that cheesecake. I also had a decadent cupcake that was lemon-flavored. I was playing it safe by eating it with a fork. 

Our next two meetings are March 24 and April 14, with the Division Speech and Evaluation Contest occurring on March 28. I’ll be at all three events.