Day Two

 We started out this morning with a President's breakfast. It was a great session and I learned a lot! I will have lots to bring back to my club next week and the following months.

 But the girls and I decided we would regret it if we came all this way and just spend every minute in Toastmasters. So we found a great outlet store and found some amazing deals!!!

 Look at the mountains in the background! There's snow on the caps.

 I can't remember how many times I got lost or disoriented in this hotel. TOO BIG! The courtyards are pretty but not my favorite thing for going to and from my room.

 During lunch we got to see all of the accomplishments of the district. Richard and Sharon Owens, Me, and Becky Bane were four of the five Raiging Toastmasters present at this years conference.

 We won a Banner Raid ribbon for our banner!

 This is the certificate for participation in the District Level International Speech Competition.

 

Since this is a competition, you can't have photography during the speeches (too distracting) so Becky took my picture next to the lectern after my speech. I chose the last speech slot, so I got a chance to listen to all five speakers before I gave my speech. I made a lot of people cry. The funniest thing is that I didn't do a lot of schmoozing with people I didn't know. But as soon as I did my speech, LOTS of people wanted to stop and ask me questions. 

The interviewer had a strange sense of humor and thought it would be funny to use an Anti-Semitic joke during my interview. I tried to just let it pass, but it upset a lot of the audience, which made me feel better. They came up and apologized to me for her. 

They took professional pictures, so when I get them off of the district website, I'll get those posted as well. Becky was taking pictures to the side while the pros were making us look away. The guy on the far right is Merv Jersak. He spoke about his father and even spoke Czechoslovakian during his speech. He placed Second. John Friesinger spoke about his little girl learning how to ride her bike. He has competed many many times and always won second. This is the first time he's placed First. Congrats John.

I have definitely learned alot from this process. I can say that I've done my best. There isn't anything I would have changed about my speech. Not one thing.

There was a gentleman with a cleft palate in the audience. He didn't speak to me until after my speech, and then we talked a lot. So if my speech was only for him, it was worth it. Trophies gather dust and mean little in the grand scheme of things, but if he was touched... I won first place.

Thank you to all that helped me get to this conference and who cheered me on, attended my contests and practice speeches. This has been a great weekend.

Now off to dream land! Amarillo by mornin'...