Much to my surprise, at a Toastmasters meeting on Wednesday, I got the award for best evaluator. That means that I gave the most constructive feedback to a speaker at the meeting :-)

Outside, it is pouring with rain, it seems like the sky is trying to empty on our heads. This is after I told Lois that I thought that we were over the worst of the rain, oh well clearly my prediction skills are not as good as I would like. However, in less than a week we will be in the middle of summer, first in New York, and then in Connecticut, attending the Toastmasters International Convention at Foxwoods. Foxwoods is the largest stand-alone casino in the world.

I have been to the MGM in Vegas, if I am correct the casino floor was over 50000 square feet, so for this one to be larger than that is really quite something!

The next day, we will rent a car and meet the other half of our group, Rob and Keryn, and then off to Foxwoods, the largest single casino in the world. I am really looking forward to catching up with my Toastmastering friends, and meeting new people.

MGM Hotel in Las Vegas

So we are getting towards the final stages of packing for the trip. Packing for me always seems to be a little of a last-minute thing, I don’t seem to be able to plan it to far ahead. But then I think that it is because I don’t feel a need to have to plan it too far ahead, after all I seem to remember to take everything and I don’t really forget anything important.

Also, it is not like we are travelling to the middle of nowhere, it will after all be USA, and we really can get anything that we need there! We are going to hire a car, so that will also make the travelling arrangements a little easier.

Times Square

We are going to have Pizza on Time Square with my cousin Bruce when we get there, I have not seen him in a very long time, so I am looking forward to catching up with him, and to meeting his wife Melissa, and their new baby. I am dreading the long flight. 16 hours in an aeroplane is simply far too long for me, I have done it three times now, and I really don’t feel like a forth, but not too much choice there!

So, just two days left at work, and then off to USA – I am really excited about the trip.

Hi all

Just a quick update that the recent Toastmasters induction dinner was featured in the Cape Town newspapers. They also displayed a full colour photo of me and Lois. You can read the article on my other blog.

Craig

These are the Christmas tree lights from a friend of ours – Jana Barnhill. Their whole house lights up in time to music, and they even have the music broadcast on one of the local radio stations where they live in Texas, so that you can watch the show as you listen to the soundtrack in your car.

When not putting on Christmas light-shows, Jana is the International President of Toastmasters International. She is a very able president, and a fantastic person!

Enjoy the show.