Lee's Blog

Tyler's first full day in Denison

Grandson Tyler has had a full day! It started after breakfast when he went to the Children's Museum ok Main St in Denison. Gramsie wouldn't touch the snake but Tyler would and did! He love a slide that was over 6ft tall. He went down every way imaginable. Then a short walk down the street to Country Java....Gransie and Unk's favorite spot for lunch. After lunch it was home for a well deserved nap...actually he fell asleep at Country Java! After supper tonight he has been playing ouside. He really likes the picnic table!!!! I don't know who is looking more foward to going to bed tonight....he or me....or Gramsie!!!!!!!

We did hear from Trevor that the two rooms he had to paint while they were gone have been finished. MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!!!!!!!

30 years of dental practice!!!!!

Today ends 30 years of dental practice in Denison, Texas!  I was just 28 years old (with long brown hair) when I started practice on July 15, 1978.  It has been a great thirty years!  We have seen the birth of two sons, they have married and we now have two great daughter-in-laws and one grandson (and even one more grandson on the way...due September 15!).  I've seen long BROWN hair turn into VERY short grey hair!  We have seen 3 parents die as well as all grandparents pass away.  It was kind of different leaving the office this evening and looking around at all the changes that have been made in 30 years.   Little did I know that we would be taking digital xrays and no film would be used!

For those of you that don't know the story, I bought the practice from Dr. Noel V. Boothman, who went back to dental school late in life.  He practiced dentistry in Denison for 20 years/9months following a successful business on Main Street selling men's clothes at his shop called NOEL'S.  So between the two of us this practice has been in existence for 50 years, 9 months!  In fact, I saw a patient today that was one of Dr. Boothman's patients and I have seen him for the past 30 years!  There are fewer and fewer of those Dr. Boothman patients as many have died or moved from the area.

So what am I going to do tomorrow?  First, we closed the office tomorrow and everyone has the day off work!  Barbie and I are going to Dallas at 4:30am tomorrow and I am going to try to buy one of the new 3-G iPhones.  Cell phones were not even invented 30 years ago!  Then home to watch the Baseball All-Star game tomorrow night with Jeff and Carolyn Walton!  An exciting day!

At Thursday's Sherman Daybreak Toastmaster meeting I am going to give a second IceBreaker speech.  This week represents a double mulligan. A mulligan is a golfing term....meaning to "do over".  My speech will be about starting Toastmasters over again with a second icebreaker speech where I tell about myself.  The second part of the speech will be about a three year period in our life where we made some important decisions that landed us in Denison on July 15, 1978.  This week represents a "do over or a start over" in both Toastmasters and another XX years in dentistry in Denison, Texas.  What are you doing at 6:30am on Thursday?  Come to Sherman Daybreak and hear the complete story!

Lee

Here we sit......

Here we sit on a typical evening...watching the Texas Rangers play baseball in HD! I just downloaded the TypePad iPhone app that does everything from my iPhone. Now to post and see what the result will look like!!!!!

Three little letters......DTM!

I joined Toastmasters in January of 2004 and had no idea what I had gotten myself into!  I learned about Toastmasters at a Denison Rotary meeting when Bob Rhoden and Roni Davis came and presented  the program on Toastmasters.  Little did I know how much Toastmasters would affect my life!  THEN I met Michael Goforth and Brent O'Bannon!  They were always the encouragers and Brent was my mentor beinning with the second speech!  However, nothing that I have done in Toastmasters would have been accomplished if it wasn't for my wife, Barbie!  She was always behind me....encouraging at just the right minute and bragging on me and of course, bringing me back to earth when I started bragging about myself!

This past Thursday was the culmination of 4 1/2 years in Toastmasters and I gave my last speech to become a Distinguished Toastmaster (DTM).  The title of the speech was "Holy Hilarity or Divinely Dull" and was from the Entertaining Speech Manual - Project #2, Resources for Entertainment.  After the speech, my good friend Jeff Walton came up and gave a 3-4 min speech on "Presenting an Award". His speech was entitled "A Legacy".  He talked about my accomplishments in Toastmasters - introducing him to Toastmasters, President of Sherman Daybreak, President of Park Central, District 50 Photography Chair, and Past Area 22 Governor.  I enjoyed his speech much more than I did my own!!!!  One thing that Jeff said is that my "line" when starting to talk to someone about Toastmasters is either "What are you doing at 6:30am on Thursday mornings?" or "What are you doing on the third Sunday of each month?"

What have I learned from Toastmasters in 4+ years?  First, Michael taught me so much about leadership!  He was always there...whether at Park Central or Sherman Daybreak...with just little suggestions.  I saw D50 through a Distinguished District 50 Governor's eyes.  Brent taught me the finer details of speaking....how to do a much better job of writing a speech and "tightening it up".  Joy Cole taught me so much about evaluations.  She taught me to always see the positive in a speech...no matter how deep you had to look!  Barbie and I spent many...many...many hours writing and refining speeches!  She is the inspiration behind ALL my speeches.  She should be in Toastmasters!  Many thanks, Michael, Brent, Joy, and especially Barbie!  Thanks Jeff....for a great friendship!

I found quickly that Toastmasters doesn't begin...until you step outside of your own club.  I met people like Angie Flinn (soon to be Angie Key), Jim Key, Anne Barab, Pauline Shirley, Jyo Pai, Darren McDonald, Gary Gillespie,  David Himmelstein and the list just keeps growing!  Does this list sound like the Park Central family?  It should...that is what I mean by the list keeps growing!  At Park Central I was so honored to be asked to serve as President and the club finished President's Distinguished.  This year, I served as President of Sherman Daybreak...another President's Distinguished year!

Where do I go now in Toastmasters since I have now finished my DTM?  I am going to be VP of Education at Sherman Daybreak and I will start again with a new Ice Breaker!  I hope I can do a much better job at an Ice Breaker than I did on the first one!  I know I have learned so much in the 4+ years since that first speech!

I have no illusions of being the next Jim Key or becoming a professional (paid) speaker.....that just isn't in the cards for me.  However, I know what Toastmasters has done for me (and continues to improve my life) and I want to share that with as many people as possible!

Enough of the ramblings!  I finish with ....  "What are you doing at 6:30am this Thursday?  Come join  a group of great group of people at Sherman Daybreak!"

Lee Clayton, DTM
President of Sherman Daybreak 2007-2008

Dentists started as barbers

Yes,over a hundred years ago...before there were dentists the barbers
took care of dental needs. This week I did both! First, my young
friend Jacob came over to our house following church on
wedesday and I gave him a "close" haircut. Then today he came in to
my office for his first dental visit. Jacob was an excellent dental
patient and was better than most of my adult patients!

Bought on a silent auction

This weekend we were at a toastmaster conference and they have both
a raffle for prizes and this year they had a silent auction. Look
what I bought Tyler and all future Clayton grandkids for picnics.
Note the box of dominoes, two frisbies and the beach ball. Total
cost for everything was only $54! >

What an honor!

it was quite a surprise when I walked into church tonight and saw 2 of my "tractor buddies" sporting new haircuts! It really is an honor to be "imitated"!  Of course I offered to "finish the job". Let me introduce my friends to you....Jacob and Spencer Verlander. 

Just call me IPHONE Man!

Ok, I know all the bad things I have said over the years but I take them ALL BACK!  I couldn't stand not being on the cutting edge of technology and this afternoon I bought a Apple IPhone!  I have had it about 4 hours and found the activation through ITunes to be by far the best cell phone experience ever!  There were no glitches.  Within 5 minutes, my new IPhone was activated and my cell phone number ported from my Sprint Treo 650 phone over to the IPhone!  So far, I have pictures from Tyler from Easter 2008 (or close enough to call them Easter photos) along with a little music.  I don't want to fill up all 16 Gigs on the first day!

So now I am one LOYAL APPLE FAN!  It also doesn't hurt that I own APPLE STOCK!

A Savvy Shopper! - Call me Coupon Man!

My Walmart shopping experience only got better today!  I have NEVER in my life used a coupon when shopping.  But today, I used 3 - $1.00 coupons.  My father-in-law must be smiling in heaven  today, just seeing me use those three coupons.  It was such a GREAT feeling to save that $3 using coupons!  I cannot even explain fully in a blog what that felt like!!!!!!  If I could only find a program on the internet to go out an LOCATE the coupons for me!

.....I'm gone for now....out GOOGLING "locate internet coupons".  Will report back later on the success of this or a refined search!  Wish me luck!  Someday, I may be like my father-in-law was where he got everything for free!

A Savvy Shopper!

Since Barbie's back surgery, I have taken on most of the major grocery shopping.  When I first started shopping at Walmart I knew there had to be a better...more organized...way of shopping.  I hated to walk half way to the back of the store and then have to backtrack because I forgot something.  It was frustrating!  I decided to map out the store and fix my own list....but then I thought "Why should I re-invent the shopping list! I know there are others with this same problem!"  Google to the rescue.  I did a Google search and found the following program that was very inexpensive.  Simply Shopping was the answer for an an Isle by Isle shopping!  It took me two or three times going through our local Walmart...not shoppping...just with a clipboard and pen!  I now have the store mapped...or at least the grocery section mapped.

Today was my first attempt at a real shopping list.   Out of 14 items on my list, I only missed two items being mapped wrong.  Those are now corrected and should be on the correct isle next time.  Simply Shopping is only $19!  This was a great find!